UUP: Support Univ. of Buffalo, Oppose S.2020/A.2020

Level of Government: State

As a State University of New York (SUNY) employee and member of United University Professions, I am writing to voice my opposition to S.2020/A.2020.

UUP believes it is important to revitalize upstate cities and invest in the SUNY state operated campuses, including the University at Buffalo (UB), to grow the state's economy. However, this must be done in a way that maintains access to public services, ensures legislative oversight of public holdings, and preserves workers rights. S.2020/A.2020, and other legislation like it, does not accomplish these goals. In fact, these proposals, if enacted, would seriously negate the very objective of establishing a public institution of higher education.

This bill contains provisions that would give the President of UB the unilateral authority to raise tuition without regard to affordability, and to set differential tuition rates. This authority could be exercised without the prior approval of the SUNY Board of Trustees, or, more importantly, the Governor and Legislature, as is now the case. If implemented, these tuition increases will, without question, negatively impact access and affordability for current and prospective students, and greatly and unfairly disadvantage all other state operated campuses. No public institution should have the power to implement these provisions without appropriate legislative oversight and external approvals.

UUP further opposes language that allows land and assets located on the grounds of UB, paid for by the taxpayers of New York, and legally owned by the State, to be sold, leased, or otherwise disposed of at the sole discretion of the UB president. Effectively, these proposals would remove any executive and legislative oversight of transactions involving UB holdings. The current method for property related transactions – legislation authorizing specific projects or transactions – has worked well, and has not been an impediment to accomplishing needed and appropriate actions. There is no demonstrable reason to alter the current oversight process, and it must remain to provide needed safeguards to protect the academic mission of UB.

This bill egregiously exempts officers and others from provisions of the Public Officers Law. UUP finds it unconscionable for any entity funded by the State to be exempted from the rules of appropriate governmental conduct.

S.2020/A.2020 provides no labor protection language and is decidedly anti-union. There are no guarantees to protect against the outsourcing of public employee work with respect to either current work or opportunities for prospective employment. UB has already demonstrated that they will outsource public teaching positions at the medical school, and this legislation would give them the power to continue to do so in a broader scope.

On behalf of UUP, the union representing 35,000 faculty and professional staff members at SUNY, I urge you to strongly oppose S.2020/A.2020 legislation.

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