SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — SUNY Sullivan leaders reassured Sullivan County legislators that the future of the college is quite strong, when they spoke at a Thursday, April 9 meeting of the Sullivan County Legislature. The appearance came after the college announced lay-offs of up to 15 full-time positions on March 31, part of a broader framework for financial stability, the college has said. 

Officials told legislators that the college has been working on a fiscal plan. While making layoffs was a difficult and painful decision, it was one the college realized through its fiscal planning process that it needed to make, they said. 

“In the end, it just became clear that to ensure the viability of the college five years from now that the adjustments would have to be made presently,” vice president of administrative services Sean Welsh told legislators. 

He added, “This does not mean that SUNY Sullivan has solved all of its fiscal problems. Fiscal health is a commitment, and something we are going to have to continue to check in on and be regularly concerned with.”

The announcement indicated that up to 15 full-time positions would be affected by the lay-offs, and that there will be no change to the college’s academic programs. 

SUNY Sullivan President David Potash told the River Reporter the college could not share details about which specific departments or positions will be affected at this time. “We have to follow the process with our bargaining partners and their respective CBAs, and we have a deep obligation to the individuals affected,” he said. “They must have conversations directly with their union and the college before any information enters the public record.”

“No further reductions in force are planned,” Potash added. “The current action reflects our best assessment of what is needed to stabilize the college financially, and we are confident they represent the right actions.”

Strategic planning

The fiscal overview the college has taken runs in parallel to a broader strategic planning process. 

The college previously completed a 2023-2025 strategic plan, focusing on fiscal stability, student success and the school’s nursing program. In fall 2025, the college began work on its next strategic plan, to cover 2026 to 2030. 

The college is still working on that strategic plan, which is distinct from the financial review that identified the needed reduction in force. 

“The strategic planning process is an ongoing, community-wide conversation about SUNY Sullivan’s long-term direction. It is not a decision-making body and has not produced formal recommendations yet. The financial restructuring decisions were made by college leadership and the board of trustees based on a review of the college’s current fiscal situation, enrollment trends and operational priorities,” Potash told the River Reporter. 

He said the college anticipates publishing the new strategic plan sometime this summer. 

Moves for the future

College officials pointed to the work of the financial and strategic planning as necessary to secure the college’s future, and indicated that said future was bright. They pointed to reasons for optimism, including the growth of its health care programs, with the college seeing a 40 percent increase in nursing program enrollment, a 60 percent increase in medical assistant program enrollment and a 70 percent increase in respiratory care program enrollment. 

“We want to make absolutely sure that the college has [a] plan, a fiscal plan over a longer period of time, that’s going to ensure the college’s long-term success and its ability to deliver on mission,” Potash told the legislature. 

“Positioning ourself as a cornerstone of Sullivan County is the goal,” Welsh told the legislature. “Really kind of being a consistent resource for its residents and visitors is our endgame here and our aim for SUNY Sullivan as we continue.”