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UUP in the News

NOTE: The links to the full articles bring you to a page on the publication’s Web site. While every effort is made to ensure these links are still active, the publication may cancel or change these links without notice.

From: Times Union (Albany, NY)
February 4, 2010
SUNY union members to rally against cuts
UUP prepares to stage a rally at the Capitol against proposed budget cuts and the governor's plan that would largely deregulate SUNY. >>Full Story

From: Buffalo News
February 3, 2010
Don't let SUNY campuses set their own tuition rates
In his letter to the editor, UUP President Phil Smith challenges the newspaper's editorial that describes the governor's plan to allow more autonomy for SUNY as a bold step. >> Full Story

From: Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)
January 30, 2010
Paterson's SUNY tuition would hurt many students
In his letter to the editor, UUP President Phil Smith takes aim at the newspaper's editorial that called the proposal to allow SUNY campuses the power to set their own tuition a good idea. >> Full Story available via paid subscription

From: Legislative Gazette (Albany, NY)
January 25, 2010
Gov's education act gets warm reception from SUNY presidents
UUP President Phil Smith expresses significant concerns about the governor's plan to grant SUNY campuses the authority to set their own tuition and lease their property with less oversight >> Full Story

From: Ithaca Journal (Ithaca, NY)
January 17, 2010
Paterson unveils higher education reform plan
UUP President Phil Smith voices some serious reservations about the governor's plan to loosen legislative oversight over SUNY. >> Full Story

This article also appeared in the Elmira Star-Gazette.

From: Bee Newspapers (Buffalo, NY)
December 23, 2009
New York state failing its SUNY schools
In a guest editorial, UUP President Phil Smith warns parents to ask their children who attend SUNY how state budget cuts are adversely affecting their education. This column appeared in all nine Bee Newspapers publications in the Buffalo area. >> Full Story available via paid subscription

This column also appeared in the six Times-Beacon-Record newspapers on Long Island; the nine Rising Publications and five Home Town Media Group newspapers, both in Westchester County; and in the six Eagle Newspapers publications in and around Syracuse.

From: National CrossTalk (San Jose, CA)
December, 2009
Overcrowded and Underfunded
UUP President Phil Smith is quoted in this article distributed nationwide that focuses on how New York's public higher education systems are being battered by budget cuts. >> Full Story

From: North Country Public Radio (Canton, NY)
December 18, 2009
SUNY Potsdam responds to Albany cutbacks with job cuts
UUP Potsdam Chapter President Laura Rhoads says full-time employees will not lose their jobs as the campus cuts 59 jobs in response to state budget cuts >> Full Story

From: Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY)
December 7, 2009
Buffalo's control board gets new member
UUP Vice President for Academics Fred Floss is appointed by Gov. Paterson to a seat on the control board that oversees Buffalo's finances. >> Full Story

A similar article also appeared in Buffalo Business First.

From: New York Observer (New York, NY)
November 20, 2009
Professors union launches newspaper blitz
UUP places ads in 129 newspapers designed to directly alert parents of SUNY students to the toll state budget cuts are taking on their children's education >>Full Story

From: The Chief-Leader
November 6, 2009
Faculty unions protest planned budget cuts
UUP President Phil Smith rallies with fellow unionists from CUNY, UFT, NYSUT and Hunter College students protesting budget cuts to SUNY and CUNY. >> Full Story via paid subscription.

From: Inside Higher Ed (Washington, DC)
November 2, 2009
Insult to Injury
UUP President Phil Smith questions why SUNY and CUNY are being targeted by midyear budget cuts as UUPers joined their brothers and sisters from PSC and other unions at a New York City rally protesting budget reductions for both public university systems. >> Full Story

From: Times Union (Albany, NY)
October 26, 2009
Higher education feels fiscal pain
UUP President Phil Smith says the latest midyear budget cut against SUNY will seriously hurt students and their families >> Full Story

This article appeared in other newspapers across New York state, including Newsday (Long Island), Journal News (White Plains), Press Republican (Plattsburgh), Daily Gazette (Schenectady) and the Post-Star (Glens Falls).

From: Legislative Gazette (Albany, NY)
October 13, 2009
Students, professors bemoan $90 million SUNY cut
UUP President Phil Smith speaks out against the budget cut for SUNY and what it means for the University and its students. He also urges the public to fight the reductions by visiting UUP's Web site. >>Full Story

From: Press & Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, NY)
October 9, 2009
Larger classes, fewer options could result from SUNY cuts
UUP is joined by other organizations and the leaders of the Legislature's higher education committees in decrying the $90 million midyear budget cut for SUNY. >> Full Story available via paid archives

This article also appeared in the Democrat & Chronicle (Rochester), Ithaca Journal and Star-Gazette (Elmira).

From: Newsday (Long Island, NY)
October 7, 2009
Cuts may force SUNY to drop programs, boost class sizes
UUP joins with SUNY and its Long Island campuses in describing the effects the governor’s $90 million midyear budget cut will have. >> Full Story

From: Journal News (White Plains, NY)
October 7, 2009
Paterson directs agencies to cut $500M
UUP responds to the governor’s order to cut SUNY’s budget by $90 million as part of an overall $500 million midyear spending reduction. >> Full Story available via paid archives

This article also appeared in the Press & Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton), Poughkeepsie Journal, Ithaca Journal and Star-Gazette (Elmira).

From: NY Post (New York, NY)
October 7, 2009
Gov's $lim-fast plan
UUP reacts to the governor's decision to slice SUNY's budget by $90 million. >>Full Story


From: NY News Connection (New York, NY)
October 7, 2009
NY Governor Orders 11% Cuts: Higher Education the "Big Loser"
UUP President Phil Smith forcefully speaks out in this radio report against the governor's move to cut $90 million from SUNY's budget. >>Full Story

From: Legislative Gazette (Albany, NY)
September 8, 2009
UUP: SUNY can't absorb more cuts
As students return to classes on SUNY campuses, UUP President Phil Smith details the toll that past budget cuts are taking. >>Full Story

Excerpted from: The Chief-Leader (New York, NY)
September 4, 2009
UUP Leader Fears Toll SUNY Cuts May Take
Students and educators returning to State University of New York colleges as the school year begins are in danger of a decreased quality of education because of severe budget cuts by the state, United University Professions President Phillip H. Smith warned last week. >>Full Story via paid subscription

Excerpted from: Press & Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, NY)
September 3, 2009
SUNY chancellor finishes whirlwind tour of state campuses
Phil Smith, president of United University Professions, said he appreciated Zimpher's statement about readjusting priorities "because I do know that SUNY is going to have to use its money wisely.... >> Full Story (Similar versions of this article also appeared in the Poughkeepsie Journal, Ithaca Journal, Elmira Star-Gazette, Utica Observer-Dispatch, and the Albany Times Union.)

Excerpted from: Newsday (Long Island, NY), Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio) and other newspapers
September 1, 2009
New SUNY chancellor completes 64-campus tour
UUP President Phil Smith is quoted in this article that spotlighted the conclusion of SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher's tour of all 64 SUNY campuses. Smith stressed the necessity for the state to provide SUNY with sufficient funding, explaining the sullen economy has led to "a surge in applications as more and more families look to send their children to SUNY as an affordable alternative.">>
Full Story from Newsday
Full Story from Dayton Daily News

Excerpted from: Times Union (Albany, NY) 
August 27, 2009
Union decries campus cuts
It's back to school time for the State University of New York campuses.
But the schools will look a bit different, thanks to the heavy toll of budget cuts, says Phillip H. Smith, president of United University Professions, the nation's largest higher education union. >> Full Story and scroll down to "union decries campus cuts"

From: New York News Connection (New York, NY)
August 25, 2009
Community College Enrollment Soars
(John) View is also chapter president for United University Professions, which is calling on both the governor and lawmakers to protect the State University of New York system from any further budget cuts this fiscal year and into 2010. >> Full Story

From: New York News Connection (New York, NY)
August 24, 2009
Recession Hits State Universities As Schools Reopen
Professors at SUNY are being asked to increase their class sizes by 10 percent and more, according to United University Professions president Phillip Smith. He says those bigger class sizes are just one way that hiring freezes and state budget problems are affecting education quality and access as students head back to class. >> Full Story

Excerpted from: The Chronicle of Higher Education 
August 3, 2009
In a Shrinking City, a University Offers a Bold, and Chancy, Vision of Growth
"The UB2020 plan would be implemented through a process of basically destroying the university," says Phillip H. Smith, president of United University Professions, a union that represents faculty and staff members in the state system. >> More

Excerpted from: Newsday (Long Island, NY)    
June 9, 2009
No autonomy for SUNYs
United University Professionals agree that actions to invigorate the Long Island and Buffalo economies are sorely needed. But we also know that the bill that grants virtual autonomy for the University at Buffalo and similar legislation introduced by Sen. Ken LaValle on behalf of Stony Brook University would be far more harmful than helpful to Long Island and western New York students. >> Full Story

Excerpted from: Buffalo News    
June 8, 2009
UB 2020 bill brews trouble in Albany on autonomy
“Granting the University at Buffalo’s president unilateral authority to raise tuition and set differential tuition rates will dramatically reduce access and affordability for current and prospective UB students,” Phillip Smith, president of the union, said....>> Full Story

Excepted from: Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY)   
May 30, 2009
UB should not be given authority to raise tuition
United University Professions agrees that Buffalo’s economy should be invigorated. But we also know that A/S 2020 would be far more harmful than helpful to students and parents. It shakes the very core of SUNY, formed to provide “the broadest possible affordable access” to New York’s students. >>
Full Story    

Excerpted from: Poughkeepsie Journal (Poughkeepsie, NY)   
May 08, 2009
Nursing education backers rally - Teachers and students lodge protest on cuts to SUNY New Paltz president
Supporters of the SUNY New Paltz nursing program on Thursday called on the college president to reverse his decision to eliminate the program. >> Full Story

From: Times Herald-Record (Middletown, NY)  
May 08, 2009
SUNY New Paltz's teachers union rallies to save axed programs
Fighting words were the order of the day Thursday during a rally on behalf of the embattled nursing and masters teaching programs at SUNY New Paltz.>> Full Story

Excepted from: Legislative Gazette (Albany, NY) 
April 6, 2009
Mixed reaction to final education budget
The United University Professions union also sees the budget as a mix of positive and negative outcomes. >> Full Story

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