Blinken maintained a small group of files related to specific SUNY schools. The files are arranged alphabetically by the name of the school. The files in Box 5 were accessioned later and processed separately from Box 1, 2, 3, and 4. The files in Box 5 are also arranged alphabetically by the name of the school. Materials within the files are arranged chronologically. They include reports, correspondence, and news clippings regarding a variety of topics.
The bulk of this series is correspondence between Donald Blinken and the other members of the SUNY Board of Trustees, Chancellor Clifton Wharton Jr., presidents of different SUNY campuses, New York government officials, and parents of students. The main subjects of the correspondence include responses to news articles, appointments or reappointments made to the Board, or SUNY related institutions such as the creation of the Rockefeller Institute of Government, the proposal to award a degree in Arts Management in 1982, and materials from symposiums and meetings related to education and budget concerns. There are also news clippings and some information related to state-wide school systems outside of New York. There are some biographical sketches and resumes of Board members. Correspondence in 1979 includes debate about the site of the Utica/Rome campus. There are memos and correspondence related to lawsuits, though there are no details or legal papers in the series or collection.
The Subject Files contain material related to SUNY organizations, institutions, personnel, and activities, as well as Board activities and responsibilities. The earliest item in the series is from 1969. There is some material regarding a proposed 1976 SUNY/CUNY merger. Files contain reports and correspondence related to this issue and financial concerns for both SUNY and CUNY. However the bulk of materials begin in 1977. The files include correspondence, reports, memorandum, and news clippings. There are a number of files on Chancellor Clifton Wharton Jr., the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU), the Independent Commission on the Future of SUNY, and SUNY/CUNY relations.
