A spokesman for the State University of New York says that SUNY Canton's Faculty Assembly statement today fails to address the root problem that led SUNY to try to consolidate college presidencies with SUNY Potsdam.

That problem, a SUNY spokesman said, is getting SUNY Canton's spending on instruction of 39 percent of its budget to be more in line with the SUNY average of 52 percent spent on instruction.

The Faculty Assembly voted to oppose any appointment by SUNY of a president for the college without "democratic input" from the campus and other interested parties. Their position statement follows on recent resolutions by SUNY Canton's College Foundation and Alumni Association that the office of college president "should never be identified as a shared administrative function."

SUNY Central in Albany had proposed that SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Canton share a president, that that president should be SUNY Potsdam's John Schwaller, and that SUNY Canton President Joseph Kennedy should step down.

“We are sensitive to the concerns of the Canton Faculty Assembly, so much so that the timetable for any possible changes at Canton and Potsdam was delayed," said SUNY Assistant Vice Chancellor for Communications Morgan Hook this afternoon.

"The purpose of this delay, in part, is to facilitate open dialogue between SUNY and the community. Furthermore, the SUNY Board of Trustees has asked for a comprehensive report on how shared services can and should be implemented between campuses," Hook said.

“However, what this resolution fails to do is address the root problem facing Canton and other SUNY campuses with smaller enrollments. Canton spends approximately 39 percent of its budget on instruction, while the SUNY system average is 52 percent.

"That gap must be closed, and it is in the best interest of the Canton Faculty Assembly to see more of the total budget devoted to the needs of students rather than duplicative administration," SUNY spokesman Hook said.

“This resolution calls for status quo. Given the reduction in state support over the past four years of $1.4 billion, we simply don't have the money for status quo," Hook said.