The Spectrum, Volume 60, Issue 41

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The Independent Student Publication of the University at Buffalo WEDNESDAY EDITION v January 19, 2011 Vol. 60 No. 41 v ubspectrum.com

UB Gives Students Best BA For Their Buck DANNIELLE O’TOOLEAsst. News Editor

CLINTON HODNETT /THE SPECTRUM

Simpson to Stay While Presidential Search Concludes LAUREN NOSTROSenior News Editor President John B. Simpson will remain in office beyond his expected retirement date of Jan. 15 while the search for UB’s 15th president continues. Simpson announced his retirement on the first day of classes last semester during a press conference, citing cuts to the university and Albany’s general attitude toward UB as influential to his decision to retire. Additionally, Simpson noted that his plan to retire was motivated by his desire to be closer to his family on the West Coast. Simpson has not given a specific timeline for continuing as president and has told local media that he is not receiving any financial incentives to remain in office. Simpson sent university officials the following statement on Jan. 5:

Dear Colleagues: I was pleased to learn that the presidential search process is moving along well. Following discussions with SUNY officials and University Council Chairman Jeremy Jacobs, I have agreed to continue to serve as president for a limited period of time beyond January 15th while the search process moves toward a conclusion. Sincerely,

John B. Simpson President

Immediately after Simpson’s retirement announcement, Scott Nostaja, UB’s senior vice president and chief operating officer, was named interim president by UB. The announcement, however, was never made official by SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher and Nostaja withdrew his name from consideration after his credentials were challenged by the Faculty Senate. Simpson’s decision to stay will not have to be made official by SUNY, nor will he be named interim president for the time being. Josh Boston, the UB Council student representative, said that Simpson’s agreement to stay in his role as president means that the process of finding the next president is going very well. “A lot of universities our size would take a year or more to do this sort of process, but we’re moving quickly so we can keep pursuing the UB 2020 goals,” Boston said. “I think [Simpson] is staying because it is a short amount of time, but I think in large part it’s because of the reaction of trying to appoint any sort of interim [president]…avoiding that process altogether is in the best interest of faculty, students and staff. We want something a little more seamless and streamlined than that.”

row the pool to the candidates in whom it is especially interested. Peiwen Chen, a senior chemical engineering major, is glad that President Simpson has made the decision to stay. “I think that [Simpson staying] would be a better alternative than if he just left and there was no one in the position,” Chen said. “I think [the search committee] should look for someone to continue the projects that UB has going on currently so that we don’t have an awkward power transition where all our projects, like the Ellicott building and the engineering extension buildings, don’t stagnate.” Members of the presidential search committee were not permitted to speak on the matter and President Simpson was unavailable as of press time. Stay with The Spectrum for continued coverage on this story.

email: news@ubspectrum.com

According to a Jan. 4 update from Jeremy Jacobs, chairman of the UB Council and Presidential Search Committee, the search committee has “received nominations of exceptionally well-qualified candidates from some of the nation’s best universities.” Jacobs said that the committee continues to nar-

Many students have chosen to study at UB for a number of reasons, including the spectrum of degree programs and the school’s reputation for being a premier, research-intensive public university. However, it is no surprise that for prospective students, the relatively low cost of in-state tuition was most likely an influential factor in choosing to attend UB. The university provides a quality education at an affordable price, and, according to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, experts agree. On its 2011 list of the 100 Best Values in Public Colleges, the magazine ranked UB 18th in value for out-ofstate students and 46th for in-state students. The list ranks best public colleges that deliver a first-rate education without breaking the bank. The 2011 list states, “Despite shrinking budgets, these 100 schools deliver a stellar education at an affordable price.” The magazine evaluates schools based on criteria including SAT or ACT scores, admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios, and 4- and 6-year graduation rates, as well as cost, financial aid and student debt at graduation. Jane Bennett Clark, the senior associate editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, said that there is a multi-step process in the annual evaluation of the best-value colleges, which reflects a combination of quality and cost. “We start with a list of about 500 public schools and sort them according to academic measures,” Clark said. “We then re-rank the

top 120 schools according to additional cost factors.…Our assessment of best value reflects that combination of quality and cost.” For in-state students, tuition and fees for the 2010-11 academic year total about $7,136. Out-of-state students pay an annual total of about $15,546. “It was a pretty easy decision between either a cheap SUNY education or loans for 46 grand a year for a private school,” said Paul Weingart, a senior media study major. “I didn’t want to be in debt for the next 10 years, and if it weren’t for the low cost education SUNY provides, I would probably be working a blue collar job right now.” Aside from UB, 11 other SUNY schools made the cut for the magazine’s in-state list. Binghamton came in at No. 6; Geneseo, No. 7; Stony Brook, No. 25; New Paltz, No. 36; Oneonta, No. 47; Brockport, No. 63; Plattsburgh, No. 64; Fredonia, No. 65; Cortland, No. 70; and Albany, No. 73. “What this ranking says is that SUNY is a bargain,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “New Yorkers have an outstanding resource right in their backyard, and national publications are recognizing that quality and unsurpassed value.”

email: news@ubspectrum.com

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