POTSDAM — SUNY Potsdam is preparing to make drastic cuts to degree programs and personnel.
According to an internal email from Faculty Senate Chair Gregory A. Gardner, SUNY Central has tasked SUNY Potsdam administration with coming up with a recovery plan based on a deficit now conservatively estimated at $9 million with no anticipated enrollment increase.
“Brace for impact. We must prepare ourselves for program and headcount cuts of an order beyond anything we have seen on the campus in living memory,” Gardner wrote.
The deficit has grown from $2.4 million in 2013 to $4 million last year, and has now jumped to $9 million. Until now, SUNY Central in Albany had covered SUNY Potsdam’s deficit through loans and grants, “but most often drawn from the reserves of other campuses,” Gardner wrote. Those days are over.
“As enrollments have dropped at other campuses, SUNY is unable to continue financing our deficit and has insisted that we reduce our spending and eliminate our operating deficit as soon as possible,” he wrote.
SUNY Potsdam’s enrollment has plunged over the last decade from 4,042 in 2013 to 2,427 in 2022.
PROGRAMS WITH ‘LITTLE OR NO ENROLLMENT’
While a recovery plan is still being drafted, there have been contractual non-renewals and cuts to departments and programs. The school is no longer offering a bachelor of science in computer science education, a certificate in college teaching CAS, bachelor of science in geographic information systems (GIS) and bachelor of arts in speech communications. In May, the Times reported that there are five instructors in the Department of Theater and Dance whose contracts aren’t being renewed. In March 2022, SUNY Potsdam’s two philosophy professors went public with concerns that their department may also be in danger of being shut down.
“These are all programs with little or no enrollment currently, but still with one faculty member solely dedicated to one of these programs, now facing a difficult future,” Gardner wrote to the Faculty Senate. “The administration is already in discussions with at least two additional departments about possible programmatic cuts and reorganizations.”
Gardner said he doesn’t blame SUNY Potsdam President Suzanne R. Smith, who began her tenure this spring. He says she doesn’t have any other choice. Nor does he blame the larger SUNY system or its administration.
“SUNY is an easy target for blame, especially given what seems to be a very unimaginative and aggressive approach to solving the problems, but they are just holding us accountable for what we failed to do over many years,” Gardner said.
He said that previous presidents and officers in charge heard from “a number of people on campus” that the financial situation was heading to where they are now, but didn’t listen.
“If you are one of that number, you know how Cassandra of Greek mythology felt. Best I’ve got,” Gardner wrote. Cassandra is a character from ancient Greek mythology cursed by the gods to know the future, but never able to convince anyone of it.
‘WILL SECURE SUNY POTSDAM’S FUTURE’
A request from the Times to interview President Smith was denied.
Director of Public Relations Alexandra M. Jacobs-Wilke sent a statement from Associate Vice President for Communications Mindy Thompson that said, “We are aware of the Faculty Senate’s communication with its members and appreciate their deep concern for the future of SUNY Potsdam — a concern we share. President Smith is working in conjunction with SUNY on a plan that will put the College on a path to fiscal stability and tackle head-on the challenges we face, while putting forward-thinking and proactive programs in place to maximize our many strengths. The President will be formally announcing that plan to the entire campus community in the coming weeks, and is confident that it will secure SUNY Potsdam’s future for years to come.”