Gov. Hochul

Having spent my career in higher education, I was pleased to see the focus on this area in the 2022 State of the State Address. Increasing enrollment in the SUNY system and expanding funding and other support for research initiatives are both critically important public policy goals--especially at a time when the state and national economies depend on well-trained, highly skilled workers and the development of advanced technologies.

While I applaud these efforts, there are proposals which I believe will adversely affect the Mohawk Valley and the SUNY system. As I made clear with my questions at the February 7, 2022 Joint Legislative Budget hearing on Higher Education, the proposal to move the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) from the SUNY Poly Utica campus in Marcy to the University at Albany concerns me greatly. Having an institution that educates the next-generation of high-achieving scientists and engineers and serves as the environment in which the next-generation of nanotechnology is developed is a point of pride for many in the Mohawk Valley.

Moreover, CNSE’s presence has a notable academic impact on SUNY Poly and an important economic impact on the wider community. Over the last two years, SUNY Poly has increased its student population. It has also established itself as an important attraction for participants in the semiconductor industry. SUNY Poly has forged vibrant partnerships with federal research programs, such as the US Air Force Research Lab, and with private industry, including a $1.5 billion investment from Wolfspeed, a semiconductor developer. Facilities like the Computer Chip Commercialization Center (Quad-C), a shared-use collocation facility at SUNY Poly’s Utica site which enables next-generation device processing and packaging, IT, and supply chain support are a tremendous asset for an institution CNSE.

I believe keeping CNSE at the SUNY Poly Utica Campus in Marcy is important academically, economically, and socially. I hope that all stakeholders in the SUNY Poly community get the chance to make their voices heard on this proposal. Faculty, students, and staff as well as business, labor, government, and civic organizations from the Mohawk Valley have an interest in this important institution at the Marcy campus and I hope their views get the consideration they deserve.