Letter to Editor

Feb. 4, 2003

To the Editor:

United University Professions was pleased to see a Daily Gazette photographer at its Jan. 31 rally protesting proposed cuts to the State University of New York. Unfortunately, your photo/caption coverage of the rally (Feb. 1) wasn't able to tell the whole story.

The reality is that the 2003-04 Executive Budget proposal reduces public support for SUNY's state-operated campuses by $183.5 million and relies on a tuition increase to fill that hole. But this assumes that tuition will increase as proposed and that enrollments will remain constant.

A $183.5 million cut to SUNY will translate into the loss of nearly 4,000 faculty positions. This would not only adversely affect our members, but also the students who are already finding it nearly impossible to take the courses they need to graduate on time. Access to the University would suffer and quality would be severely jeopardized.

New Yorkers understand the importance of SUNY to their communities. In a recent statewide poll commissioned by UUP, more than three-quarters of registered voters surveyed said the SUNY college in their community is important to the local economy. The overwhelming majority of respondents also gave SUNY high marks for preparing the workforce for the job market, and for being leaders in research and technology development.

There's a serious disconnect between public opinion and public policy. New Yorkers know -- and lawmakers need to realize -- now, more than ever, New York needs SUNY.

Sincerely,

William E. Scheuerman