The Daily Bulletin

In the October 2022 meeting of the College Senate, the Budget and Staff Allocations Committee (BSAC) brought forth for a vote a resolution for the campus to engage in additional discussion and planning. The College Senate voted in favor of the resolution presented by the BSAC chair.

WHEREAS, there has been a 40-50 percent decline in enrollment over the past 10 years, which will require enormous, rapid changes over the next few years in all facets of the institution; and

WHEREAS, we must act now if we wish to make long-term, transformative changes; and

WHEREAS, the campus has developed the Financial Stability Plan,¹ a draft Strategic Enrollment Plan, and a 2022–2025 Strategic Plan, but these documents do not offer guidance on how we might move forward together to strategically solve the demographic, workforce, and enrollment problems we face and will continue to face; and

WHEREAS, BSAC has concluded that what is needed is a clear outlook and vision for the future rather than tactical solutions and arbitrary targets; and

WHEREAS, BSAC has also concluded, after analyzing the data and consulting with Enrollment Management, that there are no likely scenarios that will substantially increase the short- or long-term enrollments under our current institutional model;² and

WHEREAS, campus survey instruments, such as the Campus Climate Survey, point to a distinct decline in morale and confidence among faculty and staff; and

WHEREAS, the president called for novel solutions in the June 28, 2022, Financial Stability Plan, stating “we must strategize how to handle the old issues of enrollment challenges while recognizing the varied pressures of our new environment”; and

WHEREAS, Governor Hochul, in her 2022 State of the State Book,³ stated that “The entire SUNY system would benefit from greater individual distinction—and differentiation—of individual institutions in the eyes of prospective applicants”; and

WHEREAS, Buffalo State has a strong foundation of affordable, quality education⁴ and facilitating social mobility⁵ to build on for the future; and

WHEREAS, faculty and staff have valuable knowledge and skills to contribute to efforts toward reimaging and transforming Buffalo State for a stable future.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the college president and chair of the College Senate rapidly develop a mechanism that allows the faculty and staff of Buffalo State to work collaboratively and substantively with our administration to construct a Buffalo State 2030 plan that expresses our collective strategy and vision for the far-reaching and pivotal transformation of the mission, values, public image, program offerings, physical plant, and administrative structure of Buffalo State over the next 5–10 years.

References and Notes

¹ The Financial Stability Plan was announced to the Buffalo State community in the Daily Bulletin on June 28, 2022.

² BSAC Enrollment and Retention Analysis report to the College Senate, February 11, 2022.

^₃ NY 2022 State of the State Book, page 196 (PDF, 20 KB).

⁴ Buffalo State ranks 27th in the Northeast in the “Best Bang for the Buck” Rankings from Washington Monthly:

⁵ Buffalo State ranks 34th overall in the 2021 Social Mobility Index from CollegeNET. Buffalo State is also 34th in the 2023 US News & World Report Social Mobility rankings.

I hereby accept this recommendation and will work with the Senate chair to design and develop a mechanism  for the university community to explore ways to address the current and future challenges affecting the stability of Buffalo State University.