The Daily Bulletin Archive

Since my last report, there have been several activities and events at the college that are of interest:

• The campus surpassed its $20 million Transforming Lives campaign goal in January 2014—five quarters early!
• We have completed $3.6 million in budget reductions from state general purpose accounts.
• Buffalo State’s Start Up NY plan has been approved by SUNY Chancellor Zimpher. It is now under review by Empire State Development Corporation.
• In January, the campus reestablished tabletop exercises for the Emergency Response Resource Group.
• As part of our enrollment growth strategies, Buffalo State revised several admissions practices: automatic accepts, transfer student registration, etc.
• The President’s Cabinet authorized wireless network installation for all student housing to be completed by fall 2014.
• The President’s Cabinet authorized the purchase of scholarship tracking software to speed up the award process.
• The Strategic Planning Council revised the campus mission, vision, values, strategic positioning, and strategic directions statements for the strategic plan.
• Interim President Cohen established a mid-term evaluation process for cabinet members.
• An ad hoc committee of professional staff and faculty members with marketing expertise established three marketing committees to develop plans for target audiences: parents, guidance counselors, and graduate school for current undergraduates.
• The interim president held a discussion forum on issues in higher education for council members, vice presidents, deans, and department chairs at the president’s house.
• The President’s Cabinet has initiated an external assessment of University Police to be conducted by a national consulting firm, Margolis Healy.
• Associate Vice President Mark Petrie has left Buffalo State for another position; Professor Bradley Fuster has been appointed interim associate vice president while a search is being conducted to fill the position.

I am also pleased to provide the campus community with the following progress updates on the college’s top six priorities for 2013–2014.

1. Enrollment Growth

Buffalo State’s enrollment peaked in fall 2011 and then declined in 2012 and 2013. The college must find ways to stem the decline and recapture the revenue that was lost along with student enrollments.

Buffalo State’s task this year is to bring revenue and expenses back into balance, and the most productive way to do that is by growing enrollment. This project will be placed under the direction of a newly constituted Strategic Enrollment Steering Committee (SESC), but to be successful, it will need to be an all-campus effort.

Immediate steps will be taken to address retention during this academic year, and campus leadership will propose strategies to be more effective at recruitment and retention for next year and the years to follow.

Progress Update

The SESC has taken some short-term steps, including:

• Automatic acceptance for high school students with GPAs of 85 or higher
• Expedited review for those with GPAs of 75.0–84.9
• Increasing the Compass program by 50 students
• Improved registration timeline for transfer students
• Intensified marketing of graduate programs to Buffalo State seniors
• Establishing 3+2 articulation agreements with Chinese universities
• Intrusive advising in University College
• Planning for expanded use of the MAP-Works early-warning system

2. Strategic Planning

Buffalo State’s current strategic plan concludes this year, so it is time to once again create a plan that clearly articulates our strategic directions and that will position the college distinctively in regional higher education. The college needs to identify the value it offers and work to make that value a reality that is well understood.

Progress Update

The framework of the strategic plan has been developed and approved by the College Planning Council (CPC):

• Mission, Vision, Core Values, Strategic Positioning, and Strategic Directions statements have been approved by the CPC.
• Proposals for specific activities for each strategic direction have been circulated to the campus community for review and comment. Responses were due March 14.

3. Academic Program Array and Institutional Sustainability

To build on Buffalo State’s success, the college is at a stage of development where it needs to take a comprehensive look at its range of majors and minors, and to consider rebalancing the array of academic programs. In the context of strategic planning and enrollment declines, we will assess program opportunities in light of faculty expertise, student demand, and regional needs.

One element of Buffalo State’s program offerings that is growing in importance is the development of courses and programs delivered online. This is particularly important as it relates to SUNY’s systemwide commitment to Open SUNY, an effort to extend the reach of our campuses to attract new students to a web-based learning environment.

Progress Update

• A report from the Academic Program Array Advisory Committee was due March 1.
• The Online Oversight Committee has produced a document specifying policies, procedures, protocols, and best practices for online learning.

4. All-Funds Budgeting

As Buffalo State works toward streamlining its budget processes, this year the college will build an “all funds” report for the college’s State General Purpose and fee accounts, with other accounts (i.e., Buffalo State and SUNY Research Foundation) to be added the following year.

Progress Update

• A process and timeline for all state-appropriated funds is in place for 2014–2015 and 2015–2016.
• Our Business Intelligence System is now functioning with all state purpose accounts assigned within a reporting structure. First expenditure reports have been distributed to the president and vice presidents for reconciliation.

5. Economic Development

Buffalo State has a role to play in the economic development of Western New York, and SUNY has provided an important vehicle for the college’s participation in Start-Up NY.

Start-Up NY is an initiative of Governor Cuomo and the state Legislature designed to foster entrepreneurialism and job creation on a large scale through tax-free zones associated with SUNY campuses (among others). Buffalo State will participate as a host to new and relocated businesses through a “launch” center providing space, services, and opportunities for students and faculty to participate in the economic growth of participating businesses.

Progress Update

• Buffalo State’s Start Up NY proposal has been approved by SUNY and is under review by Empire State Development Corporation.
• We are exploring the possibility of leasing space close to campus to locate potential Start Up clients.
• We are also in conversations with about a dozen businesses that are interested in partnering with Buffalo State in this venture. Three businesses are in the application-preparation stage.

6. Facilities Planning for the Southwest Corner of Campus

The southwest quadrant of the campus is a natural second front door for Buffalo State. The campus has a variety of needs and opportunities that could be situated there—additional student housing, an alumni and visitor center, additional parking, and community partnership spaces, to name the most obvious.

Buffalo State needs to determine the best use of that space and fit projects together so that they complement one another; however, when these plans take shape, it will allow the college to better serve the entire campus and outside communities and to help meet aspirations for the future.

Progress Update

• We are in conversation with the owner of property on the Letchworth-Grant corner to secure a lot that will be required to build the Alumni House and Visitor Center.
• We have raised $1.5 million for the Alumni House.
• We are engaged in a student housing master planning process to supplement the campus master plan.
• We have deferred a decision to build additional student housing until we know whether private developers will be constructing student housing in the vicinity of campus.