A few years ago, I had this idea to open the doors to SUNY for communities that host or are nearby our campuses. My plan was simple: Anyone who wanted to was welcome to take a free course each semester at a SUNY college or university.
With 64 campuses spanning the state, most people are within a short drive of a SUNY college or university. As long as there was room, opening a course up to the public for free made sense.
I saw it as an opportunity to show that SUNY is more than just a major employer and important economic driver in their communities. And it’s certainly more than ivy-covered walls, imposing buildings or superior sports teams.
I wanted our communities to be part of our campuses, to walk in our buildings, learn in our classrooms and enjoy our theaters and performance centers.
November’s presidential election caused me to not only revisit this idea, but to expand upon it. That Democrats got thumped was not what we’d hoped would happen. And higher education will likely be an early target for the incoming Trump administration.
Yet, the election’s outcome has left an opportunity for higher education—and especially public higher education—to prove its worth to a society that seems like it’s losing confidence in what higher ed is and what we, the academics and professionals who fuel the engine of higher learning, do.
So, let’s swing open the doors to SUNY, and by that I mean let’s make a SUNY education cost-free to anyone who wants one. And when I say cost-free, I mean cost-free. My plan would include tuition, student fees and room and board—easily the most expensive part of a college education.
It would be more than just a major expansion of SUNY’s Excelsior Scholarship, which covers tuition costs for students of families making $125,000 or less annually. My plan would be a seismic shift to higher ed in New York and across the country.
SUNY has 64 fantastic institutions, where so much is done to educate and yes, to change society for the better. SUNY can and must do all it can to help create a public that is aware, educated, and politically tuned in.
Such an innovation would be more than just a feather in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s cap. It would be a crowning achievement, one that would provide the previously unattainable opportunity of a college education to so many students—of all ages—for generations to come.
One can only imagine how the public’s support for SUNY would grow by opening SUNY to everyone. This would be true transformative change, the kind of change that can turn the public into allies and advocates on behalf of our institutions and higher education in general.
We need that now, more than ever.
The culture wars have helped shake the public’s faith in higher education, mainly through campus protests, free speech issues and a growing backlash against DEI. And don’t forget the rising cost of college tuition and student debt.
A May report by Third Way, a left-leaning Washington, D.C.-based think tank, said that just 56 percent of American voters had a favorable view of higher ed in America, with 65 percent holding four-year institutions in high regard.
Most people still view a four-year college education as valuable. But there is much uncertainty about the cost of earning a degree and whether students should incur thousands of dollars in loans without any idea of what the return on their investment will be.
Let’s allay those fears.
Instead of looking for ways to cut programs, costs and staff at smaller colleges like SUNY Potsdam, SUNY Buffalo State and SUNY Fredonia, SUNY must take the initiative and bring everyone in, especially those who have never considered pursing a SUNY degree. This is not a time to cut funding. It’s time to grow.
Yes, providing a cost-free education at SUNY will cost money. And yes, it’s easier said than done.
But with an incoming presidential administration and Republican-led Congress that has been openly hostile to higher education, the time for doubling down on SUNY’s future is now.
Let’s turn the debate about higher education around. Let’s open SUNY up to everyone and let everyone—the supporters, the naysayers and everyone in between—see what we have to offer. No one will be disappointed and our civic awareness, civil engagement and general acceptance of facts will be enhanced.
But...let’s leave that discussion for next time. For now, let’s open SUNY’s doors to everyone and anyone.
It’s an idea that is long overdue.
Dr. Fred Kowal is President of the 35,000 member United University Professions, which represents faculty on 29 New York State Campuses. UUP is an affiliate of NYSUT, The American Federation of Teachers, The National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.
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