"SUNY Eyeing 4% Tuition Hike"

Parents Forum
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<p>NY Post reports: "Tuition would increase by about 4 percent at most SUNY campuses next fall under a budget proposal released yesterday.</p>

<p>The State University of New York Board of Trustees approved a request for $239.8 million, or 12 percent, more in state spending. The proposal for the 2007-08 fiscal year has a long way to go. Gov.-elect Eliot Spitzer will consider the plan in crafting his first executive budget as governor next month.</p>

<p>His proposal will then go to the Legislature, which will seek agreement on a state budget by the April 1 fiscal deadline.</p>

<p>The tuition increase would be part of SUNY's long-proposed "rational tuition plan."</p>

<p>That would automatically increase tuition each year, or every four years, by a "higher education cost index" - usually around 4 percent - by the inflation rate or some other barometer of costs.</p>

<p>SUNY tuition is now $4,350 a year, but fees push the average to more than $5,000."</p>

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<p>Still the best bargain in town. Sshh!! don't tell anyone but I don't think it's the worst idea to increase tuition a bit on a sliding scale. If the additional funding went to libraries- more staffing and to further improvements within the SUNY community, alot of us are willing and able to spend a few bucks more for a SUNY education. That is what public education is all about. It is for the betterment of the entire NYS community. I think NYS tuition is one of the lowest. And OOS tuition is a virtual bargain. I think it is under $12,000.<br>
And I still think most NY'rs are relatively pleased with and PROUD of the SUNY programs. They are not for everyone- but they do work for the vast majority of NYS kids. And in contrast to a recent thread I read, our SUNY campuses are safe, extremely well maintained and a pleasing environment to live in- (even the 2nd tier SUNY's-- We don't treat our "average students" like 2nd class citizens in NYS. Sorry about the rant. I got po'd about another thread about students at 2nd tier state schools.)
Just remember alot of summer camps cost around $5,000 and even the summer research or "intern" programs cost over $3,000.
So college tuition of $5,000 is a wonderful thing!!</p>

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<p>Hi Marny! I don't blame you for ranting. I think you are right that most New Yorkers are proud of SUNY and the great deal that NYS public higher education offers so many kids - in and out of state. Would be great to have good reason to be even more so. I came across the following article last week which reports that SUNY administrators are pointed in the right direction. </p>

<p>"SUNY chief cites plans to improve
Leader says businesses are part of solution"</p>

<p>"With student enrollment on the rise, State University of New York Chancellor John Ryan called Friday for more college and business partnerships to promote success...</p>

<p>Almost a year into his post as the university system's top leader, Ryan outlined for local business people his goals for the 64 institutions.</p>

<p>He described the system as "good, on its way to great."</p>

<p>The student population has grown to 424,000, an increase of 10,000 over last year.</p>

<p>More full-time staff</p>

<p>Ryan plans to hire more full-time faculty, instead of relying so heavily on part-time and adjunct instructors.</p>

<p>In the 2005-06 school year, 62.2 percent of SUNY faculty were full time.</p>

<p>Keeping schools affordable and accessible is key, he said.</p>

<p>Ryan wants to establish a "rational tuition" policy, something where tuition prices could be increased gradually, but rates locked in over students' four years of college."</p>

<p><a href="http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061118/NEWS02/611180322/1007%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061118/NEWS02/611180322/1007&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>It is good to be charging a bit more in order to have more full-time faculty. The only complaint I hear about SUNY schools is that some kids have trouble graduating in four years because not enough courses in their major are offered regularly. </p>

<p>Yes, they are a bargain; I do think they are not inexpensive enough to accommodate truly impoverished students, though. I know when I applied to college (during the Paleolithic period) it was cheaper for me to attend an Ivy on scholarship than to go to SUNY Albany.</p>

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<p>aparent- that's an issue at a lot of schools- not just SUNY. Also you gotta remember a good % of kids develop new interests- change majors- and they may have to adjust their schedules based on these changes. Sometimes it is the change in major that prevents them from graduating in 4 years. I wouldn't find total fault with SUNY--this situation happens at private U's too.</p>

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<p>If most New Yorker's are proud of the SUNY schools, why have we allowed the reduction of 1000 full time faculty members over the last several years while attendance has increased substantially? Are we proud of student:teacher ratios which often exceed 20:1? Do we like the 1970 era institutional architecture and facilities found at many of the SUNY's?</p>

<p>Instead of a 4% tuition increase, it is past time for a 40% increase (with some of the increase going to improved aid for those who really need it.) The under $5000 costs of tuition are out of keeping with the needs. Something is wrong when it costs twice that amount just to feed and house our kids. Most private grade schools cost that much or more.</p>

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<p>Edad has a point. What do we want SUNY to be? Is cheap tuition consistent with adequate support [for new facilities, faculty, etc]?</p>

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<p>I guess that is what our taxes go towards- Education-Health-Roads etc. </p>

<p>Government: What a novel idea- meeting the needs of the people of the State of NY. </p>

<p>SUNY does seem to be going through another growth phase. Most SUNY campuses had an influx of money during the Rockefellar era (late 1960's) and campuses were growing at an incredible rate. That coincides with my time as a SUNY student. If you have been to a SUNY campus lately, you can see new academic buildings and dorms are once again being added to the landscape. </p>

<p>Is it just me?? I actually felt more confident in a state supported U than alot of the smaller privately run schools that we checked out for my kids. State U ain't going bankrupt-- State U is going to maintain campus environment-- provide enough heat in winter-ain't going to skimp on meals- acquisitions to library etc. in order to turn a profit. Some Private U's may be more inclined to cut back on the necessities that our kids need. I have read too many threads on these boards where a schools atmosphere was deteriorating and looked like it wasn't being maintained properly. These were usually smaller private U's.
I have to admit, I was rather surprised and pleased at the current state of the SUNY campuses during our visits in the past 3 years.
I actually feel more comfortable with my kid being at a public U than some of the private schools that we looked at. I also felt that SUNY's would be more accountable to the needs of New Yorkers and if they were not providing the necessary services, they would have to answer to us!!</p>

<p>Oh and Edad- there was a more extensive article by Chancellor Ryan about increasing the SUNY budgets- more staffing etc. etc. Probably saw it in NY Times or Newsday within the past week or two. Maybe someone else saw it and can link it up!!</p>

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<p>My son attends a SUNY, and though I would have preferred some of his private choices, he has been getting what he wants there at a bargain price for us. I agree with you, Marny, about some private schools that are feeling the pinch and have low endowments, and declining enrollments. But a well endowed, reputable private is much better in amenities than some of the smaller SUNYs we visited. Our local SUNY is suffering terribly from the cuts that it suffered a few years ago, and makes no secret of it, bitterly lamenting the loss of funds and the damages done. This has been aired both publicly in the media, and privately at some university events. The money is not equitably distributed in the system. Buffalo, where my son is, has gotten the lion's share of the money, in an effort to make the undergraduate school more like other flagship unis like UMd or Penn State. I can see it every time I visit, and my son's department has benefitted handsomely.<br>
This occurs in many states. All state U's are not alike and not funded,even within the same state, on an equal basis, and there are schools hurting because of this. Many years ago, New College in Florida was a public experiment in an all honors college. Did not work. It has been swallowed by another state school, and the rep of the school did not soar as everyone involved so hoped. Better to have gone to that private school, or to UFl or FSU, names better known, schools better funded.</p>

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<p>Maybe they can use some of that money to rip out the ugly pavement on the quad at SUNY Brockport and plant grass like all the other colleges. Geesh.</p>

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<p>I have two neighbors who sent their kids to New Paltz and one who has a kid presently attending SB. All were/are satisfied. All were employed within six months of graduation. All formed close ties to their schools and are tight with the faculty-- til" this day. One especially was very involved in student gov and met regularly with the Pres of the college even attending Albany to meet with the Gov and talk about funding for their school--what an experience that must have been! None left or will leave with any debt due to the affordable tuition. I</p>

<p>I believe that this represents a good return for your investment.</p>

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<p>I recently read that the last time there was a SUNY tuition hike was in 2003 and that it was 28% so, compared to that 4% isn't a big hike. Marny, I did see the NYT article and will post the link if I come across it again. You make a great point about accountability - and I think the basic idea is not to do worse by New Yorkers. Don't forget New York's report card grades in the national "Measuring Up" study and that "F" in affordability. New York is both popular and expensive, and as I posted before, NY still leads the pack when it comes to those states that do not offer "low-priced college opportunities". Maybe that flunking grade in "Affordability" is spurring efforts to do better when it comes to providing lower cost and good quality higher education options.</p>

<p>Interesting article in Inside Higher ed deals with issue of full-time vs. adjunct professors: "New Push for Full-Time Faculty Jobs" :</p>

<p>"The American Federation of Teachers is in the coming months planning to start a major state-by-state legislative effort to create more full-time faculty positions — while also striving to improve the work life of adjuncts and helping more of them win full-time jobs.</p>

<p>The legislation is expected to vary from state to state, with general principles that bills would require public colleges to:</p>

<pre><code> Have 75 percent of classes in each department taught by full-time professors (possibly with some exemptions for small departments).

Provide preference to adjuncts in applying for full-time positions.

Bring adjunct pay and benefits to “parity” with that of full timers.
</code></pre>

<p>Organizers don’t necessarily expect to win all their demands, at least not immediately, but want to push so that hearings are held in many states, and a broader public debate takes place on the treatment of adjuncts and the impact on higher education of having fewer and fewer tenure-track professors.</p>

<p>“We don’t think the public understands that we lack a strong core of full-time faculty in many departments at many colleges and universities,” said Marty Hittelman, president of the Community College Council of the California Federation of Teachers, who teaches mathematics at Los Angeles Valley College.</p>

<p>Some labor watchers see the AFT’s campaign as significant in that it seeks not just to get better pay or benefits, but to reshape the professorial work force.</p>

<p>“This is ‘wake up and smell the coffee’ time,” said Richard Boris, director of the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions, at the City University of New York’s Hunter College. “These issues can’t be solved locally or on a piecemeal basis. There has to be a national focus.” Boris called the growing use of adjuncts “a profound national crisis in higher education” and said of the new AFT effort, “it’s about time.”</p>

<p>While there is strong enthusiasm for the efforts in state AFT divisions, the campaign is not without controversy. Some adjuncts fear that if the legislation moves ahead, they may be out of jobs as departments move to hire newly minted Ph.D.’s over those who have been teaching for years."</p>

<p><a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/11/30/fulltime%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/11/30/fulltime&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>BTW, the reader comments are really interesting. On another site, I read a piece by George Leef, of the Pope Center, in which he voices his strong opinion advocating the judicious use of serious, dedicated adjunct professors both to maintain educational quality and as a means to keep the cost of public higher ed. down.</p>