BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Students, faculty, elected officials and union leaders gathered at SUNY Buffalo State University on Tuesday, calling on the state to provide an additional $16 million in funding to close the university's current budget deficit and position the school for long-term success.
Dozens joined leaders from United University Professions, or UUP, to speak out against program and staffing cuts at Buffalo State. Pointing to a 3.7% rise in first-time freshman enrollment, the group argued the university is growing and deserves the financial support to sustain that momentum.
WATCH: Dozens rally at Buffalo State University, calling for $16 million in state funding
Fred Kowal, president of United University Professions, said the additional funding would change the university's trajectory.
"What it will do is eliminate the need for any kind for cuts and elimination of programs, instead we can grow programs, bring in more students, and plan for a more successful future," Kowal said.
Dr. Kevin Williams, College Senate president at Buffalo State University, said the university needs time to adapt.
"We all know that higher education is changing, and Buffalo State is changing, but change takes time. And all we are asking for is a little bit of a breather as we are making these changes," Williams said.
Dr. Lisa Marie Anselmi, president of UUP at SUNY Buffalo State University, said students are at the center of the fight.
"Our students deserve choice. They deserve programmatic choice, and they deserve for the campus to be funded," Anselmi said.
Anselmi also spoke to the broader motivation behind Tuesday's rally.
"We are here today because we believe in this campus," Anselmi said.
One student, who is chair of the Student Welfare Committee at SUNY Buffalo State, urged against further reductions to campus resources.
"We don't need more cuts, more cuts that will gut our campus community, our professors, our programs. We have the gold that makes Buffalo State the pride of WNY, and New York State as a whole," they said.
UUP is requesting a total of $41.8 million to be included in the state budget to help not only Buffalo State, but also SUNY Fredonia, SUNY Potsdam, and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
7 News recently had the opportunity to speak with SUNY Chancellor John King, who acknowledged that Buffalo State is among several SUNY campuses that have had to make what he called hard choices to stabilize operations.
"They had some programs that literally had virtually no students in them. Programs where you had a single digit number of students, just not enough to support academic programs, so they discontinued those programs, and they've really leaned into other areas where they've seeing significant growth. And that's the right strategy. Their finances are now on track to be in balance by 27-28, so that's very encouraging," King said.
Kowal pushed back on that assessment.
"I think it's incorrect. I think he's whistling past the graveyard when it comes to the deficits that the state's going to face in the next couple of years," Kowal said.
A spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul's office responded with the following statement:
"Throughout her tenure, Governor Hochul has committed record funding to ensure SUNY campuses have the resources they need to provide students with a world-class education here in New York. She looks forward to negotiating with members of the legislature in the coming weeks to finalize the budget and build on that progress."
Buffalo State University Interim President Bonita R. Durand, Ph.D., also issued a statement:
"Buffalo State University continues to invest in areas of strength while working to refine its portfolio of program offerings to meet student demand. The university remains committed to its Framework for Financial Sustainability plan, with a goal of achieving a balanced budget for 2027-28 buoyed by making the hard decisions required to ensure fiscal stability and an over 50% increase in direct state tax support made possible by the Governor, Legislature and Board of Trustees. This will enhance and strengthen Buffalo State's ability to fulfill its mission today and for generations to come, providing quality academic programming to students and serving the needs of this community," Durand said.
