UB will continue to seek more autonomy from SUNY's central administration, according to Headrick, and greater flexibility to manage its resources locally. SUNY, he added, is a "system" in name only. "Bureaucratic dictates force systemwide edicts, but it's not always obvious why."

Headrick stated that although UB was unlikely to ever become a 40,000 student mega-campus, it could find a niche among "outstanding, small public research universities, comparable to North Carolina or Colorado."

The provost urged that UB rethink its emphasis on a large lower-division undergraduate program. "We are many things, including the largest community college in the system, and that is something we need to consider." Reducing the size of the lower division would also allow UB to make small reductions in some expensive doctoral programs, as the need for teaching assistants would decrease. The incoming freshman class this year is expected to be around 2,700, an increase of nearly 500 over last year, said Headrick.

Headrick instead urged increased reliance on transfer students and a strengthening of upper-division programs. Streamlining upper-division and master's level course offerings in certain programs could shorten the amount of time it would take to earn a master's degree, Headrick added, recognizing that the master's degree is fast becoming the minimal entry level degree in some fields, including engineering.

UB will also become more and more tuition-driven, explained Headrick. A former law school dean, Headrick said that "professional programs that lead to significant employment opportunities should be put more on their own financially." Headrick urged tuition increases for medicine, pharmacy and law that would achieve "a balance between ensuring opportunity and quality and charging what the market will bear." Taking a page from private college management, Headrick suggested that part of increased tuition revenues be converted to scholarship funds to help ensure access to these programs.

Greiner characterized Gov. Pataki's spring budget foray as "a degree of intervention in SUNY by the leadership of the state that we hadn't seen in years. SUNY was told 'You will not close campuses and your income will be capped.'" Senior Vice President Robert Wagner explained that, for the first time ever, state tax dollar support of SUNY is less than revenue SUNY generates itself through tuition. Wagner added that a new Technology Fee was imposed this year, several other fees were increased and a new Faculty/Staff parking fee may be in the works. However, no retrenchment of faculty or staff has been necessary so far to meet the nearly four percent decrease in UB's budget.

Campuses with large undergraduate populations, like UB, suffered disproportionately, according to Greiner. "Basically, our students are paying more for somewhat less, which is a major negative in and of itself," he said.

Greiner credited his senior staff with fashioning several of the rare budget victories SUNY won this year, including full funding of graduate assistants and restraining the increase in graduate and professional tuition, which in the past had been increased by the same percentage as undergraduate tuition. One significant loss, however, was the elimination of the State University Tuition Reimbursement Account (SUTRA). Through SUTRA, UB had generated some income in the past, Greiner explained, because campuses had been able to retain tuition revenues which exceeded budget targets for the campus. Now, however, all tuition revenues go directly to SUNY Central.

Greiner commented that he had spoken with the new SUNY Trustees and he found them "aggressive, yet approachable." The new trustees, as a group, have a "sense of mandate that is different from their predecessors," he explained, "and they clearly are not content to work only with the SUNY Central Administration, which I like to hear. So far, I would say, they are doing more good than harm." With several more seats on the SUNY Board up for reappointment, Greiner expects several more new faces. The trustees have been charged by the legislature with producing a comprehensive proposal to reorganize and reform the State University by December 1.

Faculty Senate Chair Claude Welch reported that President Greiner had taken action on several resolutions sent to him by the full Senate last year. Policies have been implemented reducing the minimum number of credit hours required to earn a UB degree from 128 to 120, defining Academic Good Standing, delineating Public Service standards for faculty, establishing an Investigator Disclosure Policy and designating a process by which schools can establish their own Liberal Arts requirements; the last two resolutions were amended slightly from their final Senate form. Greiner, however, returned a resolution on Undergraduate Teaching Assistants to the Senate for further consideration this year.