cIcu | Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities

For immediate release, January 22, 2007
   
Contacts:    Tom Dunham, dunham@senate.state.ny.us, 518-455-3171, Director of Communications, Senator Dean G. Skelos

Dennis Kennedy, dennis@cicu.org; 518-436-4781,
Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities

David Henahan, David.Henahan@suny.edu; 518-443-5311
The State University of New York

INDEPENDENT COLLEGES AND STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM FORGE FIRST-EVER PARTNERSHIP TO CREATE HIGHER EDUCATION INTERNET INFORMATION PORTAL PROMOTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NEW YORK STATE

RFP ISSUED TO DEVELOP WWW.KNOWLEDGE4NY.ORG

Albany, NY – The Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU), representing 100+ private, not-for-profit campuses, and The State University of New York (SUNY) have issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking vendors to design, develop, coordinate, implement, and host an Internet Information Portal to facilitate access by business and industry to resources in New York State’s higher education community.
Information about the procurement and the joint initiative is posted at http://www.knowledge4ny.org. The RFP announcement (C-1538) was one of 10 new ads placed in the January 15 edition of the New York State Contract Reporter under the “Technology” category. Questions about the RFP will be accepted through February 14, 2007; responses are due by 2 p.m. EST on April 11, 2007. For more information about the RFP, potential vendors should contact Gail Barcher or Laura Gross (518-443-5341; procurements@suny.edu) at SUNY.
New York State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos (R, Rockville Centre), who secured $2.5 million for the portal project in the 2005-06 State Budget and led the development of an economic development and job creation plan said, “Two years ago, the State Senate's NextGen Task Force proposed the creation of an Internet portal providing high-tech and biotech companies and researchers with the ability to work with one another and share their expertise. As chairman of the NextGen Task Force, I’m very pleased that this first-of-its-kind online gateway will now facilitate connections between industry and academia, offer new opportunities to New York companies, and build exciting careers for our students.”
“We have reached another milestone toward creating a unique and sophisticated tool to connect New York’s independent and public sectors of education with business and industry. I am excited about this project’s potential and look forward to moving into the development phase. On behalf of the 100+ private, not-for-profit colleges and universities CICU represents, I commend Senator Skelos for his vision in recognizing the value in this initiative,” said Abraham M. Lackman, president of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities.
"Together, SUNY and the private colleges and universities of New York are taking a giant step forward in providing business and the not-for-profit sectors far broader, swifter access to our research, development and workforce training capabilities. In addition, organizations will be better able to tap the talent of our world-renowned scholars, and our wonderful students, who are the future leaders and workforce of this great state," said SUNY Chancellor John R. Ryan. "We appreciate the leadership and support of Senator Skelos in making today’s announcement possible."
The first-of-its-kind portal will connect the academic and business communities. It will provide firms, organizations and individuals with sophisticated search capabilities to facilitate access to expertise, research and business partnerships, consulting agreements, and service learning projects, as well as access to recent graduates, facilities and equipment, and technologies available for licensing.

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About the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities
The Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu) represents the chief executives of New York's 100+ independent (private, not-for-profit) colleges and universities on issues of public policy. Member campuses enroll nearly 460,000 students, including 300,000 New York State residents. Visit http://www.cicu.org to learn more.

About the State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating more than 414,000 students in 7,669 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses. Visit http://www.suny.edu to learn more.