Compatible Visions

SUNY Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Tod Laursen recently made his first in-depth visit to UAlbany.

An engineer by training, Laursen arrived at SUNY in September 2018 from Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he was founding president and served as its leader since 2010.

Accompanied by his chief of staff, Marianne Hassan, Laursen began his Dec. 20 visit with a briefing from the president’s Executive Council. During the meeting he heard from President Havidán Rodríguez about UAlbany’s strategic priorities, as well as a recap from each member of the leadership team about the University’s major achievements over the past year and strategic priorities going forward.

Laursen, in turn, provided an overview of SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson’s priorities as laid out in her 2018 State of the University System Address. He also described several key areas of focus for SUNY, including an endowed professorship program, increased attention to online education, wraparound financial support services for students beyond tuition support, and faculty development. Laursen also said that SUNY is committed to streamlining the program approval process.

“I was proud that we as a campus were able to host Provost Laursen and show him the many exciting things happening at UAlbany,” said President Rodríguez. “Our discussion reinforced the strong alignment between SUNY’s and UAlbany’s strategic priorities, and we look forward to continuing to discuss ways to collaborate to reach our collective goals.”

After a robust discussion with the Executive Council, Laursen and Hassan met with the UAlbany University Senate Executive Committee, and then were treated to brief tours of the new ETEC building, currently under construction and scheduled for occupancy in summer 2021, as well as the Schuyler building on the Downtown Campus, which will be home to UAlbany’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

“I am truly impressed with all that I have seen at UAlbany, and excited about the campus’s plans for the future,” said Provost Laursen. “I anticipate many conversations in the future to look at ways UAlbany can lead within SUNY in critical areas.”