Submitted Photo A deficit of more than $16.8 million is projected for the 2022-23 year at the State University of New York at Fredonia.

SUNY Fredonia has apparently halted its decline in students. However, it is still in rough financial waters.

This is clear from information shared at a meeting last week of the school’s College Council. Michael Metzger, the college’s vice president for finance and administration, offered some budget reports: a final summary of the 2021-22 spending plan and a look at how 2022-23 is going.

His reports showed the college is running a deficit in the range of $16 million. It was $15,942,894 at the end of the ’21-22 school year on June 30, according to a slide he showed. Another slide had the deficit at a projected $16,811,315 for ’22-23.

Regarding the ’21-’22 budget, Metzger said, “We had a shortfall in enrollment projection but that was offset by cost reductions.” The budget originally projected 4,100 students, but 3,731 students actually attended, his slide stated. By the end of the school year, due to attrition that campus officials say happens through the school year at any college, the student head count was at 3,436.

The deficit got zeroed out, in part, through delays in hiring and federal stimulus money. “We did use some of the stimulus … but it was minuscule compared to what was anticipated,” Metzger said.

The final 2021-22 budget projection actually improved from the January forecast.

“Our January forecast, we were conservative on the cost reductions we were able to maintain,” Metzger said, adding that the hiring delays wound up “a major part” of the moves to save money.

President Stephen Kolison bluntly said the college needs more aid from New York state but that it is a “political process” to convince education leaders in Albany. He also said the college must improve its enrollment before it even attempts to run a surplus.

The 2022-23 budget report did show a bit of good news on the enrollment front.

Metzger said the initial budget run projected 3,500 students. However, a head count of students 15 days into the fall semester showed 3,524 attending campus. Those students are “paid up” and can’t get their money back, he said. Without the tuition from the additional students, the budget shortfall would have amounted to $17,318,361, his slide showed.

Executive Vice President and Provost David Starrett said there are 307 graduate students right now, a 10-year high for the campus. “Clearly there’s an opportunity there, and as we’ve discussed, they pay greater tuition,” he said.

Starrett also reported that SUNY Fredonia is cutting some department chair positions. Two were cut this fall and two are scheduled to be ended in fall 2023. He called the moves an indication to state education officials that the college is taking its own initiative to control costs.

The most important issue, according to College Council President Frank Pagano, is boosting the enrollment rate.

“Admissions is the key to our survival here,” he said at the close of the meeting. Noting he had heard of “a lot of things in the works” at the meeting, Pagano openly hoped for improved reports in student admission and retention this year.

“The state is only going to go so far with us, and if they have to keep giving us money, they’re going to come in and take charge here,” he warned.