By Joyce Gramza
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wrvo/local-wrvo-969194.mp3
Oswego, NY – SUNY revealed how it will grade itself on a host of measures, from graduation rates and student satisfaction to its impacts on the economy and even the health of the state.
SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher says the new report card delivers on SUNY's promise to track how well it delivers on its promises.
"This is a report card in three parts," Zimpher explained. "A competitive SUNY, a competitive New York, and how diversity counts in that mix."
The report card includes 90 different "metrics," or grades that SUNY will use to track its progress towards the goals in its strategic plan to be the state's main driver of economic recovery and job creation.
Zimpher explains that 2008-to-2009 was used as a baseline. So some of the metrics currently have "no" score, because this will be the first year they are measured.
"That's sorta where I give a C-grade: Why haven't we been tracking our graduates to see which ones stay to work in New York? So that's where we have to get better. We have to know more?
SUNY trustee and former State Comptroller H. Carl McCall says the grades will help SUNY's major funding resource, Albany, to evaluate it's decisions.
"It's risky for us to put out this report card because someone might look at it and say, 'that hasn't been a good investment. Why should we give them money?' But we think the flipside of that is going to really advance us," McCall said.
The report cards will be graded annually, starting this fall.