Once again I’m glad to offer this update on college activities and initiatives.
Enrollment Update
I was pleased to have the opportunity to speak about enrollment trends at Monday’s All College Meeting and highlight some of the initiatives we are undertaking to boost our numbers. As I shared there, our latest spring semester enrollment report shows that we are now down 4.9 percent in full-time equivalent (FTE) students compared to last year at this time; we had budgeted for a 2.97 percent decline, so we are now within 2 percent of our budget goal. We have made significant progress in lifting these numbers during the last month, and we have the opportunity to continue making improvements until we hit our enrollment census in mid-March.
College in the High School and other concurrently enrolled students are still registering for spring classes. Also, of particular interest right now are spring sprint (8-week) courses, which begin on March 23, so please do everything you can to encourage students to register for them if appropriate. Sprint may be a suitable term for students looking to get ahead or those considering withdrawing from spring coursework as well, as it could assist them in maintaining financial aid eligibility moving forward. Of course, the best thing is to help students before they withdraw, so please pay extra attention to students who may be struggling, meet with them and refer them to the appropriate support services as needed. The College Success Referral System is one tool for tracking student progress and providing referrals to support areas, so please consider using it if you have not already been doing so.
Summer and Fall registration will also be opening soon, so now is the time to talk with students about their plans for the upcoming terms. Please encourage summer session registration where appropriate, as well as early scheduling for the fall semester. AVN distribution begins Feb. 10; registration for returning and transfer students and academic placement testing both begin on Feb. 24; registration for new students and New Student Orientation both begin on March 2. See the college’s summer and fall registration calendars for more information.
As always, please let me know if you have any suggestions or ideas to support enrollment. And please accept my thanks for your hard work and ongoing commitment to enrollment and retention. Every little bit helps, and your efforts are making a difference. Keep up the good work!
Budget Update
Last week, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul visited campus to provide a community briefing on the proposed New York State budget. Highlights include a phased-in expansion of the Excelsior Scholarship that would raise the cap on family income over a period of years and allow more students to qualify. As Vice President Reuter noted at the All College Meeting, Hudson Valley ranks second among community colleges across New York State in number of Excelsior recipients, so this would provide an opportunity to increase our pool of prospective students. Community college operating funding remains level in this budget proposal, and as I noted last month we will be active in our advocacy efforts and keep the campus community posted on our progress.
Facilities Master Plan
As mentioned in my December update, the state budget also includes funding for phase one of the Facilities Master Plan. JMZ, our master planning consultant, will share preliminary proposals and a timeline with the campus community throughout the spring semester. The firm will make a presentation at the Academic Senate meeting on Feb. 24. Then in March, JMZ will return to campus for open meetings.
At the All College Meeting, I previewed plans for a new skilled trades facility and classroom and lab space in a new building adjacent to TEC-SMART as part of the plan. However, JMZ’s proposals have a much wider impact on the campus. I hope you’ll be able to take part in upcoming meetings to learn more about the concepts and timelines.
College Foundation
Last week, I attended the annual meeting of the college Foundation, which highlighted its significant contribution to the college. Student Senate Secretary Tajae Edwards, who is from Jamaica, attended the meeting and spoke of his struggle to cover his educational costs and remain at Hudson Valley. He was referred to the Foundation, which awarded him a scholarship and student emergency funds to continue his program, and he will graduate in May.
Tajae is not the only student whose opportunity to continue his education has been saved by scholarships and funding from the Foundation. Thousands of students have benefited from their support, and there are new scholarships being created all the time. However, many students are not aware that these scholarships are available to them. Please, if you have students who are facing the idea of having to cut short their education because of funding issues, make them aware that the Foundation may be able to help. Right now, the application period for Foundation scholarships for the Fall 2020 semester is open from now until March 13, and more than $350,000 in scholarships are waiting to be awarded. Students must simply submit a general application and an essay detailing their goals and how receiving a scholarship would help them achieve them. Many of the scholarships also require filing a FAFSA. Students can apply online, and if they need their username of password, they can request it online here.
Thank you,
President Roger Ramsammy
Published: Fri, 07 Feb 2020 13:15:33 +0000 by r.ramsammy