Oneida County Circulates ‘SUNY Poly Stays Put’ Petition

Urges Support from Community to Fight Gov. Hochul’s Proposal

Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. has announced the circulation of a petition opposing Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal to strip SUNY Polytechnic Institute of its College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and give it to the University at Albany.

“Since advancing this ill-conceived proposal as part of her State of the State, we have been fighting tooth and nail to get Gov. Hochul to reconsider,” Picente said. “This petition is the latest measure in a battle that we will continue until we are assured that ‘SUNY Poly Stays Put.’”

Oneida County is circulating a petition against Hochul’s proposal as part of its “SUNY Poly Stays Put” campaign which seeks community support in the fight against the maneuver. The petition can be signed here: https://chng.it/XyHQp74N.

Picente first sent a letter to Gov. Hochul in January expressing concern over the proposal. That letter was also signed by Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, New York State Senator Joseph Griffo and New York State Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon.

That group, along with other community leaders, including Mohawk Valley EDGE President Steve DiMeo and Griffiss Institute President and CEO Heather Hage, have been keeping pressure on the issue through constant calls and meetings with members of the Governor’s office.

“The notion of stripping us of SUNY Poly, a world-class research institution, and the only one in our region, is an insult to the students, professors, companies and the organizations that have invested in its spectacular success, Picente added. “Oneida County and much of upstate is on the road to economic revival, and education and research are key drivers of future growth. It is up to our leaders in Albany to abandon this destructive and punitive proposal.”

Established in 2014, SUNY Poly has become an essential academic, research and economic development asset that has been embraced by the region. In addition, SUNY Poly has emerged as a regional asset critical to the attraction and support of the semiconductor industry.

Since its inception, SUNY Poly has been embraced by the region. Wolfspeed, Rome Labs, the Innovare Advancement Center and the Griffiss Institute, among others, are investing heavily in joint research and workforce development programs to grow SUNY Poly to its current prominence, predicated on the combined campus model. Regional leaders believe that diminishing SUNY Poly in any way, could move efforts to advance the region backward.

With multiple active semiconductor leads currently being considered at both Marcy and in White Pines in Syracuse, they also believe the proposal could be perceived as a reduction in the state’s commitment to attracting the industry.