Academic Excellence and Success Fee

With this research and educational paradigm provided in part by the Academic Excellence and Success Fee, UB is steadily expanding our stature, renown and impact. The world’s best and brightest faculty are increasingly coming to UB because they desire to be part of the cutting-edge research discoveries and breakthroughs. At the same time, UB’s transformational education is preparing our students to face the challenges confronting our world and to become the future leaders in their professions and communities. UB is steadily attracting more high-caliber students who are drawn by the unique opportunity to work directly with faculty at the forefront of their fields. For our graduates, the investments made with Academic Excellence and Success Fee revenue only further strengthens the value and distinction of a UB degree now and in years to come.

The Academic Excellence and Success Fee seeks to support innovative university initiatives that accelerate UB’s efforts to be recognized as one of the leading public research universities in the nation by strategic investments to support our faculty, students, staff and the entire academic enterprise.

The CEW supports students at every level and in any major to develop their writing skills and produce writing products which achieve their desired results through our one-to-one consultations service which is staffed by UB undergraduate, Masters, and PhD students. The Center also provides high impact workshops and presentations for the campus community and develops programming to provide accountability and support for writing processes, such as writing groups, retreats and discussion groups. The CEW curates updated resources and keeps abreast of emerging research to support writing development across campus.

In the 2024/25 academic year, the CEW:

• Provided 4,021 writing consultations to approximately 1660 UB students
• Launched a weekly Oral Communication Lab supporting approximately 100 students.
• Conducted outreach at 7 campus events, presented in 42 classrooms, and contributed 16 workshops and presentations at the request of collaborators. 
• Offered Writing Center Theory and Practice as an independent study to prepare three undergraduates to work as writing consultants.
• Provided 20 hours of professional development to approximately 28 student writing consultants. 
• Supported approximately 160 UB writers in writing, retreats, groups and discussion cafes.  
• Collaborated with units and departments across campus to create a cohesive, researched-based writing culture at UB including emerging trends such as the rise of GenAi in the writing and communication landscape. 

Extended Library Hours – UB made undergraduate library facilities available 24 hours per day, seven days per week by hiring the necessary support staff to supervise library facilities at all hours of the day.

Upgrade Classroom Facilities – The AESF has made it possible to add and upgrade technologies in centrally scheduled classrooms.

Heart of the Campus – UB has redesigned facilities at the center of the North Campus that once housed library books to create a new and integrated student service delivery model. A one-stop service counter and new teaching and learning facilities arranged in a fashion consistent with 21st century national best practice learning landscape precedents is currently underway. Fee revenues will fund new computing site equipment, staff servicing for new facilities, and learning landscape furnishings and technologies.

• Built Environment, Health Behavior, and Health Outcomes Initiative - This project resulted in enhanced sponsored research, the launch of an innovative cross-school dual degree in planning and public health, and accelerated publications by faculty.
• Four faculty tenure-track hires in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning (SAP), Community Health and Health Behavior (PHHP), and Rehab Science (PHHP)
• Submission of research proposals totaling $2m annually
• Awarded $4.6m in research proposals
• 26 peer reviewed articles in leading journals
• Developed a Joint Masters in Urban Planning and Masters Public Health Program
• Funds also provide support for SAP/PHHP equipment for faculty hires

• Center for Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness – The Center produces top-quality research in organizational leadership and innovation, helps the School of Management attract and retain accomplished and promising researchers in the field, fosters research-practice collaborations with dynamic industries in Buffalo/WNY, and provides educational programs and opportunities for students at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels.
  • Five faculty hires and one staff hire
  • Over $1m in research expenditures and three research projects
  • Establishment of the Leadership Accelerator Program
  • Created collaboration with over 50 WNY business and social sector organizations
  • Establishment of the CLOE Conference, Speaker Series (“Leaders on Leadership”), consulting/research partnerships, and the Executive Coaching Program

• Institute for Sustainable Transportation and Logistics (ISTL) – Fee revenue allows for faculty and students to research problems of direct relevance to society, while providing numerous opportunities for hands-on experiences. ISTL hosts a signature Master’s program, which offers a joint degree between SEAS and SOM, as well as a certificate in transportation, logistics and supply-chain management.
  • Six faculty hires and 1 part time staff hire
  • $7.8m US Department of Transportation research proposal
  • $6.25m total research budget
  • Completed 60 publications, five Summit/Symposiums, and a seminar series
  • Establishment of an Advisory Board and partnership opportunities with other universities
  • Creation of the new interdisciplinary Transportation and Logistics MS degree

• Establishment of Computational and Data-Enabled Science and Engineering – The Masters + PhD program fills the pressing need for computational and data sciences as critical elements of scientific progress, economic competitiveness, and national security. Funds helped to engage and increase research/funding opportunities, hire two senior faculty of international stature and six junior faculty, and organize annual workshops and summer schools to develop a vibrant research and education program on campus.
  • Nine faculty hires
  • $3m in research proposals and $2.9m awarded
  • Submitted 30+ research proposals, produced 10+ CDSE-focused peer-reviewed publications, fellowships to 15+ CDSE focused UB graduate students
  • New MS program approved and SEAS MS program concentration
  • 20+ new interdisciplinary projects launched by CDSE-affiliated faculty
  • Held 20+ workshops with 30+ attendees
  • Held the 5th Annual CDSE Days in April 2019

• Institute of Bridge Engineering - The Institute of Bridge Engineering (IBE) established the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering (CSEE) and MCEER as the leader in bridge engineering research and education in the United States. The IBE built on 26 years of research and education conducted by CSEE faculty, primarily through MCEER, with $36M in funding from the FHWA. Four ladder faculty were hired in CSEE with skill sets that have broadened academic offerings and enabled new interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research. The opportunities offered by funding of the IBE generates $1+M per year in revenue for UB, created new jobs in WNY, trains the next generation of bridge engineers key to the revitalization of our state, and improves the quality of life for New Yorkers through enhanced safety against earthquakes and terrorist attacks.

• Health Services, Policy & Practice Department - Funding has allowed the School of Public Health and Health Policy to establish the Health Services, Policy and Practice Department which focuses on academic and research programs in health services/policy. Health services research encompasses work in the areas of:
  • Health outcomes, health care quality
  • Health policy, health care administration and management
  • Health systems research
  • Consumer education
  • Health economics, health care finance
  • Health care effectiveness, cost effectiveness, comparative effectiveness research
  • Health care access and utilization, health care for underserved populations.

Instructional Facilities Rehab & Classroom Improvements

• Upgraded classroom facilities – The ACES fee has provided rehab to dozens of centrally scheduled classrooms across north, south and downtown campuses. Creating new flexible learning spaces and learning landscapes, while also updating traditional classrooms and lecture halls. The ACES supports all phases of the classroom rehabs from planning to design to construction.

Office of Resource Planning
544 Capen Hall
Monday - Friday; 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Is the Academic Excellence and Success Fee part of the Comprehensive Fee?

The Academic Excellence and Success Fee is not a part of the “bundled” Comprehensive Fee, however, is considered a “broad-based fee.” Broad based fees are generally charged to all enrolled students to finance discrete activities that benefit the student body, excluding those activities that are a part of the core instructional program.

Is this fee included in the Broad-based Fee Student Consultation?

Yes. During the student consultation, there are many ways to become involved (MyUB, survey, Facebook, and your student representatives). Students have the opportunity to express thoughts regarding any of the broad-based fees at any time.

In the formative year of the UB NYSUNY 2020 program, multiple correspondences were sent to students in fall semester billing communications that announced the AESF program and its linkage to the larger NYSUNY 2020 program. The Vice President for University Life and Services and the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education held an extended forum with student leaders in early December of 2011 to discuss UB NYSUNY 2020 and the Academic Excellence and Success Fee. The input from that meeting was that student leaders actively engaged in the discussion were supportive of the UB NYSUNY 2020 approach and encouraged continual, active dialogue with students in constructing future plans for tuition and fee revenue use. For UB students, the AESF was first charged in 2011 at an annual rate of $75 and was increase by $75 annually through 2015-16, and in 2019/20, an additional increase of $150 was approved.