FA President Kevin Peterman presents the resolutions of the NYSUT higher education issues committee. (photo by Dante Morelli)

As most of you know by now, the 2016-17 state budget has been finalized and higher ed did not fare as well as we had hoped. However, although community colleges did not get the requested $250 increase in full-time equivalent (FTE) aid, we did get a $100 FTE increase and a restoration of funding for child care centers to last year’s levels.

I want to thank all the faculty and students who faxed our elected officials in Albany and especially those who ventured to Albany on Higher Ed Lobby Day last month. I firmly believe our efforts made a difference! Why? Because I was told by Alithia Rodriguez-Rolon, NYSUT’s legislative representative for higher ed, that Deborah Glick, chair of the Assembly’s higher ed committee, and Ken LaValle, chair of the Senate’s higher ed committee, both advocated into the wee hours of the morning on March 31 to make sure community colleges received additional funding in the final state budget.

In addition, both Carl Heastie, speaker of the Assembly, and John Flanagan, Senate majority leader, made community college funding one of their priorities. And for all of the above reasons I’m using the headline: “All budgets are political!”

Now that the college knows what the state aid will be for next year, it will help SCCC’s Board of Trustees (BOT) craft its 2016-17 budget. The BOT must submit its budget proposal to Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone on April 22. Then the county executive will submit his budget to the legislature around the end of May.

The Faculty Association will be discussing the proposal with county legislators, encouraging them to increase their support of SCCC. In the summer, the legislature will approve the college’s 2016-17 budget.

Since all budgets are political, the FA is participating in NYSUT’s “Pledge to Vote” campaign. Take the pledge:

• I recognize that VOTING is my best chance to fight back to defend my rights, my profession, my future and protect my students.
• I will support and VOTE for the lawmakers who have fought to provide safe working conditions, to safeguard my pension and benefits and to give me a voice in my workplace for myself and my students.
• I am committed to standing up for myself, my colleagues, for NYSUT and the Faculty Association by VOTING.

Go to pledge.nysut.org.

Thank you.

Activism works!