On Sept. 24, faculty, students and honored guests gathered together at the Staller Center for the University Convocation. President Shirley Strum Kenny addressed the packed auditorium for her last State of the University, which ended in a standing ovation.
“I have never had the opportunity to work with such a talented group of teachers, researchers, and administrators anywhere,” said Kenny after introducing guests and over 50 new faculty members. “We have a mission and we know what that mission is?all of this despite the fact Stony Brook has been poorly funded,” Kenny continued, bringing up the major point of the evening — the recent budget cuts.
Kenny could not provide too many details about the budget crisis, but what is known is the university has so far sustained a loss of $7.4 million as part of a $50 million cut in the SUNY budget. In addition, Stony Brook is expecting another $5 million in cuts.
These last numbers are changing every week due to the turmoil in the economy and are not finalized. Kenny assured the audience that for the time being the university will get by, but if this crisis continues for more than two years, the situation will be different.
“There is a desperate need to make the case that CUNY and SUNY are essential to the well being of this state. They are our hope for our future,” Kenny said with urgency.
After 14 years as president of Stony Brook University, Kenny announced last June that she would be retiring at the end of the 2008-2009 school year. During the convocation she reflected upon the changes and improvements that Stony Brook University has seen.
Since 1994, the university has seen improvements and growth in enrollment, sports, academics, extra-curricular activities and its appearance. For those in the audience who remembered what the university used to look like — a slab of concrete — the photographs brought on the nodding of heads and many laughs as Kenny continued to talk about the progress Stony Brook has experienced in just a short amount of time.
Today, Stony Brook consists of three campuses, — the main campus, Southampton, and Manhattan — the Stony Brook University Medical Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory, a veteran’s home, and will soon house the Stony Brook Research Park consisting of 246 acres of land.
Stony Brook is a member of the Association of American Universities, the top 62 research universities in North America. In 2007, Stony Brook received more applications than Stanford, Harvard and Yale. Since that time, the school has seen an increase in undergraduate enrollment by 40 percent and in S.A.T. scores by 128 points. Kenny urged the importance of funding in the schools accomplishments. “Clearly we need funding appropriate to our research mission,” she said. “More money per student, not less.”
