Joe Keegan, president of North Nation Group Faculty, offers an interview in June 2019 in his workplace in Saranac Lake. (Company picture – Peter Crowley)

MALONE – Joseph Keegan, president of North Nation Group Faculty, met with the Franklin County Legislature Thursday earlier than his common assembly on the courthouse to replace lawmakers on adjustments to the NCCC, additions to course choices, and plans for the longer term .

Keegan advised lawmakers that enrollment has rebounded from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It has been some time since I have been with you so I needed to replace you on a couple of issues” Keegan stated. “I simply need to thank the county to your continued help of our faculty, school and workers. I say this each time, however it’s the reality – we’re really honored to be the faculty of Essex and Franklin County.

“We put on that cape with pleasure and your help means loads to us.”

Keegan congratulated Edward Lockwood, R-Malone, as the brand new Speaker of the Legislature, in addition to Justus Martin, R-Moira and Nedd Sparks, R-Tupper Lake, each newly elected council members following the November normal election.

“I sit up for the chance to be in some unspecified time in the future with all of you in your districts and learn the way the faculty may do a greater job of supporting you and your constituents,” he stated. “It is one thing I have been in a position to do for a lot of the legislature, and I am at all times pleased to do it.”

Keegan stated the help of the counties served by the NCCC was instrumental in its successes.

“I believe the power of our query is in group help and yours and that of Essex County have been two of the keys for us,” Keegan stated. He additionally counseled his school and workers for his or her exhausting work and dedication.

The NCCC has seen an enchancment in enrollment, Keegan stated, and hopes that pattern will proceed.

“I include some higher information on the membership entrance,” Keegan stated. “We had bounced enrollments for spring; we had been on the similar degree as final spring. That was actually fantastic information for us. We’re seeing that our fall functions have elevated. The problem is in ensuring these turn into college students on the seats. I might moderately be as much as the questions than not, in order that’s actually excellent news too.

Keegan stated campuses are beginning to see some normalization within the wake of COVID, with college students and households returning for visits that weren’t doable on the top of the pandemic.

“It truly is a breath of recent air” he stated. “We have been behind screens for a very long time.”

He stated that whereas COVID has been a problem for the college, it has introduced some alternatives for NCCC and the agricultural folks it serves.

“The one advantage of COVID is that we have been in a position to have extra penetration into the really rural components of our county,” Keegan defined. “Pre-COVID, 5% of enrollments had been on-line; post-COVID, we’re at about 40%. At one level we had been virtually 100%, however it’s nonetheless optimistic.”

Keegan went on to focus on the work he has finished with the New York Group Faculty Affiliation of Presidents and in partnership with the New York Group Faculty Affiliation of Trustees.

“In the summertime, group faculty presidents and trustees stated ‘we have to do extra with group faculty funding.'” Keegan stated. “Group faculties have traditionally been funded on a full-time equal foundation. What we requested to do was to be funded at a minimal degree, just like the counties fund us, which permits for extra predictability in our budgets. It permits us to have a sure stability when there are fluctuations in enrollments”.

He stated for 2 of the previous three years, NCCC has acquired minimal funding, Governor Kathy Hochul has included it within the 2023 govt price range proposal. He stated the organizations have additionally known as for a 4 p.c enhance in working support to high schools of the group.

“We Have been Flat” Keegan stated. “We have had contract prices rising, and I believe the county is aware of the inflationary prices higher than anybody during the last couple of years.”

He stated one other request was for continued help of a devoted fund to enhance enrollment and scholar help, and stated each requests had been included within the price range proposal from Hochul’s workplace. Keegan hopes these requests will go the state price range course of in Albany within the coming weeks.

“Our native representatives have been very supportive, as at all times”, he stated.

–

Fulfill recognized wants

–

He stated new packages, akin to EMT coaching and wastewater remedy certifications, have been a hit for the college and the North Nation communities that want these employees, and he thanked the county for his or her help. in operating these packages.

“We had been in a position to launch primary EMT lessons final fall at Saranac Lake,” Keegan stated, including that superior programs are underway at each Malone and Saranac Lake and a complicated EMT certificates is on the market. He stated the grant funding has enabled the college to enhance the gear EMTs prepare on, akin to CPR manikins, and added that the college plans to increase this system to the Ticonderoga campus.

“What number of EMTs have you ever been in a position to prepare?” Lindy Ellis, D-Saranac Lake, requested.

Keegan stated 37 had been enrolled in this system within the fall with 28 others at the moment taking lessons this semester. “And we now have lessons scheduled for the summer season and once more subsequent 12 months,” Keegan added.

He stated enter from space faculties concerning the necessity for educating assistants led the faculty to introduce a certificates program.

“We discovered in early January that it had been accredited by the New York State Ed and we started providing it this spring,” Keegan stated.

He stated the faculty continues to work to satisfy space wants for human companies employees, habit counselors and different roles recognized by space Ok-12 faculties.

“We’ve established a primary wastewater course in response to the wants of our communities,” Keegan continued. “Within the autumn we had been in a position to enroll 4 college students within the course. We plan to carry a wastewater roundtable this fall to get enter from numerous stakeholders and see how we will do it higher.”

He stated different efforts on the college embrace working to make sure that schooling on the two-year degree results in comparatively clean transfers into four-year faculties.

–

Capital initiatives

–

Keegan advised lawmakers the college plans to pioneer capital initiatives after they start in late Could after an inflow of funds to help nursing and science packages, together with $250,000 in funding secured by Assemblyman Billy Jones , D-Chateaugay Lake. Keegan stated that, assuming the provision chain stays wholesome, these upgraded school rooms needs to be prepared for college students by the beginning of the autumn semester.

“We’ve not made massive capital investments on our campuses in years,” Keegan stated. “It is actually thrilling.”

He added that the college would even be making some enhancements to the HVAC system.

The board thanked Keegan for the replace and counseled the efforts of the college, its workers and school.

“We’re lucky to have North Nation Group Faculty”, County Govt Donna Kissane stated. “They’re such an asset to us.”