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November 18, 2009

NCCC steadies against pending state aid cuts

But increase in enrollment may help limit harm

By KIM SMITH DEDAM

SARANAC LAKE — Officials at North Country Community College talked state-aid cuts at their Board of Trustees meeting this week.

But increased enrollment here might moderate pending aid reductions of about $260 per student, an anticipated loss of almost $400,000.

Enrollment at NCCC increased in the first semester of 2009-10 by about 70 full-time equivalent students, said Chief Financial Officer William Chapin.

That is a 13-percent enrollment increase, delivering about $314,000 in additional revenue.

Chapin said NCCC received state payments on time in the first quarter.

"The question still remains what is going to happen over the balance of the year."

With fuel and energy costs down, college finances stand $470,000 better than prior-year expenses, Chapin said.

'PAINFUL'
But state budget indecision gives administrators little to work with.

"Nobody knows what the cuts will be, and that's the hard part," Chapin said. "There is a lot of uncertainty about what they (governor and legislature) are proposing."

Thus far, Chapin has understood New York may reduce full-time-equivalent state aid to community colleges from $2,675 per year to $2,415, with added cuts to rental aid (used to procure program space) and aid to small colleges.

All combined, a hit of $400,000 would make a big dent at NCCC.

"That's painful," Chapin said after the meeting.

"It's larger than we've seen, that I can recall."

REACHING OUT
But officials here aren't standing idle or wringing their hands.

Just two months into her new post, college President Dr. Carol Brown said staff and administrators have begun to spend more time reaching out in communities throughout Franklin and Essex counties.

"We have been vigorously out in the high schools," she said, connecting with potential students, assessing program development needs.

Outreach was one of the early goals Brown outlined in public interviews during NCCC's presidential search last spring.

College administration has also participated in North Country Workforce Investment Board meetings to help assess the potential needs of training and retraining hundreds of people about to lose jobs at the Pfizer pharmaceutical plants in Chazy, Rouses Point and Plattsburgh.

College officials and staff are invited to participate in an upcoming Ticonderoga economic-development seminar, Brown said.

NEW EFFORTS
New college degree programs are being implemented by NCCC at Bare Hill Correctional Facility in Malone, which is funded through federal grants.

Joseph Keegan, acting vice president for academic affairs, said the school has also expanded college programs available to veterans under the G.I. Bill.

"Our pilot program on the Malone campus is wrapping academic services around veterans," Keegan said, helping build course schedules and financial-aid services to fit veterans' needs.

Similar college courses will soon be available at NCCC campuses in Saranac Lake and Ticonderoga, many using distance-learning technology.

NCCC also received a $21,000 grant through State Office of Alcoholism Substance Abuse Services to train five college professionals to become addiction-treatment counselors.

CAREFUL WITH COSTS
Expansion in non-traditional education and in workforce training may prove a strong edge against a weak economy.

But NCCC would also look to curtail spending, should the state budget hatchet fall, Chapin said.

"We would postpone hires and look more in-depth at our expenses, at things like travel costs and where can we move on discretionary spending."

There would be no reduction in student services he said.

"From a student perspective, we will be continuing all programs."

E-mail Kim Smith Dedam at: kdedam@pressrepublican.com

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