Sad state of affairs in Upstate NY

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I live in a very rural section of the state, yet I am within a half hour drive of Cornell University, Binghamton University, SUNY Cortland, Ithaca College, SUNY Broome, and Tompkins Cortland Community College and a couple of specialty colleges

If I want to drive 45 minutes, I am at Syracuse University, LeMoyne University, and other community colleges and specialty college

In the last year though, two colleges within 45 mile of me have announced they are closing: Cazenovia College and now, Wells College. Three years ago, Davis College closed in Binghamton. This is disappointing to me as I've been blessed to be surrounded by high quality bastions of education, even though I live in the boonies where Amish in their wagons, snowmobiles, bald eagles overhead, coyotes howling at night, and grazing cows are more common than most rural areas, and far be it to find taxis, buses, or concrete buildings around here. Oh well...a lot of change is usually good. Closing quality schools is not one of them

Losing two very fine educational institutions in a span of one year sucks! 

[MightyGiants]

I live in a very rural section of the state, yet I am within a half hour drive of Cornell University, Binghamton University, SUNY Cortland, Ithaca College, SUNY Broome, and Tompkins Cortland Community College and a couple of specialty colleges

If I want to drive 45 minutes, I am at Syracuse University, LeMoyne University, and other community colleges and specialty college

In the last year though, two colleges within 45 mile of me have announced they are closing: Cazenovia College and now, Wells College. Three years ago, Davis College closed in Binghamton. This is disappointing to me as I've been blessed to be surrounded by high quality bastions of education, even though I live in the boonies where Amish in their wagons, snowmobiles, bald eagles overhead, coyotes howling at night, and grazing cows are more common than most rural areas, and far be it to find taxis, buses, or concrete buildings around here. Oh well...a lot of change is usually good. Closing quality schools is not one of them

Losing two very fine educational institutions in a span of one year sucks! 

Covid seems to have had an impact on smaller colleges.  Colleges made a lot of their money on dorm rooms and the like (which are run at a profit).   When colleges were remote, that income stream was taken away.  Even with the dorms reopening, more students seem to opt for online or remote learning over in-person.

My mother still works part-time for a small university in NJ.  It's struggling badly, and from what she tells me, it wouldn't surprise me if it goes belly up in the next couple of years.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Covid seems to have had an impact on smaller colleges.  Colleges made a lot of their money on dorm rooms and the like (which are run at a profit).   When colleges were remote, that income stream was taken away.  Even with the dorms reopening, more students seem to opt for online or remote learning over in-person.

My mother still works part-time for a small university in NJ.  It's struggling badly, and from what she tells me, it wouldn't surprise me if it goes belly up in the next couple of years.

Excellent point. I completely forgot about the whole COVID debacle and its effect on small colleges. I think you're spot on. Still sad

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Sorta good news...just read this from the NYS Govt page

"Governor Kathy Hochul today announced Cazenovia College has been selected as the site that the New York State Police will lease for its new State Police Auxiliary Academy. "

 "The additional auxiliary academy is part of the Governor's plan to fund an unprecedented number of Basic School classes, which was announced earlier this year."

"Governor Hochul secured more than $66 million in the Fiscal Year 2024 Enacted Budget to fund two additional State Police classes."

Not sure how well that will go over with the rich residents. Cazenovia is one of the wealthiest villages in Upstate NYS competing year in and year out with Skaneateles, Canandaigua, and Saratoga Springs

[DaveBrown74]

Sad, but don't even get me started on what is going on at other colleges right now...