Nixon Calls for Full Funding of SUNY and CUNY – Seeks Fair United University Professions Contract
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Nixon criticizes Governor for massive cuts to the SUNY and CUNY systems made on the backs of students, faculty and staff
Democratic candidate for governor Cynthia Nixon visited SUNY New Paltz campus and called for full funding and fair salaries at a ‘Defend SUNY’ rally today with the students, faculty, and staff.
Students, faculty, and staff at SUNY New Paltz have long criticized the lack of state funding for public colleges and universities in New York. They say that faculty and professional staff have been without a new union contract for 21 months and are paid wages that are 20 percent below the nationwide average for four-year public universities.
“Gov. Cuomo has shifted the burden of funding SUNY and CUNY onto the backs of students and working families across our state, and at the cost of fair salaries for university faculty and professional staff,” said Nixon. “State aid for SUNY and CUNY campuses has been effectively frozen since 2011. New York’s public universities are now funded mostly by rising tuition and falling salaries because he refuses to make millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share.”
“I am also calling on Governor Cuomo and the legislature to enact maintenance of effort legislation for SUNY and CUNY,” said Nixon. “This would require the state to maintain its proportional share of funding for SUNY and CUNY. Cuomo has twice vetoed MOE legislation after he original committed to enact a MOE provision. It’s time to make sure New York’s public colleges and universities have a steady stream of funding.”
Faculty and professional staff at SUNY New Paltz have been protesting outside the administration building over the past few weeks demanding Governor Andrew Cuomo settle a new statewide union contract with faculty and professionals.
Nixon also criticized Governor Cuomo’s “free college” program known as the Excelsior Scholarship, calling it smoke and mirrors rather than an actual solution to crushing student debt. About 23,000 out of 596,764 SUNY and CUNY students — or 3.7% of the student body — received the Excelsior in fall 2017.
“The Excelsior Program which was supposed to be ‘College for All’ is actually college for 3%, and only if that 3% go full time, don’t need any financial assistance with room, board, transportation or books, and maintain a 3.5 GPA,” said Nixon. “And if they don’t, they are on the hook for paying the money back in full. Hardly ‘College for All.’”
