Senator Ken LaValle announces the availability of the 2013 Higher Education Legislative Report

Senator Ken LaValle announces the availability of the 2013 Higher Education Legislative Report

 Despite Challenges, high quality academic standards maintained; Institutions remain most valuable economic development engines

Senator Ken LaValle announced the availability of the 2013 State Senate Higher Education Legislative Report.  Senator LaValle said, “Although New York State’s institutions of higher education face many challenges, they continue to maintain high quality academic standards and continue to remain the state’s most valuable economic development engines.”

“After years of deep budget cuts, the 2013 Enacted Budget maintained funding for SUNY and CUNY at last year’s levels. This was achieved because of the historic SUNY 2020 legislation passed during the 2011 legislative session. The committee fought hard during those negotiations to include a maintenance of effort provision to ensure that while tuition increases authorized by that law were implemented, state funding would not decrease. Not only were funding levels maintained in 2013, but funds were increased for SUNY and CUNY community college base aid and some funding was restored for SUNY hospitals. Additionally, a new round of SUNY 2020 grants were authorized to be awarded to non-university center colleges.”, he continued.

Other policy areas the committee examined concerned the need for remediation at the collegiate level; review and analyses of legislation affecting the state’s 50 licensed professions; and included a public hearing and research on methods concerning the sustainability of SUNY Downstate Hospital.

The complete report is available below