Spin Cycle: The Cuomo watch

Stony Brook University was the latest SUNY school to outline its pitch at the Capitol for a $35-million grant available under a new program initiated by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. Besides allowing Stony Brook to unveil its plans to build a new cancer research center, the trip by officials gave Cuomo an opportunity to lay public groundwork for a tuition bump at all state university campuses. So far, Stony Brook and the University at Buffalo have pitched expansion ideas that hinge on tuition increases. Other schools competing for the grants, Albany and Binghamton, appear likely to do so. Meanwhile Cuomo, SUNY officials and some lawmakers are pushing a "rational tuition" bill that would allow 5 percent increases in each of the next five years. The measure has picked up steam in the past two weeks.

-- Yancey Roy