I am writing in response to Jeff Stonecash’s letter on the report of the Working Group on Sustainable Benefits. I served on the Working Group along with a very diverse cross-section of the university community, including union and non-union staff, junior and senior faculty from several schools and colleges, administrators, a representative from the Senate Budget Committee, a representative of the Graduate Student Organization and others. Working Group members engaged in lively debates about data on the issues and about a host of recommendations, some of which came from administrators and many that were suggested by faculty, staff and the student representative. The process of the Working Group’s deliberations truly embodied the notion of shared governance to which universities aspire. Having completed its work, the report of the Working Group on Sustainable Benefits comes before the University community for discussion.

Now, I wish to take issue with one assertion in the letter to The D.O. dated Jan. 26, where political science professor Jeff Stonecash implies that SU employees are somehow subsidizing families of Syracuse City School District graduates in upper-income brackets who attend SU under the Say Yes to Education Program.

To be accurate, SU operates a range of tuition grant programs, including merit scholarships that offer even more benefits than the Say Yes to Education program; a diverse package of financial aid helps the university recruit a diverse and talented student body.

Students who attend the city schools for the last three years of high school are eligible under the Say Yes to Education initiative to receive free tuition at SU. It is important to remember that 75 percent of students in the Syracuse City School District are eligible for free and reduced lunch; in other words they would qualify for very substantial financial aid at Syracuse in any case. Further, the Say Yes tuition benefit is a ‘last dollar’ benefit, meaning that for the vast majority of students attending SU under this program, they will qualify for Pell and TAP funding that will partially offset the cost of tuition.

I’d like to point out that the proposed co-pay requirement on dependent tuition that is described in the Working Group report would apply only to employees that earn more than $50,000 and that the maximum co-pay is 10 percent. Employees making between $50,000 and $99,999 would have a percent co-pay, and employees with a base salary of $100,000 or more would have a co-pay of 10 percent. Further, financial aid is available to families even in the higher-income brackets if their circumstances make it impossible for them to contribute the co-pay. Also, the Say Yes scholarship is available to the dependents of all Syracuse employees who meet this same requirement of being city residents and attending a city high school for 10th through 12th grades.

The Say Yes to Education tuition guarantee is clearly designed as an economic development strategy by SU to help improve the vibrancy of the Syracuse community. SU benefits by having the city thrive. It was for the same reason that the university established a down payment and mortgage program for employees who purchase residences in the city. It is for the same reason that the university and other colleges in the area provide opportunities for high school students to take selected university courses at no cost while still in high school. It is for the same reason that the university has joined with the Syracuse business community and government to work on redevelopment of the Near Westside. Further, each of these initiatives has resulted in a flow of grant funding in the millions of dollars from government, foundations and business to the university and directly to the community!

Professor Stonecash is correct when he says that decisions regarding benefits reflect values. Syracuse University expresses its values by investing in the resurgence of the city and its youth.

Douglas Biklen, Dean

School of Education

Published on January 26, 2010 at 12:00 pm