Press Release from the Long Island Association
LIA Board Supports Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act
The LIA Board of Directors unanimously voted to support the Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act yesterday following a description of the bill by LIA board member Dr. Samuel L. Stanley, Jr., president SUNY Stony Brook.
"This is a major step to unleash the public university sector to build private-public partnerships for economic growth and to achieve the highest level of public higher education," said Stanley.
"This legislation is vitally important, not just to SUNY, but to the educational and economic strength of New York. It is long overdue, and now is the time for the Legislature to act," said LIA President Matthew T. Crosson.
Marketed as “Good for New York – Good for SUNY,” the Act builds on the partnership of SUNY and CUNY in working with Governor Paterson and the Division of the Budget to design a higher education plan to reach every community throughout New York State with broad access, high quality and affordability.
According to Stanley, with the implementation of the Empowerment and Innovation Act, the State University of New York estimates that over the next ten years, its campuses will be able create more than 10,000 new jobs and to invest over $8.5 billion in capital construction which will support over 43,700 direct and 21,800 indirect construction jobs.