* SUNY News , _ ............ Computer Plan Stirs Crash in Buffale State University at BY KRISTIN LORD Senate and students. I also think it's satd that more model UB after California Campus Editor, The Spectrum students weren't informed about someething that Sonoma or the University of Florida, both of SUNY WireX can so directly affect their lives," Vol taire said. which have initiated like measures. Though the queries continue to roll in Although the senate explained th;at the idea Eric Lasso, vice president of the student body regarding the university's newly proposed plan arose, took off and went- public quickeTr than was at Florida, said the program will go into effect in for universal computer access the University of expected, a committee is being formed with seats the Fall of 1998 at their school and, since it will Buffalo's paper-shuffling bureaucrats and student reserved specifically for student repre sentatives. not affect current students, there has not yet been representatives have made it a priority to work much of an uproar. in step to alleviate the concerns of the student .................... s a,. ,, *t....., .. :.....:....... : ..-.. "Most students feel it is necessary to have body and forge progress toward a technologically ,de i . access to computers. Most of our schools require friendly campus. According to Dean of Natural "... It's sad-that more sltouentls students to take at least a basic computer course Sciences and Mathematics Joseph Tufariello, weren't informed nb ut anyhow, " Lasso said, Buffalo students will simply be required to have One difference, however, between Florida and UB access in some way to a computer. something that can so Glirecty is that Florida students do not pay a technology fee and "Access can -be in a variety of ways, " he said. they only have two large computer labs on campus, which He noted that option available to students include affect their lives, " according to Lasso, are already struggling to keep up with n ew outright buying, leasing or borrowing of personal -State Student Assembly Delegate Be tt Voltaire technology. machines. Voltir Beyond student representatives, UB students The handful of students who attended the -iI-l:i::i:I-----.- . :·~::::r:·:::~::iI· .......- ::_:::I::..:i: .-...... :.. ::·:I:: showed mixed response to the proposal. meeting took turns addressing senate members Senior management major Anna Furgiuele and administrators with questions on the current "I'm still wondering about the ch anges they noted that she thought it was a great idea that technology fee and student input toward the plan to make to the computers airedady in the would make students more marketable.- However, current proposal. computer labs and whether there will lbe changes not all students were so optimistic. Student Association Academic Affairs to the technology fee," said SA President "I basically think that it is a waste of time, Director Ariel Shea commented that, while the Naniette Coleman, who plans to seirve on the resources and money. The fact is that people meeting clarified many uncertainties, several committee. "I'm glad the committee is taking into come to a state school because of the price. A problems remained muddled. The Student consideration students." computer is considered a luxury," said freshman Association is UB's student government. SA Vice President Rob Kubiak a;greed with Kenyon Hill. Although many unanswered "There's a major lack of communication between Shea and Coleman. questions continue to veil this proposal, both faculty, students, and administration," she said. "My only concern is that no stu(dents were Coleman and Kubiak said they feel it would She added that there is a need to slow down, involved in between," he said. benefit students if it is executed properly. answer a lot- more questions, do more research After attending only part of the senate "I think in order to keep up with other and get more students involved before the meeting, he added, "It seems fa culty and institutions in the American Association of program becomes fully implemented. administration came to realize stuidents are Universities, we need to keep updating and Also present at the meeting was New York important when it comes to makirig serious revising our standards. That includes computing, State Student Assembly Delegate Betty Voltaire, decisions." just as long every step of the way students are who was equally disappointed in the lack of Although the concept of universal; access may involved," Coleman said. student input in the decision-making process. be new to UB, other schools across the country "I think it would benefit future students as "I think that it is unfortunate that there are so have adopted- similar programs or are in the long as they take serious consideration of all many misunderstandings between the Faculty process of doing so. Tufariello said hie hopes to issues in this proposal," Kubiak said. q ... ....i:777.... .. ...... ............. ............... NYPIRG...... ~D-enied Tuition Increase Proposal Fails Access to Plattsburgh Campus BY KERRY LISSENDEN conservative and voted the proposition down. Statesman Staff "Everyone in the Senate who voted down the proposal Higher education benefited greatly this week when the should be accounted for," said Todd Stebbins, Stony Brook's ::'PLATTSBURGH.- The attempt to bring a state Legislature voted to increase the maximum amount of NYPIRG coordinator. "This is an election year, and we know :NYPIRG: "chapte-r -to th-e Pl.attsburgh State TuitionAssistance Program (TAP) money students are eligible who voted against the students, then thestudents should know :wcampus was defeated in a record voter turnout for. TAP will be increased by $225, leaving the new figure at who not to vote for." 00 :on:Tuesday,,Apri' 14.'-- $4,125, an increase that will help students in private colleges. The education budget is part of an overall budget with a ON ..-.:::.. Ou....futhe-:1379 voters', 829 voted against, Millions of dollars more were allocated to state-aided ' final total that is just beneath the $71.6 billion threshold set a, ''whi -:-se voed in avwor - community colleges. by Governor George Pataki's budget proposal in January. The r-efrenedum' was an attempt to raise The new budget also provides a $65 a student semester But his budget director has questioned the accounting methods r-e t:he: Student Association fee students are credit towards books for students at state universities, and used by the Legislature, and Pataki has threatened to veto any spending that he deems above that figure. c-r charged every semester by $3.50, to a total $8.8 million to the SUNY system to hire additional faculty >-1 of $58.50.'. The money would go to create a members. Stony Brook received a $500,000 appropriation The governor, who has ten days to decide, did not NYPIRG chapter on the Plattsburgh campus, to hire new faculty for the engineering school, a goal set by comment on the legislative action. The budget director issued k 4and also pay the salaries of the staff. the pro-business Long Island. The Legislature also agreed to a statement saying analysts are examining the entire legislative v: ^:D-';:,'::1 NYPIR supprtes had been filling the a $5 million increase in Bundy Aid. spending package, which would increase state spending by 3 ;campus:with posters and leaflets since early Unfortunately, the Assembly, who had passed the proposal, about 8.5 percent over last year. c3 Fe:bruuary.: The steady stream of information abandoned its attempt to win the first tuition cut in state history Unless Pataki attempts to use his veto in a way that sparks Im :continuedn, 4A C . Ithrough. gh election day, which at the publicly funded schools run by SUNY and CUNY. a prolonged battle with the Legislature, the state will have its 10 4(A NYPIRG representatives dispersed "This is a very significant budget, a historic budget," earliest budget since 1993 and the only one in recent years to ToBS throughout the campus with -more handouts. said state Education Commissioner Richard Mills. "It is a come close to the April 1 deadline. In the previous years of A:1 Mw The Student- Association asked the very pro-education budget, and I think it is responsive to the the Pataki administration, the state has gone without a budget 4-# NYPIRG supporters one week earlier to public demand for higher performance." until June or later. Q withdraw the referendum. Many students within the SUNY system may see this as Though he did not explicitly repeat the veto threat he 0 Although the issue was a hot topic around a loss, but no one should be discouraged by the outcome of has made several times in recent days, Pataki issued a 0w campus,! the high: voter turnout surprised the votes. Student voices are being heard and if the cause is statement saying: "I urge the Legislature to provide me with <^ many. Last semester's Student ssociation given up now, the tuition cut will definitely not pass. The it remaining budget bills as soon as possible, while Q) total voters. q remembering my repeated calls to keep spending within the Ws elections..~~~~~~~~~~. ... only.h.r .5 . brought . 759 al . .t s assembly heard the pleas of the students and passed the 0 proposal, but the Senate is thought to be too fiscally limits I proposed in my executive budget." q 3 Students Elect New Blood Polity turns over a new leaf as outsider defeats incumbent VP for Pres BY GINA FIORE undergraduate students. Statesman Editor- This vote was close, with With only eight percent of the student body having 341 students voting yes, voted,, Student Activities Board Chair, Aneka Gibbs won while 298 students voted the position of Student Polity President over current Polity against the measure.