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The Remarks of Speaker Sheldon Silver

Press Conference: Unveiling Of 2006 Assembly Majority Higher Education Plan

Capitol, Speaker's Conference Room
Wednesday, February 8, 2006


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Audio Excerpt 1 (14 seconds)
Audio Excerpt 2 (18 seconds)
Audio Excerpt 3 (23 seconds)

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Ladies and Gentlemen, as the world's economy changes and its demands become more and more information-based, it is imperative, it is critical, that we make the adjustments to enable our state to become a dominant player in this new "Age of Information."

Historically and economically, this is exactly the wrong time to be cutting back on education and higher education.

This is the time for investment:

Investment in our State University;

Investment in our City University;

Investment in our community colleges;

And most important of all, investment in upgrading the knowledge and the skills of our workforce.

Today, we - the Assembly Majority - unveil our higher education investment plan for a 21st Century New York.

We are keeping the dream of a college education alive for ALL New Yorkers by investing $320 million in our colleges, universities and community colleges.

Let's begin with the ever-critical issue of "operating aid."

Regarding our State University, we reject the Governor's proposed five-hundred-dollar tuition increase, and we provide an additional $85.3 million in State support.

This additional operating aid will enable our State University to hire 541 more full-time faculty, and it will increase the percentage of classes taught by full-time faculty from 62-percent to 68-percent.

Regarding our City University, we reject the Governor's three-hundred-dollar proposed tuition increase, and provide an additional $45.7 million in state support.

This will enable CUNY to hire 400 additional full-time faculty at the senior colleges, and increase the percentage of classes taught by full-time faculty from 52-percent to 57-percent.

Regarding our community colleges, we increase State support by $34.1 million. This investment increases state support to $2,600 per full-time equivalent student.

We have some big news regarding TAP - the state's Tuition Assistance Program.

Not only are we restoring $119.4 million the Governor proposes to cut from TAP, we are proposing to provide TAP support to part-time students at the State and City Universities.

I'm sure that everyone in this room knows someone who is holding down a full-time job, who needs to go back to school in order to move up the career ladder, and who cannot afford the tuition. These hardworking New Yorkers should not be left behind.

We propose to provide them with the tuition assistance they need to upgrade their knowledge and their skills.

In that same vein, we are providing 10-percent increases to EOP, HEOP, SEEK, as well as College Discovery, and the Liberty Partnerships Program.

Last, but certainly not least, we will invest in those much-needed capital projects on our college, university and community college campuses throughout the State of New York.

We will be announcing the capital component of our higher education capital plan in the near future.

As I said earlier, the Assembly Majority's plan ensures that the dream of a college degree will remain alive in this State, for each and every New Yorker who is ready and willing to pursue that dream.

Let's not forget the immediate economic benefits of investing in higher education.

Every dollar in direct state investment in SUNY generates more than eight dollars for our state economy.

In addition, SUNY campuses and hospitals often are the largest (or among the largest) employers in their host communities.

There are also very critical reasons why New York State must make these investments now.

Consider some of the more disconcerting points Chancellor Ryan made in his testimony to the Senate Higher Education Committee.

Last year, India produced 120,000 engineering degrees. China produced at least 300,000 engineering degrees. New York State - the 11th largest economy in the world - produced slightly more than 4,000 engineers.

From a national perspective, New York is second to California in the number of students graduating with science and engineering degrees annually.

In the ten years between 1990 and 2000, there was a 5.4 percent increase in the number of students in New York State earning science and engineering degrees.

Comparatively, Illinois grew by 11-percent, Pennsylvania by 13-percent, California by 19-percent, and Texas by 31-percent.

Clearly, other states have anticipated the needs of this information age and are already investing in these areas.

While we credit the Governor for listening to us and establishing the Centers for Excellence, his higher education legacy has been one of stripping resources from our public colleges and universities, depriving New Yorkers of the opportunity to learn, and putting a padlock on the doors of our colleges and universities, effectively shutting out a large segment of our population.

It took the Governor 12 years and a trip to China to propose providing free SUNY or CUNY tuition to students who pursue math and science degrees, and commit to teaching in New York State.

With the exception of our citizens (our workforce), this State has no more valuable asset than our colleges, universities and community colleges.

From our halls of higher learning have come the history-makers and the innovators, and the workers that built this State and blessed us with an unsurpassed quality of life and a legacy of academic achievement.

Our institutions of higher learning are the engines that will drive this state boldly into the new millennium if we let them and if we assist them.

We are on the brink of a new future for New York. We must unleash the great New York potential and the power sitting in our classrooms and laboratories all across the State.

With our proposal today, we lay the foundation from which the Legislature can work with the new, incoming administration to build the 21st Century New York.



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