Resolution Honoring Thomas F. Egan, Esq.

WHEREAS, Thomas F. Egan has served for ten years as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York with dedication and distinction; and

Whereas, Mr. Egan's vision and leadership have strengthened the ability of the State University of New York to fulfill its core mission: "to provide to the people of New York educational services of the highest quality, with the broadest possible access, fully representative of all segments of the population in a complete range of academic, professional and vocational post-secondary programs;" and

Whereas, Mr. Egan helped chart a new direction for the nation's largest university system in preparing Rethinking SUNY, a unique and multi-faceted planning framework that laid the foundation for a decade of successful growth; and

Whereas, by all measures, the State University of New York is significantly stronger today than a decade ago, having:

• Launched the "$3 Billion Challenge," the largest fund raising effort of its kind, and secured over $1 billion in accumulated gifts;
• Doubled the quantity of sponsored research activity to more than $900 million per annum, supporting more than 9,000 projects state-wide;
• Surpassed Johns Hopkins and other top-ranked universities in the amount of income received from patent royalties derived from faculty research;
• Invested more than $4 billion in State funding to enhance campus facilities, initiating more than 2,500 new capital projects and increasing total capacity across the University to nearly 100 million gross square feet;
• Attracted larger pools of applicants for ten consecutive years, with enrollment rising from 368,459 in 1996 to 410, 275 in 2005;
• Raised the academic profile of incoming students, so that more than 50%  of those who enroll at SUNY University Centers now have SAT scores above 1200 and grade point averages above 90;
• Improved the quality of undergraduate education, created a university-wide core curriculum, built new honors programs, begun to implement the most comprehensive program of learning outcomes assessment in the nation;Strengthened significantly the quality of teacher education and doubled student teaching experiences; and

Whereas, Mr. Egan continues to lead the State University of New York to new levels of excellence and aspiration:

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Stony Brook Council pays tribute to Thomas F. Egan's inspiring and selfless service to the cause of public higher education, and expresses its deep gratitude for his remarkable achievements, his concern for the common good, and his vision for the future of New York State.

January 27, 2006