It is disheartening that I feel compelled to write about the challenging economic crisis that we face rather than sharing with you all of the wonderful happenings on our campus, as I am most accustomed to doing. Sadly, we have an urgent need to respond to further developments in the state’s financial crisis and I want to share with you my perspective on the tough choices New York has been forced to make, and how these choices are self-defeating for the economic recovery of the State.

First, let me outline for you the current challenges. SUNY has suffered $215 million in current year cuts and will face an additional $236 million in cuts if the Governor’s 2009-2010 budget is adopted. As you are most likely aware, the Governor's office also proposes to continue the ‘tax’ on tuition paid by students that was adopted by the Legislature this Spring to help close the state’s budget gap.

The governor cannot continue to close a projected deficit of this magnitude by cutting state services and the state workforce. Instead, the state must optimize its core strengths and strategic assets, be bold and innovative, willing to take some risks to propel the state forward. Higher education is absolutely the right industry for these depressing times and SUNY is one of the state’s greatest strategic assets that can help restore our economic health and prosperity.

We entrust our elected officials to act responsibly with the best interest of constituents in mind. As public higher education leaders we are entrusted in much the same way—to act responsibly with the best interest of our students and their futures foremost in mind. But we need the tools to be effective. We strive to make the State University of New York the best public higher education system in the U.S., but this is not possible without the ability to attract and retain the best professors, maintain the best labs and learning facilities, and create the best opportunities for our bright, talented students.

You can help us regain and maintain our strength as a public asset—one that serves all New Yorkers. In less than a minute, you can help save SUNY and directly support our students. Please visit our contact your legislator from here and let your voice be heard! You can customize the message if you would like, and when you insert your address, the system will identify and contact your individual legislator. It is clearly worth a minute or two of your time to keep SUNY Oswego strong and support the aspirations of our students for a more vibrant and prosperous New York.

As the budget process continues, I will post more updates here to keep you informed and -- I hope -- involved. Please join me as a SUNY Oswego advocate to help make unlimited horizons possible for our students and for New York State.

Email your legislator here.

This year presents all of us at SUNY Oswego with great challenges posed by the New York State budget. The State University of New York and SUNY Oswego are facing the most serious state funding cuts that have been proposed in decades. It is particularly alarming that Governor Paterson proposes to take 90 percent of the $310 Spring 2009 tuition increase, charged to students and their families and put it in the State of New York’s general fund. This amounts to an unfair tax on our students and their families. This action, together with $2.5 million in budget cuts to our campus this year will seriously impact our operations and the Upstate New York economy.

We urge you to write your legislator to request that no more cuts are made to SUNY and that the funds from the recently approved tuition increase remain on campus. In just one minute you can send a letter to your legislator and voice your support for our students and one of New York’s premier educational institutions and economic engines.

This is a critical moment for SUNY Oswego—the budgetary decisions made today will shape the college and our region for many years. You can help reverse the state reductions to our campus and ensure that the college has the essential resources necessary to meet the ever-growing need for affordable, high-quality education while helping grow our knowledge-based, high-technology economy right here in Central New York.

The legislator you have elected to represent you and your family needs to hear from you directly. Let them know that higher education matters to you and that you want them to stop cutting SUNY and raiding student paid tuition and fees to help fix New York State’s budget deficit. I ask you to share your stories about the personal and societal benefits of public higher education with friends, neighbors, colleagues, and particularly your elected officials.

Your advocacy can be part of a promising solution to help the state emerge from threatening economic circumstances with renewed ambition and hope for the future for all New Yorkers.