UB 2020 Legislation
UB 2020 legislation—A./S. 2020—was introduced in Albany during the 2009 legislative session with unanimous support from the Western New York delegation. The bill, which passed the Senate in May, proposes changes in state law to give UB the financial and regulatory flexibility needed to achieve its strategic plan.
A./S. 2020 focuses on important policy reforms that would allow UB to control its destiny and fully implement UB 2020 by:
- Achieving a rational tuition policy through which small, regular increases in tuition would provide the university with predictable funding to support high-quality programs and allow parents and students to better plan and budget for expenses.
- Gaining spending and contracting flexibility, unshackling UB from unnecessary pre-review and approval requirements.
- Obtaining access to market capital through authority to borrow funds from recognized lending agents and to engage private developers in partnerships so that developer-financed facilities can be built on campus.
- Attaining the ability to lease or purchase land and facilities, freeing UB to form partnerships to benefit the university and local economy.
The public policy reforms that are the focus of the bill can be implemented quickly and achieved at no cost. They would empower UB and its leadership to apply best business practices while still being accountable to the state would save taxpayers money and make smarter use of scarce public funds to increase economic growth.
Major public research universities in many other states already have the flexibility that the reforms being sought by UB would provide.
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