Letter to Editor

January 12, 2004

Letters to the Editor
Newsday
235 Pinelawn Road
Melville, NY 11747

To the Editor:

United University Professions agrees with your assertion that the timing of the executive proposal to pay for capital projects at New York's private colleges is "questionable" -- at best ("State Cash for Private Colleges," Jan. 12). Until the state addresses the underfunding of its SUNY system, funding private colleges shouldn't even be considered.

SUNY, the state's public University system, is already reeling from years of chronic public underfunding. In fact, a recent study awarded New York the dubious distinction of greater declines in public higher education funding than the decreases in most similarly sized states. Dwindling state support has led SUNY to lose more than 1,000 full-time faculty lines since the mid-1990s, swelling class sizes and shrinking class offerings, all of which challenges students' ability to graduate in four years.

We disagree, however, that the executive's plan for funding the privates is a "lofty goal." Rather, it's one that sells SUNY short. Why should the state rejuvenate the privates while it starves SUNY?

Diverting scarce state money to the privates while funding to SUNY falls off is a bad idea. SUNY should be the state's priority and could desperately use the $250 million requested by the privates for its own critical needs. The state should strengthen its investment in SUNY so that the University can continue to provide the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who attend them the quality higher education they deserve.

Sincerely,

William E. Scheuerman
President, United University Professions