OBSERVER file photo State University of New York at Fredonia President Stephen Kolison says some of the “programs are challenged” at the moment.

Program and administrative cuts are apparently still under consideration at SUNY Fredonia.

President Stephen Kolison made extensive comments about the school’s “big picture” at the March University Council meeting. Though he was careful to not mention any specific, imminent changes, Kolison made it clear he feels the school needs to update its offerings in order to better serve the student body — and save money.

“Some of our programs are doing very well and some of our programs are challenged,” he said, to the point of making it “very difficult to afford to continue those programs.” Kolison didn’t mention any specific programs.

He said work is going on behind the scenes to pick out programs that need more investment. Kolison will study recommendations from a consultant committee and speak with department chairs “to gain additional understanding.”

The university president continued, “There are always very difficult decisions to make,” but schools all across the country “are looking at their academic array and looking at what needs to be invested in and what needs to be replaced.”

Kolison acknowledged that a previous round of program cuts announced in December 2023 “tested relationships across campus.” A total of 13 majors were cut; just 74 students were in the majors.

Kolison wants to “minimize the kind of issues that will come about” with cuts in the future, but states that they are “necessary.”

“We are trying to move as expeditiously as possible, but also with caution to make sure we’re not overlooking anything,” he said.

Kolison then implied that academic programs might not be the only thing on the chopping block.

He mused that SUNY Fredonia previously had a larger student body, “and the structure to match it. We need to adjust the structure to meet financial reality.”

Kolison envisions an administration that would handle a campus of from 3,200 to 3,500 students. SUNY Fredonia maxed out at nearly 5,000 students around 15 years ago before a steady but steep enrollment decline, down to less than 3,000. The campus has reportedly ended the decline, even reporting a slight increase in enrollment this school year.

Kolison has put together a working group to do a “ton of research,” as he put it, on the structures that other colleges the size of SUNY Fredonia use.

The school needs to be “more effective and more efficient, and also take into consideration cost control,” Kolison said.

The six-year university president later addressed the school’s financial deficit, a giant problem since he came to campus. It soared to around $16 million but is reportedly now down to about $11 million.

“Part of the challenge is that most of it is rooted in labor,” Kolison said. Nevertheless, “we are resolved and determined to eliminate the structural deficit in two more years. It’s not going to be easy to do.”

The longer the school has a deficit, the more it impacts its future opportunities, he said.

“It is a necessity — we are determined to solve this,” he said.