University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

Published: October 5, 2006

By KEVIN FRYLING
Reporter Staff Writer

The continued growth of UB is important, both as a means to increase the university's reputation and because of the close relationship between regional economic success and the university, President John B. Simpson told members of the Faculty Senate Tuesday during his annual address to the voting faculty.

"The University at Buffalo and Western New York are almost, to my mind, interchangeable," said Simpson, who as president of the university serves as chair of the voting faculty. "As the university prospers, so prospers Western New York.

"If you think about where you want to go in the future—if you want to make a bet on something—put the bait-and-tackle shop aside," he said referring to long-awaited plans to construct a Bass Pro Shop on the Buffalo waterfront. "Forget about the Indian casino. Think about something that, in terms of economic impact, already has enormous impact. If it increases 40 percent then, I think...its impact on the community will increase that much more."

Much of Simpson's speech centered on the message delivered by him in a public address last week in the Albright-Knox Art Gallery that outlined a master planning process, the goals of which include an almost 40 percent increase in the size of UB over the next 15 years, with an additional 10,000 students and 750 faculty positions.

"This is a direct outcome of the planning that went into UB 2020," he said.

Simpson also announced during his address that Eliot Spitzer, New York State attorney general and gubernatorial candidate, will deliver a "major public policy address on higher education" at UB on Oct. 17.

"We're in a period of remarkable leadership change—both within SUNY, as well as within New York State," he said. In addition to the upcoming state elections, Simpson pointed to the recent appointment of Risa I. Palm as SUNY provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs under Chancellor John R. Ryan, who became chancellor less than a year ago.

Simpson said both of these top SUNY officials, as well as numerous local leaders, support the ambitions to grow UB.

There were some in the audience, however, who were concerned with the consequences that will come with such a significant increase in size.

Simpson said he is not unaware of these challenges.

Claude Welch, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Political Science, asked about the problems of space on campus as a result of future growth. Simpson said universities that take on substantial growth projects perform a "delicate balancing act" and admitted there exist "blocks to stumble on." He pointed out, for example, that lags in available funding may mean a span of several years between growth in human resources and the construction of new office or classroom space.

"It takes, I think, trust and a commonality of purpose among the citizens of the university to cope with this as the faculty grows," said Simpson. "The hope is that when you're through with all of this, you have something that's better—that's more in line with your vision, that is an improvement."

Although administrators are unsure where new laboratories, teaching facilities, classrooms and support services could be located to accommodate additional students and faculty, Simpson said the master planning process is aimed at finding answers to these questions.

He also assured faculty members that their voices will be heard regarding decisions about which academic areas to develop as the ranks of the professoriate increase. He said the strategic strengths process established a cooperative paradigm that will be used in future initiatives.

"As we put together our future," said Simpson, "it will be the collective wisdom of the university that will define the ways in which we will take advantage of opportunities . . . as we increase in our size."

In response to a question concerning cooperation with campus neighbors from Phillips Stevens Jr., associate professor of anthropology, Simpson said strong communication between UB and the communities in which its three campuses reside—the Town of Amherst, University Heights and the downtown Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus—is critical to the development process.

"We have not done a great job communicating with our neighbors in the past," he said. However, "Our host communities...are being brought into the conversation about what we're going to look like in the future."

Simpson also answered several queries regarding undergraduate education from Michael Bozarth, associate professor of psychology.

Simpson explained that more aggressive recruitment of out-of-state and international students will ensure admission standards are not lowered in order to increase the undergraduate student population. He also dismissed the idea that a strong focus on research is detrimental to undergraduate education.

"I frankly never found the notion of being a successful laboratory scientist...incompatible with successful teaching," he said. "In fact, I thought the two were enormously complementary."

Simpson noted he encouraged his own children to enroll in research universities as undergraduates. "You're learning from the people who are making the conversation," he said. "You're not learning from the people who are repeating someone else's discovery."