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The Business Council of New York State supports S.5617 (LaValle) / A.7560 (Glick) which would direct community colleges to study the effectiveness of their current full time equivalent (FTE) funding formula and alternatives based on the specific mission, needs and unique regional concerns of such community colleges.
Currently, community colleges are funded based on a FTE funding formula which leaves them vulnerable to funding shortages when enrollment is down. This legislation would help community colleges to evaluate their specific needs, both financially and programmatically, and alternatives to ensuring that they have sustainable funding.
Community colleges in New York State are essential partners in developing the workforce pipeline for regional business and industry workforce demands. Their ability to work with business and industry to develop curriculum and programs that create an in-demand workforce is a crucial function and vital to many regional businesses in New York. As such, it is important that they are able to continue to do this through periods of decreased overall enrollment.
The Business Council supports programs which not only help students attend college, but those that also help ensure New York has the qualified workforce needed to further grow our economy. As such, the Business Council supports S.5617 (LaValle) / A.7560 (Glick) which would help community colleges evaluate their ability to continue to fund vital programs in times of reduced enrollment.