State University of New York Chancellor Nancy Zimpher has announced this will be her final year as SUNY chancellor. In a letter to SUNY, Zimpher praised the university system’s progress toward its strategic goals and outlined priorities for her final year.“The State University of New York is the greatest, most impactful system of higher education in the country and being chancellor of SUNY is a highlight of my career,” said Zimpher. “Guided by the strategic vision for SUNY that we developed in partnership with all New Yorkers, SUNY has made incredible progress."
“Our work is far from done and I intend to stay focused on several key initiatives over the next year,” she added. “At a time when SUNY has become the go-to model for higher education nationally and our campuses are realizing their full capacity for systemness, it is more important than ever that we continue to increase access, completion and success for all students and fulfill our promises of quality, affordable higher education and economic development for every family, business and community across New York State.”
In more than 40 years as an education professional, Zimpher has led three major public research universities. As SUNY chancellor for the last seven years, she is the chief executive of the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the country.
SUNY Board Chairman H. Carl McCall praised her leadership and the collective impact it has had on higher education nationally as well as SUNY students, faculty and staff, the state’s communities and its economy. He said a national search for SUNY’s next chancellor would begin soon.
“During her seven year tenure, Nancy Zimpher has transformed SUNY and lifted our system up as the national model of higher education for the 21st century,” said McCall. “Throughout her leadership, Chancellor Zimpher has put our students at the forefront, championed efforts to create a more efficient system, enriched the intellectual edge of our teaching and research initiatives and positioned SUNY as New York’s economic engine."
