Chancellor visits NCCC to celebrate state funds for nursing, mental health
Sept. 5, 2024
Saranac Lake, NY – State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today joined North Country Community College President Joe Keegan, Assemblymember Billy Jones, and the NCCC community to celebrate the college’s expanded healthcare workforce training and investments in mental health resources for students on campus made possible by $8 million in additional operating funding for community colleges included by Governor Hochul and the legislature in the 2024-25 enacted State budget.
While on campus, Chancellor King, President Keegan, and Assemblymember Jones participated in a roundtable discussion on how SUNY is consistently working to support mental health across the system, including at North Country Community College.
As part of the State of New York’s 2024/25 Enacted State Budget, SUNY’s 30 Community Colleges received $8 million in additional Direct State Tax Support, the first increase in such funding in almost ten years. From this $200,000 investment, North Country Community College will create a new, full-time position that will have both clinical and simulation coordination roles, and utilize the funding to support part-time didactic and clinical adjunct instructors in the associate degree in nursing program (ADN). This will support increasing capacity in North Country Community College’s nursing programs by up to 32 additional students. The campus will also invest a portion of its funding to augment student mental health services by hiring a full-time clinical social worker to support student mental health and well-being across NCCC’s three campuses.
“SUNY’s community colleges are extraordinary engines of upward mobility. The $8 million in additional community college operating support secured by Governor Hochul and the Legislature will further assist our 30 community colleges in bolstering the state’s healthcare workforce and providing much needed mental health support services,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “I applaud North Country Community College for utilizing its funding to support a new position in the college’s nursing program and hiring a full-time clinical social worker to ensure students have access to direct-counseling and overall well-being support.”
SUNY Board Trustee Eunice A. Lewin said, "SUNY is proud to support our community colleges in their pursuit of excellence, funding mental health services on campus, bestowing crucial professional skills and meeting workforce needs. I congratulate North Country Community College on expanding its nursing program to provide great jobs to students and high-quality nurses to the community and adding a full-time clinical social worker to put student mental health at the forefront."
North Country Community College President Keegan said, “The College is grateful for this additional investment in our students and institution. Nursing education has been a part of the College since our founding in 1967. Our nursing faculty, who work closely with regional health care partners, heard the call regarding the need for more well-prepared nurses in our region. This funding will help us prepare more students to become registered nurses, leverage recent investments in creating state-of-the-art simulation labs, and provide more students and families with access to education that leads to a meaningful career and a pathway toward upward mobility. The additional investment in mental health support is much appreciated, allowing us to add one more layer of support to help ensure students at the College have the opportunity to be successful.”
Assemblymember Billy Jones said, “I am proud to help secure funding for community colleges in the state budget so they can provide the best educational opportunities in our communities. This funding allowed NCCC to expand their nursing program and counseling services, which are both badly needed in our communities, and will be a tremendous asset to students across the North Country. These are just some of the great things happening at North Country Community College and I am glad that I was able to join Chancellor King while he experienced them firsthand.”
Essex County Supervisor Joe Pete Wilson said, “North Country Community College is constantly working to meet the needs of our region. The programs and services NCCC offers help keep students strong and produces graduates ready with essential skills to serve in our communities. It's great to see SUNY and the state working with NCCC to strengthen the college and provide even more for students.”
In the spring of 2024, North Country Community College launched a second associate degree in nursing (ADN) program, that, unlike a traditional nursing program, runs spring through fall. This new program provides licensed practical nurses (LPNs) in the region greater flexibility and enhanced opportunity to earn their ADN on a schedule that works for them. The new program also introduces a second pool of new nursing graduates each December, complementing the traditional May hiring season and enabling healthcare institutions to access two distinct classes of new graduates six months apart. The first cohort of 28 students is expected to graduate in December of 2024. The new positions will help support the new ADN program expansion and the larger simulation needs of the campus’ Practical Nurse (PN) and ADN students. The full-time clinical social worker will provide dedicated counseling services and supplement local resources for students to which access may vary in the North Country.
About The State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu.