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Committee OKs C-GCC budget
By Francesca Olsen
GREENPORT - The county Finance Committee approved the Columbia-Greene Community College proposed budget for 2009-2010 Thursday as its last resolution for the night. The budget, at $14,960,000, an increase of $410,000 or 2.82 percent from the 2008-2009 school year.
The budget for C-GCC will be fully approved after it goes through the full Columbia County Board of Supervisors meeting July 8, and then, after Education Committee that occurred directly before the finance meeting, C-GCC President James Campion went through the proposed budget again. The committee met as a follow-up to the C-GCC Joint Sponsorship meeting, which occurred earlier this week.
“This is the time of year where the Education Committee really earns its keep,” said Education Committee chair Phillip Williams, D-Livingston. “As we do our due diligence, we’ll ask the president to go through (the budget) one more time.”
Campion mentioned that the population of minority students is up. In Fall 2007, 10 percent of students were minorities. In Fall 2008, the number jumped to 13 percent.
From June 2008 to June 2009, the number of applicants has increased by 39 percent. “It’s a number we haven’t seen before,” said Campion. He explained that community colleges have lower tuitions and are more accessible to locals. Of transfer applicants to C-GCC, half are applying to transfer from four year public and private colleges, which could be a sign of the times.
“We all know what the repercussions of that are down the line,” said Campion, explaining that an increase in applicants means the college must get into a mind frame “where we really need to be thinking about more full time faculty members.”
“A lot of people who can’t find jobs are going back to school,” said Margaret Robertson, D-New Lebanon.
“I think you’re right -- I think that’s exactly the reason we’re seeing those kinds of numbers,” said Campion.
High school enrollment across both Columbia and Greene County is down. “It’s a major concern for us as we’re doing long term planning,” said Campion.
The most popular area of study at C-GCC, by far, is nursing. A wait list exists to get into the program. Automotive technology and criminal justice aren’t far behind, and the college has experienced an upsurge in business students. “That’s what we’ve been wanting to see for a number of years,” said Campion, who made the point that high-tech companies and information technology businesses need human resource and “administrative-type” people.
After the Finance Committee passed the C-GCC budget, Campion told the Register-Star he wasn’t worried about the state senate freeze affecting aid to the college, because their year runs from September 1 to August 31. The state’s budget is already in place and has been in place since April 1. “It’s exactly the same rate that it was last year,” he said, adding that there was a six percent decrease in categorical aid, but that the base rate for state aid is still the same.
The budget for C-GCC will be fully approved after it goes through the full Columbia County Board of Supervisors meeting July 8, and then, after Education Committee that occurred directly before the finance meeting, C-GCC President James Campion went through the proposed budget again. The committee met as a follow-up to the C-GCC Joint Sponsorship meeting, which occurred earlier this week.
“This is the time of year where the Education Committee really earns its keep,” said Education Committee chair Phillip Williams, D-Livingston. “As we do our due diligence, we’ll ask the president to go through (the budget) one more time.”
Campion mentioned that the population of minority students is up. In Fall 2007, 10 percent of students were minorities. In Fall 2008, the number jumped to 13 percent.
From June 2008 to June 2009, the number of applicants has increased by 39 percent. “It’s a number we haven’t seen before,” said Campion. He explained that community colleges have lower tuitions and are more accessible to locals. Of transfer applicants to C-GCC, half are applying to transfer from four year public and private colleges, which could be a sign of the times.
“We all know what the repercussions of that are down the line,” said Campion, explaining that an increase in applicants means the college must get into a mind frame “where we really need to be thinking about more full time faculty members.”
“A lot of people who can’t find jobs are going back to school,” said Margaret Robertson, D-New Lebanon.
“I think you’re right -- I think that’s exactly the reason we’re seeing those kinds of numbers,” said Campion.
High school enrollment across both Columbia and Greene County is down. “It’s a major concern for us as we’re doing long term planning,” said Campion.
The most popular area of study at C-GCC, by far, is nursing. A wait list exists to get into the program. Automotive technology and criminal justice aren’t far behind, and the college has experienced an upsurge in business students. “That’s what we’ve been wanting to see for a number of years,” said Campion, who made the point that high-tech companies and information technology businesses need human resource and “administrative-type” people.
After the Finance Committee passed the C-GCC budget, Campion told the Register-Star he wasn’t worried about the state senate freeze affecting aid to the college, because their year runs from September 1 to August 31. The state’s budget is already in place and has been in place since April 1. “It’s exactly the same rate that it was last year,” he said, adding that there was a six percent decrease in categorical aid, but that the base rate for state aid is still the same.
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