“SUNY Canton’s incredible growth over the past several years would be extremely beneficial under the new proposed budget allocation model,” President Schiffner said. “Under the new guidelines, we would benefit from that growth and be funded more appropriately for a college with an enrollment that has grown to approximately 3,800 students.”

President Schiffner also noted her optimism overall when the new budget model is combined with the savings the College anticipates through continued shared services efforts with SUNY Potsdam.

“Our Chief Financial Officer Natalie L. Higley has done a masterful job in recognizing and creating opportunities to save money through shared services efforts and sound business practices,” said Schiffner. “The recent praise she received at our latest College Council meeting from SUNY Central CFO Brian Hutzley highlighted many of those accomplishments. We anticipate both colleges will continue to take advantage of these savings as Natalie and the respective leadership teams continue to initiate shared resources. ”

President Schiffner pointed out that in addition to SUNY Canton’s enrollment growth benefits, the College will target future growth in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. Those areas were identified in SUNY’s proposed budget allocation model and correspond well with the College’s engineering and technology programs.

“The new budget model is ideal for the growth of programs within our Canino School of Engineering Technology,” said Schiffner. “In the past few years, we’ve added several new bachelor’s degrees in these areas, so we are effectively aligned to benefit from this model.”

Some of the major changes under the new organizational structure include Athletics moving back to Student Affairs, Information Services and University Police shifting to College Administration, and Online Learning and Admissions moving under Academics.

“Canton has been a leader in SUNY’s system-wide shared service initiatives, and today’s realignment by President Schiffner mirrors our broader efforts to streamline administrative overhead so our resources can support student services and institutional priorities,” said Brian Hutzley, vice chancellor for financial services and chief financial officer for SUNY.

“These changes will result in a more effective organizational structure that will allow SUNY Canton to better address its issues and priorities moving forward,” President Schiffner said. “The restructuring of these areas will allow us to focus on student success and better align us with the model of both our SUNY counterparts and colleges and universities around the nation. This is part of the evolution of Canton as we look to continue our remarkable progress.”

Schiffner mentioned the College’s increased focus on academics and student completion as well as future opportunities to continue saving money through shared services. Last month SUNY Canton and SUNY Potsdam announced more than $1 million in shared services savings, and Vice President for Administration Natalie Higley expects those efforts to continue to benefit both schools.

“SUNY Canton and SUNY Potsdam have worked hard together to consolidate administrative services, become more efficient, and direct a larger percentage of funds toward the education of our students,” said Higley, who works for both colleges and is an example of the new shared services model. “We’ve already seen progress in areas such as payroll services and information services, and we look forward to continuing to standardize our processes and procedures for future savings.”