Senate Resolution No. 393 BY: Senator STAVISKY CONGRATULATING Deborah F. Stanley upon the occasion of her retirement as Interim Chancellor of the State University of New York after more than 47 years of distinguished service to SUNY WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to acknowledge those individuals whose professional lives and civic endeavors serve to enhance the stature of the State of New York; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to congratulate Deborah F. Stanley upon the occasion of her retirement as Interim Chancellor of the State University of New York after more than 47 years of distinguished service to SUNY; and WHEREAS, Deborah F. Stanley graduated from Syracuse University with a bachelor's degree in English before earning her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Syracuse University College of Law and being admitted to the New York State Bar Association; and WHEREAS, Following her graduation from law school, Deborah F. Stanley joined SUNY Oswego as a teacher of business, later serving as Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and Executive Assistant to former President Stephen L. Weber before eventually earning the prestigious appointment of President; and WHEREAS, As President of SUNY Oswego for 23 years, Deborah F. Stanley's vision led to the creation of the college's Syracuse campus and School of Communication, Media and the Arts; she also positioned and supported this vital institution to gain national accreditation for its School of Education, as well as national and international accreditation for its School of Business, and global accreditation for its electrical and computer engineering and software engineering programs; and WHEREAS, Deborah F. Stanley's leadership brought historic investments to the SUNY Oswego campus to the benefit of the tens of thousands of students educated there over the course of her tenure, including the largest philanthropic gift in the college's history which was used to create the Marano Scholarship and now provides scholarships to 90 first-generation students per year; and WHEREAS, To further support deserving students' access to SUNY Oswego, Deborah F. Stanley launched its Path Forward campaign to double the amount of need-based privately funded scholarships available annually from 220 to 440; spearheaded a massive upgrade of campus technology, internet, and laboratory equipment; and guided the college to its most culturally diverse student body in SUNY Oswego's history; and WHEREAS, Throughout her illustrious tenure as President, Deborah F. Stanley influenced and uplifted many sectors beyond education, twice earning the college the prestigious Carnegie Foundation's Community Engagement Classification and transforming the student experience by establishing the Presidential Scholarship Program for outstanding academic achievers, as well as the Possibility Scholarship Program for disadvantaged students in the sciences; and WHEREAS, In what was believed to be her final days of service to SUNY before beginning a well-deserved retirement, Deborah F. Stanley bravely stepped up when called upon to serve as Interim Chancellor of the State University of New York, a position she has exceptionally held for the past year; and WHEREAS, In this capacity, Deborah F. Stanley was instrumental in the establishment of impactful, profound, and lasting policies, including the enactment of a Chosen Name and Pronoun policy ensuring that members of the SUNY community maintain the right to use names other than their legal names in order to identify themselves and that the chosen names of students and employees can and should be used whenever possible in the course of college business, communication, and education; and WHEREAS, Deborah F. Stanley also worked in close partnership with the Governor and SUNY Board of Trustees to massively expand access to public higher education by waiving application fees for students at more than 500 high schools, ended the practice of withholding transcripts from students with outstanding debts, and increased educational opportunities for adult learners by expanding offerings to more than 400 micro-credentials; and WHEREAS, Furthermore, Deborah F. Stanley helped secure historic investments for SUNY, including Micron Technology's $100 billion investment to build the largest semiconductor fabrication facility in the country, and played a foundational role in the unprecedented $150 million expansion of the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) to cover an estimated 75,000 additional students who are studying part-time, as well as incarcerated individuals; and WHEREAS, With a steadfast and unwavering commitment to her community, Deborah F. Stanley continues to serve as chair of the American Academic Leadership Institute; co-chair of Academic Search, Inc.; co-chair of the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council; board chair of CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity; and statewide co-chair of the State University of New York's Student Mental Health Task Force, to name a few; and WHEREAS, This extraordinary woman earned a Distinguished Alumni Award from Syracuse University; was named a New York State Woman of Distinction in 2006 by the New York State Senate; received the Post-Standard's Person of Achievement Award in 2010; was honored with the designation of President Emeritus of SUNY Oswego; and continues to be recognized for her expertise and experience as an invited speaker and panelist at regional, national, and international venues on topics such as sexual assault on campus, experiential learning practices, and leadership; and WHEREAS, A significant contributor to higher education in New York State, Deborah F. Stanley has continually demonstrated an impressive dedication, an unparalleled devotion and an unremitting enthusiasm for the quality of the educational programs and opportunities offered throughout the State University of New York, and leaves behind a legacy to the students of SUNY and to the residents of this great State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to recognize Deborah F. Stanley for her distinguished legacy of excellence and public service as a transformational leader of higher education in New York over the course of her 47 years with the State University of New York; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Deborah F. Stanley.