President Duffy, SUNY Adirondack, updated the Warren County Personnel Administration & Higher Education Committee on new academic programs, workforce training pilots and the college's proposed $33.3 million operating budget for fiscal year 2025–26 and the committee voted to refer the budget to the county Finance Committee for consideration.

The college said the budget will require drawing about $797,000 from its fund balance but would still leave the reserve within policy range. The presentation combined program development, enrollment data and a conservative plan for personnel costs, framed as stewardship by the college's finance leader.

Dr. Duffy summarized program development underway at the college and the approvals process. “We have 2 programs ... the radiologic technician ... and environmental science,” Duffy said, describing the multi-step approvals through the SUNY system and the State Education Department; the radiologic program also must be reviewed by the Office of the Professions because it leads to a licensed credential. Duffy said the radiologic technician program is expected to launch in fall 2026 if approvals proceed as anticipated and the environmental science degree could begin in spring 2026.

The college is expanding short-term workforce offerings as “micro‑credentials,” Duffy said, and continuing an HVAC pilot in partnership with the plumbers and steamfitters union. Duffy said the HVAC cohorts draw waiting lists and the college secured additional SUNY funding to continue the program. She also described an “employee readiness” pilot — a seven‑ to nine‑day curriculum in partnership with Stewart's and GlobalFoundries intended to prepare hires with workplace skills — and an AI agility 30‑day challenge to introduce local employers and residents to using AI tools.

Duffy noted branch campus status for the Saratoga site, saying the designation allows the campus to develop programs tailored to Saratoga County's labor market with a focus on adult learners and hybrid delivery. She also said the college will extend offerings into the Greenwich Central School District and continue outreach such as admitting full senior classes from five area school districts to reduce barriers to enrollment.

Keith Chaplin, vice president for administrative services, presented the operating budget and revenue picture. Chaplin said the college's fiscal year runs Sept. 1 through Aug. 31 and the trustees approved the budget unanimously the night before. “The overarching philosophy here for our operating budget really comes down to the word, stewardship,” Chaplin said, explaining a conservative plan that limits hiring and delays nonessential equipment replacements as enrollment and revenue remain uncertain.

Key budget numbers and constraints included:
- Total operating budget: $33,300,000; grants roughly $2,000,000.
- Planned draw on fund balance: about $797,000; estimated post‑budget fund balance: 9.6% (policy target range cited by the college: 8%–16%).
- Projected operating expense increase: 2.8%.
- Personnel and fringe benefits: roughly three quarters of the budget.
- Student share of revenues: about 41% of operating revenue, Chaplin said.

Chaplin and Duffy explained county sponsor support and “chargebacks” from non‑sponsoring counties. Chaplin said the college collects chargebacks from students who reside in non‑sponsoring counties to match in effect what sponsoring counties pay; he noted the college receives more chargeback revenue from Saratoga County than it receives from either Warren or Washington County.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about state aid and grants. Chaplin said state operating aid has been essentially flat in recent years and that its share of total operating revenue has decreased from roughly 30% to about 24% over six years. He distinguished unrestricted operating aid from restricted grants, saying federal and state grants such as TRIO are typically accounted for separately because they are tied to specific program purposes; Chaplin noted TRIO accounted for roughly $1 million of current grant funding.

Duffy and Chaplin described personnel decisions baked into the budget: several retirements will not be refilled unless necessary (including a chief diversity officer); a recently opened vice president for enrollment and student affairs position will be budgeted only as a partial year and left for the incoming president to decide. Duffy said the college's longtime president is departing and that incoming President Anastasia Ertz will begin July 1.

Duffy also outlined capital planning tied to workforce needs. The college proposes renovating space to create a two‑phase Future Work Center to properly house its mechatronics program and other manufacturing‑oriented instruction; the foundation plans a capital campaign and the college is exploring grants and possible county conversations but is not requesting county funds at this time.

On statewide initiatives, Duffy described SUNY Reconnect (the governor's budget program providing free community‑college tuition, fees and books to eligible adult learners) and said the program is funded and recruiting; the college received nearly 400 inquiries in two weeks. Eligible programs named by the college for Reconnect included cybersecurity, networking, nursing, substance‑use services, IT/computer science and engineering science.

Action: Committee members moved to refer the college's operating budget to the Warren County Finance Committee. The motion was approved by voice vote.

What changed: The committee's referral advances the college's budget through county review; no county appropriation was voted at this meeting. The college continues internal approval (trustees) and external approvals (SUNY/system submission), and listed capital work remains contingent on future fundraising and grant awards.

Sources: Presentation and Q&A at the Warren County Personnel Administration & Higher Education Committee meeting, May 30, 2025.