ASHLEIGH LIVINGSTON
Press-Republican
PLATTSBURGH — With SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher on hand Thursday, seven regional colleges showcased their special programs.
In a college-fair setting, Plattsburgh State, Clinton Community, North Country Community, Canton State, Potsdam State, Jefferson State and Empire State colleges showed the programs making the biggest impact on the North Country, as well as New York state.
The event marked Zimpher's fourth visit to Clinton Community College.
BIG IDEAS
"This is an opportunity to share with our local community leaders what together the State University of New York is doing for and with and in the North Country," Zimpher said during an address to attendees.
Zimpher explained that the programs being showcased represent the Power of SUNY plan, which was launched in April 2010.
The plan calls for six areas of focus in SUNY schools, known as "the Six Big Ideas," which are: energy, health care, entrepreneurship, education, vibrancy in the community and a global commitment.
It's "our commitment to New York state economic revitalization and enhanced quality of life," Zimpher said of the plan.
CLINTON COMMUNITY
Officials representing each of the seven colleges also spoke, including CCC President John Jablonski, who highlighted Clinton's Wind Energy and Turbine Technology, Human Services and Nursing programs.
"Certainly in the area of health and human services, Clinton Community College is doing its part for that big idea," Jablonski said.
In addition, he said, the college's Center for Community and Workforce Development contributed to the global economy by supporting international business and industry.
PLATTSBURGH STATE
Plattsburgh State President John Ettling spoke of the contributions that his Cardinal Public Relations Club, Spectrum and Alzheimer's Disease Assistance Center, Lake Champlain Research Institute and Telemedicine Network have made to the region.
The Telemedicine Network, he said, provides more affordable broadband connections for 48 hospitals and clinics throughout the North Country.
Ettling also noted that the college's Small-Business Development Center has helped thousands of individuals start their own businesses over the past 25 years.
"Just within the last year, they've done about $4.76 million in economic impact and have helped all businesses create jobs and to save jobs," Ettling said.
NORTH COUNTRY
North Country Community College, which has campuses in Saranac Lake, Malone and Ticonderoga, showcased its Human Services and Chemical Dependency, Wilderness Recreation and Adirondack Early College High School programs.
Early College is a new program designed to prepare high-school students for college and cultivate the skills necessary to succeed in a college setting.
EMPIRE STATE
Zimpher also commended Empire State College, which has locations all over the state, including Plattsburgh, for its environmental efforts.
"There are many contributions Empire State is making to the North Country. They're helping us reduce our carbon footprint. In fact, they have an ambitious 2015 agenda to be the smallest carbon footprint of our campus system."
AMBITIONS
Zimpher said the SUNY system is working closely with the State Legislature on the Power of SUNY initiative to meet the state's development needs.
"We want to be very open about our ability to really help New York be energy smart and deliver good health care and stop the leaks in the education pipeline and all of our other ambitions," she said.
OCCUPY MOVEMENT
In a separate interview with the Press-Republican, Zimpher was asked about the ongoing Occupy Wall Street movement, in which many college students and others are speaking out against corporate greed.
SUNY campuses are no strangers to political activism, she said, and for a long time, have been places where students' opinions matter.
"We support and actually cultivate the voice of the student, so I think what organizations have to do, like SUNY, when issues erupt on a campus is listen very closely, be accessible and try collectively to work through problems," she said.
"That's our history, that's our reputation, and we're pretty proud of that."
Email Ashleigh Livingston at: alivingston@pressrepublican.com
