SUNY Board of Trustees Announces Appointment of H. Carl McCall as Chairman Emeritus
June 20, 2019
Appointment Culminates 12 years of service to SUNY and a Five Decade Career of Public Service
As Chairman Emeritus, McCall will Continue to Lend his Expertise to the State University
Chairman Receives Proclamation from Governor Cuomo Recognizing His Service to New York State
Albany – The State University of New York Board of Trustees today announced the appointment of H. Carl McCall to the distinguished role of Chairman Emeritus for SUNY, a role that recognizes his 12 years of service to SUNY and his ongoing involvement by continuing to provide his expertise to the Board. A copy of the resolution can be found online here.
The honor follows a proclamation from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, which recognizes Chairman Emeritus McCall’s service to New York State.
"It has been an honor serving our students, who have shared with me their stories, given me their feedback, and allowed me the privilege of celebrating in their accomplishments," said Chairman Emeritus McCall. "I have enjoyed working with such outstanding Trustees, the leadership of SUNY, and our campus presidents, faculty, and staff, and I am proud to continue serving the State University of New York in the years to come as a mentor and as a resource."
SUNY Board of Trustees said this of Chairman Emeritus McCall, "The Chairman’s career clearly defines the meaning of integrity and public service. He leaves behind a legacy of great intellect, leadership and compassion, a career that has impacted and inspired many of us who have had the honor to know him throughout the years. We will remember him for his deep commitment to equality, diversity and access to education for our students. We are delighted that he will continue to serve as Chairman Emeritus for SUNY."
"Chairman Emeritus McCall has led SUNY with an unwavering focus on creating opportunities for more New Yorkers to pursue their American Dream, as only an excellent education can provide," said SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson. "His hallmark has expanded the reach and defined the identity of SUNY—to provide access and eliminate barriers to a high-quality, affordable education."
About Chairman Emeritus McCall
H. Carl McCall leaves a distinguished legacy of accomplishment through his work at the federal, state, and local levels of government as Comptroller of the State of New York, an Ambassador to the United Nations, New York State Senator, Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Commissioner of the New York State Division of Human Rights, President of the New York City Board of Education, and other roles on various commissions and boards, in addition to his honorable fulfillment of duty to the United States Army. More recently, H. Carl McCall has diligently and faithfully served as a State University of New York (SUNY) Trustee for twelve years and as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University from 2011-2019 – the first African-American to be appointed as Chairman in the history of the University.
Under Chairman McCall’s leadership, SUNY has instituted profound and lasting policies, including creation of the first Office of Diversity and Inclusion for the SUNY System and implementation of a system-wide diversity policy, expansion of Educational Opportunity Programs, implementation of the strongest measures in the nation to prevent sexual assault on college campuses, the end of criminal conviction disclosure in SUNY admissions, and implementation of a system-wide initiative to increase the number of underrepresented faculty. Chairman McCall has also played an instrumental role in advancing several of the largest construction projects ever undertaken by SUNY campuses through the NYSUNY 2020 Challenge Grant Program, transforming the student experience on SUNY campuses.
H. Carl McCall has been an outstanding leader in public service to New York State, displaying commitment, passion, and a vision for the future, and as he retires from the SUNY Board of Trustees and from public service, all New Yorkers join in congratulating the Chairman and extending an expression of gratitude for his long and distinguished career of many accomplishments and in which his hard work, dedication, and civic-minded spirit have produced a noteworthy and lasting record of success.
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, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire 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 $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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