Binghamton University President Lois DeFleur, along with multiple vice presidents, allayed financial woes while emphasizing admittedly high aspirations for the upcoming semester at the BU Forum Jan. 19.
The annual event began with DeFleur’s address to a packed Lecture Hall 1, discussing BU’s role in SUNY’s Strategic Plan, which focuses on plans to expand institutions’ research and outreach, broaden access to education and facilitate transfers, and encourage innovation in teaching and learning, all while engaging with the state community.
“We are well-positioned to work on these initiatives,” DeFleur said.
She touted the success of BU’s research faculty, and expressed BU’s continued support for the sciences.
“We’ve seen tremendous success in research … patents have doubled … three professors in Watson have been awarded five awards … [including an] early presidential career award,” DeFleur said. “I am confident that when the state has recovered, they will continue investing in Binghamton. We have an ambitious agenda, and we are going to continue it.”
The University’s vice presidents went on to discuss developments and plans for the upcoming semester and academic year.
Vice President for Administration James Van Voorst affirmed the construction ambitions of the University at the forum. The East Campus Housing Project, which includes the housing complexes that will replace the Newing and Dickinson communities, is expected to be completed by 2013.
Marcia R. Craner, Vice President of External Affairs, spoke of various successes with alumni-student interactions, and said the University is looking toward “increasing activities of alumni introduction programs.”
Craner touted the success of events such as NYC Metro Career Night and the upcoming Winter Madness on Jan. 30, using them as examples of programs that reached out to alumni and students who could contribute back to the University.
Craner also said the Binghamton magazine and various student publications will increase alumni relations.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Mary Ann Swain said that despite financial woes, the University is still moving forward with “new dreams, new designs, new revenues.”
These plans include a new Doctor of Nursing Practice degree for Decker nursing students, the creation of a Binghamton law school and the development of an executive MBA program with PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Swain also said the search for a new SUNY Binghamton president will be “kept between the conversations of the [SUNY] chancellor and Kathryn Madigan, [chair of the BU council].”