SARANAC LAKE — North Country Community College President Joe Keegan on Wednesday invited a number of local and regional politicians to the Saranac Lake campus to see the nearly completed nursing and science labs and to discuss these upgrades. We are grateful for the financial support that made this possible.
This is the first Community Leaders Day held at NCCC since the coronavirus pandemic began, and Keegan said $3.3 million upgrades to the science and nursing laboratories are nearly complete. , said there is much to celebrate.
Professor Keegan said that for the first time in 10 years, the university’s enrollment has increased from fall semester to fall semester, from 651 last year to 685 this year, an increase of 5% from the fall semester of 2022. said. He said this is definitely a job for staff at different levels.
The university began the semester in late August with a core enrollment of 696 students, an increase of only 2% from last year’s opening day of 685 students. The university concluded last fall semester with 638 major students.
Franklin County Councilmember Lindy Ellis and Essex County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Jim Monti would like to thank their respective boards for each pledging an additional $100,000 in operational support this year. expressed. This brings the county’s taxpayer contributions to the NCCC this year to $3.5 million.
Keegan said the university’s ability to stay open depends on the county and state, as well as student tuition and philanthropists.
An infusion of $1.1 million in state funds, sponsored by state Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, and former state Sen. Betty Little, to modernize science labs at the Saranac Lake and Ticonderoga campuses. Improvements to the laboratory are underway.
NCCC also secured a $250,000 state grant through U.S. Rep. Billy Jones (D-Chatauguay Lake) to renovate science labs on NCCC’s Malone campus, and North Country Rep. Elise Stefani. It also received $1 million in federal funding from U.S. Rep. Chuck Schumer and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer. Kirsten Gillibrand will upgrade nursing labs on all three campuses.
Sarah Maroon, vice president for academic affairs, outlined all of the university’s new programs and certificates to expand its offerings to attract more students.
Jones said NCCC is a true community college, serving the needs of the communities it serves.
Nursing Program Director Tana Hare thanked lawmakers for recently passing a bill that would allow nursing students to replace one-third of their required clinical time with time in a simulation lab. .
Professor Hare said the new simulation lab will help increase enrollment in the nursing program and increase the university’s clinical capabilities, as it is difficult to spend hours in a hospital in rural areas. This will benefit nurses, patients, hospitals and communities, she said.
Science professor Sarah Shoemaker said safety is paramount in science labs. They deal with dangerous chemicals, fire hazards, and potentially pathogenic microorganisms while studying chemistry and biology. Introducing the latest equipment allows for safer and more comfortable work.
Carrie Reardon, an NCCC alumnus and vice president of nursing at Adirondack Health, expressed her gratitude to the university for preparing the next generation of nurses desperately needed at the hospital.
Outgoing NCCC Board Chair Stephen Reed and incoming Chair Pete Suttmeyer held a changing of the guard ceremony. Professor Suttmeyer said universities are at a pivotal time as they emerge from the coronavirus pandemic and implement new technologies. He said the university is experiencing difficult times due to an overall decline in enrollment, but NCCC’s growth this semester makes him optimistic about the future.