Board of Trustees Pass '09-'10 Operating Budget
June 2, 2009
At today’s meeting of the Onondaga Community College Board of Trustees, the members of the board unanimously passed the College’s 2009-10 operating budget of $66.2 million. The 6.3 percent increase over the College’s 2008-09 operating budget is driven by increased expenses to meet the needs of fast-growing enrollment. Enrollment for fall 2009 is currently tracking at a potential 20 percent overall increase in the number of students attending Onondaga over the same time last year.
Like all public community colleges in New York state, Onondaga Community College is funded by state aid, the local sponsor and student tuition. Funding from the state and Onondaga County will remain level in 2009-10. And a modest tuition increase of $66 per semester will bring Onondaga Community College’s tuition to $1,762 per semester or $3,524 per year for full-time students.
“Onondaga Community College has experienced unprecedented growth over the past four years, making it one of the fastest-growing colleges in the entire SUNY system. The College is also recognized as one of the most efficient community colleges based on spending per full-time equivalent (FTE) student, and the 2009-10 budget will be no exception. It is a tremendously lean budget, one that directly supports the College’s core mission and strategic priorities” said David W. Murphy, chairman of the Board of Trustees.
“Enrollment has risen by more than 34% since 2001, and more students drives not only increased operating expenses, but also increased capacity for delivering academic programs and services,” said Debbie L. Sydow, Ph.D.
Space to expand capacity for classrooms and student services
The Board of Trustees also reviewed preliminary plans for the construction of a new addition to Storer Auditorium that will expand general classroom capacity and house the College’s Music program, as well as allow for the renovation of space in the Gordon Student Center to accommodate the increased demand for student services, including counseling and advisement. The total project cost is $18.9 million, half of which has already been secured from the state. A 50 percent match by the College’s local sponsor, Onondaga County is required to proceed with construction.
“The critical need for additional classrooms—particularly during peak times—and core student services such as counseling is well documented. The new student services space will provide a hub for advisement and counseling services that are essential to student success. The new addition will also enable the College’s highly popular Music program to move to a space that properly accommodates the needs of the students and the program’s growing enrollment, which is up 50 percent since 2004,” said Dr. Sydow.
The new Advisement and Counseling Center will occupy space in the Gordon Student Center that currently houses the Music department. The cost of constructing the center within the existing footprint of the Gordon Student Center is estimated to be $2.3 million. The College has secured a five-year, $1.9 million Title III federal grant to develop and pilot an enhanced advisement program that will be housed in the Center.
The Music department will move to a new 22,000 square-foot addition to Storer Auditorium, which will also house eight technology-rich “smart” classrooms to help address the need for additional classroom space for the growing population of Onondaga Community College.
Next steps
With Board of Trustees’ passage of the operating budget and review of the addition to Storer Auditorium and plans for the Advisement and Counseling Center, College officials will present its 2009-10 budget proposal at a special joint meeting on June 9 to the Onondaga County Legislature’s Education and Libraries and Ways and Means Committees. That proposal will include the 2009-10 operating budget, which contains no planned increase from its local sponsor, and a request for $9.45 million (50% of the $18.9 million project) to match state funds already allocated for new construction of academic and student services space. The College must have a 50 percent match from its local sponsor in order to access state-allocated capital funds.
With more than 11,000 students, Onondaga Community College is the second-largest undergraduate institution in Central New York and was named one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the country by Community College Week. Founded in 1961, it is a comprehensive two-year college operating under the State University of New York (SUNY) and is locally sponsored by Onondaga County. Onondaga offers nearly 50 programs of study, bachelor and master’s degrees available on campus through a partnership with Keuka College, and more than 80 other transfer agreements with four-year colleges and universities. Home to the 2009 NJCAA national champion men’s and women’s lacrosse teams and the 2008 NJCAA national champion men’s tennis team, Onondaga has nine intercollegiate men’s and women’s athletic teams.
