START-UP NY has officially accepted SUNY Buffalo State, and will now consider business applicants that pass through the college’s process.

The tax break program that allows businesses to operate on college campuses delayed Buffalo State’s admittance because not all unions had been given the opportunity to comment and review the plan.

“They discovered that we had neglected to inform four unions on campus,” Susan McCartney, director of the Small Business Development Center, said.

McCartney said all campus unions must be allowed at least 30 days to write comments about the plan.

McCartney said that because some of those unions don’t have representation on the campus, that they were overlooked, and not informed of the plan by mistake.

“On the 30th day after we sent those letters out we got rocking right away and two days later they said, ‘You’re in,’” McCartney said.

Interim President Howard Cohen has formed a committee to ensure that prospective Start-Up NY participants will continuously contribute to the college mission. The START-UP NY Academic Advisory Committee will use a checklist of qualities to help determine a business’ academic alignment, and possible worth to the campus community.

In an email to faculty on Mar. 3, Cohen said it will be the responsibility of the Dean, and the department chairs to negotiate a satisfactory relationship with the businesses that benefits all schools and departments while still satisfying START-UP NY standards.

Email: [email protected]