BY ADAM ATKINSON
North Country This Week

POTSDAM — Four of the original 14 academic majors at SUNY Potsdam destined for the chopping block will not be cut.

The college began developing a plan of targeted cutbacks and other strategies in an attempt to close up a $9 million deficit announced at the end of August.

The college provost, in a message to the campus community earlier this week, said four programs from a list of majors slated for discontinuance announced several weeks ago would be retained. They are biochemistry (bachelor of science), chemistry (bachelor of arts), public health (bachelor of science) and public health (master of science).

“Key performance indicators will be established for the four degree programs going forward. The President’s Council felt that those goals are attainable, given the proposals from those academic departments and based on demand for careers in these fields,” said interim college Provost Alan L. Hersker in a message to the campus community.

Hersker said the college’s bachelor of arts in arts management, another of the original 14, will be “deactivated.”

“Under the deactivation policy, this program will enter into a three-year period in which it cannot accept new students, but will remain as a registered program. During this time, it is expected that a proposal could be developed to either revise the program or recommend its discontinuance,” Hersker said.

The nine programs left on the list will be discontinued and phased out over three to four academic years if approved by SUNY and the state Education Department. Those programs include: art history (bachelor of arts), chemistry (bachelor of science), dance (bachelor of arts), French (bachelor of arts), music performance (master of music), philosophy (bachelor of arts), physics (bachelor of arts), Spanish (bachelor of arts), and theatre (bachelor of arts).

Hersker said this final list represents 3.9 percent of the college’s total enrollment.

“All students in the impacted programs would be provided with individualized plans for degree completion. Every student currently enrolled in these programs has been contacted and is being connected with dedicated academic advisors. All current students will receive support to complete their degree here, enroll in a different major or transfer elsewhere, based on their personal circumstances and desires. All impacted students can graduate with a SUNY Potsdam degree in that field if they wish,” Hersker said.

Staffing restructure

The college’s situation and response has drawn some criticism from the faculty senate group, which anticipates more substantial staffing cuts on the horizon.

However, in the message to the campus community earlier this week, the provost said that even though a program may be cut, that faculty positions in that program may not necessarily be eliminated, with some of those jobs retained for the college’s general education program and other coursework.

“As with other areas across campus, there may be a reduction in faculty roles in the areas chosen to be retained as well, as we match our workforce to student need,” the provost said.

The college’s official financial stability plan calls for evaluations of some clerical positions as the school transitions to a “hub” model in its support offices and administrative divisions. Other restructuring and reorganizing will be conducted at the cabinet level. Presumably some positions will be cut. The plan also indicates that some offices will forego hiring for open positions. The college’s staff restructuring will be modified to reflect retirements or attrition as well.

SUNY Potsdam is offering a voluntary separation program which incentivizes full time faculty and staff to part ways with the college. Those with 10 to 25 years of service would be paid $1,000 for every year of eligible service to leave, and those with 25 years or more would be paid a lump sum of $25,000 to retire from the school.

Enrollment

The college’s current low enrollment numbers have often been cited as a contributing factor to its current financial problems.

Moving forward, the college plans to modify its academic offerings where possible to enhance student draw to the campus and bolster its numbers.

"SUNY Potsdam will continue to innovate and develop updated or new academic programs in growth areas, where feasible,” Associate Vice President for Communications Mindy Thompson told North Country This Week.

“For instance, we are about to announce updates for our computer science program to add tracks in cybersecurity and data science, which have 100% job placement in high-paying fields. There are other programs currently in development as well. We expect more ideas and growth opportunities to come out of our ongoing strategic planning process. President Suzanne Smith is continuing to meet with regional employers to discuss their workforce needs, which will be critical to our long-term program development,” Thompson said.

In terms of direct student recruitment, the college is focusing on its efforts there as well, report college officials.

"We have an approved action plan for 2023-24 that is guiding this work, including building on our successful on-campus events like Fall Open Houses, overnight bus trip weekends for prospective students, new Featured Fridays, Spring Accepted Student Days, and much more. SUNY Free Application Weeks are just about to wrap up, and we are spreading the word that it's free to apply to SUNY Potsdam between now and Oct. 29," said Terry Francis, Director of Admissions.

"Prospective students need not worry if they don’t submit an application by that date. SUNY Potsdam is on rolling admissions, which means we are consistently accepting applications and enrolling new students," Francis said.

Admissions staff are participating in close to 1,000 high school and community college visits and college fairs, said Francis, and are actively working with faculty, staff, current Potsdam students, and alumni to help them work with prospective students and applicants to encourage them to take the next step and enroll.

Marketing pushes with digital campaigns and broadcast advertising, billboards, Spotify and newspaper/radio ads, among other are also part of the college's promotional strategy.

"Interest in our online graduate programs continues to skyrocket, and we will keep promoting those programs as a great option for working professionals and anyone looking for a flexible way to advance their careers. Finally, in the bigger picture, President Smith is currently leading a strategic planning effort, which will inform our strategies and areas of focus in the coming years," said Francis.