BAG IV
Description of the Relationship Between the University at Albany and the College of
Nanoscale Sciences and Engineering
As discussions in BAG IV have progressed, it would appear helpful to provide an articulation of
the governance and budgetary relationships between the College of Nanoscale Sciences and
Engineering (CNSE) and the University at Albany, of which it remains an integral academic part.
The official correspondence underlying the establishment of CNSE is voluminous and is
documented as part of University Senate Resolution No. 0809-03R that unanimously endorsed
the budgetary, administrative, and programmatic autonomy of CNSE (see below) while
reaffirming a unified academic and university governance structure. This communication is
intended to be a less detailed and more concise description to address specific questions that have
arisen during the course of the BAG IV conversations.
History
Prior to its creation as a distinct College in 2004, nanoscale sciences operated in the same manner
as any other academic department on Campus. On April 20, 2004, the SUNY Board of Trustees
established the College as an academic unit within the University at Albany headed by a vice
president reporting directly to the president. The resolution also specified that CNSE should
establish its own separate faculty governance structure that would work with Campus
governance to coordinate UAlbany-wide faculty governance matters.
On November 18, 2008, in response to the success that CNSE had demonstrated over the
intervening years, the SUNY BoT acted again, adopting a subsequent resolution promoting the
CNSE Vice President to Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer reporting directly to
the Chancellor and BoT and vested in that position full administrative, academic and fiscal
authority over CNSE’s mission and internal management and operations. It established a CNSE
budgetary process that is completely independent from the campus, wherein the management and
oversight of the development, implementation, and administration of the CNSE annual budget,
plans and requests; and full authority to develop and submit to SUNY the CNSE annual
operations budget request operate separately and independently from UAlbany’s annual
operations budget request and capital construction plan and budget request.
More specific to BAG IV’s concerns, the BoT actions established the budget of CSNE as a
separate, stand-alone item that is not subject to oversight by the University at Albany, the
University Senate or its councils and committees. That line item includes the annual operating
resources allocated to CNSE and its research centers.
In response to these developments, the Campus followed with changes to the manner in which its
financial systems were organized. As more and more responsibility for budgetary and
management became vested in CSNE, separate routines were established under CSNE’s control,
along with the responsibility vested in CNSE for meeting its own financial obligations.
Misperceptions
Several common misperceptions with respect to the financial relationship between CSNE and the
Campus should be dispelled.
For example, despite belief to the contrary, CSNE is responsible for its own utility costs.
In the beginning, the Campus paid those bills and was then fully reimbursed by CSNE.
However, after 2008, CSNE pays its own utility bills.
When the University sustains cuts to its operating budget as we have over the past several
years, CSNE’s State operating budget has been reduced by the exact same percentage as
the Campus’. There is no cross-subsidy. CSNE does have various other revenue sources
including specific line-item appropriations in the State budget. Given its autonomy, these
are under CSNE’s control and “not on the table” as the Campus deals with absorbing
reductions to its State appropriations. But by the same token, the Campus has no
exposure should CSNE experience reductions to those other revenue sources.
The Campus does not clean, or pay for cleaning, of CNSE space.
The Campus does not pay for CSNE graduate student stipends or tuition.
Capital improvements are not correlated. The Campus’ critical maintenance and strategic
investment programs are separate and distinct from CNSE’s. Our Facilities Master Plan,
now underway, is not examining or considering CNSE spaces.
In sum, CNSE “stands on its own bottom.” The Campus cannot spend CNSE funds; likewise,
CNSE cannot spend Campus funds.
