SUNY Chancellor King Announces Public Listening Sessions on Community College Rulemaking Proposal

July 9, 2025

Listening Sessions Designed to Encourage Comment, Inform Rulemaking

Albany, NY – State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today announced a series of public listening sessions on the proposed rule to ensure continued excellent leadership at New York community colleges. The public listening sessions will take place in-person and virtually to encourage comments on the proposal and inform the rulemaking process. Members of the public are invited to attend.

New York State Education Law 355(1)(c) provides shared responsibility for community colleges between the SUNY Board of Trustees and each local community college board of trustees. In November, the SUNY Board of Trustees approved a resolution to provide additional transparency and accountability in the presidential search process, and in January, a resolution was approved limiting the duration of temporary leadership. The pilot, which brought greater speed and efficiency to five successful appointments of community college presidents, was established for searches conducted during the 2024-25 academic year.

Following input from community colleges, counties, and other stakeholders, at its June meeting the SUNY Board of Trustees began the rulemaking process to invite additional public comment on updated processes for Chancellor feedback on finalists; presidential contract review and approval; and limitations on temporary presidential leadership. The full text of the proposed rule and additional rulemaking documents are available here at the official New York State Register.

In order to encourage additional feedback and engagement with the public, SUNY will hold three in-person and two virtual public listening sessions, which will include members of the SUNY Board of Trustees and senior staff from SUNY. The listening sessions will take place at:

  • Onondaga Community College on Thursday, July 17, from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, in the Frederick Marvin & Ersnt Schuh Recital Hall, located in Academic II Building
  • Erie Community College on Tuesday, August 12 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, in the College Senate Room, located in B-Building, Room B-207
  • Farmingdale State College on Wednesday, August 13 from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM, in the Campus Center Ballroom A and Meeting Room A
  • Virtual listening session on Tuesday, July 29th, from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
  • Virtual listening session on Monday, August 18, from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Information on each of the public listening sessions, as well as the rulemaking process, the proposed rule, and how to participate in the public listening sessions is available at: https://www.suny.edu/about/leadership/CCrulemaking/. New Yorkers who would like to submit a comment can do so through the website, and the comment period will end on August 18, 2025.

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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