NEW PALTZ – Fall semester classes at SUNY New Paltz are scheduled to begin on time late this summer but how they will be presented remains unknown. All college campuses were shuttered earlier this spring because of COVID-19 with instruction continuing remotely online.
College officials could not say during a College Council session on Wednesday what school will look like in the immediate future, although College President Dr. Donald Christian said enrollments are up.
“Right now, we are seeing some very encouraging signs as our summer enrollments, all of which are online courses, are ahead of last summer, a good indication that our students want to continue their studies throughout the summer, and course registrations for the fall by continuing students are also slightly ahead of last year and that is for both undergraduate and graduate students,” he said.
Dr. Christian noted that SUNY New Paltz is the largest employer in Ulster County and has an annual impact on the Hudson Valley of $380 million. Those factors should point up the need for federal support for the college in any funding measures going forward, he said.
