Dear UB Believer,

I wanted to take this opportunity to update you about the progress of the UB 2020 Flexibility and Economic Growth Act, and about our plans for building on this progress.  While the bill was passed by the New York State Senate earlier this month, the Assembly has not yet passed our legislation. Our strong advocacy efforts will continue over the next several weeks and months of the 2009 session so that when the Assembly reconvenes, we will be well positioned to move the bill through the legislature and on to the governor.

Together with a broad coalition of university supporters, I believe firmly that UB 2020 is the right solution for this university and this community.  Over the past five years, UB 2020 has become not only our university's vision for its future as a world-class public research university, but also this community's leading economic priority and its chief plan for revitalizing our region and state.

Through the flexibility and revenues it would provide, this legislation represents a powerful path toward achieving the UB 2020 vision, one that would enable us to expand our impact more broadly and more quickly.  But whatever the ultimate outcome of this bill in Albany, I and our university remain fully committed to the broader UB 2020 vision it supports.  Indeed, as you know, we are already implementing that vision on our campuses and in our communities.

In a challenging economic and political climate, we have united our larger communities behind this agenda and have achieved strong and broad campus, community, and legislative support.  I believe that we have succeeded in changing the conversation about public higher education in New York State, gaining widespread bipartisan recognition of the vital leadership role that research universities like UB are poised to play as catalysts for a strong 21st century knowledge economy.  Now is the time to build on this momentum.

As we move forward, I am grateful for the Senate's affirmation in passing the S. 2020 bill, and I appreciate the discussions we have had with Assembly leadership.  I believe they are supportive of our efforts to do things in a new way, and I look forward to continuing our conversations to arrive at an agreement that will move the 2020 bill forward.  In addition, I am thankful for the continuing efforts of our Western New York legislative delegation members, who have shown great leadership and determination for our region.  And I deeply value the ongoing commitment of the key UB 2020 supporters who have rallied behind this vision from the very beginning—including over 9,000 UB Believers, as well as our advocates across the business, labor, faith-based, and civic communities.

Now our collective focus must be on the future.  I look forward to working with our campus, community, and legislative supporters, and with our new SUNY Chancellor, to secure the flexibility and funding that UB and our fellow SUNY campuses need to thrive and to fuel the economic revitalization of our region and state.

John B. Simpson