Executive Vice President and Provost Carl Lejuez joined the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Senate on Thursday, Nov. 14, outlining an ambitious vision for Stony Brook University. The vision encompasses transformative investments in artificial intelligence (AI), revitalized academic programs and enhanced student support services.
Lejuez began by addressing the strategic initiatives that he often hears discussed by students.
“One of the challenges [the Office of the Provost hears] is how do we ensure that we have good guidelines for students, but also have an opportunity to approach this in a way that fits our mission style?” Lejuez said.
New York State’s $500 million Empire AI investment is set to have a profound impact on the university, which will establish the AI Innovation Institute (AI3) to spearhead research and teaching in artificial intelligence. A nationwide search is underway for AI3’s inaugural director, with plans to have leadership in place by this coming spring.
“We are building an AI Institute. We’re searching for our first director right now. We apparently have seven good candidates, they are going to bring a ton of student experience into this,” Lejuez said.
Senators were encouraged to participate in the development of AI3, ensuring that it serves as a hub for innovation and a platform for hands-on learning.
In regards to the Program in Writing and Rhetoric, Lejuez emphasized a shift toward integrating creative writing with career readiness. Plans are in motion to launch a new Bachelor of Fine Arts in creative writing, alongside a website to guide students in exploring career paths in writing.
“One of the things we’re doing is thinking about how we can create a creative writing [undergraduate program] that’s not about the craft of writing, but … to think about how creative writing is a part of your career path,” Lejuez said. “This is the case where we really have the departments working with each other.”
The University is also revising its budget model to better incentivize student support and departmental growth. The new model aims to reward departments that develop innovative programs and provide robust support for students.
“I feel shame that we have certain things, like we can’t get you all the syllabi up front, or we don’t have mid-year grade reports from everyone, and it’s a real challenge when you think about academic freedom and trying to support faculty, but the problem is also the incentives,” Lejuez said.
Several senators shared questions and concerns that they had with Lejuez regarding campus initiatives.
“Do you have any data on the international student yield rate?” at-large Senator Laiba Rajput asked.
Lejuez shared the yield rate of students since he began at Stony Brook. For instance, out of the 770 international students who came for their first year at the University, 450 of them came back for another year. Lejuez also focused on the success of international students.
As part of its strategy to grow undergraduate enrollment to 21,000, the University is working to balance in-state and out-of-state admissions, with an emphasis on recruiting international students. However, Lejuez acknowledged the strain that this places on housing and resources, emphasizing plans to expand on-campus accommodations through public-private partnerships.
“It’s going to take five years to build housing. And it’s just a very expensive place to live. So we’ve got to also decide if we can be able to take some risks, to be able to even give us a chance to bring students, because if we can’t bring in more students, then we have to choose,” Lejuez said.
The well-being of students remains a top priority, according to Lejuez, with increased funding being directed toward mental health services such as Counseling and Psychological Services and the Student Accessibility Support Center. Accessibility initiatives, such as improved captioning for instructional materials, are underway to ensure inclusivity for all students.
“Do you see Stony Brook becoming private down the line?” at-large Senator Rayan Iqbal asked.
Lejuez explained the lack of support that state universities receive in New York due to the focus on private universities throughout the state. He argued that the University, a flagship institution designated by Gov. Kathy Hochul, should be celebrated as such.
The meeting concluded with Lejuez calling for students, faculty and staff to collaborate as they tackle challenges and seize opportunities.
