NYSHEI News

The following is taken directly from the Albany Times Union political blog. Feel free to post your comments below.

Some Assembly members are proposing the state eliminate an annual subsidy to private colleges and use the money – $45 million – for public colleges.

On the block is Bundy Aid, a subsidy started in 1968 to help private schools. But advocates of diverting the money say private institutions today have big endowments and donor lists, high tuitions, and other aid coming in. The plan would phase the aid out over five years.

Assemblyman Peter Rivera, chair of the Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force, and Assemblyman Luis M. Diaz, chair of the Assembly task Task Force on New Americans, in a release said public schools need money to improve student performance, to put more full-time faculty on staff, and for physical improvements.

They pointed to some high profile drives and donations to private schools, including a $4 billion fund drive at Cornell University’s and a $1 million a day drive at New York University, and a $600 million gift to Columbia University.

“Neither the CUNY nor SUNY systems have the capacity to launch such fund drives. Neither has wealthy donors annually contributing millions, and neither can rely on exorbitant tuitions to fulfill their mission to educate the masses,” said Rivera.

Library Management Skills Institute I: The Manager
June 6, 7 and 8, 2007, University at Albany Libraries, State University of New York, Main Campus

During three intensive days, participants in this Association of Research Libraries core learning event explore essential aspects of effective leadership and management. Aimed at helping supervisors, team leaders, and middle managers within libraries, media centers, or information technology units, this institute helps individuals hone the skills needed in new environments where decision making is distributed throughout the organization and coaching and influencing are expected functions of the manager or team leader.

Registration is $ 500.00 for SUNY and/or ARL members and $ 600.00 for non-ARL members. This fee includes lunch and refreshments each day and a reception on June 6.

Please register by May 2, 2007 to reserve a seat. For further information contact Anna Z. Radkowski-Lee at 518 – 442-3574, email: azrl@uamail.albany.edu

In preparation for the upcoming NYSHEI Annual Meeting Vassar College Library Director Sabrina Pape and NYSHEI Executive Director Jason Kramer met to discuss arrangements.

The June 4 event will take place in Taylor House, directly above the main entrance to campus and connected to the beautiful Thompson Library. A short walk away, Alumnae House will be the setting for lunch.

The 2007 NYSHEI Annual Meeting is shaping up to be a great event. Please register and plan to join us.

At the invitation of University at Albany Library Director Frank D’Adraia, NYSHEI Executive Director visited the campus to meet with SUNY center library directors John Meador of Binghamton, Stephen Roberts of Buffalo and Chris Filstrup of Stony Brook.

Following that meeting Mr. Kramer met with Mary Casserly, Assistant Director for Collections at University at Albany, and Austin Booth, Collections Director at University at Buffalo, to discuss advocacy tactics.

On Monday, April 2, 2007, Sha Fagan, Director of the Raushenbush Library at Sarah Lawrence College, hosted a regional meeting of NYSHEI.

Gathering to discuss the efforts of NYSHEI were NYSHEI Board Chair and Chief Librarian of Hunter College, Louise Sherby, Rhonna Goodman of Manhattanville College, James McCabe of Fordham University and Jason Kramer of NYSHEI.

These NYSHEI members were joined by WALDO friends Ed O’Hara of Mount St. Vincent College, Donna Hurwitz of Marymount College, Theresa Maylone of St. Johns University, Bruce Fulton of Mercy College and Richard Pallidino of Iona College.