New York State

The SUNY senior system administration is working on a deal with the state government that will ensure money generated from special revenue funds – which will be frozen under a recent state-mandated expenditure cap – will not be tapped by the state at the end of 2008-09 fiscal year, a Stony Brook University official said today.

Stony Brook University’s academic programs could face an unprecedented $20 million state budget cut, according to university officials at yesterday’s town hall meeting. The cut would come from both taxes and—for the first time—a state spending cap on special university revenues.

The 2006 general elections concluded with Democrats winning the governorship of New York and control of both houses of Congress.  Locally, incumbents were reelected to state representative offices   Volunteers at Stony Brook University spent months registering voters and directing students to the polls on Election Day.

Amidst a background of protesters chanting, “Dethrone Peter King,” the Long Island Congressman stood before over 100 students, faculty, and community members yesterday in the Humanities building to speak on matters of homeland security, ranging from the war in Iraq to the New York Times reporting of NSA surveillance.

On the morning after a five-day holiday break, a small audience of students and faculty attended the first of four statewide hearings held by the Senate and Assembly Standing Committees on Higher Education, in the Wang Center at Stony Brook University. On the agenda was public higher education in New York State; specifically, a proposal for annual "rational tuition increases" for SUNY, which would tie annual tuition increases for incoming freshmen to a price index, and lock in a tuition rate for up to four years for each incoming student.

In hopes of reducing Stony Brook University’s dependence on state financial support, Assemblyman Steve Englebright sponsored a bill which would authorize Stony Brook University to lease University property to private not-for-profit corporations. These companies will offer student-faculty facilities, student services, retail, and commercial services. Private investments are expected to fund the construction.

The state Senate, state Assembly, and Governor Pataki finally reached an agreement on higher education funding as part of this year’s state budget. Besides rejecting tuition increases for incoming students, the budget rejects a proposal to increase tuition for incoming students every year. The budget provides full funding for TAP as well as opportunity programs such as EOP, HEOP, SEEK, and College Discovery.

Governor Pataki's proposed budget for this year includes cuts to financial aid as well as yearly tuition increases, but Stony Brook students answered a resounding "No!" at a rally sponsored by NYPIRG. The speakers included Jeff Licitra, USG President pro-Tempore Sam Darguin, and town Councilman Steve Fiore-Rosenfeld.