Dear Colleagues:
It is by now common knowledge that New York is struggling with a severe economic crisis. Responding to the seriousness of this situation, Governor Paterson’s office last week called for a 7 percent reduction beyond previous cuts enacted this spring. With grave concern, we expect that UB’s state funding will be reduced as a result of this, although we do not yet know the precise amount of this reduction. This serious predicament once again calls attention to a number of larger, ongoing issues that face public higher education in New York State. And it presents a fundamental paradox: UB’s success is part of the solution for the economic future of New York, yet UB’s budget is being reduced at just the wrong time.
New York’s economic problems are systemic and, in all likelihood, the consequent budget shortfalls will be protracted. For the state to return to economic health, it needs to make fundamental changes in the way it does its business—including, I strongly believe, the way it both funds and governs public higher education.
The University at Buffalo can – and should – be an integral part of the solution to this crisis. UB 2020 provides not only a roadmap for UB’s future as a research university, but it also provides direction for enhancing UB’s role as a catalyst for the regional economy. Research universities like UB generate new human and intellectual capital, grow the new economy, and ultimately make New York and the nation more competitive. They have done so historically, especially in the past half-century, and their contributions will be even more important in the future for our increasingly globalized world. Investing in our nation’s public research universities has paid tremendous economic and social dividends for the U.S. in the past, and ensuring continued investment in this enterprise is collectively in our enlightened self-interest. As an example, currently every dollar of state support sent to UB is multiplied five-fold in economic effect. If we had the appropriate tools that we need to implement UB 2020, this number would likely increase substantially.
All New Yorkers should know that UB and its leadership understand and take very seriously our responsibilities as stewards of the public trust and taxpayer support. Indeed, optimizing the impact of our academic enterprise is at the crux of UB 2020. As but one example, we have made significant progress through UB 2020 in restructuring the delivery of crucial services across the entire university enterprise to ensure greater efficiency and effectiveness. This has garnered significant savings to date—savings that have been reinvested into the enhancement of our academic mission. Current circumstances will now make it imperative for us to pursue these opportunities with increased resolve.
We will take up the challenge issued by Governor Paterson to seek out low-cost, high-impact strategies for dealing with this current crisis. And in response to the larger, ongoing challenges of which these are part, be assured that we, along with our SUNY colleagues, are seeking to exempt public higher education from the cuts to the greatest extent possible. We will follow in coming weeks with information on how you can help this effort.
In the shorter term, Provost Tripathi will be communicating with the campus in the next few days to lay out the process by which our university community will work together to address this formidable challenge. This process will be done with the same transparency, thoughtfulness, and careful analysis that are the hallmarks of UB 2020. And I assure you that the larger vision of UB 2020—that of building a premier public research university with far-reaching impact—will guide this effort. Ensuring the high quality of the academic experience we provide our students, and fostering a supportive campus community that promotes the efforts of our faculty and staff in advancing our academic mission, must remain our first priorities.
Our collective efforts as a university over the past four years have prepared UB to step into the leadership role a public research university must assume in the 21st century. Indeed, we already are doing so. I thank you for your continued commitment to our university’s ambitious vision, and I look forward to our continued work together as we respond to this challenge.
Sincerely,
John B. Simpson
President
