© 2024 WRVO Public Media
NPR News for Central New York
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

SUNY Chancellor addresses low community college enrollment

SUNY Chancellor John King speaks with students at Cayuga Community College's Auburn Campus on March 20.
Abigail Connolly
/
WRVO News
SUNY Chancellor John King speaks with students at Cayuga Community College's Auburn Campus on March 20, 2023.

SUNY Chancellor John King made another stop in central New York this week while visiting Cayuga Community College in Auburn.

King visited the campus on Monday, marking his 25th stop on a 64-campus tour. King’s appointment as chancellor and tour of colleges came as community college enrollments are dwindling. King says now is the time to combat this by letting people know that SUNY has something for them.

“We have to make sure that every New York student knows that there is a space for them here at SUNY,” King said. “Might be at one of our two-year institutions, might be at one of our four-year institutions, might be at one of the university centers or graduate programs.”

In a new initiative, SUNY plans on partnering with school districts across the state to send personal letters to twelfth graders to inform them about community college opportunities. King says this is one way to make the enrollment process as personal as possible.

“We think it is important for students to get that personalized communication, to know that college is for them,” King said.

King said many students may not be aware of all the opportunities available to them through SUNY programs. The personalized letters could help bridge that gap.

“SUNY has this wide range of offerings,” King said. “I am not sure students and families always appreciate the breadth of opportunities at SUNY schools.”

After speaking with students at CCC, King noted how important affordability remains for students. King said that should be a focus point for SUNY communications.

“Students talked about, today, the affordability and the high quality of education they are getting without debt,” King said. “And that is an important message for us to get out.”

King reiterated that SUNY has a spot for anyone looking to further their education.

“There is someplace for everyone here, and a great value proposition,” King said.

Abigail is a temporary WRVO News Reporter/Producer working on regional and digital news stories. She graduated from SUNY Oswego in 2022 where she studied English and Public Relations. Abigail enjoys reading, writing, exploring CNY and spending time with family and friends. Abigail first joined the WRVO team as a student reporter in June 2022.