What we know about Rockland Community College's fiscal issues, its next steps
SUFFERN – Rockland Community College officials recently acknowledged a "structural deficit" estimated at up to $3.4 million. Officials have publicly denied layoffs are planned, so far, to address the fiscal strain.
The announcement comes just about three months into the tenure of its new president, Lester Edgardo Sandres Rápalo, who had been a provost at CUNY Bronx Community College. Rápalo took over shortly after the departure of Michael Baston, who led the college since 2017 and left, mid-contract, to take over an Ohio community college.
At an Oct. 24 Board of Trustees meeting, dozens of staff and faculty showed up; many said they were there to hear about the deficit. But no administrative staff nor board members spoke about the issue during the public portion of the meeting.
“Options being considered include furloughs, early retirement, and voluntary separations," said Risa Hoag, who is acting as point person for the college on the issue. "To date there have been no personnel changes due to the structural deficit.”
Who goes to RCC
While the college has touted a 6% increase in student enrollment this fall, the student body had dwindled over the past several years, a situation exacerbated during COVID.
About 6,250 people are enrolled in credit and non-credit courses, according to RCC.
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The college's focus goes well beyond the traditional two-year associate's degree. Its nursing school boasts a 98% passage rate for the NCLEX licensing exam. There's a standalone culinary arts training center.
The college has increased focus on workforce development partnerships with employers. RCC develops training that leads to credentials needed for available jobs.
Students speak about 50 languages and come from more than two dozen countries, Rápalo said at the Oct. 24 board meeting. Many first-generation students launch from RCC to four-year colleges and beyond.
Making up the money
Hoag had previously said that RCC is pursuing several paths to boost funding, like increasing enrollment and renting out facilities.
Kevin Stump, vice president of economic mobility & workplace innovation for the college, said workforce development could bring in up to $2 million this year.
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Community colleges receive funding from the tuition and fees they charge; the state; and the counties where they are located. It's supposed to be an even split. But the state's portion has lagged for years.
RCC's operating costs for 2023-2024 were $67,158,655, according to State University of New York documents; 36.2% was covered by student tuition and fees; 23.3% by state aid; 34.3% by Rockland County (and other counties); and 6.2% through various other fees.
Student tuition for 2023-2024 is $2,736 per semester or $5,472 a year. RCC charges the same tuition for out-of-state and international students.
Past fiscal issues
RCC struggled with a deficit in the mid-1990s that reached $16 million. Back then, the county hiked the college's funding. By the mid-2000s, the deficit was nearly $6 million.
In the early 1990s the school had spent a decade under probe in the so-called Judaic Studies scandal, in which phony students, through a phony seminary, obtained tuition aid. The school ended up repaying $5.2 million in federal aid.
Nancy Cutler covers People & Policy for lohud.com and the USA Today Network New York. Reach her at ncutler@lohud.com; follow her on Twitter (X), Instagram and Threads at @nancyrockland.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: SUNY Rockland Community College deficit threatens cost cutting layoffs
