UB President John B. Simpson Testifies at Public Hearing on State's Fiscal Crisis

BUFFALO, N.Y. – University at Buffalo President John B. Simpson today asked Democratic members of the New York State Senate to resist making further cuts to higher education and to support policy changes that would help UB grow and increase its economic impact in Western New York.

Simpson's testimony was given at a public hearing on the New York State fiscal crisis. The hearing was co-hosted by Senators William Stachowski and Antoine Thompson at the Buffalo Museum of Science.

"In the midst of this economic crisis, we should not lose sight of the opportunities and solutions available to us," Simpson said. "More than ever, we should not only be looking at ways to cut spending. We must also look for the strategic investments that will yield greater strength over the long-term, and allow us to weather unforeseen challenges as they arise in the future.

"The American research university represents one of the most powerful of these investments."

Simpson said reform of a handful of outdated state regulations would give UB the "flexibility and authority" needed to fulfill the vast potential of UB 2020, the university's plan to significantly increase its size and research output, which would have a transformative impact on the economy of Western New York and the state.

"Imagine the transformation we could achieve for our city, region and state with a $1.5 billion increase in annual economic impact…that is what UB 2020 is poised to bring," Simpson said. "Our conservative estimates project over 10,000 new jobs being created through the full implementation of UB 2020. When fully realized, UB 2020 would bring 13,000 more people to downtown Buffalo."

He called upon the state legislature to make four regulatory reforms that have broad community support in Western New York:

1. A rational policy of modest, predictable tuition increases, which would provide the university with predictable funding to support high-quality programs and allow parents and students to better plan and budget for expenses.

2. Spending and contracting deregulation for land and equipment, which would unshackle UB from unnecessary state pre-review and approval requirements.

3. Access to market capital, which would enable UB engage private developers in partnerships so that developer-financed facilities can be built on campus.

4. The ability to lease and sell land and facilities, which would free UB to form partnerships to benefit the university and local economy.

Additional information about the benefits of these reforms is available at http://ubbelievers.buffalo.edu/ubbelievers/legislative_priorities.

Simpson noted that UB sustained $20 million in state budget cuts this year, which is about 10 percent of the total direct support the university receives from New York State taxpayers. UB is in the midst of a university-wide effort to decide where to make these cuts.

"It is appropriate and commendable that the state is taking real and significant steps to get its financial house in order," Simpson said, "but cutting higher education when our state's economy is foundering is literally squandering our future. It is sacrificing long-term benefit for short-term expediency."

"Consider where we stand now," he added. "Buffalo is the third poorest city in the nation. Western New York has lost population and thousands of manufacturing jobs. New York State has lost its competitive edge.

"Strategic long-term investments – not short-term cuts – are the key to turning our economy around in a lasting way. We need to invest in the research and innovation engines, like UB, that will replace New York State's defunct manufacturing economy with the knowledge-based economy we need to compete successfully in the 21st century."