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Simpson updates council
UB representation on merger panel called significant
By SUE WUETCHER
Reporter Editor
President John B. Simpson told members of the UB Council on Monday that UB's strong presence on the committee appointed to oversee the merger of Erie County Medical Center and Kaleida Health gives the university a key role in determining the future of health care in Western New York.
Simpson, who convened the first meeting of the board this morning, pointed out that UB has three seats on the board, the same number allocated to representatives of each of the two hospitals. The committee, named last week by state Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, also includes five community members.
No other community group has the same representation as UB, Simpson said, noting that the university is represented on this board in a way in which it hasn't been in the past regarding the governance of health care systems in the community.
"I think this is significant," he said. "I think it's a recognition of the critical nature of the academy and training in the delivery of health care in the future."
In addition to Simpson, UB representatives are David L. Dunn, vice president for health sciences, and Mary H. Gresham, dean of the Graduate School of Education.
Simpson also discussed his role on the state Higher Education Commission that is charged with identifying ways to improve the quality of higher education in New York.
A focus of the commission, Simpson said, appears to be about deciding if New York State wants flagship public research universities. "The status quo, I think in the minds of all those on this commission, is not acceptable," he added.
The commission is discussing such topics as differential tuition and predictable tuition increases, how the state system of higher education is governed and the ways in which capital projects are financed, he said.
Simpson said he points out to his colleagues on the commission that there are two basic sources of funding for public universities: revenue from tuition and revenue from the state.
He noted that historically over the past 30 years, states slowly have been withdrawing support from public higher education while tuition goes up.
"A conversation about increasing tuition is perhaps appropriate, but it's also important to remember that that is necessitated because the state contribution has been going down," he said. "If you're going to talk about changing tuition, you also ought to at least talk about what the state's contribution is to its higher education institutions."
As part of his address to the council, Simpson also reported that more than 1,500 persons have signed up to participate in UB Believers, the university's new advocacy group consisting of members of the community, alumni and faculty, staff and students.
"This falls at a critical time in this university's future," Simpson said. "UB Believers can be instrumental in helping us achieve what we need to with the State Legislature and elected officials."
Simpson noted that if he visits a state legislator and asks for more money and more freedom, "it's likely to be greeted with a yawn" because all college and university presidents in the state are asking for the same thing.
"If, however, the community is behind me and lets their elected officials know, then I think the conversation I have with the elected officials becomes a very different kind of conversation," he said.
Simpson told council members that a letter signed by him and the presidents of the Faculty Senate and Professional Staff Senate and the undergraduate Student Association was emailed Sunday night to all faculty, staff and students urging them to become UB Believers.