How to move a college: Clinton goes to PSU campus

PLATTSBURGH | When word of Clinton Community College's decision to move to underused buildings on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus broke Jan. 10, it reverberated through the region. College President John Kowal and Board of Trustees Chairman David N. Favro, who is also Clinton County's sheriff, held a meeting that day to give staff and faculty a chance to learn about the move and ask questions. The reason for relocation, largely a directive from SUNY administrators, was clear. Dropping enrollment and rising costs to maintain the property have pushed the college to a point past sustainability. Favro said even a $1 million increase in revenue would just keep the nostrils at the waterline. Building budgets on any plan to increase enrollment wasn't enough, Kowal explained to college staff and faculty. Clinton has been under warning from their accreditation agency, Middle States Commission on Higher Education, to come up with a sustainable spending plan in order to move forward. The SUNY chancellor was blunt, Kowal said, "work on your relationship with SUNY Plattsburgh." To protect community college programs built here over the past 54 years that include a wide array of associate's degrees and certifications, discussions with Plattsburgh State began. "In the final calculation, the very big cost is to maintain these buildings," Kowal said at the forum. Moving onto an existing campus not four miles distant would save about $1.2 million annually. "We have a university close by with a lot of empty space. Our one option is to relocate," the president said. 'WE WILL BE THE FIRST' About 60 staff and faculty listened closely with about 40 more attending online via Zoom. All offered collegiate, thoughtful and quiet consideration, wanting, it seemed, to understand the situation clearly. The move, Kowal said, is being designed to protect the core of what Clinton Community College is and what the college brings to regional education through its staff and faculty, which he calls the Clinton family. Clinton's unique range of programs would be maintained intact, separate and apart from the four-year university's slate, he said. Clinton would have its own buildings, its own signs, its own admissions offices and familiar brand. Funding and governance systems would stay the same as they are now. But all of it would be settled in a new location on a four-year university campus. There is only one Clinton staff person working in the Stafford Science building this semester, Favro said. "A lot of colleges are moving into shared services," Kowal said. Asked by staff if there is any precedent for this type of shared SUNY campus in New York State, "We will be the first," Favro answered. NOT A MERGER Sharing property and possibly some student services and technology platforms could bring benefits to Clinton students, Kowal told the college community. "The 'm' (merger)"word has never been used in any discussion," he said. Neither have the worst three words that could be said in a SUNY directive: Teach Out Plan, which would move the college to closure. Relocation is going to take time, managed by a Strategic Planning Committee made up of SUNY system personnel, Plattsburgh State and Clinton administrators in cooperation with Clinton County legislators, including legislative Chairman Mark Henry. "This is not for next fall (2024), it's for the year after," Kowal said. Favro said the committee will work to keep Clinton's mission intact. "That's what we're here for. The only downside is the emotional attachment." Closer to or in the city, the move could prove beneficial for students who would then be able to explore more of what Plattsburgh has to offer, Favro said. PRACTICAL QUESTIONS Possibilities are manifold, but faculty and staff asked practical questions, including how added amenities would impact student fees and how the admissions team is supposed to respond to inquiries from potential students? Staff wanted to know if their jobs are secure, if the college's well-respected athletics programs would be kept intact. They asked if the Strategic Planning Committee would add staff and faculty members, and where, exactly, Clinton Community College will go? Most of the questions are yet to be answered, Favro and Kowal were honest. The planning process will address job security and look to keep Clinton personnel working together as they do now for the students, Favro said. It's not clear how Clinton's existing Integrated Dual Degrees with Plattsburgh State, such as the nursing program, would expand or if clinic training rooms, science labs and playing fields would be shared. It's not clear how food service costs will be shared. The patent message that came from the meeting was a call for collaboration. "Not one person alone in this room can make this happen," Favro said. "But everybody in this room can make something happen." "There is no more kicking the can down the road," he said. They've reached the end of the road on Bluff Point. NEXT STEPS A community college insert onto a SUNY university property is the first ever to be developed in New York State, but it is not an entirely new concept. Kowal suggested two-year proximity and familiarity with the Plattsburgh State campus could encourage students to go on for a four-year university degree. At the forum, AIM Vice President for Development Steve Frederick said he recently learned of a similar move with a community college relocating to a state university in Washington State. The symbiosis had some surprising enrollment outcomes. Foreign students unsure about four-year commitments and with lower testing scores flocked to the associate's program, hoping to achieve access to a bachelor's degree. Enrollment in the two-year sector went up significantly. Fredrick chose to look at the move with a wide-angle lens. "I'm intrigued," he said. "This is an interesting opportunity. I really want to jump into this challenge." Next steps for Clinton include overall assessment of how much space programs use and what they need to grow. Staff and faculty asked if college administrators would set up a monthly information session to help keep them all informed. "I love the idea," Kowal said. ................................ STAY INFORMED The campus has developed a web page to address frequently asked questions, which it will update as details are finalized. Clinton President Kowal's message to the campus community may be found online: clinton.edu/about/Strategic_Planning_for_CCC_Future.aspx A series of Frequently Asked Questions are linked to the message. ................................................................... EMPTY CAMPUS PLATTSBURGH | With Clinton Community College and Plattsburgh State moving to share campus space, what happens to the tens of millions of dollars worth of facilities, historic renovations, bricks and mortar on Bluff Point? Nobody argues at all about the location's sheer beauty. The historic former Hotel Champlain has operated as a college since 1969. It began with the one vintage building. The centerpiece was restored with funding from the George and Shirley Moore Foundation, based in nearby Keeseville. Along with its spectacular berth above Lake Champlain, the Ronald B. Stafford science center, gymnasium, an as-yet unfinished police training center, and the Advanced Institute for Manufacturing (AIM) facilities are owned by Clinton County. Leaders here said they will start with a feasibility study, reviewing inventory as the college formulates its departure. Legislative Chairman Mark Henry said the county is committed to ensuring the integrity of the property. "We plan to conduct a feasibility study to determine the best and highest use of that property. The most import part now is ensuring a smooth transition for Clinton Community College students and employees that are affected by this." The county will sustain its annual financial support of the college, even when it moves, according to college administrators. At Clinton County Industrial Development Agency, Executive Director Molly Ryan said relocation provides an opportunity for Clinton to continue on its mission and to grow. "We applaud this forward-thinking by college officials, the board of trustees, and Clinton County," Ryan said. "As partners and stewards of industrial and economic growth, CCIDA looks forward to supporting this initiative and will work with the county to find the highest and best use of the remaining property." Key stakeholders in economic development, including the North Country Chamber of Commerce, are involved in planning next steps, Ryan said. The future of the Advanced Institute for Manufacturing is factored into redevelopment of what will become an empty campus. At the Clinton Community College forum, Board of Trustees President David N. Favro said programs at AIM would become the purview of workforce training initiatives managed by business and industry leaders. Clinton Community College President John Kowal said they are having those discussions with industry partners now. Placed on the Clinton campus to bolster enrollment, the 30,000-square-foot facility was designed with flexibility to continuously change as manufacturing and industry do. Assemblyman Billy Jones attended the college forum to listen in. He wasn't party to SUNY and county discussions. With an honorary degree from Clinton, Jones said he came to get answers. Being none, he said his concern is for the people of the college community and the apprehension they face. "There are still a lot of questions to be answered. I'm interested in making sure they carry this college mission and the Clinton college experience forward."

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How to move a college: Clinton goes to PSU campus

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