Press-Republican

Local News

Discussion

IMPORTANT: Comments that include a personal attack on other commenters will be deleted in their entirety. Your comments are not welcome here if you can't maintain a civil tone.

PLEASE NOTE: There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

ALSO NOTE: Derisive name-calling of an individual or group will result in the entire comment being deleted. This includes the terms "stupid" and "idiot" and similar references.

Welcome to our new online comments feature. Before you can join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address.

Once you do, your comments will post after they have been reviewed by a moderator.

We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified, at the newspaper’s discretion, for a number of reasons. Here are some typical practices to avoid in trying to get your comment printed:

There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

Don’t state as a fact something that is unsubstantiated or that our editors wouldn't know to be true.

Don’t presume someone’s guilt in a case when it hasn't been established by a court.

Don’t assail or impugn an identifiable individual or group. If you have that kind of criticism, sign your name and submit it as a Letter to the Editor. (There is some leeway on this in connection with public officials, but it is not unconditional.)

Don’t use profanity. This includes the term “tea bagger.”

Don’t be incendiary or tasteless. Those qualities are subjective, of course, and our editors will be the arbiters.

Do not identify yourself in the main content area of the article content form. Only by enforcing this rule can the moderators prevent unscrupulous commenters from falsely identifying themselves as someone they are not.

Don't type in all caps. It is considered the Internet equivalent of shouting.

In sports articles, do not criticize officiating.

Remember, moderators are not allowed to edit any article comments. If an article comment fails any of the above criteria, the entire comment will be deleted.

We monitor comments Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Approval of comments outside these times may be delayed.
comments powered by Disqus
August 6, 2009

Chancellor wants united SUNY image

By STEPHEN BARTLETT

PLATTSBURGH — The State University of New York is an accessible, affordable route to quality, says its new chancellor, Dr. Nancy Zimpher.

The problem, or at least one of them, is that there appears to be a scattered view among the public of what SUNY is.

During a visit with the Press-Republican's Editorial Board, Zimpher said she is examining what can be done to create a SUNY message that supports the Plattsburgh mission.

"How can we find the sweet spot between SUNY and Plattsburgh that is going to serve the state of New York and the Plattsburgh region and put it all together?"

'THE WHOLE'
SUNY's first female chancellor is on a 64-campus tour during her first 100 days in office as a first step to create a SUNY-wide strategic plan that is expected to be completed in the spring.

She and her team will gather suggestions, ideas and comments from stakeholders to help draft "the most comprehensive, inclusive and transparent strategic planning process in SUNY's 60-year history," she said.

Perceptions about SUNY are mixed, Zimpher said, and her intuition is "we have not said enough about what the whole is about.

"I want to see what Plattsburgh does for this area," she added.

ECONOMIC ANGLE
So far, Zimpher said, SUNY's efforts to convince the State Legislature of its importance have failed.

She said SUNY must be clear about what it will do for the state's economy instead of trying to wrestle control from one hand to another.

"We need a better mechanism for showing the state what we are doing for economic growth and what we will do in the future."

Better-educated people means healthier children, more civic citizens and less reliance on social services, she noted.

RESEARCH
As part of her efforts, Zimpher plans to place some of her focus on science. SUNY will receive more federal dollars by increasing dialogue between medical schools and research centers in the fields of medical science and energy.

"Working together is the answer for us," Zimpher said. "I think we might be a new model because we are a collaborative model."

She wants to create collaborations around key disciplines.

"With SUNY, we will be highly focused and selective about the disciplines we pursue, and we will work to break into the top echelons of those disciplines."

GREEN EFFORTS
During her SUNY-wide tour, Zimpher has seen some "extraordinary" environmental initiatives on individual college campuses. She thinks SUNY could be the "green machine" of New York.

"I think we are more exemplary than people realize, and we are doing it not just for our campus but our community."

She doesn't think SUNY is getting the message out to the public about its environmental initiatives.

DIVERSITY
While universities such as Plattsburgh State excel at attracting underrepresented populations from around the state and globe, SUNY as a whole lacks diverse leadership, Zimpher said.

"We are much more challenged at faculty levels and administration" than with the student body.

The university system must also improve its data system and better track students, though Zimpher said efforts there are already under way.

Overall, she's been impressed by what she has seen.

"I have been especially encouraged by the role SUNY campuses are playing in the economic and cultural revival of the state of New York. Something really powerful is happening here for this part of the North Country."

E-mail Stephen Bartlett at: sbartlett@pressrepublican.com

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Local News

North Country Scenes


Click on photo to view gallery with latest photos

FYI...
  • FACES164.jpg State photo-ID databases become troves for police

    The faces of more than 120 million people are in searchable photo databases that state officials assembled to prevent driver's-license fraud but that increasingly are used by police to identify suspects, accomplices and even innocent bystanders in a wide range of criminal investigations.

    June 18, 2013 3 Photos