On Wednesday, February 1, 2012, NYSHEI Executive Director Jason Kramer testifies before the Joint Legislature Budget Committee on Higher Education.  The committee is seeking input on the Executive Budget Proposal of Governor Andrew Cuomo. Kramer used the opportunity to state NYSHEI’s support of the procurement reforms included in the budget proposal.  Additionally Kramer asked the [...]

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The incomparable State Senator Hugh Farley (R-Schenectady) today returned to his role as Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Libraries. The Senate Committee on Libraries was re-established on January 10, 2012 after a three year hiatus.   Senator Farley, Library Chair from 1978 to 2008, was immediately named Chair to the revived committee. “When the [...]

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Under the leadership of Senator James Alesi (R,C,I – Perinton) the State Senate on May 17, 2011 approved ARIA by a vote of 61-0. To call attention to the passage Senator Alesi issued the following press release and offered this video testimonial. In a strong display of bi-partisanship, the New York State Senate today unanimously [...]

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While it may feel as if we entered the Twilight Zone, we are still in New York (see map). In an attempt to answer your many questions about the status of the state budget, I assembled a number of quotes directly from the policy makers engaged in the budget process.  I hope this helps. “We [...]

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Leaders of NYSHEI member institutions in Western New York recently visited the offices of ARIA sponsors.  The delegation specifically applauded the efforts of Assemblyman Robin Schimminger and Senator William Stachowski, the lead sponsors of ARIA. Pictured, from left to right, are David Schoen, Library Director of Niagara University, H. Austin Booth, Collections Director of the [...]

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NYSHEI Executive Director Jason Kramer today submitted testimony to the New York State Legislature Joint Budget Hearing on Higher Education.  The joint budget hearings begin the legislature’s response to the Executive Budget Proposal for fiscal 2010-2011, offered by Governor Paterson. In acknowledging the lingering problems of New York’s economy and the crushing deficits resultant of [...]

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The background to the 2010 State of the State is a multi-billion dollar state deficit that will grow to a $17 billion deficit when the federal stimulus money runs out in FY 2011-12.  In his response to these hostile challenges Governor David Paterson offered a fresh start in his speech. The Governor admitted that something [...]

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NYSHEI Executive Director Jason Kramer recently testified before Governor Paterson’s Task Force on Diversifying The New York State Economy Through Industry-Higher Education Partnerships.   Meeting at the City College of New York, CUNY, the Task Force heard from twenty experts on the economic advantages of enhanced cooperation between the academic and commercial sectors. During his testimony [...]

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The State Assembly Committees on Governmental Operations and Libraries & Education Technology jointly held a public hearing in Albany on July 28, 2009.  The hearing was conducted by the respective committee chairs, Assembly Member Roann Destito (D-Utica) and Assembly Member Barbara Lifton (D-Ithaca).  Also joining the panel was Ranking Minority Member of the Libraries Committee, [...]

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On June 15, 2009, the Academic Research Information Access (ARIA) act was passed by the New York State Assembly.  With no votes in opposition, the Assembly voted to enact ARIA, and thereby passed the most significant piece of legislation for academic and research libraries in a generation. The vote by the full Assembly capped a [...]

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