SUNY Adirondack plans academic program modifications

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QUEENSBURY, New York (Jan. 29, 2021) — SUNY Adirondack will begin the process of eliminating seven academic programs with persistently low enrollment by no longer admitting new students in these programs beginning with Fall semester of 2021.

The changes were approved Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, by the college’s Board of Trustees, and will be recommended to SUNY and the New York State Education department for final approval. The college communicated these actions to its students, faculty and staff. 

Forty students are enrolled in these seven programs. They will be given the opportunity to  complete the program in which they started or move to a different program if they choose.  

The Board of Trustees approved the following changes:

  • The associate degree programs in Music and in Information Technology, the certificate program in Information Technology, and the concentrations in the Liberal Arts: Individual Studies degree in Art Studio, Music Industry and Sport Management will be discontinued because of low student interest and enrollment. 

  • SUNY Adirondack will continue to offer music courses for electives, and degrees in Fine Arts, Physical Education Studies, Computer Science, Information Technology: Information Security, Information Technology: Networking, and Information Technology: Cybersecurity to accommodate many transfer and career pathways.

  • The Electrical Technology AAS Program will be merged into the Mechatronics AAS degree program designed in consultation with local manufacturers to support industry needs.

“Our faculty and staff work hard to offer our students as broad a range of academic opportunities as possible to prepare them for careers, further education and success in their lives. We also have an ongoing obligation to assess our offerings, modify them in response to students’ needs and interests, and carefully use our financial resources to support those programs that are of the greatest interest and relevance to our students,’’ said Kristine D. Duffy, Ed.D., president of SUNY Adirondack.

One full-time faculty position in Information Technology will be eliminated, effective Fall 2021. A reduction in classes in the other programs will result in reduced need for instructors, equipment and other related expenses. The projected savings is approximately $350,000.

SUNY Adirondack continues to offer more than 40 degree and certificate programs and more than 700 courses to its more than 3,000 students.