Approved March 8, 2022

RESOLUTION OF THE GREATER UTICA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN OPPOSITON OF THE GOVERNOR’S PROPOSAL TO MERGE SUNY POLY WITH UALBANY

WHEREAS,  the SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) was created in 2014 and has become a vital asset to the State of New York and the Mohawk Valley Region for academic studies, technical research, and economic development in the field of nanotechnology;  and

WHEREAS,  the Marcy campus of SUNY Poly has become a critical institution to attract local development within the semiconductor industry;  and

WHEREAS,  the Marcy Nanocenter site has successfully attracted the microchip maker Wolfspeed, and continues to attract new leads for further developing the microchip research and manufacturing industry in the Mohawk Valley Region, along with high quality, high paying employment; and

WHEREAS,  continued investment from numerous companies and institutions into joint research and workforce development programs have helped the Marcy SUNY Poly campus grow in prominence as an industry model and leader;  and

WHEREAS,  New York Governor Kathy Hochul has proposed merging the SUNY Poly College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering with the University at Albany;  and

WHEREAS,  the merger proposal from Governor Hochul would diminish the achievement of this prominence and detract from the regional strengths stemming from the Marcy academic campus, thereby impairing the region’s ability to attract continued growth in the high tech semiconductor industry;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce opposes the proposal from Governor Kathy Hochul to merge the SUNY Poly College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering with the University at Albany and urges the Governor to maintain SUNY Poly as a separate and prominent institution for technology studies.