(ALBANY, NEW YORK) - United University Professions (UUP), the Nation’s largest Higher Education Union, held a press conference last week to call for more State funding for three Capital Region State University of New York (SUNY) Campuses facing projected multi-million-dollar budget deficits: the University at Albany, Empire State College and SUNY Cobleskill.

UUP President Frederick E. Kowal (Pictured Above/Photo Courtesy Of UUP’s Twitter Feed) was joined by New York State Assembly Member Patricia Fahy, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, Albany Common Council Member Tom Hoey, and Jalen Miller, the University at Albany Student Association Vice President. 

At the event, held at University of Albany, the speakers urged State Lawmakers to allot more state aid to SUNY Campuses to help them reverse budget shortfalls.

The University at Albany faces a projected $15 million deficit.

Two other Capital Region SUNY institutions, Empire State College and SUNY Cobleskill, have projected deficits of $8 million and $4 million, respectively.

“For too long, our campuses have been underfunded by the State, which has foisted the burden of funding our campuses onto the backs of students and parents through higher tuition and fees and other ever-increasing costs.  Last year, students paid two dollars for every dollar of direct state operating support,” Kowal said.

“The impact of this chronic underfunding has - and will continue to have - a negative effect on our communities, especially those that host SUNY campuses.  SUNY is a powerful economic engine for these communities, providing good-paying jobs, millions in generated revenue and a well-educated workforce that helps create a stable tax base.  We need to encourage this growth and one way to do that is to properly fund our campuses,” the UUP President said. 

In the Capital Region, SUNY accounts for more than 9,800 jobs and supports more than 21,400 indirect jobs.

SUNY’s impact on the Capital Region economy was $3.4 billion in 2018, according to a SUNY Economic Impact Study by the Rockefeller Institute of Government.

Statewide, SUNY’s economic impact is about $30 billion annually.

Every dollar invested in SUNY by the State yields a return of $8.17.

SUNY is also one of the top 10 largest employers in every region in the State except New York City.

Kowal also warned that without more state funding, campuses with acceptable student-Teacher ratios could see them accelerate, especially with enrollment growth.

The student/faculty ratio at the University at Albany is 19-to-1 and it’s 15-to-1 at Empire State College and SUNY Cobleskill.

“After more than a decade of flat State funding, most of our campuses have long ago trimmed the fat out of their budgets and have been forced to make painful cost-cutting measures to make ends meet,” Kowal said. “Without more state funding, campuses are left to consider even more drastic measures, which could include cutting programs, overloading classes, leaving full-time vacancies unfilled and hiring more Adjuncts to pick up the slack.” 

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