GERALD BENJAMIN

Gerald Benjamin was appointed Interim Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at SUNY New Paltz in the summer of 1996, and became Dean in the fall of 1998. The College, the largest part of a comprehensive SUNY institution located in New York’s historic Hudson Valley, has 175 full-time and 200 part-time faculty, organized in nineteen academic departments and interdisciplinary programs. Degrees are awarded by the college at the baccalaureate level in 126 areas, and at the masters level in 11 fields.

Dean Benjamin’s Masters (1967) and Doctoral (1970) degrees in Political Science are from Columbia University. He joined the faculty at SUNY New Paltz as Assistant Professor of Political Science in 1968, and has held the rank of Professor since 1981.

Formerly Director of the Center for the New York State and Local Government Studies at SUNY’s Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government in Albany, between May of 1993 and March of 1995 Dean Benjamin served as Research Director of New York's Temporary State Commission on Constitutional Revision. In 1988 and 1989 he was Principal Research Advisor to the New York City Charter Revision Commission; its efforts lead to the most extensive changes in the structure of New York City government in this century.

Between 1981 and 1993 Gerald Benjamin was an elected member of the Ulster County legislature. He served in legislative leadership as both Majority Leader (1985-91) and Chairman (1991-93). Ulster county has no elected executive; the legislative chairman is therefore the County’s Chief Elected Officer. County government in rural New York State has responsibility for delivery of most important local services. Ulster County during Dr. Benjamin’s tenure had a budget of $165 million and more than 1300 employees.

Gerald Benjamin has been a Fulbright Lecturer at the University of Tokyo, and a Serbelloni Fellow in Residence at the Rockefeller Foundation Study Center in Bellagio, Italy. A 1991 recipient of the New York State/United University Professors Excellence Award, Dr. Benjamin, alone or with others, has written or edited thirteen books and numerous government reports and articles, most of them on state and local government in New York. He is currently completing a book for The Century Foundation, with Richard Nathan, on local governance in the New York metropolitan region.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
75 South Manheim Blvd.
New Paltz, NY 12651
Tel: 914.257.3520
Fax: 914.257.3517

benjamig@matrix.newpaltz.edu