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<p>We appreciate those of you who submitted questions prior to and during the town hall. Below are responses to questions that were not addressed due to time constraints.</p>

<p><strong>Question 1: Please explain the funding floor and how that works. Is this something that, once we opt into, we have to stick with so that we might miss out on additional funds if FTEs did see an unexpected bump?</strong><br />
<em>The state aid funding mechanism for community colleges has traditionally been based on an enacted rate per full-time equivalent student (FTE). Given no change in the state aid rate, this means that as enrollment increases, MCC receives more state aid. Conversely, an enrollment decline results in less aid. Despite some relief brought about by increases in the per FTE rate, colleges have received less overall aid as the decline in enrollment has far outpaced the impact of any increases in the aid rate.</em></p>

<p><em>For the 2020 budget year, the funding floor was set at 98% of the prior year&rsquo;s state aid amount. Colleges could use either the floor amount or the more traditional FTE-rate amount, whichever resulted in the greatest support. Based on the funding floor, MCC will receive $29.9M in FY 2022, about $1.9M more than if calculated based on the FTE model. </em></p>

<p><em>Going forward, we will continue to calculate state aid under both methods and select the one that provides the most support. Unfortunately, the state&rsquo;s funding floor is not permanent and thus must be reapproved for each budget year.</em></p>

<p><strong>Question 2: It seems that over the past decade, the New York State Legislature has taken a &quot;flat-funding&quot; approach to both the curricular and administrative aspects of funding the SUNY system. Do you expect that state approach to continue? If so, what may that mean to the long-term financial position of MCC?</strong><br />
<em>In terms of base aid, the state has not provided flat funding to community colleges. Continuing enrollment declines have reduced state funding across the community college sector despite the state&rsquo;s increase of the FTE-aid rate. The recently re-enacted funding floor for FY 2022 will provide some relief. Nonetheless, the state&rsquo;s 2022 budget will continue to reduce community college funding by $18.6M system-wide.</em></p>

<p><em>We do not expect the state&rsquo;s approach to fund community colleges will change in the near future. MCC will continue to manage spending at a rate that is consistent with available funding.&nbsp; </em></p>

<p><strong>Question 3: If teaching face-to-face in the fall, will I have to lecture through a mask? Will there be a designated entrance to get onto campus? There could be a very long wait to get through that, so it is a concern.</strong><br />
<em>Protocols for wearing masks in the classroom are in accordance with SUNY and federal guidelines.&nbsp; </em></p>

<p><em>We are working on hiring temporary staff to assist with COVID-related tasks and are prepared to add additional points of entry to ensure there are no unreasonable wait times for accessing MCC campuses and locations.&nbsp;</em></p>

<p><strong>Question 4: I heard the Electronic Learning Center is moving into the library. Will the number of computers on campus available for students remain the same? </strong><br />
<em>The Leroy V. Good Library (Brighton) and the Anne Kress Learning Commons (Downtown) will be open to provide students with access to technology. We will continue to monitor student demand and will adjust hours of services or open additional computer spaces if needed.</em></p>

<p><strong>Question 5: On the Downtown Campus, can the door to the green space on the 5th floor be opened for the summer?</strong><br />
<em>Yes, the door to the green space can be unlocked for the summer months. We will also place furniture on the deck for comfort.</em></p>

<p><strong>Question 6: Can you please have the recordings of the Town Hall meetings published sooner in the Trib? For those of us working through the Town Halls servicing students, waiting until the following Wednesday to view/hear all the pertinent updates provided via the Town Halls is just far too long to wait, especially as conditions could start changing rapidly regarding &ldquo;returning to normal/campus.&rdquo; </strong><br />
<em>Thank you for the suggestion. A link to the most recent town hall recording&nbsp;will be shared&nbsp;in the following weekday&rsquo;s </em>Daily Tribune.<em> Links will also be included within&nbsp;articles that respond to unanswered questions.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></p>

<p><strong>Question 7: &quot;When&quot; will [Blackboard] be phased out?</strong><br />
<em>The contract with Blackboard ends on 12/31/22, and our migration timeline will be dependent on when SUNY will have the new learning management system (LMS) available to campuses. Ideally, we would like to have all courses on the new system by fall 2022 while we still have access to the Blackboard system to address any final migration needs. The Virtual Campus team is working closely with SUNY system/campuses. We will share more information as it becomes available.</em></p>

<p><strong>Question 8: For various programs like the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Project, The Democracy Project, etc., [and] given the college's budgetary situation, will future funding for these programs largely depend on receiving funding from private foundations or governmental appropriations? If so, will seeking assistance to apply for these funds put an extra strain on the employees in the Grants Office?</strong><br />
<em>The projects noted continue to be priorities for MCC, and support for them is included in the draft budget for FY 2022. Private philanthropy and grants will certainly continue to play an important role in the institution&rsquo;s ability to offer programs and opportunities that are beyond the scope of the budget. There are already multiple funding streams supporting the HGHRP, for example. The MCC Foundation works closely with Strategic Resources and Grant Management (SR&amp;GM) to secure funding for programs that are a priority for the institution. To learn about new potential projects in need of funding and to answer questions about the process of seeking grants, SR&amp;GM and the Foundation regularly host sessions to meet with the College community. These sessions are posted in the </em>Daily Tribune<em>. More information on the grant process can be found on the <a href="https://www.monroecc.edu/depts/grants/grant-information-and-forms/">SR&amp;GM web page</a>.</em></p>

<p><strong>Question 9: In what ways can faculty help inform students about fall registration dates and options?</strong><br />
<em>Thank you for asking! We welcome your support. Please share fall registration dates with your students and encourage them to register early so they can get the classes they need based on their preferred schedule. </em></p>

<ul>
<li><strong><em>Starting Monday, April 26</em></strong><em> &ndash; Currently enrolled students who have completed 12 or more credits can register (does not include courses in progress or non-credit courses). In addition, any student-veteran, regardless of number of earned credits, is also eligible for priority registration.</em></li>
<li><strong><em>Starting</em></strong><em> <strong>Wednesday, April 28</strong> &ndash; All other currently enrolled students can register.</em></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>SAVE THE DATE: Monday, May 10</strong><br />
Please plan to attend the next MCC Town Hall featuring incoming MCC President Dr. DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna at noon Monday, May 10.</p>

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MCC Daily Tribune

April MCC Town Hall: Responses to Unanswered Questions

Thank you to everyone who participated in the April 16 MCC Town Hall (recording).

We appreciate those of you who submitted questions prior to and during the town hall. Below are responses to questions that were not addressed due to time constraints.

Question 1: Please explain the funding floor and how that works. Is this something that, once we opt into, we have to stick with so that we might miss out on additional funds if FTEs did see an unexpected bump?
The state aid funding mechanism for community colleges has traditionally been based on an enacted rate per full-time equivalent student (FTE). Given no change in the state aid rate, this means that as enrollment increases, MCC receives more state aid. Conversely, an enrollment decline results in less aid. Despite some relief brought about by increases in the per FTE rate, colleges have received less overall aid as the decline in enrollment has far outpaced the impact of any increases in the aid rate.

For the 2020 budget year, the funding floor was set at 98% of the prior year’s state aid amount. Colleges could use either the floor amount or the more traditional FTE-rate amount, whichever resulted in the greatest support. Based on the funding floor, MCC will receive $29.9M in FY 2022, about $1.9M more than if calculated based on the FTE model.

Going forward, we will continue to calculate state aid under both methods and select the one that provides the most support. Unfortunately, the state’s funding floor is not permanent and thus must be reapproved for each budget year.

Question 2: It seems that over the past decade, the New York State Legislature has taken a "flat-funding" approach to both the curricular and administrative aspects of funding the SUNY system. Do you expect that state approach to continue? If so, what may that mean to the long-term financial position of MCC?
In terms of base aid, the state has not provided flat funding to community colleges. Continuing enrollment declines have reduced state funding across the community college sector despite the state’s increase of the FTE-aid rate. The recently re-enacted funding floor for FY 2022 will provide some relief. Nonetheless, the state’s 2022 budget will continue to reduce community college funding by $18.6M system-wide.

We do not expect the state’s approach to fund community colleges will change in the near future. MCC will continue to manage spending at a rate that is consistent with available funding. 

Question 3: If teaching face-to-face in the fall, will I have to lecture through a mask? Will there be a designated entrance to get onto campus? There could be a very long wait to get through that, so it is a concern.
Protocols for wearing masks in the classroom are in accordance with SUNY and federal guidelines. 

We are working on hiring temporary staff to assist with COVID-related tasks and are prepared to add additional points of entry to ensure there are no unreasonable wait times for accessing MCC campuses and locations. 

Question 4: I heard the Electronic Learning Center is moving into the library. Will the number of computers on campus available for students remain the same?
The Leroy V. Good Library (Brighton) and the Anne Kress Learning Commons (Downtown) will be open to provide students with access to technology. We will continue to monitor student demand and will adjust hours of services or open additional computer spaces if needed.

Question 5: On the Downtown Campus, can the door to the green space on the 5th floor be opened for the summer?
Yes, the door to the green space can be unlocked for the summer months. We will also place furniture on the deck for comfort.

Question 6: Can you please have the recordings of the Town Hall meetings published sooner in the Trib? For those of us working through the Town Halls servicing students, waiting until the following Wednesday to view/hear all the pertinent updates provided via the Town Halls is just far too long to wait, especially as conditions could start changing rapidly regarding “returning to normal/campus.”
Thank you for the suggestion. A link to the most recent town hall recording will be shared in the following weekday’s Daily Tribune. Links will also be included within articles that respond to unanswered questions.   

Question 7: "When" will [Blackboard] be phased out?
The contract with Blackboard ends on 12/31/22, and our migration timeline will be dependent on when SUNY will have the new learning management system (LMS) available to campuses. Ideally, we would like to have all courses on the new system by fall 2022 while we still have access to the Blackboard system to address any final migration needs. The Virtual Campus team is working closely with SUNY system/campuses. We will share more information as it becomes available.

Question 8: For various programs like the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Project, The Democracy Project, etc., [and] given the college's budgetary situation, will future funding for these programs largely depend on receiving funding from private foundations or governmental appropriations? If so, will seeking assistance to apply for these funds put an extra strain on the employees in the Grants Office?
The projects noted continue to be priorities for MCC, and support for them is included in the draft budget for FY 2022. Private philanthropy and grants will certainly continue to play an important role in the institution’s ability to offer programs and opportunities that are beyond the scope of the budget. There are already multiple funding streams supporting the HGHRP, for example. The MCC Foundation works closely with Strategic Resources and Grant Management (SR&GM) to secure funding for programs that are a priority for the institution. To learn about new potential projects in need of funding and to answer questions about the process of seeking grants, SR&GM and the Foundation regularly host sessions to meet with the College community. These sessions are posted in the Daily Tribune. More information on the grant process can be found on the SR&GM web page.

Question 9: In what ways can faculty help inform students about fall registration dates and options?
Thank you for asking! We welcome your support. Please share fall registration dates with your students and encourage them to register early so they can get the classes they need based on their preferred schedule.

  • Starting Monday, April 26 – Currently enrolled students who have completed 12 or more credits can register (does not include courses in progress or non-credit courses). In addition, any student-veteran, regardless of number of earned credits, is also eligible for priority registration.
  • Starting Wednesday, April 28 – All other currently enrolled students can register.

SAVE THE DATE: Monday, May 10
Please plan to attend the next MCC Town Hall featuring incoming MCC President Dr. DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna at noon Monday, May 10.

Rosanna Yule
Government and Community Relations
04/21/2021