The Daily Bulletin Archive

By Phyllis Camesano

As part of a nine-city rollout, State University of New York Chancellor Nancy Zimpher will be in Buffalo on April 28 to publicly launch SUNY’s new strategic plan, aimed at enhancing the vitality and quality of life at SUNY campuses and introducing a new way forward for aligning SUNY’s purpose with New York State’s economic future.

Buffalo State College with Erie County Community College, SUNY Fredonia, Jamestown Community College, Niagara County Community College, and the University at Buffalo are participating in the event, which will be held at HealthNow New York Inc., 257 W. Genesee Street in Buffalo. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. for a breakfast reception, followed by presentations from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. All are invited.

The plan, “The Power of SUNY,” is an outgrowth of the chancellor’s comprehensive 10-month initiative that included a 64-campus tour and 10 statewide conversations and symposia. Ideas and comments from campuses and the community were contributed in person or online through Generation SUNY on the Web,Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Based on input from these sessions and discussions with strategic planning groups, forward-looking “big ideas” were identified as central to the educational and economic interests of the state. These ideas, each with supporting programs, drive the plan: 

• SUNY and the Entrepreneurial Century
• SUNY and the Seamless Educational Pipeline
• SUNY and a Healthier New York
• SUNY and an Energy-Smart New York
• SUNY and the Vibrant Community
• SUNY and the World

In addition, the plan focuses on the crosswalks between the six ideas and SUNY’s central commitment to diversity within those themes.

“The plan is a bold, exciting step forward,” said Bonita Durand, executive assistant to the president of Buffalo State College, who served as a delegate. “The concepts, as well as the collaboration that made it possible, are testament to the power of SUNY and its potential for being a driving force in the future of Western New York and all of New York State.”

At the Western New York launch, the chancellor will review the plan, and SUNY students, alumni, and faculty from the region will present their stories and comments in support of the power of SUNY and the themes encompassed in the plan. In addition to Chancellor Zimpher, the program includes:

• Alphonso O’Neil-White, Buffalo State College Council Member and President and CEO, HealthNow New York Inc.
• Eunice Lewin, Trustee, State University of New York
• Thomas Hook, President and CEO, Greatbatch Inc.
• Robert Fritzinger, Director, SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator
• Norma Nowak, Director of Science and Technology, New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics & Life Sciences
• Benjamin Willis, Ph.D. Student, Counselor Education, UB; Counselor, Westminster Charter School, Buffalo; UB undergraduate degree (McNair and Acker Scholar); attended Buffalo Public Schools: City Honors School and Campus West School, located on Buffalo State’s campus
• Sallie (Shapley) Pullano, ’58, SUNY Fredonia; retired music educator whose immediate family members are all SUNY alumni

During the fourth and final phase of the strategic planning process, the chancellor will engage campuses and communities in discussions about the plan, what it means to them, and how they can be a part of its implementation.

For more information about the Power of SUNY or a copy of the plan, visit www.suny.edu/powerofsuny.