SUNY Cortland President Lauds Challenge Grant Proposal

CORTLAND, NY (01/05/2012)(readMedia)-- SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum Thursday expressed his enthusiastic support for the additional SUNY Challenge Grants outlined in Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's 2012 State of the State Address.

"The expansion of Gov. Cuomo's SUNY Challenge Grant program will offer comprehensive colleges like SUNY Cortland an opportunity to improve academic excellence while playing a greater role in the positive transformation of New York's economy," President Bitterbaum said of the address, which took place Wednesday afternoon at the state Capitol in Albany.

In his speech, Gov. Cuomo proposed to make three additional $20 million challenge grants available for SUNY's 60 non-research institutions to seek competitively. Under the program, which previously was made available to SUNY's four research institutions this fiscal year, all other SUNY colleges will be encouraged to make proposals for the funding that is intended to further their individual missions while fostering economic development.

Cuomo stated the grants will continue his work to build SUNY institutions into leading centers of excellence, innovation and job creation.

"For SUNY Cortland to receive a gift of that scale, it would have to involve many different partners," Bitterbaum noted.

"I'm going to bring together a group of faculty and staff and see if we can collaborate with a sister institution or institutions to see what we could do together with this funding," he said.

Following the governor's speech yesterday, SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher noted that Cuomo continues to be a champion for the State University.

"The address reaffirms the Governor's commitment to advancing public higher education in New York state and his unwavering confidence in SUNY's ability to lead New York's economic resurgence," Zimpher said.

-30-