LOCH SHELDRAKE, NY — Back-to-school at SUNY Sullivan will look different under its new president, David Potash: fewer on-campus residences, fewer health clinic hours and a different food provider.

Potash, who officially started on July 1, appeared for the first time before Sullivan County legislators at the July 11 Government Services Committee. He told them he’s all in but will need the legislature’s help. He made it clear he couldn’t succeed alone.

“The college depends tremendously on the support of Sullivan County and needs your support,” he said.

Potash spent the last 11 years running a community college in Chicago. He said he believes community colleges, where many different types of people can come together, establish trust. They are the most important vehicle for bringing people to the next level, he said. 

SUNY Sullivan is the only higher educational institution in the county, he said, so he “takes that mission very, very seriously.”

“Having done this for a while, there are going to be problems,” he said. “What I’m going to promise you upfront is that I’ll be sharing the problems and looking for collaboration.”

Nadia Rajsz (D-2), the legislature chair, told Potash, “Collectively, we are supportive.”

Legislators Matt McPhillips (D-1) and Cat Scott (D-5) echoed Rajsz. Scott said she was particularly happy to hear that Potash planned to be forthcoming about problems, including the concern of residents that academic programs have been cut. 

In May, SUNY Sullivan trustees voted unanimously to deactivate five under-enrolled academic programs (see sidebar). 

“Students currently enrolled will have an opportunity to complete their degrees,” said Rose Hanofee, interim vice president of academic and student affairs. “Individual courses in these disciplines can still be run where there’s interest.”

The programs were selected for deactivation after a five-year review of enrollment data, completion data and program costs. The college says this move is part of a broader strategy to enhance the college’s academic portfolio and ensure its long-term viability. But while the college is cutting majors like the liberal arts and media, it has just launched two new “microcredentialing” programs that “will provide students with basic management, marketing, and sales skills needed for entry-level operations in the cannabis industry,” according to an announcement on July 29 (see related story, "SUNY Sullivan offers cannabis 'microcredentials.'")

Living on campus

The only dormitory on campus, Lazarus I. Levine Residence Hall (“Laz Hall”), has been closed down in stages because of its dilapidated roof. The last students to live there have already moved out; Eleanor Davis, the college’s vice president of advancement and communications, told the River Reporter that the building is no longer housing students. 

The idea of transforming the dorm into a homeless shelter hasn’t gained any traction. The county’s head of health and human services, John Liddle, toured Laz Hall with Sean Welsh, the college’s vice president for administrative services, and a case manager to explore the possibility, but neither the legislature nor the college’s board of trustees have endorsed the concept.

Davis said the school will re-open the EcoGreen Townhouses as the sole on-campus student housing, but they have a smaller capacity than Laz Hall. Davis said the three side-by-side EcoGreen units can hold up to 48 students, where Laz Hall houses 140.

Davis gave the example of SUNY Syracuse, a small school maintaining two residential buildings, with one not fully occupied. That is not a good situation, she said.

“We’re just going to have a different business model,” said Davis.

The change houses 92 fewer students. Some returning students will live in the townhouses. Others are finding housing nearby, although the college is not helping students find outside housing, while rental housing in Sullivan County is becoming increasingly more expensive and hard to come by.

The college commissioned the townhouses in 2010. They were designed and built by the Goshen-based Ruby Group.

“These student residences have stood as a model of sustainability and energy efficiency for over a decade, earning accolades and certifications, including a Platinum LEED rating,” said a press release from SUNY Sullivan announcing the re-opening.

Health clinic to cut hours

Davis, the advancement and communications vice president, told the River Reporter that SUNY Sullivan will no longer have a full-time health clinic. Davis said it’s “unusual” for small colleges like SUNY Sullivan, where most students are commuters, to have a full-time clinic.

Davis did not specify how the change would affect hours and services. The college is soliciting bids for health services for the upcoming year, she said.  

The clinic offers a wide range of services, including emergency crisis assistance, treatment of injuries and illnesses, immunizations, pregnancy testing, COVID-19 testing and testing for sexually transmitted diseases, according to its website.

The website says the clinic is currently open from Monday through Friday. Doctors’ hours during the fall and spring semesters are listed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays (telehealth only), and on from 8 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursday.

Davis says that, despite the changes, the college “will be operating consistent with the SUNY policy as per the governor’s order last year,” which “ensures all public colleges and universities in the SUNY and CUNY systems offer access to medication for abortion.”

Food services

The school will also make changes to its food service offerings. Davis confirmed the school is also in the process of collecting bids for food services for the upcoming year, but that she was unable to comment while the procurement process is underway. “We are committed to providing high quality, affordable meal services to our students,” Davis said.

She also pointed out that the eco townhouses have their own full kitchens “so it made sense to change our offerings.”

SUNY Sullivan wants to support the needs of its students. She said the changes are “part of a dynamic college trying to serve the community and be responsive to community requests.”  

Maintaining accreditation

Potash, the president, told the legislature that his highest priority was the school’s accreditation. 

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), which offers accreditation to colleges that meet its standards, sent SUNY Sullivan a notice of noncompliance in November after a team visit to the campus over two days last August. The notice warns that SUNY Sullivan’s accreditation “may be in jeopardy because of insufficient evidence that the institution is currently in compliance with” its standards regarding “educational effectiveness,” its system for evaluating students’ work, and its planning and budgeting processes.

Potash said he is confident accreditation will be maintained, and that his office will be submitting the required documentation next week. 

In 2022, a former SUNY Sullivan employee brought to the county legislature’s attention a bill from the NYS Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) showing the college had a $6 million backlog in health insurance premiums. Then-president Jay Quaintance said at the time that as NYSHIP raised premiums around 12 percent a year, the college’s expenses rose, revenues stayed flat, and enrollment declined.

Potash said enrollment seems to be slightly up and comparable to other community colleges in the area.