UB's place in the community is regularly the subject of scrutiny and debate. The Economic Impact Report, prepared last month by the Office of the Provost, highlights the significant financial contribution of the university to New York state and, more specifically, Western New York.
UB is often criticized for a decision made 30 years ago: the decision to build the North Campus in Amherst rather than in downtown Buffalo near LaSalle Park. Although many accuse UB of taking potential revenue out of the University Heights district, those who criticize fail to acknowledge that the fundamental goal of a university is to educate its students, not serve as the economic core of a city.
UB continually grows within its own borders through construction of apartments, growth of research initiatives and the raising of academic standards. This should take the front seat to the tiring argument of the "woulda', coulda', shoulda'" stance to which opposing sides often resort.
Despite its institutional goals, however, UB has also focused on non-compulsory altruism directed toward the urban community. Endeavors like the Kensington Project and the America Reads program have provided tangible benefits for the underprivileged students of the Buffalo city school system, as evidenced in the "Connections to the Community" report, also produced by the Provost's office.
In addition to its philanthropic activities, the university supports a large portion of WNY's workforce by employing more than 12,000 full- and part-time workers, making UB the fifth largest employer in WNY.
While it may be easy to disapprove of UB's actions decades ago, it is impossible to ignore the current $1.25 billion effect the university has on WNY annually and the $1.28 billion impact on NYS each year. In addition to large employment figures, community service, and top-flight educational resources, UB is on the cutting edge in information technology, research and development and the arts. The Center for Excellence in Bioinformatics, merging biomedical research with breakthrough technology, is the only one of its kind in the state, not to mention the region. UB attracts national attention through the success of faculty such as Carl Dennis, professor of English, who won the coveted Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his collection "Practical Gods."
UB's responsibility to the community has been more than met through its contributions. Forty-three percent of UB graduates, a sizable group, remain in the WNY region. Of this percentage, close to 90 percent of WNY's lawyers and 93 percent of its dentists are UB graduates. To argue that UB does not do enough, or to fault UB for the city of Buffalo's economic hardships, is to miss the bigger picture - UB is, shortcomings and all, one of the best things to happen to WNY.
