SUNY Fredonia General Campus Meeting, Marvel Theatre
Remarks by President Dennis L. Hefner
Friday, January 22, 2010
Good morning, and welcome back for the start of the spring semester, in the only year I can remember where people are actually arguing about how to say what year it is. Is it “twenty-ten,” or “two thousand ten?” Personally, I like “twenty-ten” for three reasons: it’s one syllable shorter, it’s going to work great when we reach the year 2020, and on October 10 of this year, we’ll be able to say it’s “10-10-20-10”—pretty cool.
I hope the break gave all of you a chance to visit with family and friends. Jan and I were excited to have our son and three grandchildren visit over the break. They were last here two years ago. Jillian is now 10 years old, Callahan is 6, and Caitlin is 3. The weather cooperated this year with plenty of snow, so we engaged in the three S’s: snowmen, snowballs, and sledding. Unfortunately, they also remembered the fourth “S,” skating. I did venture onto the ice with great trepidation, and must confess that when the whistle blew ending the open skating session and I was still intact, it was a great feeling. However, my revelry was cut short later that afternoon when 6-year-old Callahan yelled out “Daddy, Grampa is teaching Jillian and me how to play poker.” My son’s response was, “Oh, great.”
The intersession was busy with another successful J-Term. Enrollments were 17 percent larger than last year, reaching a new all-time record for credit hours. Once again, travel abroad courses and classes specifically designed to take advantage of the condensed format led the way.
Our grounds crew was very busy working long hours as they again did an outstanding job of keeping campus roadways and sidewalks clear during two weeks of near non-stop snow in late December and early January. All work on the satellite boilers has now been completed and the old boilers have been removed from the heating plant.
I do miss seeing that green patch of grass going across the playing fields in the middle of winter, but must admit to liking even better the utility dollars we are saving by not heating that field.
Last week, Haiti suffered significant devastation and loss of life. That country, already the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, will need lots of help. Members of this campus community are always generous about helping those who are less fortunate, and I want to thank those who have donated to the Haitian Relief Fund we’ve established in conjunction with the Red Cross. I also want to thank you for your generosity towards the recently-completed SEFA campaign, which again surpassed its target.
Two weeks ago, Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine released its “Best Buys” in higher education, and SUNY Fredonia again ranked among the “100 Best Public College Values in the Nation.”
Spring semester is the time for new student leadership. I would ask our newly-elected Student Association President, Kevin Wysocki, a junior Biology major, and SA Vice President Katie Boyle, a senior Geophysics major, to stand and be recognized. They will do a great job leading SA over the next 12 months.
Spring semester is also the time for news from Albany. Thanks to the efforts of Chancellor Nancy Zimpher and our new Vice Chancellor for Finance, Monica Rimai, and despite the budget difficulties facing the State of New York, there is a glimmer of hope for SUNY out there on the horizon. The hope would begin to manifest in academic year 2011-2012, so let’s first talk about the 2010-2011 Executive Budget released on Tuesday.
As expected, next year will be very difficult for all of SUNY. Technically, the $98 million needed to cover collective bargaining increases, utility costs, and other inflationary costs are included in SUNY’s base. However, SUNY state funding was cut by $137 million, which is the combined value of these inflationary adjustments, plus an additional cut of nearly $40 million. The Executive Budget does contain language about the Governor working with the unions to address $30 million of this shortfall, and I’m hopeful an agreement can be reached. On the revenue side, the Executive Budget allows 100 percent of the $50 per semester tuition increase for 2010-2011 to remain with campuses, and reduces from 80 percent to 70 percent the state tax on the previous $300 per semester tuition increase.
What exactly does this mean for our campus? Next year we will likely face an additional net shortfall of $1.8 million. This figure is derived from the $1.8 million in costs associated with the collective bargaining increases, the $500,000 in additional cuts in state funding, the $340,000 cut associated with annualizing the 2009-2010 mid-year cut, less the $800,000 in additional tuition that will be generated based upon the proposed Executive Budget. I don’t want to panic anyone, but want you to understand that the shortfall is enormous when added to last year’s continuing $3.8 million shortfall. We are facing a total gap that is likely to reach $5.6 million. At this point in my remarks, I tried to come up with a snappy statement to brighten this news. Unfortunately, the best I can say is, “the budget is exactly what we expected, darn it!”
The question is how do we close this $5.6 million gap? At this time, I can only provide a partial answer. As you know, we have been slowly eliminating 5 percent of our workforce, and by July of this year, 22 positions will have been permanently frozen, generating an annual savings of $1.2 million. Further, many of the cuts made this past year are repeatable, and if repeated, will generate $2.8 million. These continuing cuts include delays in filling vacancies, the 1 percent reserve, diversion of fee dollars, reduced institutional equipment, redirection of funds from FSA and Residence Life, IFR restricted dollars, and carry-forward tuition dollars.
Unfortunately, even with these reductions, we still have a $1.6 million gap to close. During the coming weeks we need to develop a plan to address this expected shortfall, and I will call a special campus-wide meeting to share the details with you once they are finalized. As always, our planning should be done in a way to ensure we continue meeting our top two priorities: ensuring students have access to classes, and avoiding layoffs. In order to keep these priorities intact, it will be necessary to engage in a number of non-repeatable cuts, which will help with next year, but will leave us with fewer carry-forward dollars for the following year. It’s a risky approach. However, I will be urging that we take this risk because of the “hope on the horizon” Chancellor Zimpher has provided.
The “game changer” occurred last Friday when Governor Paterson announced the Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act. This proposal does not cost a penny of tax dollars, but gives SUNY and our campus the flexibility and predictability we so desperately need.
Chancellor Zimpher has been calling the $137 million cut in state funding the “price of freedom,” and she’s right. Here’s four of the most important freedoms contained in the Governor’s proposal:
1. We will finally have a statewide tuition policy. The SUNY Board of Trustees will be allowed to increase tuition without legislative approval as long as they stay within a specified cap.
2. The tax on tuition will be fully abolished.
3. All tuition, fees, and other self-generated revenues will be invested solely in SUNY campuses, students, and faculty. The state will continue to have authority over state funds, as is appropriate.
4. Burdensome and duplicative State Comptroller/Attorney General pre-approval of procurements will be eliminated for both Construction Fund and other large contracts. Campuses will be held responsible and accountable through the normal state auditing process.
These changes will free our campus and all of SUNY from the problems caused by political infighting and bureaucratic overregulation. Every state where I have worked has these exact same policies, and I can assure you, they work for the benefit of everyone.
However, getting the state Legislature and others to support these changes will require a concerted effort. There is a tendency to cling to the status quo, as demonstrated by what has been happening for decades with tuition. Every single legislator I’ve spoken with has told me the current approach for SUNY tuition makes absolutely no sense, but few have been willing to act. Unions have frequently not been an ally on these issues; however, now is the time to speak with one voice. Now is the time to change the status quo. The proposed changes will ensure New York residents have access to quality public higher education. I truly thank Chancellor Zimpher for generating this ray of hope, and will do everything in my power to ensure the Act passes.
At Fredonia, we’ve tried to hold several components of our budget harmless, including the number of permanent faculty and staff; travel dollars, library acquisition budgets, and sabbaticals. Although still under review, it appears likely the number of sabbaticals will be greatly reduced for next year. Several SUNY campuses have already suspended their sabbatical programs. Some people cling to the idea that the state should provide more, as it did in the past. Unfortunately, that’s not reality. Next year the percentage of Fredonia’s all-funds operating budget provided by the state will drop below 15 percent. It will be up to SUNY, not the state legislature, to keep public higher education strong, and we must have the tools to make that happen. There are no other options, and I’m asking each of you to speak with a single voice on this critical issue.
The only other thing I want to say about the budget is to thank each of you for keeping this campus moving forward during these very difficult budget times. I asked the vice presidents to give me a list of highlights from this past semester, and after choosing only a fraction of what they submitted, want to mention 10 areas of achievement:
1. Facilities. University Stadium, Phase II, was dedicated at the beginning of the fall semester, the new child care complex, complete with infant care, will be dedicated this spring, and the two new Mason Hall rehearsal rooms will be finished this summer. Design of the Science and Technology Center is moving quickly, the next 10-year Capital Master Plan has just begun, and later this spring, design will begin on both the Rockefeller Arts Center Addition and the Williams Center upgrade.
2. Incubator. The Business Technology Incubator, dedicated on December 21, opened with seven clients, and that number will grow considerably during the coming year. It’s important for you to know that the incubator’s operating dollars are self-generated, currently from rentals, a $300,000 Oshei Foundation grant, and fund-raising. It is not a drain on campus finances, and is already generating some wonderful opportunities. For example, Gary Lash, professor of geosciences, established a Shale Institute to better translate his extensive knowledge of the Marcellus Shale into marketable products and services. There also is an international dimension to the incubator. Dr. Hiroko Sato, a tech-transfer specialist from from Nihonkai Innovation Tech Transfer, representing 12 Japanese universities who are seeking ways to bring innovative ideas to the U.S. market, is here for a four-month residency to identify ways our campus can collaborate with these universities.
3. Technology. A total of 15 new internet marketplace stores have been put in place, wireless connectivity throughout the residence halls is complete, and a number of faculty and staff were involved in an innovative pilot of iTunes U.
4. Fund-raising. Despite the economic downturn, fund-raising receipts surpassed $2 million for 2009. And with two years to go, the $15 million “Doors to Success” capital campaign has now surpassed the $10 million mark. We will make our goal!
5. Music Performances. Two performances deserve special mention because of their uniqueness. A select group of student singers under the direction of Dr. Gerald Gray impressed 80,000 fans at Ralph Wilson Stadium on November 29 when they sang Dr. Rob Deemer and Dr. Karl Boelter’s special arrangement of the national anthem. The Bills then played their best game of the season, soundly defeating the Miami Dolphins and proving once again that the road to the Super Bowl begins in Fredonia. Also, music students from Fredonia and Potsdam were invited to perform the kickoff concert for the annual New York State School of Music Association conference. I attended the concert and knew our four groups had been exceptional when midway through Fredonia’s portion of the concert, the students performing two arias from “LaBoheme” received a standing ovation of deafening applause; a music teacher from Long Island sitting next to me gave me his card and said he intends to start sending his music students to Fredonia, and a 2007 SUNY Fredonia graduate currently teaching music in a nearby high school came running up to me and said very loudly “President Hefner, Fredonia really kicked some butt.”
6. Scholarly Programs. Special scholarly programs included the International Zweig Symposium, which brought to campus 34 scholars from six different countries; a special presentation by alum David Smith, the CEO of National Fuel; the First Annual Graduate Student Symposium featuring presentations by numerous alumni, and a sterling panel presentation made to our students by four of our most distinguished alums working in different aspects of science: Dr. Michael Marletta, Dennis Costello, Dr. Christopher Mirabelli, and Dr. Jeffery Kelly.
7. NCATE. This fall, SUNY Fredonia received word from NCATE of full continuing accreditation for all programs leading to certification. It’s been a long process to get to this point, but it’s also been a major success. Congratulations to the College of Education and to everyone else who helped make this milestone a reality!
8. New Program Initiatives. New initiatives included creation of the Fredonia Academic Community Engagement (FACE) Center to expand community partnerships; the Fredonia Academy to provide non-credit courses to the region; and two new student chapters: the Council of Exceptional Children and the International Studies Honor Society.
9. Educational Ventures. As part of the $800,000 U.S. Department of State project on youth filmmaking in Turkey, 18 Turkish students came to Fredonia to edit films and be present at public screenings in Western New York. The biology department developed a unique team taught course involving Professor John Baust of Binghamton University, a Fredonia alum and one of the world’s preeminent researchers on the use of cryobiology to treat cancer. This course will act as a model for future classes that will draw on the extensive knowledge of alums to enrich our science curriculum.
10. Athletic Achievement. Julia Hopson, our first female National Champion, was among the nine finalists for the 2009 NCAA Female Athlete of the Year Award at a dinner held in Indianapolis. Additionally, she recently was chosen for the 2009 SUNYAC Dolores Bogard “Scholar-Athlete” Award for the best combination of athletics and scholarship in women’s sports.The spring semester promises to be very busy, especially as the campus undergoes its 10-year Middle States reaccreditation team visit. Thanks to everyone who served on one of the Middle States Committees. You have prepared a document that identifies our successes, and honestly addresses areas for improvement. It does exactly what a self-study should do.
Three important discussions will reach conclusion this spring. University Senate and UUP members have been jointly reviewing and revising our campus Personnel policy document as part of a two-year effort to provide junior faculty with a more consistent process. One of our deans, Dr. Dave Ewing, has accepted a position at another university, and we wish him well. This impending vacancy provides an opportunity to review the college structure within Academic Affairs. The discussion on structure begins later today at the Academic Affairs luncheon, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in the Williams Center. It should be a very interesting conversation. A carry-over from last semester is the Administrative Review policy, which will likely be completed in the early part of this semester.
As defined in the Fredonia Plan, this spring will see approval of Senior Capstone courses in any major still without this requirement. By next fall, we will be able to tell every incoming student that they definitely will have an appropriate capstone experience as part of their Fredonia education. Also, recent statistics showed a positive uptick in enrollment numbers and retention rates for students of color. These results are a positive reflection on the efforts by many people in this room.
Convocation will occur this spring in conjunction with Earth Week in order to share costs. The Maytum Convocation Lecture will be given by Lois Gibbs, an environmental activist who was involved in exposing the dangers associated with “Love Canal,” on Thursday, April 22, at 2:30 p.m., in Rosch Recital Hall.
Today you will be given a copy of our campus alumni magazine, the Statement. Please note the improved quality of the publication. For years, the Statement was published quarterly and printed on lower grade paper. Last summer it was decided to reduce mailings from quarterly to semi-annually, and use a portion of the postage savings to improve the quality. It’s a great example of how creatively reducing costs can sometimes result in improved quality.In closing, I’d like to mention two faculty and two alums. You may have noticed the campus mace is on stage. Geosciences department members suggested that having it here would be a fitting tribute to Professor Walther Barnard, who passed away over the break. For the past eight years, as the longest-serving Fredonia faculty member, he served as the Mace Bearer at Commencement, leading the procession both in and out on graduation day. Walther truly loved participating in the Commencement day activities. He will be missed.
I ask your indulgence to do something a little different when mentioning the second faculty member. Normally, my all-campus remarks avoid talking about difficulties faced by individual faculty or staff because so many of you have faced life’s challenges with heroism and humanity. But just this once, I felt it might be appropriate to talk about the e-mails I received this past Saturday from Zhao Ma, assistant professor of history, who is serving a one-year post-doc fellowship in St. Louis. This past fall, Zhao and his wife, Patty, had a baby, named Kai. Unfortunately, Kai developed serious heart problems and was placed on the organ transplant list. This past Saturday, Zhao sent a series of five compelling e-mails with the following subject lines: “We got the matched heart!” “11:00 update” “1:00 update” “1:35 update,” and finally, “Victory!” So far, there have been no signs of rejection, and all of us are pulling for Kai, who I’ve taken to calling “Kai the Fighter.” It’s compelling stories like these, which each of you have lived through, that make it so critical that we pull together, help one another, and remind ourselves daily of what is truly important.
And finally, I want to follow-up on 1930 alumna Margaret Wyckoff, who as you may recall, learned to play the piano by painting keys on a board and hearing the notes in her head. October 15, shortly after she celebrated her 100th birthday, I received a letter from Rudolf Kellman, a 1971 SUNY Fredonia alum who recently retired from teaching music. He read about Margaret in the summer edition of the Statement, and had travelled to New Mexico to attend her birthday party. He wrote, “Mrs. Wyckoff was my sixth, seventh and eighth grade music teacher at Lincoln School in New Jersey. Of course as a young boy, I had no knowledge of Fredonia, and did not know that she was a Fredonia graduate. But, Mrs. Wyckoff was a gracious and inspiring teacher. She took me to my first opera (“Don Giovanni”) and I have never forgotten her or her teaching. She made me want to be a music teacher. I had no idea that we were both Fredonia graduates, and we had had absolutely no contact between 1960 and today.” This letter is another example of how a young student can be positively impacted by the action of a teacher or staff member, and how after 50 years, there are still vivid memories. What you do on a daily basis in your interaction with our students truly makes a difference. One final postscript to this story, a few days after receiving Mr. Kellman’s letter, a book arrived in the mail. At age 100, Margaret had completed writing and had just published her autobiography, which she appropriately entitled, “The Silent Keyboard.”
Have a great semester!
