By LOHR McKINSTRY
ELIZABETHTOWN — North Country Community College President Dr. Carol Brown told Essex County supervisors this week that the campus reconstruction plan will be ready in July.
The draft plan for reconstruction of the main campus at Saranac Lake must be approved by both the Essex County Board of Supervisors and the Franklin County Legislature before it can go to the State University of New York system for funding.
The two counties would share costs with the state for renovation of the campus.
GATHERING INPUT
Brown said she inherited work on the master plan for the campus when she became president last year.
"We're outgrowing our buildings. We have begun a master plan review and schematic design."
The college hired JMZ Architects of Glens Falls to prepare the plan.
"They (JMZ) have come on campus and met with students, faculty, staff and others. They have gotten ideas. They have done a full-site topography. They have looked at our building systems, from heating to water lines."
She said that in July JMZ will have a design concept for the campus plan.
"We will come back to present that to you (Essex County). If you approve, then we would submit it to SUNY to be included in SUNY (budget) appropriations."
She said that after final approval the college is going to seek bids for the reconstruction and award contracts.
"We would revitalize our campus."
ENROLLMENT UP
Brown said they have 2,300 students at all campuses, including 170 at the Ticonderoga Campus.
She said enrollment at Ticonderoga is steadily increasing.
"We are anticipating well over 200 students at Ticonderoga. You can see how quickly we have grown at Ti. When we opened that campus, it was estimated we would top out at 350."
The new registered-nurse program at Ticonderoga is already at full enrollment, she said, with an environmental science program planned next.
LOBBYING STUDENTS
She said North Country has joined the College for Every Student Program and is working in local schools to get more students to attend college.
"We will be going into Ticonderoga and Crown Point (schools) to work with students. Our new mantra is: If you need us, we will be there. We will be visible throughout the community."
PUBLIC FORUMS
As part of their upcoming 10-year accreditation by Middle States Commission on High Education next year, the college will be holding community forums.
"We must have an infrastructure that meets the communities' needs. We will be asking the community directly: 'What do you think we should be doing?' It tells you how energized we are to keep moving forward to meet the communities' needs."
STATE CUTS
Brown said the college is finding a challenge in Gov. David Paterson's proposals to cut funding.
They already had one cut, she said, and the governor now wants to give them $245 less in aid for full-time-equivalent students.
Supervisor David Blades (R-Lewis) praised the job NCCC does, saying he took classes at the old Elizabethtown campus.
"It helped me grow into the person that I grew into. I want to thank you for that."
E-mail Lohr McKinstry at: lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com
