Initiatives Aim to Attract Students, Hold Scholars
A merit-based scholarship that would attract the top New York State high school seniors to SUNY institutions was approved on Nov. 17 by the Board of Trustees. The board also approved a program that would use private funds to recruit and retain distinguished faculty.
Both measures are part of the Trustees� legislative package for 1999 and will require approval by the Governor and Legislature.
The Chancellor�s Scholarship Program would award up to $5,000 per year to full-time students accepted at a SUNY institution who ranked number one or two academically in their high school classes at the end of their junior year or who become high school valedictorians or salutatorians. The scholarships would be portable among SUNY institutions and be available for four years of study, and for five years for programs that normally require a five-year commitment.
Named in recognition of the contributions of previous Chancellors of the State University, the program would require $2 million in funding the first year of operation. The annual award would be $5,000, although the award, could not exceed the total cost of attending the institution when combined with other grants or scholarships. Recipients would need to be New York State residents and maintain good academic standing, including a B average after completion of the first year of study.
"The State University continues to see a dramatic increase in freshmen enrollment," said Chancellor John Ryan. "However, all too often, outstanding students are recruited by out-of-state institutions, resulting in a loss of intellectual capital in New York. The Chancellor�s Scholarship may be used to complement the Governor�s Scholarship and other aid programs to keep New York�s best and brightest students right here in New York."
The Eminent Scholars and Challenge Grant Program would match private contributions and State appropriations to create an endowment to fund new distinguished scholar chairs and named professorships within SUNY. The program would promote the recruitment and retention of eminent faculty by increasing support from private sector sources while utilizing public money through a matching grant endowment. The proposed first-year state appropriation for the program is $2 million.
"The Eminent Scholars Program will help the State University attract and retain the nation�s most accomplished faculty," said Trustees Chairman Thomas F. Egan. "All campuses, from community colleges to university centers, would be able to leverage State tax dollars through this matching grant program. The increased presence of world-class faculty will, in turn, help augment ongoing, successful student recruitment efforts."
Programs similar to Eminent Scholars already exist at public universities in 11 states.
Two More Tuition Rollbacks
As it did with four community colleges early last month, SUNY�s Board of Trustees on Nov. 17 reduced 1998-99 tuition rates at two more two-year colleges.
The action establishes the full-time tuition rate for state residents at Genesee and Jamestown community colleges at $2,500 a year. Last year, the Trustees approved a one-year waiver for 1997-98 that allowed those two campuses to charge a $2,600 annual tuition rate. The colleges are expected to adjust the tuition charges for the spring, 1999 semester to accommodate to the lower, approved tuition.