At that time, they released the joint statement addressed to the governor and members of the state Senate and Assembly. New York's colleges and universities are integrally linked to the future economic, cultural and social health of the Empire State. As the Governor and members of the Assembly and Senate work to determine the priorities for the investment of scarce state resources in the days ahead, higher education should be an important part of their agenda. Indeed, our sense of urgency about the importance of higher education to the future of New York State and its citizens brings us to Albany today.
Higher education is a major industry in New York State.
Almost one million students receive its services, and they range from young adults to senior citizens. Our colleges and universities pump billions of dollars annually into the state economy through institutional purchasing, capital improvements, spending by faculty, students, staff and visitors, and the taxes paid by our employees. The research and scholarship we undertake is critically important to the state's future, as it has been in the past. Our core business is education and research, and we do it well. The state's support for higher education institutions and the students they serve has been extraordinarily important to this legacy of success.