Jim Malatras, who was a close political ally of former...

Jim Malatras, who was a close political ally of former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, is resigning as chancellor of SUNY. Credit: AP/Mike Groll

Jim Malatras’ decision to resign as chancellor of the State University of New York system creates a void at the head of the massive bureaucrcy, which includes 64 campuses that serve nearly 400,000 students.

Malatras’ resignation came after the emergence of text messages he sent that disparaged one of the women who accused former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of sexual harassment. The SUNY board of trustees appointed Malatras chairman last year, eschewing a national search in favor of choosing a close political ally of Cuomo’s. At the time, the board said it picked Malatras to avoid "a costly and lengthy search process."

For now, it’s unclear what Malatras’ departure will mean for Long Island and its state university campuses — Stony Brook, Farmingdale and Old Westbury — and Nassau and Suffolk Community Colleges — all of which are attempting to get past the tumult of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kevin Law, who heads the Stony Brook University Council, and previously served on Suffolk Community College’s board of trustees, said the SUNY board of trustees likely will appoint an interim chancellor — probably a "seasoned SUNY person" — and then should start a national search for a permanent chancellor. The trustees — mostly gubernatorial appointees — make the final pick.

"They have to come up with the best person for SUNY," Law said, noting that person didn’t "necessarily" have to be an academic. "You need a good manager in there and somebody who’s going to be a good advocate for the system."

It’s a particularly complicated time for SUNY schools, said Farmingdale State College president John Nader.

"A successful chancellor for the State University of New York has to be politically adroit, command academic respect, work with multiple constituencies and administer and asset policy for 64 different campuses, and at the same time have a vision for the future," Nader told The Point. "That is a very tall order."

The pandemic — and the political uncertainty that comes with a gubernatorial election next year — makes the challenge even more complex.

Then there’s the importance of Long Island, where the SUNY system employs more than 25,000 people, Law said.

Nader noted that he’s been able to call or meet with the three previous chancellors easily. The next chancellor, Law said, has to understand the importance of the Long Island pieces of the SUNY puzzle.

"It’s a significant asset and a significant economic engine on Long Island that deserves Albany’s attention," Law said, noting that each school has its own challenges, especially in the community colleges that face declining enrollments. "We’re not a one size fits all," he added.

Nader noted that Farmingdale has even more specific needs as the school looks forward, from developing its offshore wind training program and working on dozens of capital projects to developing partnerships with the Island’s community colleges.

"We are taking nothing for granted," Nader said. "We will begin at the turn of the year to think very deeply about our place in higher education and how to position ourselves for the years ahead."

That may be exactly what a new chancellor will have to do for the system as a whole, too.

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