Rockland Community College board of trustees delays additional budget cuts

The Rockland Community College board of trustees was prepared to approve an additional savings plan during its Monday meeting, but pressure from faculty and staff delayed it.

Jonathan Gordon

Feb 27, 2024, 3:05 AM

Updated 285 days ago

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The Rockland Community College board of trustees was prepared to approve an additional savings plan during its Monday meeting, but pressure from faculty and staff delayed it.
The board announced it was tabling that particular resolution as it worked to reassess how it would go about balancing its multi-million-dollar budget deficit.
"This board is working hard to make sure our students, faculty and staff are taken care of," Rockland Community College Board of Trustees member Grant Valentine said.
Dozens of faculty, staff and students stood in solidarity urging the administration to rethink proposed cuts to reverse its multi-million-dollar deficit.
"How do we impart the skillsets on them to change their lives so they can go out and do what they want to do?" RCC Federation of Teachers President Kris Baker said.
According to the resolution that was tabled, the plan would have saved the school $8 million including $3 million in spending cuts and $5 million through layoffs.
Last year, the administration revealed the school was fiscally strained and facing a deficit of around $3.4 million.
The board previously approved spending cuts, including nine layoffs, eight of which were administrators, nine days of furloughs for others and a hiring freeze.
"We understand the college is undergoing some financial strains right now, but we want to make sure that whatever decisions are made are smart and don't affect our student experience here," RCC Federation of Administrators President Elizabeth Troutner said.
The board did not say what a new resolution on budget cuts might include or when it would be presented.
The board will meet next on March 25.