Budget Proposal - Enhance Flexibility

The University is advancing two legislative proposals that will provide greater flexibility to the State University for land use and development, as well as administrative and procurement procedures.

Asset Leveraging – SUNY Land Use Leasing Legislation and Policy

The purpose of the legislative proposal is to generate revenue to advance SUNY to the highest levels of public high education by leveraging assets through the lease and sale of its land and buildings to partner with the private sector to expand the use and development of capital facilities in support of the educational and other corporate purpose of SUNY.

In a time of rising costs and declining state tax dollars, the University must become more entrepreneurial and self-sufficient.

SUNY owns nearly 2,300 buildings totaling 78 million gross square feet and located on approximately 20,000 acres. The University should have the flexibility to sell or lease these types of assets as they determine and deem them no longer suited for its mission and purpose.

Entrepreneurial opportunities exist that would require new statutory flexibility to enable the State University to pursue the sale or lease of campus properties, facilities rental, enhancement of self-supporting operations and partnerships, imposition of fees and rents, and contracting of services.

SUNY needs the flexibility to pursue entrepreneurial activities such as:

• Expand public/private partnerships to promote commercial and community based activities such as retirement communities, student housing, heath care facilities, incubators, food service, telecommunications and retail facilities,
• Maximize utilization of natural resources including gas, timber, minerals and water,
• Pursue using SUNY land in creative ways such as producing bio-mass fuels, co- generation facilities, or developing solar and wind farms, and
• Maximize rental income by making facilities available for community events or conferences

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Management Operational Reforms and Efficiencies (MORE)

SUNY needs to adopt dynamic solutions that align internal processes with the external environment while maintaining integrity and commitment to its core mission.

SUNY seeks statutory authority for enhanced administrative and operational flexibility through legislation entitled, Management and Operational Reforms and Efficiencies (MORE), which would provide for University with the following flexibility:

• Allow the University to control accounts with revenue from tuition, fees and other university revenue
• Implement post-audit accounting practices, instead of pre- and post-audit procedures
• Ease the bureaucratic red tape in procurements and contracts
• Allow the University to make decisions on the creation and categorization of personnel positions
• Provide for current delivery methods in capital construction projects

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