LOCH SHELDRAKE — SUNY Sullivan will eliminate up to 15 full-time positions as part of an effort to stabilize its finances, President David Potash said this week.

In a press release, Potash said the decisions were made following a thorough review of the college’s finances, enrollment trends, and operational priorities, and in full accordance with the college’s collective bargaining agreements and shared governance processes.

“It is an extraordinarily difficult and painful decision,” he said. “These reductions are not a reflection of their [the employees] value—they are the consequences of the financial realities facing many small public colleges.”

The reductions, approved by the college’s Board of Trustees last week, could result in between 13 and 15 positions being cut. “It’s somewhat of a complicated process because we have two bargaining units at the college,” Potash said, noting that timelines and outcomes may vary based on union rules and seniority.

Most of the affected positions are in non-instructional areas, including maintenance, information technology (IT) and operational support. Potash said the college is working to avoid impacts on students, with only one faculty position potentially affected pending union review.

“What we really tried to do through this is first and foremost all academic programs—everything that the students would experience—stays the same,” he said. “There’s no cutting courses. There’s no cutting programs.”

While instruction is expected to continue unchanged, some campus services may slow.

“There’s certain things in terms of maintenance… that will take longer to get to,” Potash said. “Some of the response time… in IT will take longer, or the college will have to investigate outsourcing.”

The cuts come as the college reports enrollment growth over the past two years, particularly in health care programs such as nursing, medical assistant and respiratory care.

Potash said that growth has not been enough to resolve underlying financial pressures.

“An increase in enrollment… does not make up for some deeper problems with the overall college finances,” he said.

Tuition accounts for roughly 40 percent of the college’s revenue, and rates are kept low to remain accessible to local students, he said. At the same time, expenses are heavily concentrated in staffing.

“Eighty-six percent of our budget goes to personnel and benefits,” Potash said.

Rising labor and health care costs, combined with shifts in student demand, have added strain. Potash noted that many of the college’s fastest-growing programs are also among the most expensive to operate, which is common across many industries.

“It takes a lot more money to educate a nurse than it does… a student in English or history,” he said.

Potash described the layoffs as part of a broader effort to bring the college’s finances into balance.

“Fiscal health is sort of like someone getting healthy,” he said. “It isn’t just one change.”

SUNY Sullivan officials said the restructuring is intended to align staffing levels with current enrollment and long-term financial realities while maintaining academic offerings.