Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Higher Education Local topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Northampton Community College president: Pocono campus 'is not closing' amid enrollment shift
Summary
Dave Root, president of Northampton Community College, told Monroe County officials on March 18 that rumors of the Poconos campus closing are false, and described enrollment declines on campus alongside double-digit online growth as the college revamps programs and seeks partnerships to boost on-campus training.
Dave Root, president of Northampton Community College, told the Monroe County Board of Commissioners on March 18 that the college’s Poconos campus is not closing and that reports suggesting otherwise are “a complete rumor.”
Root said on the record that in-person enrollments at the campus have declined since the COVID-19 period while online enrollment has risen “double digits,” prompting a strategic response. “We’re not closing,” he said, adding that the college is treating the enrollment trends as a pivotal moment and will adjust how it delivers instruction.
Root outlined several steps the college plans to take: bolster support services for both online and on-campus students; concentrate on a limited set of core programs that can be completed at the Pocono campus; and pursue partnerships with regional health systems and training providers for short-term upskilling and credentialing. He cited talks about co-locating training with local health systems and working with MCTI, which he said has about a 600-student waiting list, to fill unused capacity at the campus.
Root also acknowledged personnel changes described as “rightsizing” and said administrators are trying to balance workforce adjustments with program continuity. He invited any commissioner or resident with questions to contact him directly and closed by reiterating, “We’re here to stay.”
Why it matters: The Poconos campus serves local students and workforce training programs; its future affects local access to higher education and training pipeline partnerships with regional hospitals and technical institutes. Root’s remarks aim to reassure the community while flagging larger demographic and delivery-model shifts reshaping local higher education.
What’s next: College leaders said they will pursue program and partnership changes; no formal county action was requested at the meeting.
