Barely six months into their tenures as heads of their respective institutions, Stony Brook University President Samuel Stanley and State University of New York Chancellor Nancy Zimpher are on the verge of initiating the biggest fundamental shift in the way Stony Brook, and indeed all of SUNY, operates.

President Stanley readily admits that his proposal, should it be pursued, “probably means there will be a tuition increase.”

The Faculty/Student Association formally announced that campus dining, long a target of student criticism, would switch contractors over the summer from Chartwells to Lackmann Culinary Services. But before you applaud the change, a few things to keep in mind.

The Huffington Post had a guest blogger on Thursday, and Stony Brook students who visit the site daily (like we do) may have been shocked at who it was.

University President Shirley Strum Kenny penned an 1100 word blog criticizing not just Gov. Paterson, but any governor who is seeking to cut funding to public higher education.

Turns out, SUNY isn’t the only state university system that is facing huge budget reductions: 13% in Washington State, $81 million in Kansas, and a whopping 36% in Nevada, according to Kenny’s letter.