From: New York News Connection (Albany, NY)
July 22, 2008

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Report: NY Must Invest Billions to Keep Pace in Global Education Race

Narrator: New Yorkers need cheaper student loans, and the state's public universities need billions more in funding and new instructors. Those are among the conclusions of a highly-critical new report on the university system. Governor David Paterson supports the report, and is expected to call for a low-cost student loan program and the hiring of at least 2,000 more instructors.

Phillip Smith, president of United University Professions, the union that represents state university faculty and staff, says the report just touches the surface when it comes to the number of instructors that are needed.

Smith: "Two thousand would be a great start, bring us back to where we were ten years ago, but we've got to put a finger in the dike and stop the outflow."

Narrator:The report looked at education opportunities worldwide, and noted that a province in China just built 50 universities. Smith says New York needs to invest in education if it wants to keep pace.

He says the report paints an accurate picture of the state's higher education needs, but he is concerned that lawmakers will be hard-pressed to meet the challenge.

Smith: "The issues that were raised require an awful lot of financial investment, and given the current economic climate of the state, my concern is that the state will once again just defer its investment in higher education. This is not a good thing."

Narrator: Smith says the State University of New York is already trying to make ends meet on a budget that is $50 million leaner than was recommended earlier this year by then Governor Eliot Spitzer, and he hopes Governor Paterson, who succeeded Spitzer, finds a way to restore those dollars.