ALBANY --
Critics hailed the decision by the State Senate in August to put a temporary kibosh on SUNY Empowerment, saying the plan would increase tuition but, the SUNY Chancellor who pushed the plan isn't giving up, and she's certainly not quitting.The story of Nancy Zimpher goes like this: A highly successful university administrator comes to New York where she is the first woman Chancellor in SUNY's 60 year history.
Along with the Governor, she rolls out a 3-pronged plan for empowering the State University – a plan widely praised in upstate NY. And it fails to pass muster here in the State Senate at the very end of session. SUNY Empowerment would have set a predictable tuition rate among other things. It was a good idea for SUNY says Zimpher, "More importantly its good for NY….to live and work in NY". Twice, the bill was set aside for a lack of votes in the Senate. A defeat for Zimpher certainly, but the Chancellor says she's not giving up the fight. "We have said that persistence is the key so, our plan B is plan A…. long term" she says.
The President of the University of Buffalo, John Simpson, was a supporter of the SUNY Empowerment plan. He has announced that he is retiring, in part out of frustration with the legislature here in Albany. As for the Chancellor?Chancellor Nancy Zimpher says, "I have no intention of quitting".
Zimpher told the Capitol Report that she's learned from her experience negotiating with the State Legislature this past session.
