ALBANY – Governor David A. Paterson has announced that his 2010-2011 Executive Budget will include the most significant reforms to New York State’s system of higher education in a generation, which would have a positive impact on Morrisville State College and the Norwich Campus, according to Morrisville State College President Dr. Raymond Cross.

“This announcement is significant, very significant,” said Dr. Cross. “It is something we have been seeking for a long time.”

The Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act would provide the State University of New York (SUNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY) the flexibility needed to become centers of job creation, according to the governor’s press release. The proposed reforms would enable New York’s public higher education system to become the new model of excellence, preparing students for the jobs of the future, while also developing the jobs of today.

“Currently, Albany micro-manages everything from the chalk campuses purchase to the cost of tuition that students pay,” stated Paterson. “This burdensome over-regulation threatens the ability of our public higher education systems to promote economic development and successfully adapt to changing educational and fiscal circumstances. We must provide our institutions of public higher education with the freedom and flexibility they need to drive development both on campus and off, preparing our students for the New Economy jobs that will propel New York forward.”