The New York State Legislature passed the state budget August 3, but a bill that would give SUNY and CUNY campuses more autonomy was ultimately not included in the final budget.

The bill, called the Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act (PHEEIA), was designed to lift certain regulations on SUNY and CUNY institutions.

PHEEIA would have given individual campuses, including Binghamton University, the ability to vary tuition among programs. This could have made certain programs more expensive than others, but proponents saw it as a means of bringing in more money for schools.

It would also allow campuses to lease land and building space and enter into contracts with private businesses. It also included several other measures that could make campuses more independent from central SUNY administration.

SUNY has promoted the Act as a zero-cost solution that would allow state-operated schools to deal with budget cuts, and they have characterized the SUNY system as an impetus for growth of the New York economy.

The State Legislature, however, could not agree on the Act. PHEEIA was withdrawn from the budget before the budget was passed, and none of the proposed changes were enacted.

SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher was dismayed at the outcome.

‘Not passing the Empowerment Act this budget cycle is a missed opportunity for the State of New York,’ she said. ‘Above all, we are concerned for SUNY’s students and the state’s economy.’

She does, however, hope to enact the PHEEIA reforms through other channels.

‘We remain optimistic that the legislature and its leaders will stay true to its promise and come to a three-way agreement on the Empowerment Act in the very near future,’ Zimpher said.

The Senate majority has announced that an agreement is being discussed.

According to SUNY spokesman David Belsky, negotiations are ongoing between SUNY, the governor’s office and the Legislature.

‘We expect lawmakers to stay true to their word and bring these critical issues back to the table this fall,’ Belsky said.

Belsky also said that support for PHEEIA was widespread. According to a Siena poll, the Act included support from a majority of New Yorkers.

‘In general, their support stemmed from the prospect of a zero-cost solution having the potential to boost New York’s economy while simultaneously ensuring continued quality in public higher education,’ he said.

But the support was not universal.

At BU, graduate and undergraduate students are worried that the reforms could be harmful to certain programs. During the spring 2010 semester, a group of students formed the Take Back Our Education campaign to fight the reforms, which they believed could create an emphasis on career-based programs at the expense of the liberal arts.

Gov. David Paterson first introduced PHEEIA on Jan. 19. The Act was drafted by the Governor’s office and the Division of the Budget with input from SUNY System Administration.