The Stony Brook University Council stood by President Samuel L. Stanley Jr.’s decision to close Southampton’s residence halls and relocate undergraduate academic programs to the West Campus on Monday.
The decision was the result of a council meeting that started at 9 a.m. before an audience of professors, administrators and students of both campuses, along with New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele, who has been actively rallying with the Southampton students.
There was, “a real sense of loss and even anger, but at the end we felt we had to be fiscally responsible,” Stanley said of the decision he made in April, which caused an uproar from Southampton students and faculty. “With all the things in mind, it felt like it was the right decision.”
The council’s decision came after Supreme Court Justice Paul J. Baisley, Jr. ruled in favor of the six students who sued the university for illegally going about the process of relocating the campus. The decision stated closing the campus without the council’s approval violated New York State law. But according to the council, Stanley discussed his decision during the May 11 meeting.
“Fiscal times are tough,” said Kevin Law, chair of the council. “Times require tough decisions and leadership.”
John Botos, the former undergraduate president of Southampton, spoke in front of the council earlier that morning, in response to Undergraduate Student Government, President and Stony Brook University council member Matthew Graham’s statement.
“The decision to close the undergraduate portion is in the best interest of the SBU community,” said Graham, who was originally in favor of the Southampton students’ position back in April, before looking into the research the council did. He changed his mind and realized he “can’t support a decision which wouldn’t be sound for the other 25,000 members of the undergraduates.”
Southampton students, led by Botos, did not agree.
“We did not vote for you, they voted for me,” Botos said to Graham, in between his three-minute statement to the council.
The council looked over prospects of the currently campus in Southampton. So far, plans being considered include creating a campus for the arts, which can link to the satellite campus in Manhattan, enhancing the marine science aspect of the building, which would include the marine station renovation with its ocean access, a program called “A Semester at the Sea” and a marine vertebrate biology program that is unique to the nation, and continuing the professional education to meet the community’s needs in health sciences and cultural events.
“I’ve really lost faith in the council and president,” Botos said. But the for him and many of the students at the meeting the fight is still not over.