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Input sought for SUNY planning process
Members of the UB community will have the opportunity to offer their input on SUNY’s future direction and role for New York State when the second “conversation” on the developing SUNY strategic plan comes to the North Campus on Wednesday.
The daylong conversation will begin with an “open forum”—a chance for SUNY stakeholders to weigh in on the strategic planning process—from 8-9:30 a.m. in the Drama Theatre in the Center for the Arts. Faculty, staff and students who wish to offer comments lasting no more than three minutes should sign up with the forum registration officer in the Drama Theatre before the forum begins. Speakers will be called on, time permitting, in the order in which they registered.
Those wishing to present more formal testimony—also limited to three minutes—should email a letter to StrategicPlanning@suny.edu or fax it to 518-320-1558 by noon on Monday. The letter should briefly provide the subject of the testimony and an email address, telephone number and mailing address for the speaker.
Following the open forum and a short breakfast break, the session will continue in the CFA Mainstage, where Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher will set the context for the day’s sessions and offer opening remarks, as will President John B. Simpson.
The theme of the conversation at UB is “education pipeline.” Participants will tackle the question of how SUNY can work with the state’s K-20 institutions to ensure that all New York State residents are prepared to succeed in college, work and life.
Members of the Group of 200— 200 individuals representing a cross section of SUNY stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, system administrators, alumni, foundation staff, community leaders and others associated with the SUNY campuses—will break into groups of 10 in the atrium to work on the development and prioritization of themes and goals regarding the “education pipeline” theme. Discussion is expected to focus on such issues as increasing access, helping prepare students for college and for the working world, strengthening teacher education programs and helping low-income families plan and handle the costs of higher education.
Representing UB in the Group of 200 are Scott Nostaja, vice president for human resources and chief of staff to President John B. Simpson; James A. “Beau” Willis, executive vice president for university support services; UB Council member Pamela Davis Heilman; Jack Walsh, vice chair of the UB Foundation Board of Trustees; Robert Shibley, professor of architecture and planning, and senior advisor to Simpson on UB’s comprehensive plan; and students Emily Bauer, Keisha Dobney and Nicole Jowsey.
The session is expected to wrap up around 2 p.m., after which members of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, which is overseeing the planning process, will meet. UB’s representative on the 18-member panel is Melody Mercedes, a student who serves as president of the SUNY Student Assembly.
The next conversation is set for Dec. 1 at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Subsequent sessions will be held Jan. 11 at SUNY Delhi, the week of Jan. 25 at Stony Brook University, the week of Feb. 8 at SUNY Plattsburgh and the week of Feb. 22 at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. The initiative began on Oct. 21 with the first conversation at Hudson Valley Community College.
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