The Daily Bulletin Archive

A new college publication, Making a Difference: The Economic and Cultural Impact of Buffalo State, is available for viewing online. Nearly one year in the making, the publication is based on economic-impact figures as well as examples of the college’s social and cultural influence on the community at large. The publication is intended to reinforce why Buffalo State is worthy of investment to several key audiences—business, community, and government leaders.

Theodore Byrley, chair and associate professor; William Ganley, professor; and Tae-Hee Jo, assistant professor, Economics and Finance, conducted the Economic Impact Study for Buffalo State College in March 2009, which informs this report. Results were obtained using economic multipliers from IMPLAN and RIMMS II models.

Key findings include:

• The total annual economic impact of Buffalo State College on Western New York in 2008 was $772 million.
• Because a large percentage of our graduates remain in Western New York, Buffalo State is a major contributor to the economic and social fabric of this region.
• Many programs the college offers dovetail with occupations that will experience faster-than-average growth rates through 2016.
• As of 2008, more than 1,000 Buffalo State students had performed 23,000 hours of volunteer service, and service learning had been integrated into 64 courses.
• As home to the Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College, and with the largest, most comprehensive visual arts program in SUNY, the college attracts thousands of visitors, artists, and scholars to the region each year.
• Buffalo State is deeply involved in preserving Western New York’s rich heritage.

Ann R. Brown, assistant vice president for college relations and lead author for the project, examined similar publications from more than 20 institutions of higher education to help shape Buffalo State’s impact study.

“Many institutions focus only on hard numbers when they perform impact studies, focusing on job creation and revenue,” she said. “To accurately tell Buffalo State’s story, we went further. We felt it was important to also talk about our contributions to Western New York culture, historical preservation, and our extensive community partnerships.”

Making a Difference was created in house by the College Relations Office, with the assistance of many campus constituents. The publication was distributed to key community and government leaders in August.