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Tell the Assembly to support A.2020
These are the last days of the 2009 legislative session and we need to make the final push to get A. 2020 -- the Assembly version of the UB Flexibility and Economic Growth Act -- to the finish line. Please send a letter now to Assemblymember Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan), chair of the Higher Education Committee, telling her that UB students and the community will benefit from A.2020 and that she should bring it to a vote in her committee.
Dear [ Decision Maker ] , I am writing to urge you to support A.2020, the UB 2020 Flexibility and Economic Growth Act, and pass it through the Higher Education Committee. The UB 2020 Flexibility and Economic Growth Act would give the University at Buffalo (UB)-- the largest and most comprehensive university in the SUNY system -- the flexibility to achieve the full academic and economic potential of UB 2020, UB's plan to grow by 40 percent and bring 13,000 people to live, work and study in downtown Buffalo. A.2020 would allow UB to function more efficiently and effectively, making better use of taxpayer dollars and tuition revenue in an effort to grow and greatly increase its positive impact on Western New York's economy -- all while remaining part of SUNY and maintaining accountability to the people of New York. Under current law, it would take UB significantly longer to achieve this plan, at a much higher cost to the state, the economy and our future. This legislation, sponsored by the entire Western New York State delegation, fully supported by the Western New York Federal delegation, backed by UB students, embraced by the WNY community as its top legislative request and passed by the Senate on June 3, is not just about making the University at Buffalo a great university; it is about greatly improving the prospects of a city that is the third poorest in the country and has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. In these tough economic times, we need high-impact, low-cost solutions to help us out of our current situation. The UB Flexibility and Economic Growth Act is just that. Criticism of A.2020 supports the status quo, which is no longer acceptable for SUNY campuses or for SUNY students. Furthermore, much of the criticism levied against this legislation does not reflect accurate information. Please go to http://ubbelievers.buffalo.edu/ubbelievers/setting_the_record_straight.html for more information about what this bill does and does not do. This pilot legislation provides a path forward to demonstrate that SUNY can be world-class and can compete with our peers throughout the country, if given the necessary tools to do so. This community is asking for your support so we can set New York State on a course toward realizing its full potential as an innovator and a beacon in public higher education. I urge you to send the UB 2020 Flexibility and Economic Growth Act to the full Assembly.
Sincerely, |
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| Background Information |
Why Introduce a Bill?
The purpose of this legislation is to provide regulatory relief to the University at Buffalo (UB) in the areas of tuition policy, capital project financing, construction delivery, land acquisition and disposition, public-private partnerships and procurement of goods and services. These changes would enhance the University at Buffalo’s academic standing and its capacity to serve as a catalyst to stimulate the Western New York economy.
While the legislation is specific to UB, the reforms are in accord with recommendations made by the Commission on Higher Education and SUNY’s own policy agenda. The reforms will enable implementation of UB 2020, the major economic development initiative for Western New York by addressing the chronic lack of economic growth in the Western New York region, made worse by the current economic downturn.
What Does the Bill Do?
It would be challenging under the present circumstances for the state to provide an appropriate level of funding for UB. However, the public policy reforms outlined in this legislation can be implemented quickly and achieved at no cost. They are a high-impact way to move UB 2020 forward.
1) Rational Tuition Strategy
Small, regular increases in tuition would provide the university with predictable funding and will allow parents and students to better plan and budget for expenses. A rational tuition policy will allow UB to invest in excellence, while at the same time expanding access to excellence. More resources would be applied by the university to need-based aid, opening the door to a UB education to thousands more low-income New York students.
2) Spending and Contracting Flexibility
Current policies hamper efficient business practices. Relief from burdensome rules like pre-audits would save taxpayers money, and create a level playing field with other state systems and public research universities. For example, if appropriate reforms were in place, the state could save $1.5 million on the construction of UB’s new Educational Opportunity Center in downtown Buffalo and build it thirteen months faster.
3) Access to Market Capital
Providing the university access to market capital will allow it to build critical research, commercial, and recreational facilities in accelerated time frames. UB’s success in attracting the best faculty and students absolutely depends on our ability to build these facilities much more quickly and with more ready access to capital sources than can be done through the political process that governs the flow of capital funds today. Providing the university the ability to leverage private sector markets also will permit it to leverage critical capital funds at no cost to the taxpayer.
4) Ability to Lease or Purchase Land and Facilities
UB must be able to make the wisest and best use of its land and facilities, and have the ability to create lease or trust agreements with private partners for their development and use. For example, to relocate its Academic Health Center to downtown Buffalo, UB needs the ability to purchase properties and enter into development projects with multiple partners. UB needs the authority to build and renovate housing, academic buildings, research complexes and other facilities entrepreneurially and through public-private partnerships, leveraging the taxpayers’ investment with private funds.