Spitzer Praises Higher Education Commission

Governor Spitzer yesterday praised the preliminary recommendations of a commission on higher education, and said he would take into account their suggestions for improving New York's public university system when he delivers his executive budget in January.

Some of the key recommendations of the commission, established by Mr. Spitzer in May, are establishing a $3 billion fund to support research at public and private universities, creating a low-cost student loan program for in-state students at the City and State Universities of New York, hiring 2,000 new full-time faculty at public universities — including 250 "eminent scholars" — by 2013, and establishing a business plan for public universities known as the "Compact," which combines financial commitments from the city and the state with modest, regular tuition hikes.

The commission was created by Mr. Spitzer to identify ways to improve higher education in New York. It is slated to deliver a final report in June."I expect these recommendations to become part of a continuing dialogue aimed at helping our colleges, universities, and students succeed," Mr. Spitzer said in a statement.