Senate Resolution No. 393

BY: Senator STAVISKY

CONGRATULATING Deborah F. Stanley upon the
occasion of her retirement as Interim Chancellor of
the State University of New York after more than 47
years of distinguished service to SUNY

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to acknowledge
those individuals whose professional lives and civic endeavors serve to
enhance the stature of the State of New York; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
congratulate Deborah F. Stanley upon the occasion of her retirement as
Interim Chancellor of the State University of New York after more than
47 years of distinguished service to SUNY; and

WHEREAS, Deborah F. Stanley graduated from Syracuse University with
a bachelor's degree in English before earning her Doctor of
Jurisprudence from Syracuse University College of Law and being admitted
to the New York State Bar Association; and

WHEREAS, Following her graduation from law school, Deborah F.
Stanley joined SUNY Oswego as a teacher of business, later serving as
Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and Executive Assistant to
former President Stephen L. Weber before eventually earning the
prestigious appointment of President; and

WHEREAS, As President of SUNY Oswego for 23 years, Deborah F.
Stanley's vision led to the creation of the college's Syracuse campus
and School of Communication, Media and the Arts; she also positioned and
supported this vital institution to gain national accreditation for its
School of Education, as well as national and international accreditation
for its School of Business, and global accreditation for its electrical
and computer engineering and software engineering programs; and

WHEREAS, Deborah F. Stanley's leadership brought historic
investments to the SUNY Oswego campus to the benefit of the tens of
thousands of students educated there over the course of her tenure,
including the largest philanthropic gift in the college's history which
was used to create the Marano Scholarship and now provides scholarships
to 90 first-generation students per year; and

WHEREAS, To further support deserving students' access to SUNY
Oswego, Deborah F. Stanley launched its Path Forward campaign to double
the amount of need-based privately funded scholarships available
annually from 220 to 440; spearheaded a massive upgrade of campus
technology, internet, and laboratory equipment; and guided the college
to its most culturally diverse student body in SUNY Oswego's history;
and

WHEREAS, Throughout her illustrious tenure as President, Deborah F.
Stanley influenced and uplifted many sectors beyond education, twice
earning the college the prestigious Carnegie Foundation's Community
Engagement Classification and transforming the student experience by

establishing the Presidential Scholarship Program for outstanding
academic achievers, as well as the Possibility Scholarship Program for
disadvantaged students in the sciences; and

WHEREAS, In what was believed to be her final days of service to
SUNY before beginning a well-deserved retirement, Deborah F. Stanley
bravely stepped up when called upon to serve as Interim Chancellor of
the State University of New York, a position she has exceptionally held
for the past year; and

WHEREAS, In this capacity, Deborah F. Stanley was instrumental in
the establishment of impactful, profound, and lasting policies,
including the enactment of a Chosen Name and Pronoun policy ensuring
that members of the SUNY community maintain the right to use names other
than their legal names in order to identify themselves and that the
chosen names of students and employees can and should be used whenever
possible in the course of college business, communication, and
education; and

WHEREAS, Deborah F. Stanley also worked in close partnership with
the Governor and SUNY Board of Trustees to massively expand access to
public higher education by waiving application fees for students at more
than 500 high schools, ended the practice of withholding transcripts
from students with outstanding debts, and increased educational
opportunities for adult learners by expanding offerings to more than 400
micro-credentials; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, Deborah F. Stanley helped secure historic
investments for SUNY, including Micron Technology's $100 billion
investment to build the largest semiconductor fabrication facility in
the country, and played a foundational role in the unprecedented $150
million expansion of the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
to cover an estimated 75,000 additional students who are studying
part-time, as well as incarcerated individuals; and

WHEREAS, With a steadfast and unwavering commitment to her
community, Deborah F. Stanley continues to serve as chair of the
American Academic Leadership Institute; co-chair of Academic Search,
Inc.; co-chair of the Central New York Regional Economic Development
Council; board chair of CenterState Corporation for Economic
Opportunity; and statewide co-chair of the State University of New
York's Student Mental Health Task Force, to name a few; and

WHEREAS, This extraordinary woman earned a Distinguished Alumni
Award from Syracuse University; was named a New York State Woman of
Distinction in 2006 by the New York State Senate; received the
Post-Standard's Person of Achievement Award in 2010; was honored with
the designation of President Emeritus of SUNY Oswego; and continues to
be recognized for her expertise and experience as an invited speaker and
panelist at regional, national, and international venues on topics such
as sexual assault on campus, experiential learning practices, and
leadership; and

WHEREAS, A significant contributor to higher education in New York
State, Deborah F. Stanley has continually demonstrated an impressive
dedication, an unparalleled devotion and an unremitting enthusiasm for
the quality of the educational programs and opportunities offered
throughout the State University of New York, and leaves behind a legacy

to the students of SUNY and to the residents of this great State; now,
therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
recognize Deborah F. Stanley for her distinguished legacy of excellence
and public service as a transformational leader of higher education in
New York over the course of her 47 years with the State University of
New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Deborah F. Stanley.