Memorandum

TO: University Senate

FROM: Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D.
President

DATE: September 9, 2013

SUBJECT: President’s Report

1. ENROLLMENT PHASE-IN AND DATA FOR FALL 2013:

Stony Brook began the fall 2013 semester with 23,654 students, 281 more students than last year. Day five enrollment numbers, which were reported on August 30, came in at 24,185 students, which reflects an increase of 531 more students than on opening day and 296 more students than on day five of fall 2012. So far, this year’s enrollment count shows an increase in the number of West Campus undergraduates, as well as a greater number of students on East Campus and Southampton Campus. The greatest recorded decrease has been the number of students enrolled in the Graduate School.

Student counts are updated every five class days until the enrollment snapshot is taken at the close of business on Tuesday, September 17. Once this snapshot is taken, final enrollment numbers will be determined, as well as a more accurate profile of our 2013-14 freshman class.

1. START-UP NY

Over the summer, the New York State Legislature passed Start-Up NY, which was then signed into law by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on June 24. Start-Up NY, also known as SUNY Tax-free Areas to Revitalize and Transform UPstate NY, is an exciting university-based economic development initiative. This legislation will foster entrepreneurialism and job creation across the state by leveraging SUNY’s assets and innovative spirit. Poised to transform public higher education through tax-free communities, this initiative provides the flexibility needed to create worthwhile opportunities both upstate and here on Long Island.

I assembled a committee this summer to review and brainstorm how Start-up NY can enable us to attract and continue to create new high technology businesses, while benefiting our students and furthering the University’s mission. The committee includes representation from the following areas: President's Office, Provost's Office, Economic Development, Office of Administration, Research, Health Sciences, Stony Brook Medicine, External Relations, and Government Relations. In accordance with the requirements of START-UP NY, the committee is currently working on a draft proposal. This proposal will ultimately be presented to campus constituents (including governance, faculty, staff, and students) and the local community for comments.

1. STATE BUDGET FISCAL YEAR 2013-2014

This year's state financial plan contained no surprises: the campus' state tax support remained at last year's level (approximately $148 million) with projected tuition revenue increasing by $19 million to a total of $198 million - thanks primarily to the NY SUNY 2020 program. This continues the trend being experienced across the country where an increasing percentage of campuses' budgets are supported with student tuition revenues. This year that percentage is 57% for us, which is a significant increase from six years ago, when that figure was only 34%.

1. FUNDRAISING UPDATE

Stony Brook University Advancement secured over $83 million in new gifts and documented pledges during the last fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2013. The philanthropic commitment of our friends, faculty, staff, and alumni is overwhelming. The most unforgettable achievement of this past fiscal year was meeting the Simons Challenge in less than 13 months. The Simons Challenge impact of $201 million will benefit more than 40 departments on campus. A sample of some of this year’s remarkable gifts include:

• $3 million to create a Global Health Institute focused on Madagascar
• $2.5 million to endow the Center for India Studies
• $1.8 million to endow the Center for Hellenic Studies
• $1.5 million to create a Chair in History
• $1 million for the Children's Hospital Building Fund
• $1 million for the C.N. Yang/Deng Wei Chair in Physics and Astronomy
• $1 million to create the Carl Safina Chair for Nature and Humanity
• $1 million to create a new Professorship in Engineering
• $1 million to create the Thomas Hartman Foundation Center for Parkinson's Research
• $750,000 to create the Della Pietra Chair in Biomedical Imaging
• $240,000 to promote clean water protection on Long Island
• $221,000 for the Gelfond Fund for Mercury Research
• $165,000 to create the Thomas and Nicolina Nasti Simulation Laboratory in Dental Medicine

In addition to securing transformative gifts, we acquired over 1,300 first-time alumni donors. Engaging and fostering a meaningful lifelong relationship with our alumni is a priority. To this end, an alumni survey was recently conducted in an effort to better understand the interests of our graduates, their programming expectations, and communication preferences. The results of this survey will inform strategic planning for alumni engagement with Stony Brook. While one of our goals is to increase our involvement with alumni, engaging a broad range of constituents and increasing our communication is an important priority as well.

1. PROJECT 50 FORWARD UPDATE

Project 50 Forward’s six member Program Management Office has been meeting weekly to facilitate and coordinate the management of 16 Operational Excellence projects. At this time, six of these projects have recently begun and are making progress. These six projects focus on:

• Space Management - project will provide tools to optimize the use of space to accommodate our growing faculty, increasing number of students and new programs.
• Managed Output - project has four primary work streams to reduce costs, streamline procurement activities, increase user services related to office printing, and have positive sustainability impacts.
• Travel Services - will design a program to streamline and simplify processes for employees to plan, book and receive reimbursement for University business travel, while minimizing costs and assuring policy compliance.
• Visitors on Campus/International Risk Assessment - will recommend improvements to policies and procedures in an effort to increase on-campus security and protect members of our community when traveling abroad.
• Policy Administration - team is assessing and identifying best practices surrounding the development, approval, maintenance, revision, and communication of University policies.
• Records Management - team is assessing current record management policies and practices, and will ultimately recommend best practices for the filing, disposing and safeguarding of University records.

One of our goals of Project 50 Forward is to communicate with the University community. To that end, the Project 50 Forward website is in the final stage of being upgraded. This enhanced website will provide details on all projects and feature a weekly update.

• FACILITIES UPDATE

As we kick off this new academic year, I thought you might be interested in the status of several exciting projects that will surely enhance our University:

Stony Brook Wall of Honor

Installation of Stony Brook’s Wall of Honor is complete. Located in the lobby of the Melville Library, the wall recognizes individuals that have garnered the following honors, ranks, and elected memberships: Abel Prize, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Philosophical Society, Fields Medal, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Sciences, National Inventors Hall of Fame, National Medal of Science, National Medal of Technology and Innovation, Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, SUNY Distinguished Professor, and the Royal Society.

Stony Brook Celebrates the Opening of Frey Hall

On August 16, the University held a ribbon cutting ceremony to inaugurate the opening of Frey Hall. The project converted one of our oldest buildings, known as “Old Chemistry”, into a modern new teaching facility with 1,971 seats (including three new 250 seat lecture halls), 27 new classrooms and creative new teaching spaces. Frey Hall is the first building on campus that is dedicated solely to classroom space.

Ribbon Cutting Scheduled for Stony Brook’s New Marine Sciences Center

Construction of the new Marine Sciences Center at our Southampton Campus is complete. The Center features a state-of-the-art sea water system, three laboratories, a conference/event room, and classroom space. The building was designed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver Certification.

West Side Dining Phase 1 Completed

Construction of the new addition to Kelly Dining Center, renamed West Side Dining, is complete. Renovation of the existing dining facility has begun.

New Student Recreation Fields

Construction of three new multipurpose recreation fields next to South P lot will be completed by the end of October. Two of these fields will have lights which will allow students to use them during evening hours. One of the fields is field turf.

1. Accomplishments and honors

Stony Brook’s Freedom School

Stony Brook University sponsored a Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School this summer. The six-week experience provided fifty children from the Wyandanch and Longwood Central School Districts that just completed second grade with high quality academic enrichment. Stony Brook students, staff, and administrators, as well as a group of committed students from Longwood High School, dedicated great effort to help make this program a success. The school was the first of its kind on Long Island and the first in the SUNY system. Under the leadership of Marion Wright Edelman, the Children’s Defense Fund developed Freedom Schools to address the achievement gap between children in poverty.

Stony Brook Cited by Education Trust for Continuing to Improve Graduation Rates

The Education Trust once again cited Stony Brook for our success in improving graduation rates for all students and specifically highlighted the increasing rate among our Hispanic students. This wonderful news speaks to the tremendous effort and positive affects our faculty and staff have on our students.

Stony Brook Ranked Among World’s Top 100 Universities

The Center for World Universities Rankings (CWUR) ranked Stony Brook 89th among the top 100 institutions across the world in July. Based on seven factors, including quality of faculty and education, CWUR’s methodology highlights our distinguished excellence.

1. RECENT UNIVERSITY APPOINTMENTS/SEARCH UPDATES

Camplese Named Vice President for Information Technology and CIO

Cole W. Camplese was named Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer on July 1. Cole reports directly to me and serves on my senior leadership team. He is responsible for overseeing the Division of Information Technology (DoIT). Cole also collaborates with the Chief Information Officer of Stony Brook Medicine in the development of information systems between the main academic campus and the medicine campus. Prior to joining Stony Brook, Cole served as the Senior Director for Teaching and Learning with Technology at The Pennsylvania State University from 2010-13. In that role he provided strategic direction to enhance Penn State’s use of technology in teaching, learning, and research. His primary area of focus was the integration of emerging and collaborative technologies into learning spaces. Cole also served as the co-director in the Center for Online Innovation in Learning at Penn State and was a member of Penn State’s Faculty Senate. Most recently, he led the move for Penn State to join the MOOC movement through a strategic partnership with Coursera.

Andalibi Named Associate Vice President for Research

Dr. Ali Andalbi was named Associate Vice President for Research this summer. Ali will work closely with deans, department chairs, faculty, departmental administrators, and administration to implement programs that enhance Stony Brook’s research competitiveness. He is also responsible for the strategic direction of the Research Office and will have oversight over operations in the Offices of Research Initiatives & Assessment, Sponsored Programs, Grants Management, and the Office of Technology Licensing and Industry Relations. Before joining Stony Brook, Ali served as the Vice President of Research and Chief Scientific Officer at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Duyck Named Senior Associate Vice President for Advancement

Greg Duyck was named Senior Associate Vice President for Advancement on July 25. Greg is responsible for managing the staff and operations for principle and major gifts, as well as annual giving for Stony Brook and Stony Brook Medicine. Greg has extensive development experience and his talents will serve us well. Prior to joining Stony Brook, he served as Vice President and Assistant Dean for Development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Medicine.

Sanchez Named Senior Director for Title IX and Risk Management

Raul M. Sanchez was named Senior Director for Title IX and Risk Management over the summer. Raul is responsible for serving as the designated agent of the University for implementing and coordinating all aspects of our Title IX compliance efforts. He will oversee the Office of Diversity and Affirmative Action and is also responsible for developing and implementing a University-wide risk management program. Before joining Stony Brook, Raul was the Director of the Office for Equal Opportunity at Washington State University.

Chief Deputy to the President Steps Down

Dr. Tonjanita Johnson stepped down as my Chief Deputy this past June to accept a new opportunity as Vice President for Communications and Marketing for the University of Tennessee System. Tonjanita came to Stony Brook in 2010 and made significant contributions during her tenure. A search for her replacement occurred this summer but proved unsuccessful. The position remains vacant at this time.

1. ATHLETICS UPDATE

Academics – The Stony Brook University Department of Athletics achieved an overall student-athlete grade-point average of 3.08 during the 2012-2013 academic year, the second-highest departmental GPA over the last six years. Cross Country runners Olivia Burne (Palmerston North, New Zealand) and Eric Speakman (Napier, New Zealand), along with baseball player Brandon McNitt (Chino Hills, CA), were recognized as America East Scholar-Athletes, distinguishing themselves as the top scholar-athlete in their respective sports. The football team also garnered the highest NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) in the Big South Conference and added twenty-nine players to the Big South Presidential Honor Roll following the 2012-13 academic year.
Football – The Seawolves enter their first season playing in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) after winning four straight Big South Conference titles and posting a conference record of 21-3 over the last four years. Preseason All-American Marcus Coker (Beltsville, MD) has been named to the Senior Bowl watch list, which includes the nation’s top seniors and NFL prospects from around the country. Under head coach Chuck Priore, the Seawolves will officially kick off the season with three away games at the University of Rhode Island (September 7), University of Buffalo (September 14) and Villanova University (September 21). The first home game is September 28 against Towson University.
Volleyball – The Stony Brook Volleyball team welcomes new head coach Coley Pawlikowski to the staff. A three-time recipient of the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Thirty Under 30 Award, Pawlikoswki spent the last three years as the top assistant at the University of Wisconsin. The team opened its season over Labor Day weekend in Massachusetts at the Holy Cross Tournament and had a strong showing.
Men’s and Women’s Soccer – The men opened their season on August 30 with a 2-0 victory over Sacred Heart University under the leadership of third-year head coach Ryan Anatol. The women’s team is off to an exciting start under veteran head coach Sue Ryan. Entering her 29th year, Ryan’s team boasts a record of 3-0-1 and is off to its best start since 2000. Both teams have earned a spot in the NSCAA Northeast Region Poll.
Men’s and Women’s Cross Country – Under veteran head coach Andy Ronan, both teams had a successful start of the 2013 season on August 31 at the Stony Brook Opener. The men took first place and the women placed second. Individually, Annie Keown and Olivia Burne finished in first and second place, respectively in the women’s race.

Men's and Women's Basketball – Three graduates of the 2013 class signed contracts to play professional basketball starting this fall. Men's Basketball player Tommy Brenton (Columbia, MD) will play in Japan, Ron Bracey (Cincinnati, OH) in China, and women's basketball player Taylor Burner (Port Jefferson, NY) will play in Israel.
Baseball – Pitcher Tom Koehler (‘08) of the Miami Marlins earned his first MLB win on June 20. Tom was added to the Marlins’ roster in April. He is the second Stony Brook player to make a major league team.

1. MAJOR UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

State of the University Address and Faculty Honor Wall Dedication

The annual State of the University Address is scheduled for Wednesday, September 25 at1:00 p.m. at the Staller Center, Main Stage. All members of the University community are encouraged to attend the address and officially welcome our new faculty members. Later in the day, the Faculty Honor Wall Dedication will take place at 4:00 p.m. in the Frank Melville Jr. Memorial Library/Galleria.

Wolfstock 2013 and Homecoming Football Game

Stony Brook will celebrate Wolfstock 2013 on Saturday, October 5, prior to the homecoming football game against the Bryant Bulldogs. This greatly anticipated tradition, commonly referred to as “Long Island’s Biggest Barbecue”, will feature a barbecue buffet, a Kids Zone, and entertainment. Faculty, staff, students, alumni, and our extended family of community members are encouraged to join us for the day’s events and cheer on the Seawolves – kickoff time is 6:00 p.m. For more information or tickets, visit: http://www.stonybrook.edu/sb/wolfstock/.

Take Steps for Crohn’s & Colitis Walk

On Sunday, October 6, Stony Brook Medicine is holding the Take Steps for Crohn’s & Colitis walk. Led by Dr. Ellen Li and Dr. Ramona Rajapakse, Take Steps for Crohn’s & Colitis is dedicated to raising awareness and support in order to help find a cure for digestive diseases. The event will take place at the Student Activities Center on West Campus. Check-in and the festival begins at 11:30 a.m. and the walk starts at 1:00 p.m. For additional information, visit: http://stonybrookmedicine.edu/ccfawalk.

University Awards Dinner

Faculty that have earned the prestigious system-level rank of Distinguished Professor and recipients of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence will be recognized at the University Awards Dinner on October 10 at 6 p.m. in Ballroom A of the Student Activities Center. For more information, contact the Office of Conferences and Special Events at 632-6320.