The SUNY system is facing an estimated $10 billion backlog for critical building maintenance across its colleges and universities.
Governor Kathy Hochul’s budget proposal includes almost $595 million to help with the most dire projects, but even the immediate need is $1 billion, SUNY Chancellor John King Jr. said. He points to Buffalo State University as a prime example.
“I'm really trying to help legislators understand the importance of these issues. At Buffalo State last fall, we had a dorm without hot water," he said. "Students had to shower in trailers. That is not a good situation, and to avoid that, we've got to make these investments in critical maintenance.”
Many buildings within the university system are more than 50 years old, and they’re in need of things like roof and HVAC repairs, King said.
Admissions are among the areas improving across the board for state schools. Enrollment across the SUNY system is up just over 1%, the first increase in back-to-back years since 2007 to 2009.
According to the University at Buffalo, this year’s class of more than 5,000 incoming freshmen is the largest in school history. Fredonia State University and Buffalo State University also show increases in current enrollment.
The amount of state financial support in recent years is proof of the increased potential moving forward, King added.
“We've also had fantastic support from Governor Hochul in the legislature," he said. "Over the last three years, we've seen the largest increase in state support in five decades. The governor really believes in the role that SUNY can play in growing the state's economy.”
Hochul also has expressed a desire to increase the emphasis on research at state colleges and universities.
That includes AI research at UB and biotech work at Jacobs School of Medicine but also helping teaching universities like Buff State and Fredonia prepare for students’ next steps, King said.
"Part of how we do that is our goal of an internship for every SUNY undergraduate, because we want students — whatever field they're studying, whether they're getting a degree in sociology or a degree in engineering — we want them to have that experience in the workplace,” he said.
