Statement from SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher on Speaker Sheldon Silver's State of the State Presentation

January 5, 2012

“We are thrilled that Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has made a commitment to increase support for SUNY’s community colleges.

“His recognition of the state’s obligation to fund community colleges at fair and sustainable levels not only highlights his commitment to their critical role in workforce development, but also to relieving the tuition burden that for far too long has fallen on the shoulders of students and their families.

“I commend Speaker Silver’s decision to make this pledge on such a momentous day for the people of New York, and I in turn pledge SUNY’s support in working with the Speaker to help realize this increased investment in our state’s future.”

About the State University of New York
The State University of New York, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, 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 2022, 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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