I always find the annual SUNY Critical Issues Conference to
be a mind-expanding experience as well as a divination tool to gain insight
into the future before it unfolds completely. This year’s SUNYCON 2015 did not
disappoint.
While the panels and
speakers were powerful and made for an action-packed, thought-provoking day and
a half, it was Chancellor Zimpher’s context-setting welcome remarks that stayed
with me. She told us that the sessions would promote new ideas and could be
considered as an intentional collective brainstorming session about the future
– and to get us started, she offered her “Top 10” considerations:
10. How do we meet
students where they are? – Think of the convenience banking offers.
9. How can we
create the equivalent of a universal student record? – Think of the move to a
common individualized medical record in health care.
8. How can we right-size
our college campus infrastructure? – 232 public and private physical college
campuses in New York State … perhaps a few too many?
7. What are the
implications of learning by doing? – Think of the power of simulations,
internships, and service learning.
6. How do we best secure public/private
partnerships? – Think of Start-Up NY and the countless partnerships throughout
the SUNY system.
5. How can we better
share resources for common goals? – Think P-Tech and the notion of “braided”
funding that ties organizations together through integrated funding streams.
4. How can we better
incentivize innovation and investment? – SUNY received more than 211 proposals
of nearly $500 million in requests for the $100 million total available through
the SUNY investment fund.
3. How can we
incentivize changes in student behavior? – Think of the Finish in 4 program at the
University at Buffalo or the notion of a possible Finish in 2 program for
community colleges.
2. Is there anything
to be learned from the for-profit education sector? – Think of their successes
in recruitment and outreach.
1. How can we unpack
quality and pitch our value proposition to the public? - This underscores the need for higher
education to find a better way to create a public message and unpack quality.
As the Chancellor shared in her 2015 State of the University
address last January, we need to find ways to “become the best at getting
better.” The answers to these 10 questions will move us in that direction. Finding
the answers won’t be easy, and that message was reinforced throughout the
SUNYCON 2015 agenda.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact me
directly at presblog@mvcc.edu.
