Transcript: Governor Hochul Delivers Remarks at SUNY

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul delivered remarks at SUNY Chancellor John B. King’s 2024 State of the University address.

VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format.

AUDIO of the Governor's remarks.

PHOTOS of the event are available on the Governor's Flickr page.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Two years ago, when I first became Governor and addressed the Legislature with my very first State of the State address, SUNY and CUNY were very much top of mind. And I laid out an ambitious goal, an opportunity to right the wrongs of the past – the neglect, the disinvestment that for too long have characterized the relationship of the state with its educational institutions. And I said at the time, I believe that SUNY and CUNY are engines of social mobility and have untapped potential that still needs to be harnessed. So, I outlined how we're going to do that, to make our system the very best in the United States of America.

First of all, we would recruit world class faculty in addition to the outstanding professors we already have. We'll create flagship institutions. We'll lean into our strengths of our comprehensive four-year institutions, our technology colleges, our community colleges. We'll provide child care because so many people want to have that opportunity, but just can't because of their responsibilities. I said we'll make SUNY a national leader in equity, increasing the number and diversity of its students. We'll be able to help people launch middle class careers and make sure that our SUNY campuses are economic engines in the communities in which they reside.

Two years later, we are very much on that road, and I want to just take a minute to thank the people in this room who have been on that road with me as we chart a new course and bring back the preeminence to this institution that I've always thought it has had. First of all, our Chancellor. I'll be recognizing him in a couple of minutes. I want to thank him for what he has done and just giving us the gravity toss and the experience and truly bring all his talents to us. I want to thank him. First of all, I want to thank Dr. Merryl Tisch, the Chairwoman of the SUNY Trustees, for, first of all, helping us find this extraordinary individual, but the years of work that you have also undertaken. To all the trustees, this is a labor of love for each and every one of you. You give your time and your talents, and you care so deeply. We're making a profound difference.

I want to thank some of our elected leaders here. I believe Senator Stavisky will be joining us, the Chair of the Senate Higher Ed Committee. Assemblymember Pat Fahy, Chair of the Assembly Higher Ed Committee. Also, Marcos Crespo, Member of the Trustees, thank you for the introduction. We work together very closely when you were in elected office

All the members of my cabinet who are here because they all care deeply about the future of SUNY and CUNY and also the Presidents of our institutions, the faculty, and any students out there as well? Alright, let's hear it for our students.

I believe we're on the cusp of wrapping up our graduations. Everybody taking a sigh of relief, right? Feeling good. I think we have Old Westbury today and then we're done? I track these things closely. But it's been a challenging year for many of our institutions. But you rose up and met that challenge. And I'm so proud of the way all of you have done that. Honoring the right for people to have that ingrained right to have free speech, but also making sure that we protect the rights of other students as well. And it's been an interesting year, a challenging year, as I mentioned. But I want to congratulate all of you for your incredible accomplishments.

But also, I don't need to tell you this. Higher education literally transforms lives. Just two days ago, I was in a very impoverished village where my grandparents had started. They left because they had nothing, like many of the immigrants who are now such an important part of our state and our identity. If my father hadn't taken the time from working at the steel plant to simultaneously get a college degree, I doubt that I would have been able to get an education myself, as well as all my siblings, and very likely that I would not be standing before you with this honor to be the Governor of the State of New York. That's how it all comes back to education in my life's experience and in the millions of lives of people who call New York home.

So, it's changed my life. I know the power of education. And that's why I said when we began this search for a SUNY Chancellor, we had to have someone who understood to his core what this meant. And I want to say I gave you a lot of challenges, Chancellor. My bar is so high. Most people can't even see it, it's so high. But you met it. And I'm so proud of the work that we've done together – the vision that you have brought that I've been so proud to support.

And you also said we want to make SUNY a leader in workforce development. These educations are wonderful. They look great on a certificate on your wall, but if you don't have the opportunity for a job and a career behind it, then you're not using it the right way. This is your ticket to that opportunity and career. So, workforce development is so important to all of us because I have 460,000 open jobs here in the State of New York.

Do you know anybody? Can you help us out? Tell your classmates if you're a student, do not despair. When I was going to school, our greatest export from our State was well-educated students who came through the SUNY system. There were no jobs. They had to leave. My whole family left — I’m the last out of a family of six children. They wanted to be New Yorkers, but there were no opportunities. What a different world we live in now. People are begging for the talent of our students, our graduates. They know you have something special, something spectacular about you. But also, if we don't keep investing in this jewel, it will no longer shine as brightly.

So, investment — which is a fancy way of saying a lot of money — is important. You can't say you support something and then say, “Well, maybe somebody down the road can fund it when we have a little more money.” You'll never have enough money, let me just tell you that. That's why you have to prioritize what really matters.

And SUNY really matters to me and to our entire Legislature. I want to thank the leaders of our legislature, Carl Heastie, a great champion of this institution who brags about being a Stony Brook grad all the time. We have to hear about it. So is my highest staff person, the Secretary of the Governor — Stony Brook.

I hear Stony Brook all the time — anybody from Stony Brook? Okay. All right. There's something there in the drinking water. I don't know, what is it? But we're proud of you, we're proud of all ofour institutions, because they all have a special place for someone. We all have that unique niche, whether it's someone who wants to stay close to home and carry on their jobs and not have to go to another campus, or someone who wants to take that step, coming from other states, other parts of the world to explore what it's like to be a student in the great State of New York.

We offer something for everyone and that's the unique asset of our institution. But we also had to make sure that we had a funding floor — which is music to your ears, you don't know it yet — it means we're not going to go below what we did the year before. And also, our Budget provides almost $400 million in new operating support, as well as $1.1 billion for capital projects. That means you can make the investments you need to make.

So that matters for the institutions, but how do we get students to the institutions? How do we make the college experience more affordable? Well, let's remove some of the barriers. TAP. People have talked about TAP forever, right? I didn't know it wasn't available to part-time students until I became Governor. I said, “Why is that? They'd probably be full time if they had the money to leave a job and go to school full time.” These are the ones who need it the most. So, we made it available for part time students without asking a single question. That made sense.

The TAP award has been $500 since 2020. Anybody here think that cost of living has gone up a little bit since then? Cost of tuition up a little bit? Sure has. How do we ignore that fact? This year working with our Legislature, we said, “That's not enough.” We will double the amount of money available for TAP, up to $1,000 for students.

And that makes a difference when you have to buy those books and take care of yourself to get to campus every day. Also, the dependent student income ceiling was $80,000. There's a lot of people just above that who are struggling who could use that help. We raised it to $125,000. More students can take advantage of it.

Nearly 100,000 more students, because of this Budget, will be able to afford higher education. But also, I had a great idea over breakfast with our Chancellor. We have a lot of breakfast together. He said, “You know what's really a hassle for high school students and their families? Filling out the financial aid forms” right?

I know the federal government is in the process of fixing it — hurry up — but I was asked to do this for a niece, well close relation to the family, who was struggling. And I was in a little diner with her not long ago, and she said, “Aunt Kathy, can you help me fill this out?” I looked at it for two seconds, and I said, “No, I really can't. I don't think I can.” I called my husband over; he called our son over. We called everybody. Why?

The Chancellor had this ingenious idea that we will make sure that every student, before they leave high school, will have had help in filling it out – guidance counselors, teachers, other parents. Let's make it easier, because you know what motivated me? I heard that students in the State of New York left $225 million in Pell Grants on the table unclaimed for. I want every dime of that spent. So, this is the transformation that we're undertaking right now. And you say, “Why wasn't this done long ago?” Because leadership matters. This is an example of when leadership matters.

So, we're focusing on the classroom experience, the physical buildings, making them more attractive, taking care of the investments that were long overdue, but let's talk about how we're leaning into the careers and opportunities that are emerging right before our eyes. And when we were able to recruit Micron, one of the things they ask for is – do you have enough educated individuals to step into 50,000 new jobs in Upstate New York? I didn't bat an eyelash. I said, “Of course I can. Of course, we have enough.” I said, “Okay, you want 9,000 engineers? We'll get you 9,000 engineers.” So, anybody who's thinking about going to school for engineering – I've got a job for you. I already committed you. So, you're all set. You're all set.

So, this is what I'm talking about. I go all over – talking to businesses – tell me the skills you need. What are you looking for? They want people who are just smart and open to new ideas and have that foundation of an education that we provide here. And then lean them towards some of these jobs. I ask many tech leaders. I don't see enough diversity in your workforce. I love touring your facility. But I don't see enough young women, I don't see enough people of color and I want to make sure that they have those opportunities for these great jobs in semiconductors.

And as you've all heard, our initiative for Empire AI, the first in the nation that will democratize access to artificial intelligence to use it for public good. And we're doing it right here at a SUNY institution. This is how you build your reputation nationally and globally by being the best – initiatives like this, that was brand new to me six months ago and I jumped right on it. I got the Chancellor on board, got Meryl Tish and the Trustees on board, and everybody said, “Yes, why not us?” This rekindles that sense of exceptionalism which has long defined New Yorkers.

But somehow, the last few years we just feel a little more knocked down. I say we stand up with pride and courage and say, “This is New York. This is where we innovate the future and it's starting with our young students immediately.” So, that's what I'm talking about and I'm so excited about this. People are talking about this all over the world.

And whatever follows after AI, I will make sure we're the first as well. So, when your smart students and professors figure out what that is, whisper in my ear, and we'll be the very first as well. So, we're going to do that, but it all takes leadership. I keep referring to leadership. One person can bring a vision that helps others achieve theirs as well.

And that's what our Chancellor has accomplished. And I am so proud of him. I'm so proud of him. And his experience, previously here in the State of New York, he knew our strengths, he knew our assets, he knew where we had some shortcomings, and he knew how to fix them. And coming out of President Obama's Cabinet as well, with the perspective of what he saw all over our nation, we are the beneficiaries of this.

So, I will never take for granted the talent that I have around me. I have the smartest, most brilliant, dedicated public servants ever assembled in state government. Again, I thank my senior team and my cabinet every chance I get. But also, the leadership here at SUNY is second to none.

So, with that, our hopes are pinned on this man, but I am not being disappointed, okay? I'll see you same time next year, and we'll talk about how we've achieved that vision I set forth just a short two and a half years ago, because I know we're on the way. Ladies and gentlemen, let me present to you our great Chancellor, John King.