Q: Why was this stability plan developed?
A: Maritime College faces a structural $7.7 million deficit that must be eliminated. The purpose of this plan is shore up the future of our storied institution so it can continue as the nation’s pre-eminent maritime educational and training institution.
Q: Who was involved in the process of making these decisions?
A: Maritime leaders have held a number of shared governance meetings since summer 2024 to discuss the path ahead and gather input on the right plan for addressing the college's deficit. Utilizing that input and in consultation with experts at SUNY, President Okon and his team have developed this plan and have already begun moving forward with revamped fiscal controls and other key elements.
Q: How does this stability plan reduce Maritime's budget deficit?
A: Increasing enrollment is the number one strategic opportunity for the long-term fiscal wellness of the college. At the same time, we will reallocate funds from programs that have seen a decline in enrollment to those that are better aligned with our students' needs.
Underpinning all of this is the need to collectively exercise fiscal discipline. As outlined by the president at the beginning of the Fall 2024 semester, the following measures already are in effect:
- Essential Expenses Only. All expenses below $500 will require the Business Office approval; expenses above $500 will require the approval of the respective VP and the VP of Finance or President.
- Procurement Cards (P-Card). Procurement cards will remain zeroed out (with very few exceptions for the ones tied to mission-critical functions). P-card purchases will be allowed on a case-by-case basis and will follow the guidelines for essential purchases.
- Business Travel. The campus will continue to support necessary travel for campus operations. This includes recruitment efforts, team travel, and class field trips. Travel for professional development will be considered if a funding source other than state accounts and IFRs is used.
- Payroll. Heavy attention will continue to be placed on vacancy management and all other personnel-related actions. Most current open positions will remain vacant. Refilling vacant positions is not an automatic process. New positions will be considered if funded through a different funding source or offset, and only considered for positions required for the delivery of instruction, necessary to carry out the basic operations of the campus, health and life safety, or directly connected to a revenue generation initiative.
- Extra-Service. All extra service needs to be approved before the beginning of work and be justified with an emphasis on cost savings.
- Overtime. Only overtime for critical needs, health, and safety will be authorized. Prior approval from the Department Head and Business Office is required.
- Sabbaticals. Sabbaticals will not be supported at this time.
Q: What is being done to attract new students and increase enrollment?
A: Maritime College is launching targeted enrollment, retention, and brand marketing strategies that will attract diverse students to pursue an education that our institution is uniquely suited to provide. One focus of these efforts will be to ensure we are elevating the value of a Maritime education among those who are historically underrepresented in the global maritime industry, including through P-12 and industry partnerships that will build up our student pipeline and add new student opportunities to our portfolio.
Q: What metrics will Maritime use to determine the progress of the stability plan?
A: Maritime is implementing a series of fiscal controls that boost financial transparency while also ensuring our resources are allocated to only the most necessary expenses that allow us to maintain our high-quality educational offerings. These measures will include annual budget meetings, the submission of monthly budget reports and weekly Personnel Review Committee meetings.
Q: Does this plan include cuts to academic programs or other services?
A: No, this plan does not consider program deactivations or discontinuations at this time. The college took the initiative earlier this year to start an internal review of all low-enrolled programs. The review and analysis of the data will ensure our focus remains in the right areas that students need and that position us best for the future. Other campuses across the system are doing similar work.
Q: How does the college use the funds it receives from the state of New York?
A: Maritime College receives significant state support thatassists in the overall operation of the college. This includes an historic more than 29% increase in state support in the last two years. This support is vital, but we must also continue to stay the course in addressing our structural deficit to ensure these investments are used most effectively.
Q: What changes are being made to the workforce across campus?
A: Maritime faculty and staff are among the most dedicated, highly trained, and specialized in the entire SUNY system and are integral to the value we provide for students. All vacancies will continue to be closely analyzed with an emphasis on the impact of those positions on Maritime's core mission, and whether students are best served by hiring in other areas. Other workforce actions, such as a hiring freeze or layoffs, are not under consideration at this time.
Q: If this plan does not achieve the desired fiscal stability, will Maritime pursue a merger like Cal Maritime?
A: Maritime College is not engaged in conversations about a merger at this time. The intent of the fiscal stability plan is to address the college's challenges through internal measures that maximize investments from the state and federal governments.