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Tompkins Cortland Community College readies for SUNY Connect, sees enrollment uptick and plans sale of three residence halls
Summary
TC3 President Amy Kremenek told the county committee May 7 that the college is preparing for state adult-tuition proposals, finalizing a three-year strategic plan, pursuing a campus career center, managing a $40 million bond tied to residence halls and relying heavily on Pell grants.
Tompkins Cortland Community College President Amy Kremenek told the Tompkins Intergovernmental Relations Committee May 7 that the college is preparing for a state proposal to expand free community college for adults and is pursuing several campus and capital changes to match workforce needs.
Kremenek said TC3 is preparing for the SUNY Connect proposal, a program modeled on the governor’s plan to provide free tuition and fees for adults ages 25 to 55 in targeted high-demand fields. “This is focused on adults ages 25 to 55 who do not already have a degree,” Kremenek said, adding the program would be offered to part-time students in recognition of adults’ schedules.
Kremenek highlighted several local operational and capital items: the college is finalizing a 2025–2028 strategic plan; enrollment is tracking up roughly 14 percent year over year (early data); Pell grants provide about $9,000,000 annually to TC3 students; and the college is seeking federal and congressional support for a dedicated campus career center.
Residence halls and leases: Kremenek said TC3 has seven residence halls and that three buildings are vacant; the college is working with bondholders on a plan to sell three halls and renegotiate approximately $40,000,000 of bond debt associated with the residence-hall portfolio. Kremenek said the college intends to keep four halls (about 400 beds) closest to campus while pursuing a compatible buyer for the vacant buildings. She said the TC3 Foundation’s Cultivare facility is under a 30-year lease and the college is seeking a sublessee to operate that commercial space.
Grants and compliance: Kremenek said the college is negotiating closeouts with Empire State Development tied to two grants from 2013–2014 totaling a little more than $2,000,000 that carried employment requirements the college has been unable to fulfill; she said the property improvements funded by those grants are owned by the city of Ithaca.
Why it matters: Kremenek emphasized that short-term workforce programs and Pell funding are essential for the college’s students, and that changes at the federal level to Pell or other student-aid programs would directly affect TC3’s ability to serve local learners.
Questions and next steps: The committee discussed housing demand and demographics; Kremenek said the college is asking applicants whether they want on-campus housing and noted more than 500 applicants had expressed interest even while the college evaluates hall capacity. Members asked the college to keep county officials informed on negotiations with bondholders, Empire State Development and congressional offices. No formal county actions were taken at the meeting.
