SUNY trustee committees have meeting on campus

The State University of New York Board of Trustees Committee on Community Colleges and the board's Finance and Administration Committee met at Cornell Aug. 19 at the Statler Hotel.

SUNY trustees scheduled to attend the joint meeting included Edward Cox, chair of the Finance and Administration Committee, Patricia Stevens, chair of the Committee on Community Colleges, Stephen Alfasi, Amity Audi, Randy Daniels, Gordon Gross, Daniel Hogarty, George Pape and Celine Paquette. They were joined by officials of the SUNY system administration, among them: Richard Miller, vice chancellor and chief operating officer; David Richter, vice chancellor and chief financial officer; and Robert Brown, vice chancellor for community colleges.

Peter Spina, executive director of the Institute for Community College Development (ICCD), a SUNY/Cornell partnership, reviewed the history of ICCD along with current and future directions for programming, research and funding. The ICCD, established in 1998, provides executive education for community college presidents and administrators, conducts research on issues of importance to community colleges and fosters the international presence of community colleges, among other educational objectives. The joint SUNY trustee committees affirmed their support for the institute's programs and expressed optimism that research efforts will be important to the future of community colleges, especially to those in New York state.

Vice Chancellor Brown presented the history and current status of the funding mechanisms for the New York state community college system and identified funding issues within the context of the system's strategic planning effort for community colleges.

Representative community college presidents in attendance, including Carl Haynes, president of Tompkins-Cortland Community College and chair of the ICCD board, were invited to describe the impact of the current funding formula and appropriation levels on their campuses.

The joint SUNY trustee committees also acted on several resolutions.