CONTACT: Denyce Duncan Lacy or Don Feldstein at (518) 640-6600
Lacy’s cell number is (518) 265-3114

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 29, 2008

Statement by Phillip H. Smith Regarding Today’s SUNY Board of Trustees Finance Committee Meeting on SUNY Budget Cuts

Statement by Phillip H. Smith,
President of United University Professions
Regarding Today’s SUNY Board of Trustees
Finance Committee Meeting
on SUNY Budget Cuts

"Today’s comments from several SUNY campus presidents and their financial experts confirmed what UUP has been hearing from our members about the effects of the state’s massive funding cuts: SUNY campuses are hurting. The committee heard about plans to scale back on admissions, reduce the number of courses, freeze hiring and attrit staff. The net effect would be fewer students admitted and delays in graduation. Both of these outcomes will hurt New York’s economy.

“We urge concerned parents and students to join us in asking the governor to rethink his reductions to SUNY.”

UUP represents 35,000 academic and professional faculty on 29 New York State-operated campuses and is an affiliate of New York State United Teachers, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, and the AFL-CIO.     

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