Faculty and students from Binghamton University took a trip to Albany last week to advocate for the University’s needs in a time of economic uncertainty.

James Dix, a chemistry professor at BU and interim chapter president of United University Professions at Binghamton, says that he and his colleagues went to Albany on March 1 to impart a specific message.

“BU is a great university and BU needs more resources,” Dix said.

According to BU spokeswoman Gail Glover, the group was broken up into 14 teams of three to five BU representatives each.

“Our teams met with a broad range of legislators, aides and the lieutenant governor to talk about a rational tuition plan, support for SUNY and economic development,” Glover said.

Notable state officials included Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy; Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, who is also chair of the State Assembly’s Committee on Higher Education; Sen. Kenneth Lavalle, chair of the Senate’s Higher Education Committee; and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

Though a variety of subjects pertaining to BU’s finances were discussed, the most prominent was the possibility of increasing tuition to maintain the current status of the University.

Moshe Roberts, a biology graduate student who took part in the effort, was involved in these conversations. He observed that the University emphasized the need to institute a tuition policy that would avoid steep and unpredictable tuition hikes as opposed to planned, predictable and measured increases — a policy known as rational tuition.

“Rational tuition means starting college knowing how much we should expect to pay in tuition for the entire four years and having that number guaranteed not to change,” Roberts said. “It also means that all tuition money goes back to the school, not to the state’s general $2 billion deficit fund.”

Glover said that the University is worried about how recent economic issues within New York could affect the University.

“We are deeply concerned about the state’s mounting fiscal challenges — particularly in how it will impact our ability to provide a quality experience and education for our students,” Glover said.

Dix elaborated on the significant challenges that the state faces, acknowledging that New York State faces a $10 billion budget shortfall, and that increased state support is unlikely.

“If Gov. Cuomo’s budget goes through, BU will have lost one-third of its state-supported operating funds in four years,” Dix explained. “This is a huge cut, and unfortunately the only way to staunch the hemorrhage of state funds is through a tuition increase.”

Dix, who was grouped with BU Interim President C. Peter Magrath, Interim Vice President for Research Bahgat Sammakia, Director of State and Community Relations Terrence Kanehim, and Martin Honeychuck, who represented the Civil Service Employees Association, said that people were surprised to see his team working together.

“Staffers from Assemblyman Silver’s office stated it wasn’t often that representatives from both administration and unions were on the same team presenting the same message,” Dix said.

According to Glover, although no concrete plans were made regarding rational tuition, the efforts made by BU on Advocacy Day seem to have paid off.

“The overall response was generally very positive and our reputation for excellence and accessibility was certainly something we heard again and again,” Glover said.