The student population at SUNY Fredonia is higher than anticipated right now. Projected enrollment for the fall semester is the university’s highest since 2010.

College Council members heard recently that university revenues for the current semester are $1.6 million more than budgeted because spring semester enrollment is exceeding projections with 2,994 students enrolled. The university had budgeted for 2,730. Applications for next fall have increased 7%, with acceptance numbers up 6%.

That’s all great news.

But let’s not act as if the college’s problems are solved. It’s far too early to tell if the good news College Council members heard recently is a trend or an aberration. It will take years for the university to recover after what has happened in the past decade. SUNY Fredonia has a $17 million accumulated deficit. The roadmap college leadership proposes cuts $10 million from that deficit – which means a lot of work remains to be done before the college is on solid financial footing again.

The university may have plugged the holes in its boat. Not taking on water is great. Drifting toward shore is a good sign. But we haven’t yet found the engine that will get this ship to the dock.