THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

 

TO:	Committee on Higher Education and Professional Practice
FROM:	Johanna Duncan-Poitier
SUBJECT:	Report on the Public Hearings on The Tentative Statewide Plan for Higher Education, 2004-2012
DATE:	April 29, 2005
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goals 1, 2, 3, and 4
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

Executive Summary

 

Issue for Discussion

 

          As a result of their public hearings, should the Regents make changes to The Tentative 2004-2012 Statewide Plan for Higher Education before adopting the Plan in its final form?

 

Proposed Handling

 

          This question will come before the Committee on Higher Education and Professional Practice on May 16, 2005 for discussion.  Following discussion, staff will prepare the final text of the Statewide Plan.  The Plan then will come before the Full Board for final action on June 21, 2005.

 

Procedural History

 

          The Department began preparation of the Statewide Plan for Higher Education, 2004-2012, in October 2002 at the Regents Policy Conference.  In April 2003, the Regents adopted 13 Priorities for Higher Education.  In May 2003, the Department issued the Bulletin of the Statewide Plan to give guidance to the four higher education sectors and individual independent and proprietary higher education institutions as they prepared master plans.  Subsequently, SUNY, CUNY, the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu), and the Association of Proprietary Colleges (APC) transmitted sector-wide, long-range master plans to the Department and individual independent and proprietary colleges transmitted their individual plans.

          The Committee on Higher Education and Professional Practice considered drafts of the Statewide Plan in September, November, and December 2004, and in January 2005.  In February 2005, pursuant to §237(4) of the Education Law, it authorized release for public comment of The Tentative Statewide Plan for Higher Education, 2004-2012.  The Board held public hearings on the Tentative Plan in Buffalo on March 23 and in New York City on April 5 and 8.  A total of 52 persons spoke; five other persons provided only written comments.    

 

Background Information

 

          The issue before the Committee is whether or not to make any revisions to the Tentative Statewide Plan on the basis of the testimony presented at the public hearings.  A report on the testimony is attached, including lists of the speakers at each hearing.  A copy of the Tentative Plan and a complete set of the written testimony received will be available in the Regents office.  Copies of the written testimony have been made available to the members of the Board of Regents.

 

Recommendation

 

          Based on the testimony received at the three public hearings, the Department will modify the Plan to strengthen the following Regents Priorities:

 

·        Closing Performance Gaps;

·        Preparation for College;

·        Information and Assistance in Preparing for College;

·        Creation of New Knowledge through Research;

·        An Adequate Supply of Qualified Teachers, School Leaders and Other School Professionals;

·        Encouraging a Highly Effective System; and

·        Funding a Highly Effective System

 

Timetable for Implementation

 

          Once the Regents adopt the Statewide Plan, the Department will develop a schedule for implementation of the Regents initiatives in response to each of its priorities over the next seven years.  Implementation may involve adoption, amendment, or repeal of regulations, adoption or modification of policies, proposed legislation, and budget proposals.  In addition, the Department will continue its collaboration with the sectors as they implement their own long-range master plans.

Report on the Board of Regents Public Hearings on

The Tentative Statewide Plan for Higher Education, 2004-2012

 

 

          In February 2005, pursuant to §237(4) of the Education Law, the Regents authorized release of The Tentative Statewide Plan for Higher Education, 2004-2012, for purposes of public comment and scheduled three public hearings. Those hearings were held on:

 

• March 23: Buffalo - State University of New York at Buffalo;
• April 5: New York City - New York City College of Technology, CUNY; and
• April 8: New York City - New York City College of Technology, CUNY.

 

Chancellor Bennett, Vice Chancellor Sanford and Regents Tisch, Phillips, Chapey, Cofield and Brademas participated in these hearings.  Over the course of the three days, the members of the Board of Regents heard from 52 speakers, including 11 at the Buffalo hearing, 29 at the first New York City hearing, and 12 at the second New York City hearing.  They included:

 

·        4 sector leaders - President Abraham Lackman of cIcu; Stephen Jerome, Chair of the Association of Proprietary Colleges, Chancellor Robert King of SUNY and Chancellor Matthew Goldstein of CUNY,

·        5 college presidents and representatives,

·        12 sector and institutional administrators,

·        20 faculty members,

·        3 representatives of faculty unions,

·        3 district superintendents, principals, and other school personnel,

·        2 students, and

·        3 representatives of other interested organizations.

 

Attachment A lists all the speakers, with their affiliations.  In addition, the President of the Association of Proprietary Colleges, one faculty person, one university administrator and two representatives of additional organizations provided only written testimony.

 

          Speakers at all three hearings endorsed the Statewide Plan or described how their institutions’ plans and priorities fit with the Regents priorities in the Plan.  In New York City, a number of speakers raised concerns about the CUNY Master Plan, which is before the Regents for approval as part of the Statewide Plan, or about CUNY policies, proposed actions, or funding.

 

          The following recommendations, which have been categorized by Regents priority area of the Tentative Statewide Plan, were suggested by those presenting testimony:

 

A. Maximizing Success for All Higher Education Students

 

·        Regents Priority A.2, Articulation:  Strengthen the Statewide Plan’s initiatives related to the ability of students to transfer among institutions.  Staff believe that the Plan now includes the initiatives recommended by the speakers who addressed this issue and that there does not appear to be more that the Department could do in this area within current resources without infringing on institutional autonomy.  Staff recommends that no change be made to the text following Regents Priority A.2.

 

·        Regents Priority A.4, Closing Performance Gaps:  Encourage continued support for and enhancement of the State’s opportunity programs – HEOP, EOP, SEEK, and College Discovery – that provide essential support for economically and educationally disadvantaged students as well as encouragement for institutional efforts to provide information literacy or Writing Across the Curriculum programs.  Staff recommends that the text following Regents Priority A.4 be modified as needed to assure that the Plan reflects the Regents strong support for these programs and to endorse the CUNY’s Chancellor’s Initiative on the Black Male in Education as described in the CUNY Master Plan.

 

B. Smooth Student Transition from PreK – 12 to Higher Education

 

·        Regents Priorities B.6, Preparation for College, and B.7, Information and  Assistance in Preparing for College:  Encourage continued support for and enhancement of support services for middle school and high school students to prepare them to enter and succeed in college, including such initiatives as the development of early college programs and CUNY’s College Now program.  Staff recommends that the text following Regents Priorities B.6 and B.7 be modified as needed to reflect this support.

 

C. Meeting New York’s Needs through Graduate Programs and through Research

 

·        Regents Priority C.8, Strong Graduate Programs to Meet the State’s Needs:  Support the goal of CUNY and SUNY to ensure that a sufficient number of full time faculty are employed to ensure academic quality throughout the university.   Staff recommends that the text following Regents Priority C.8 be modified to reflect the recognition of the importance for full time faculty.

 

·        Regents Priority C.9, Creation of New Knowledge through Research:  Modify this Regents priority to address the continuing need for basic research initiated by faculty as well as research responding to external interests and the need to communicate information and research findings effectively.  Staff recommends that the text following Regents Priority C.9 be modified as needed to reflect these concerns.

 

D. Qualified Professionals for Every Community throughout the State

 

·        Regents Priority D.11, An Adequate Supply of Qualified Teachers, School Leaders, and Other School Professionals: Encourage the enhancement of teacher preparation to attract more career changers, improve teacher self-esteem and renewal, and support the public schools’ retention of teachers.  Staff recommends that the text following Regents Priority D.11 be modified to address these recommendations more fully.

 

 

E. A Balanced and Flexible Regulatory Environment to Support Excellence

 

·        Regents Priority E.12, Encouraging a Highly Effective System:  Emphasize the importance of shared governance to the effectiveness of higher education in New York State.  Staff recommends that the text following Regents Priority E.12 be modified to do so.

 

·        Regents Priority E.13, Funding a Highly Effective System:  Advocate more forcefully for improved funding for higher education, especially for strengthening student aid and assuring greater predictability of attendance costs for students, providing State aid for community colleges that meets the Education Law’s requirements, full funding of Bundy aid, and improved State funding for SUNY and CUNY operations and facilities needs. Speakers from all sectors recommended forceful advocacy, although they emphasized different funding programs.  Staff recommends that the text following Regents Priority E.13 be modified to take into account these comments as well as the recently adopted State budget for 2005-06.

 

Other

 

Add a new priority on Workforce Development that would include initiatives that would meet the needs of companies seeking to remain in the State or to relocate from other states.  Staff does not recommend that such a priority be added to the Plan.  The Statewide Plan is focused on the 13 areas the Regents identified as high priority and does not address every aspect of higher education or every area of need. There are numerous economic development activities and initiatives available to help address this need.

 

Conclusion

 

If the Regents agree with the recommendations listed above, staff will modify the Plan to reflect these changes and will bring the final Plan before the Board for action at your June 2005 meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attachment

Attachment A

 

List of Speakers- Public Hearings on

The Tentative Statewide Plan for Higher Education

 

March 23, 2005, Buffalo

Name	Title	Organization
Adams, Julius	Associate Dean of Teacher Education	SUNY Buffalo
Bishop, George	Executive Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs	Niagara County Community College
Colvin, Dorcas	Senior Advisor to the President	SUC Buffalo
Finley, Lucinda	Professor of Law and Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs	SUNY Buffalo
Floss, Fred	Vice President of Academics	United University Professions
Glocker, Janet	Academic Vice President	Monroe Community College
Hefner, Dennis	President	SUC Fredonia
King, Robert	Chancellor	State University of New York
Monroe, Anne	President	The Community Health Foundation of Western & Central NY
Oglivie, Donald	District Superintendent	Erie 1 BOCES
Richey, Patrick	Vice President of Finance and Operations	Genesee Community College
April 5, 2005, New York City
Barnhart, Michael	Chair, Academic Policy Committee	CUNY University Faculty Senate
Beaky, Lenore	Professor/Secretary	CUNY LaGuardia Community College
Botman, Selma	Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs	CUNY
Bowen, Barbara	President	Professional Staff Congress
Ciaccio, Leonard	Director, Discovery Institute	CUNY College of Staten Island
Cooper, Sandi	Professor	CUNY
Crain, William	Director	CUNY is our Future
Fernandez, Ricardo	President	CUNY Lehman College
Garnett, Kate	Chairperson, Department of Special Education	CUNY Hunter College
Goldstein, Matthew	Chancellor	The City University of New York
Golland, David	Vice Chair, Graduate Affairs	CUNY University Student Senate
Green, Michael	Professor, Department of Chemistry	CUNY City College
Ianniello, Patrick	Director of M.S. in Education Program	Metropolitan College of New York
Jackson, Edison	President	CUNY Medgar Evers College
Jerome, Stephen	President	Monroe College
Lackman, Abraham	President	Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu)
McCall, Carl	Co-Chair	New York State Public Higher Education Conference Board
Mellow, Gail	President	CUNY Fiorello H. LaGuardia Community College
O’Malley, Susan	Chair	CUNY University Faculty Senate
Otte, George	Associate Professor	CUNY Graduate Center
Price, Susan	Professor	CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College
Richardson, Kathryn	Professor, Department of Nursing	CUNY NYC College of Technology
Rosa, Chris	University Coordinator - Disability & Veterans Services	CUNY
Salins, Peter	Provost	SUNY
Scher, Marc	Principal/Retired	Discovery Institute/CUNY College of Staten Island
Schuler-Mauk, Ellen	President	Faculty Association, Suffolk Community College
Start, Ruth	Professor	CUNY College of Staten Island
Sullivan, Edward		Consultation Services speaking on behalf of St. Francis College
Whittaker, Robert	Professor	CUNY Lehman College
April 8, 2005, New York City
Baez, Pedro	Director, College Now	CUNY Lehman College
Bell, Martha	Chair, SEEK	CUNY Brooklyn College
Brind, Joel	Professor, Department of Natural Sciences	CUNY Baruch College
Chase, Lance	Principal	City College Academy of the Arts
Dahbany-Miraglia, Dina	Assistant Professor	CUNY Queensborough Community College
Diraimo, Susan	Board Member	CUNY is our Future
Gray, Peter	Associate Professor, English	CUNY Queensborough Community College
Hounion, Morris	Chair, Status of the Faculty Committee	CUNY University Faculty Senate
Merola, Ryan	Member, Student Government	CUNY Honors College
Rorschach, Elizabeth	Associate Professor, English Education	CUNY City College
Schwarz, Steven	Professor, Assistant Dean	CUNY Queens College
Wood, Darrow	Chief Librarian & Professor	CUNY NYC College of Technology