Statement from Chancellor King and SUNY Board of Trustees on Presidents’ Day
February 16, 2026
"When our great nation was founded nearly 250 years ago, our modern democracy was established over monarchy, and our first president would be voted in, by the people, to serve our country. President George Washington set the example for the presidency, allowing others to continue to build on our nation after he left office. President Abraham Lincoln stood up for principles and guided our nation through a turbulent crisis, so that we could emerge as a better society, on the path to realizing the promise of true equality and justice for all.
"At SUNY, our country's history is taught and serves as the basis for conversation on civil discourse and civic engagement—and we purposely integrate these values in our general education requirements. We proudly foster healthy debate as a medium to better understand ourselves and each other. We also foster opportunities for public service, through SUNY's Empire State Service Corps, which offers paid service opportunities for our students to help our neighbors in need.
"As we reflect on the history of our country, we are inspired by our future leaders—our students on their journey to pursue their dreams, who will pave the way forward for our state and nation."
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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Holly Liapis
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