From the Times Union, Sept. 3, 2020:
SUNY appointment was correct decision
To some critics, the appointment of Dr. Jim Malatras as the chancellor of the State University of New York system, strikes a blow against shared governance, openness, transparency. We agree these values, lacking in many elements in higher education today, deserve the highest considerations, and, under any other circumstances, we would join in the calls for a traditional national search for the leader of the nation’s largest public higher education system.
However, the unprecedented challenges facing SUNY demand untraditional and rapid responses. Reopening 64 campuses amid a global pandemic, protecting the safety of students, faculty and staff, addressing the uncertain consequences of a $14 billion state budget deficit, and systemwide enrollment declines all represent major crises demanding both immediate and effective responses. A national search, while normally the appropriate step, would require the system to simultaneously address these systemic challenges while seeking its next leader.
Further, there is no guarantee such a search would yield a candidate with the skill and ability to immediately — and effectively — lead SUNY through this crisis. With his broad experience across state government in tackling major problems ranging from contaminated drinking water in upstate communities to the state’s pandemic response, his three SUNY degrees, and his record of accomplishment at the executive level of academic system administration, Malatras is uniquely qualified and positioned to lead SUNY at this moment, and we congratulate him on his appointment.
ROBERT A. WHITAKER
President, Hudson Valley Community College Faculty Association
Troy
Published: Fri, 04 Sep 2020 12:05:58 +0000 by d.gardner