Enhance Flexibility

The State University of New York (SUNY) strives to efficiently spend each dollar that it receives from the state. While this mentality is even more critical in tight economic times, over-regulation restricts SUNY’s ability to bring an entrepreneurial eye to our operation. This compiled with a recent string of unfunded mandates have made it increasingly expensive to run the SUNY system.

Bureaucratic Regulation holding SUNY back
Since the mid 1980s, SUNY’s potential to compete with private institutions in New York, as well as private and public institutions across the country, has been challenged by consistent over-regulation and under-funding. In fact, many studies conducted over the last 30 years, such as The Challenge and The Choice (1985), Rethinking SUNY (2000) and the report of the New York State Commission on Higher Education (2008), have found SUNY to be one of the most over-regulated university systems in the country.

Meanwhile, the nation’s leading state university systems, such as Michigan, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, are functioning as Public Benefit Corporations, and with great success. These institutions have the authority to make financial and administrative decisions concerning the management of the institution, which allows them to innovate, economize and initiate entrepreneurial enterprises. Even with this freedom, these universities receive state support, but have greater operating autonomy and flexibility that is the basis for their strength and national leadership.

The Solution
The University is advancing two legislative proposals that will provide greater flexibility to the State University “Asset Leveraging – SUNY Land Use Leasing Legislation and Policy” and “Management Operational Reforms and Efficiencies (MORE).

Asset Leveraging – SUNY Land Use Leasing Legislation and Policy
The purpose of this legislative proposal is to improve efficiency and expand opportunities in State University real property and personal property transactions and to facilitate public-private partnerships involving the State University.

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Management and Operational Reforms and Efficiencies (MORE)
SUNY is seeking statutory authority for enhanced administrative and operational flexibility which would provide the University with flexibility in the following areas:

• Control of income from tuition, fees and other University revenue,
• Post-audit of expenditures,
• Procurement and contracts,
• Personnel
• Capital construction

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