The SUNY system could soon see the introduction of 2,000 new full-time professors and a flagship college ‘ most likely not Binghamton University ‘ to New York state’s public colleges if suggestions made by a state commission last month are accepted.

According to the report, New York’s public institutions have been under-funded and ‘forced to compromise academic quality,’ citing specifically staffing issues. The commission suggested hiring 2,000 new full-time faculty members, 250 of which schould be eminent scholars, across the State University of New York and City University of New York system.The reccommended staffing upgrade is just one of several suggestions issued in a preliminary report by the state’s Commission on Higher Education.

BU President Lois B. DeFleur is a member of the commission.

‘To further strengthen and enhance its public doctoral programs and research capacity, New York state must make a substantial investment both to redress under-funding in the past and to reach new levels of excellence in the future,’ the report states. ‘The investment begins with world class faculty and top flight graduate students, both essential to research excellence across the full range of academic disciplines.’

The commission, which was formed by Spitzer, is chaired by Cornell University President Emeritus Hunter Rawlings and is composed of members from public and private colleges and universities, the business community, teachers’ unions and legislatures.

The commission also suggested loosening state regulations over individual campuses, stating that such tight restrictions have inhibited SUNY and CUNY from seizing ’emerging opportunities.’ The report detailed plans that would allow separate campuses to increase tuition without state approval ‘ something that may eventually save students money.

‘New York’s public institutions are constrained by over-regulation on tuition pricing and insufficient state aid,’ the report states. ‘Too frequently the only alternative for campuses has been to increase fees. However, since most fees are not covered by the Tuition Assistance Program, increased fees pose a serious threat to [potential student] access.’

Spitzer addressed another of the CHE’s suggestions during his Jan. 9 State of the State address, suggesting that the SUNY schools should designate ‘flagship schools’ representing the best the system has to offer, nominating SUNY Buffalo and Stonybrook University.

‘UB will become an economic engine for Buffalo, and a flagship institution for a world class public university system,’ he said. ‘ We will create a flagship at the other end of our state, as well. We will help bring together the University at Stony Brook, and the world renowned Brookhaven and Cold Spring Harbor laboratories.’

As reported in the Albany Time Union, however, Spitzer later clarified that other campuses would not necessarily be excluded from the honor, but that the two schools are most likely to be named as such first.

‘First, I did not designate them as flagships to the exclusion of others ‘ But I think that they are uniquely positioned very rapidly to move to that status,’ he said.

DeFleur, however, spoke against the concept of designating specific schools ‘flagships’ at a Jan. 15 University Forum held in Lecture Hall 1.

‘It’s a distinction that doesn’t really serve anyone well,’ she said. ‘ We should not be singled out with negative implications ‘ I have been very passionate about that.’

In a statement made to Pipe Dream, DeFleur emphasized that the report was only preliminary, and that the commission would continue their work throughout the semester.

‘The commission’s work is not done,’ DeFleur said. ‘We will continue to listen, hold public hearings and receive additional information and submit our final report to Governor Spitzer on or before June 1, 2008.’