University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

President John B. Simpson speaks to a packed Asbury Hall. Photo: DOUGLAS LEVERE

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By CHARLES ANZALONE

Published: September 23, 2009

President John B. Simpson today rallied community support for the UB 2020 strategic plan, urging an end to the status quo hindering UB’s ability to help revitalize the regional economy and become one of the nation’s premier public research universities.

“We can either choose to maintain the status quo, or we can choose to change our path,” Simpson told an audience of about 500 people attending his fourth annual community address held in historic Asbury Hall in downtown Buffalo. “We either let Albany continue to argue that our universities are ‘good enough,’ or we can recognize and nourish our universities as the catalysts for New York State to regain its position as a fully competitive player in the 21st century global-knowledge economy.”

Choosing the better path will shape the way Western New York and the rest of New York State looks in the year 2020 and beyond, said Simpson. He expressed concern over continued budget cuts and the lack of a state strategy for higher education.

“Right now, our nation needs its universities more than ever,” Simpson said. “These institutions are the economic engines of the 21st century—much like the steel mills were to the manufacturing economy of the 20th century.”

The state must invest in its universities, not cut them, he said.

“We can choose the path that will lead to a city with a thriving urban core,” he said, “a city with a diverse and growing population of educated, talented people. A city that is recognized around the world as a home for world-class medical care and medical research. A city with a lively arts scene that attracts talent from all over the globe, and a community whose embrace of innovation makes it fertile ground for new business, vital partnerships, prosperous investments and fresh opportunities for all residents.

“Or we can choose a path that will lead to a very different kind of city,” he continued. “One where the population continues to decline, as young people leave to find work elsewhere. A place where a third of our residents are illiterate and half of our African-American men are unemployed. A community that has lost hope for its future. A community that struggles to get by and watches helplessly as new jobs go to regions that choose to build their economies around research universities.”

Policy stagnation and short-sighted budget cuts are taking a heavy toll on UB and on Western New York, Simpson said. He again called for passage of state policy reforms that would give UB the financial flexibility to fulfill the potential of UB 2020.

UB 2020 can serve as the catalyst for regional growth and lay the groundwork for a much different—and much better—future for the region, Simpson said. UB’s growth will fuel the growth of more than 10,000 new jobs in the region for people at all levels, and thousands more construction jobs, he said. The development of UB’s Downtown Campus will bring more than 13,000 people into the heart of Buffalo each day. This growth will expand commercial opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses, “opening doors to talented people who have historically been shut out.”

By achieving UB 2020, the university would nearly double its annual economic impact on the region from $1.7 billion to $3.6 billion.

Simpson noted that the community is increasingly united behind UB 2020 and cited five things the university and community must do together to achieve the plan’s potential:

• UB must continue doing everything within its power to make good on the UB 2020 promise. “We will remain steadfast in our pursuit of excellence and unwavering in our commitment to this community.”

• The Western New York legislative delegation must continue its good work in Albany to secure the state investment and regulatory flexibility needed to achieve UB 2020. “We need the entire community to continue supporting their efforts,” Simpson said.

• Albany needs to create a coherent higher education policy—and provide the resources necessary for it to succeed. “These funds can come from direct New York State investments, or they can come from a rational tuition policy and from the savings that will result from no-cost changes to outdated regulations,” Simpson said.

• SUNY’s leaders need to work together on a strategic plan for the entire system, one that can do for New York State what UB 2020 can do for Buffalo. “We applaud our new chancellor, Nancy Zimpher, for her leadership in this direction and for the strong support she has already voiced for the kind of policy reforms we are seeking. We will work with her and our SUNY colleagues to achieve this important goal,” Simpson said.

• The Western New York community should continue its financial, political and moral support for UB. “We need you to continue spreading the word to your employees, your co-workers, your business partners, your neighbors and your legislators that UB 2020 is this region’s big idea and its best path toward economic recovery,” Simpson said.

“I believe this community is ready,” he added. “We have a never-say-die spirit. We should, because we’ve faced our share of adversity.”

Simpson’s community address will be broadcast on WNED's Thinkbright-TV at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 4 and on Time Warner Cable Channel 22 (Government and Education Access Channel) at noon on Sundays, beginning Oct. 4.