UUP Decries Paterson: Plan to Cut $96M In Funding for SUNY
By DAVID SIMS
Phillip H. Smith, the president of United University Professions, spoke out against Governor Paterson's plan to cut $96 million in aid for the State University of New York on Aug. 5, saying that the cuts could "result in tens of thousands of students being turned away" and would threaten SUNY's "core mission."

PHILLIP H. SMITH: Cuts will harm education.

The proposed reduction on top of a previous reduction in state aid to SUNY would total $148 million, an amount Mr. Smith called "inconceivable ... just weeks before classes are scheduled to resume." He said, "This massive cut is, for example, equivalent to the entire operating budget of at least one of [SUNY's] University Centers, or the combined operating budgets of three University Colleges."

Cites Impact on Education

The UUP leader also noted that SUNY has been ordered to reduce its non-general fund spending by $109 million, which will affect operations like residence halls and food service. But, he added, these latest cuts will likely have much more impact on education. "This reduction ... could result in tens of thousands of students being turned away, or closed out of courses needed for graduation. An education delayed is an education denied," he said.

UUP spokesman Donald Feldstein said that what to cut was in the hands of SUNY, although he was sure the cuts would translate to service reductions rather than layoffs. "The L-word hasn't found its way into this dynamic," he said.

More-likely changes would be the growth of classes and the reduction in the frequency that classes are offered. "Students may not be able to take all the required courses they need to graduate on time," said Mr. Feldstein. "Having to spend an extra semester or two to obtain a four-year degree would put a further strain on the already hard-pressed budgets of New York's working families."

Mr. Feldstein added that instructors would likely suffer too, as they had to deal with more students per class. "Students will not get as much attention and assistance ... faculty members are better able to tend to the individual needs of students if they have 20 students in the class instead of 50."