Genesee Community College

Genesee Community College President James Sunser couldn’t have used a more appropriate word than “retrenchment” while sharing the financial plight of the two-year institution with the County Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee this afternoon.

Sunser and his staff were forced to implement large-scale retrenchment – the reduction of costs or spending in response to economic difficulty – to formulate a 2020-21 operating budget that takes into account an anticipated 30-percent reduction in aid from New York State.

And drafting a spending plan that compensates professors, teachers and staff while providing necessary student services will be a daunting task for quite some time, he said.

“Indications from the state are that these reductions should be planned for 2021-22 as well, so we’ll continue to work with bringing our budget into line,” Sunser said. “It is going to be, not surprisingly like it is for the county and all other groups, painful.”

Sunser emphasized that the dilemma isn’t due to “deficiencies on the part of the staff or the faculty … but, unfortunately, it is going to require some substantial changes in what is going on at the college.”

The college’s Board of Trustees approved a $38.1 million budget for the next fiscal year that starts on Sept. 1, and that’s about 8 percent less than the target of $41.6 million (the amount of the 2019-20 budget).

Furthermore, around $2 million from the college’s reserves was used to balance this year’s budget, which may take another state aid hit in the fourth quarter.

County's share is $2,636,374

Genesee County has budgeted $2,636,374 for the second straight year for its sponsorship of the college, action that is subject to a public hearing scheduled for 5:30 p.m. July 22 at the Old Courthouse. The Ways & Means Committee approved the date of the public hearing as well as the contribution.

Sunser said the county’s decision to not reduce its sponsorship is key to preventing further financial implications.

“We have had a number of conversations with the county about maintenance of effort,” he said. “Without maintenance of effort, it puts into play a number of additional considerations that SUNY (State University of New York) would impose on the college.”

Sunser said a multistep plan was put into place in order to “deal with the deficits coming from the state” and achieve the $38.1 million mark.

“Currently, the state is suggesting that next year’s budget for the college will include a 30-percent reduction in state aid. Obviously, when your operation is labor-intensive – we teach and we support students to get through their academic programs – you’re not going to be able to go through that without having some type of adjustments made,” he explained.

He outlined some of the cost-cutting measures:

-- Freezes of travel and training;
-- Deferral of capital projects, other than critical maintenance issues;
-- Deferrals of a printer purchase replacement, office supplies, contractual services, facility improvements;
-- Freeze on hiring of adjunct professors.

Salaries to be Frozen in 2020-21

He also indicated that to close an additional $2 million budget gap during the course of the 2020-21 fiscal year, significant cuts in salaries and positions have to be realized.

“We have looked at instituting management confidential pay freezes. We have two collective bargaining units on the campus – one is our combined faculty/administrative group and the other is our CSEA group,” he said. “We negotiated with both of those groups to take pay freezes so everybody will be on a pay freeze for the 2020-21 year – and that was approved by both unions.”

Beyond that, management negotiated with the faculty/administration union to give notice to employees who are going to be retrenched (or laid off). Sunser said the union approved a period of Oct. 31-Dec. 31 for retrenchments, and that will result in savings of eight months’ worth of potential salaries.

He also said a process of involuntary retrenchments to close the rest of the gap has begun, with notifications going out to the Civil Service group by July 1 with a July 31 retrenchment, and by Oct. 31 with a Dec. 31 retrenchment for the unionized faculty/administration group.

Employee retrenchment is a cost-cutting tool for businesses or organization to use in times of economic hardship – a form of dismissal due to no fault of workers. Retrenched employees are eligible for compensation along the lines of severance pay, money equal to annual leave or time off, and notice pay, and also may file for unemployment insurance.

There’s more, Sunser said, as the Board of Trustees approved a voluntary retirement incentive beyond stipulations in existing contracts with the unions.

“Through that retirement incentive we have realized 23 voluntary retirements,” he said. “Those are going to be occurring as of July 31, so that will help close that gap (in state aid) that we’re anticipating in the last month of the current year."

Programs of study are under review as well, and some may be discontinued.

“We’re talking about a 41 and a half million dollar budget that’s going to be about five million dollars less by the end of next year,” he said, “and there’s no way of doing that without involuntary retrenchments, which is unfortunate, but that where we find ourselves.”

College Tuition is Increasing

Donna Ferry, a member of the Board of Trustees, reported that tuition has been increased (to $4,550 for New York State residents) for 2020-21, but “GCC still is the second lowest in the state across the board as far as tuition (for two-year colleges).”

She also said that the present uncertainty could result in lower enrollment next year, but “the team is working really hard to get those numbers up.” Enrollment (full- and part-time) as of the Fall 2019 semester was 5,324.

Legislators Gary Maha and Rochelle Stein commended Sunser and his staff for going through the unpleasant process, with the former placing the blame squarely on Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

“It is nobody’s fault but Albany’s fault, in my opinion,” Maha said. “It’s the governor’s indiscriminate spending. He’s something like $13 million in debt and we all have to suffer.”

Stein said the college’s budget process was “thoughtful, transparent and clear,” and pointed out that the “communications piece of this is very critical to our community, to your staff, to your teachers, to your professors, to the support staff and to our partners in our other counties.”

Sunser thanked the collective bargaining groups for their concessions, attributing that to a “level of trust” during negotiations.

“We had very candid conversations about … how many more people that might not be able to be at the college and they stepped up, I believe, as responsible leaders and advocated with the bargaining unit groups to go ahead and approve these things -- especially the notification claims,” he said.

In the eyes of Cathy Preston, moderator of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership-sponsored “Scholastic Bowl,” recognizing students for their academic ability is much more than a trivial pursuit.

Preston facilitated the questions and answers on Wednesday night as the high school competition opened its 32^nd year at the television studio located in the Conable Technology Building at Genesee Community College.

She said that the opportunity to play a role in elevating students who place a high priority on learning has kept her motivated to continue with the show for a 17^th season.

“I like to see kids who maybe aren’t athletically gifted also have a chance to challenge themselves and be in a competition,” said Preston, who was a contestant on the nationally syndicated “Jeopardy” show in 2003 (when she finished in second place). “Far too often, high school sports get all the attention – there’s nothing wrong with that – but it’s nice to see academically gifted students also have a way to compete and (receive some publicity).”

Preston, also a Scholastic Bowl alumna, said that 12 area high schools will be participating over the next seven weeks – 19 regular-season matches in all with semifinals and finals scheduled for Feb. 26 and Feb. 27, respectively.

“There are three or four students per team, depending upon the night,” she said, noting that on opening night each of the three competing schools had three players.

Last night’s contests featured Batavia, Pembroke and Alden in the first match and Notre Dame, Pavilion, Alexander and Elba in the second match.

All the matches are streamed and downloaded live via GCC’s website and also can be viewed later on the GVEP (formerly BOCES) website, Preston said.

During the competition, a viewing room is set up down the hall in the Conable Technology Building for family and friends.

Each show consists of three rounds, Preston said.

“The first and third rounds are random questions, and the second round – the lightning round -- is 10 questions in a given category and each school has 60 seconds to answer those 10 questions,” she said.

Determining who “buzzed in” first is judged by Preston’s sister-in-law, Kathy Jursted, who also has been part of the program for the past 17 years.

“The students buzz in and I’ll call out their school name and then individual’s name -- and then they will answer the question,” Jursted said, adding that questions are provided by GVEP staff. Question topics include subjects taught in school plus some pop culture – arts and music, for example – sprinkled in.

Other high schools in the mix this year are Byron-Bergen, Attica, Le Roy, Akron and Oakfield-Alabama.

Batavia and Alexander got off to a fast start last night with Batavia amassing 230 points to outdistance Pembroke (180) and Alden (120) in the opening match and Alexander rolling up 300 points to defeat Notre Dame (90), Pavilion (90) and Elba (40) in the second match. The tiebreaker for second place went to Notre Dame.

Competition continues over the next six Wednesdays and Thursdays with the first match set for 6 p.m.

Just one match is slated for tonight, with Akron, Attica, Le Roy and Oakfield-Alabama putting their collective knowledge to the test.

Photo at top -- The Scholastic Bowl kicked off its 32^nd year on Wednesday night at Genesee Community College. Taking part in the first match are, from left, representing Batavia, Nico Mirabal, Erik Kessler and Kathryn Fitzpatrick (seated) and advisor Bob Mullen and Sophie Beckman (standing); representing Pembroke, Hannah Clark, Maggie Johnson and Jack Crandall (seated) and advisor Vinny Lazzara; moderator Cathy Preston and judge Kathy Jursted; representing Alden, Michael Frisicaro, Charles Freeman and Kristina Wilson (seated) and advisor Renee Mertz and Peter Tolsma (standing). Photo by Mike Pettinella.

Above, the Rose Garden on GCC's Batavia Campus.

Submitted photos and press release:

It is finally finished! This past summer the multiyear parking lot project at Genesee Community College's Batavia Campus was completed, which established a new, expanded and safer configuration of the 12-acre parking lot.

Perhaps most significantly, the project introduced a new pedestrian walkway that connects the west and east sides of campus giving those who walk to the new Richard C. Call Arena from the new Student Success Center or main building the opportunity to enjoy an 18,000-square-foot garden space that is approximately 720 feet long. 

Under the leadership of Senior Groundskeeper Dennis Pietrzykowski, the GCC grounds crew took full advantage of the planting season and their in-house expertise to fill five themed garden areas that flank each side of the walkway. Each with a unique theme, the five gardens incorporate plants chosen specifically to create a medley of color, shape and texture for every season.

As visitors walk west from the College's main building to the Call Arena, they will enjoy:

• Island One -- The Buffering Boxwoods creating a formal garden bed complete with the boxwood hedges and in the spring a bed of crocuses and daffodils will pop up to shake off winter. 
• Island Two -- The Restful Retreat features locust trees and a quiet cozy area of lawn to invite visitors to slow down and maybe stop to relax and sit upon the provided park benches.
• Island Three -- The Woodland Garden features eight new trees including the red oaks and American sycamore to provide plenty of opportunity for bird life and shade in the summer.
• Island Four -- The Butterfly Garden is filled with a wide variety of flowering plants, from spireas to azaleas, hydrangeas to day lilies and dwarf lilacs -- all designed to attract butterflies and other insects throughout the warmer seasons.
• Island Five -- The Rose Garden at the western end offers bright colors and fragrant blooms in season, and greets incoming traffic and guests as they approach campus from College Road West. Six different kinds of roses are featured, as well as 20 other flowering species.
• Finally, back at the most easterly edge of GCC's new Garden Walkway are 10 huge planters, each sponsored by a different student club with a variety of plants selected and planted by the students and their advisors.

"In total, the new gardens added 50 large trees in more than a dozen varieties and more than 2,500 plants to the Batavia Campus," Pietrzykowski said. "But my personal favorite is called Harry Lauder's Walking Stick  -- it has curly branches and looks its best in the winter months. Everyone should visit campus to find it. Here's a hint, it's in one of the more formal gardens."

The team introduced more than 130 tons of new top soil to accommodate all of the trees, shrubs, bulbs plants and other materials. In addition, the College was proud to work with all local businesses, contractors and suppliers to complete the project.

"We purchased everything locally," Pietrzykowski said. "I had all the suppliers on speed-dial and they were great."

Below, resealing the parking lots at GCC was another important component of the project.

Below, the GCC Grounds Crew this summer standing near the Rose Garden. From left, Dennis Pietrzykowski, Mikala Bush, Jeff Engle, Kennedy Lampart, Ben Bakos, Ricky Bezon and John Kingdollar.

Submitted photos and press release:

The excitement and intrigue of the new 2019-2020 academic year is not only happening in classrooms, labs and studios across Genesee Community College's seven campus locations, but in the Board of Trustees Conference Room as well. The following new members of the College's Board of Trustees have begun to serve their terms. 

Phillip DiMartino, of Batavia. After attending Genesee Community College in 1980, he began a career with Brunswick Bowling and Billiards, a national firm that once managed more than 100 bowling centers around the world, as well as sold both commercial and personal bowling equipment and products.

During his tenure, he achieved the Ring of Excellence honor for top sales performance and was a member of the Bowling Hall Fame-Batavia.He then joined the John Deere/Sentry Insurance in 1996, earning President Club status for top sales.

Now, as an independent insurance broker for Moore Insurance Agency, he specializes in insuring equipment and auto dealerships. DiMartino served on the United Memorial Medical Center Foundation Board for six years. He is a lifelong resident of Batavia, where he and his wife, Susan, raised their two children and most recently welcomed their first grandchild.

Sarah Noble-Moag, is a co-owner and manager of Noblehurst Farms in Linwood, a multifamily, seven-generation farm corporation. Noblehurst manages a dairy herd, cultivates acreage for dairy forage, is a proud member of Craigs Station Ventures producing Craigs Creamery Cheese, and operates a methane digester and food-recycling business that generates electricity to run the farm and Creamery located in Livingston, Genesee and Wyoming counties. Noble-Moag oversees human resource and personnel management of the farm staff and the Linwood Management Group connecting personnel with key resources, professional development and training opportunities, as well as industry events.

She is the past president of the Board of Education for the Pavilion Central Schools and continues to serve on the audit committee. She also serves on the Agricultural Affiliates Board of Directors providing leadership to build a strong agriculture workforce in the Northeastern United States, as well as on the Northeast Agricultural Education Foundation and the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation. She is a strong advocate for affordable, quality public education in rural communities.

She is a graduate of Cornell University's College of Human Ecology with a BS degree in Consumer Economics and Public Policy and a graduate of Class VI of LEAD New York. Noble-Moag is an elder in the Covington Presbyterian Church and was honored in 2016 as a "Woman of Faith" by the Presbyterian Church USA for building bridges of reconciliation. She and her husband, Timothy Moag, CPA have three grown children and five young and very active grandchildren.

Mary Alice Panek began her education at Genesee Community College with a degree in Humanities in 1977, and continued on to SUNY Brockport for a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Master of Science degree in Education. She retired from Pembroke Central School District where she began teaching secondary English and continued at the elementary level. During her career, she trained teachers in technology as well as mainstreaming students into regular classroom as well as launched the elementary level STEM program at Pembroke.

In addition, Panek has presented best practices in technology at conferences across the United States. She served on the board of the Genesee Region Teachers' Center, the Stafford Historical Society and participated in veterans outreach programs.

She is the chairman of the Town of Stafford Republican Committee and a member of the Genesee County Republican Committee. Panek resides in Stafford with her husband, Ron, and they own Stafford Nurseries, a Christmas tree farm. 

Student Trustee

Neil F. Gillotti is the new student representative on the Board of Trustees for the 2019-2020 academic year. He is majoring in Computer Information Systems and anticipates graduating with an associate degree in May 2020. He is a nontraditional student, enrolling in Genesee Community College after many dynamic life experiences.

He served in the Air Force from 2007-2011, where his military training allowed him to earn college credit.

As a GCC student, he is involved in many activities outside of the classroom including being an officer of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, a member of the Student Government Association and the Campus Activities Board and Outdoor Adventure Club.

His work experience includes being a computer technician, a driver at Nut-tos Peanut Co., a Key Bank Call Center service specialist, and most recently a seasonal landscaper at Bergman Landscaping.

He resides in Middleport, and he says he is very passionate about extreme sports.

Submitted photo and press release:

John M. McGowan, Ph.D., of Batavia,  took leadership of Genesee Community College's BEST (Business and Employee Skills Training) Center effective Sept. 1.

This is an important transition time as the former director retired and the Center completed a critical analysis of its functionality, allowing McGowan to take the reins with some strategic new direction.

"Having been part of GCC for nearly 15 years and specifically, the last five as part of The BEST Center team, I am excited about the results of our FAR (Functional Area Review) assessment," said the new director of The BEST Center.

"In my new role, I will be able to implement changes to make program registration easier, allocate resources for new program development and so much more."

McGowan intends to use his creative staff to identify continuous improvement opportunities and pull together new and exciting training topics which are the lifeblood of community and workforce development.

The BEST Center offers hundreds of training courses throughout the year to individuals looking to enter a new field. For example, it offers the Dental Assisting Program, which prepares students for entry-level administrative jobs and serves as the ideal launching point into a Dental Hygienist program. You can advance a career through a number of Career Enrichment courses, or even take a class for leisure -- like any of the Drone courses.

In addition, The BEST Center provides Custom Workforce Solutions to support any business or organization looking to bolster employee and organizational performance and improve the bottom line. Businesses can contact the BEST Center for training needs assessments and consultations, work with skilled and experienced trainers to develop customized training plans and even count on the Center's equipped locations and laptops to deliver online and on-site custom training. 

McGowan earned his Doctor of Psychology with specialization in Sport and Performance Psychology from University of the Rockies in Denver in 2018. He earned a Master of Science in Education and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the SUNY College at Brockport in 2003 and 1994 respectively. He has an Associate Degree in Business Administration from GCC (1986). He is also a 2017 graduate of Leadership Genesee.

McGowan is a lifelong resident of Batavia and has four children (John Jr., Joseph, Michael and Jennifer) and seven grandchildren.

Submitted photo and press release:

Annually, the New York State Sheriffs’ Association Institute awards a $250 scholarship to deserving students enrolled in Criminal Justice, Police Science or a similar program in each of the state’s community colleges and at SUNY Canton.  

This year, Alexander Rigerman who is currently enrolled in Criminal Justice at Genesee Community College was a recipient of this scholarship. He was nominated by the college’s Criminal Justice faculty.

Genesee County Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr. and Undersheriff Gregory H. Walker presented Alexander with a $250 check to be used to further his Criminal Justice education, along with a scholarship certificate from the New York State Sheriffs’ Association Institute, Friday (Nov. 16) at the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

Melissa Ostrom, an English literature professor at Genesee Community College, describes the Genesee Valley as having a big sky and rich soil.

She is originally from Jamestown but learned to love the area where she taught, which inspired the location for her first historical fiction novel. “The Beloved Wild” will be hitting the shelves on Tuesday, March 27.

“I think it’s beautiful here,” Ostrom said. “I had a beautiful teaching experience here. I love the landscape.”

In 1807, Harriet Winter, a 16-year-old headstrong girl, disguises herself as a boy in order to escape her overbearing parents. Her mother died during childbirth, and she is raised by her stepmother and father. She questions things around her, and travels to Western New York with her stepbrother, where she disguises herself as a boy. She uses the opportunity to see what she would normally be denied of, because of her gender.

“It’s not a fairy-tale with a bad situation,” Ostrom said. “She is cognitive of how the one path available for women is really not just narrow but comes with risk.”

Ostrom did research about the area, discovering information about Holland Land Company and the Genesee Valley.

“That was in my mind, wanting to tribute this place,” Ostrom said. “Conversations with friends in local history inspired me.”

Ostrom previously taught at Kendall High School for 11 years but decided to teach part time when her daughter was born, which gave her an opportunity to explore writing.

“I had done quite a bit of poetry writing in college,” Ostrom said. “I was interested in trying other forms and I started experimenting in fiction and that’s what I’ve been doing. Teaching a little bit and writing a lot.”

Although Ostrom had no connections in the publishing world, she built up her resume by publishing short stories, establishing her credibility. When it was time to send her novel, it gathered a lot of interest, Ostrom said.

“I think I had prepared myself with failure before that I wouldn’t go anywhere with it,” Ostrom said. “I got immediate request for manuscripts, and the agent I went with was the most enthusiastic.”

Ostrom will be celebrating the launch of her first novel at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 14, at Lift Bridge Bookshop, located at 45 Main St. in Brockport.

Macmillan Publishers gave Ostrom a two-book deal, so she is currently working on a contemporary book with serious subject matter but is set on Lake Ontario. The novel will be coming out next year.

Press release:

Not many organizations celebrate their golden anniversary while opening up two new buildings valued at $25 million. And even fewer can claim they were founded through a successfully passed public referendum that was supported by a grass roots citizen campaign in the mid-1960s.

Genesee Community College is proudly recognizing both these historic events with a series of special events next month.

With the anniversary theme "Our true-blue past, Your golden future," GCC is focusing forward on an exciting future while simultaneously reflecting on a rich history with strong traditions. Underlining all of the College's efforts -- then, now and long into the future -- is student success. The new 18,478-square-foot Student Success Center exemplifies this most vividly as GCC transforms various student services into a stream-lined process under a new "success coaching" academic model.

Meanwhile, on the west side of the Batavia Campus, the new Richard C. Call Arena is now the largest open, flexible floor space in the GLOW region (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties). The two-building Arena complex features an adjoining two-story lobby and concession stand area, classrooms, coaches offices, a fitness center, meeting rooms and a press box overlooking the Lacrosse / Soccer Turf Field.

Additionally, the interior Arcade walkway has four mural-sized photo collages expounding on this region's dynamic agricultural history as well as the vast economic impact of agribusiness in GLOW.

Together, these two new buildings are collectively valued at just over $25 million, and they position the College to expand student success and opportunity through the coming years, while augmenting the economic growth of the GLOW region. To celebrate the opening of these buildings and recognize the College's 50th Anniversary, the following series of events are planned for September at the Batavia Campus.

• Richard C. Call Arena Dedication and Student Success Center Open House
• 5 - 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 7

This special event will be attended by the many donors who contributed to the "Creating Our Future Together" capital campaign and supported the College's successful fundraising efforts with $5.2 million dollars to support the new facilities at the Batavia Campus as well as endowed scholarships for students in the College's six campus centers. Tours of the new facilities will be ongoing throughout the event, and the Dedication Ceremony will commence at 6 p.m. in the Richard C. Call Arena with a reception immediately following. (This event is by invitation only.)

• Genesee Community College Convocation
• 1-3 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 12 / Stuart Steiner Theatre 

This formal academic ceremony marks a milestone in the life of a college or university. Afternoon classes will be cancelled allowing students, faculty, staff, honored guests and community members to join in the solemn ceremony that recognizes not only the College's 50th Anniversary but also its promising future with the new facilities, new academic programs and courses, and the forward-thinking student success services. GCC's last convocation was in 2006 to recognize the College's 40th Anniversary.

• Presentation/Lecture by Heather Ann Thompson, Ph.D.
• 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 12 / T102

As part of the Historical Horizons lecture series, Pulitzer Prize and Bancroft Prize winning author Dr. Heather Ann Thompson will cap off the College's special Convocation Day, delivering a presentation, "Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and its Legacy," based on her award-winning book. Attica State Prison is part of GCC's history with inmate education a part of its programming in the 1980s. Dr. Thompson's book provides a definitive account of the prison uprising in 1971. She utilized sources available to no other researchers to write a reliable tome that upends the myths and exposes cover-ups of that violent event that captured international attention. For a complete listing of the Fall 2017 lecture series go to: https://gcchistoricalhorizons.wordpress.com/.

• GCC's Annual Fall Fest / Cougar Weekend
• Friday - Saturday, Sept. 22-23

The two-day event provides fun and festive activities for all with the following schedule featuring the return of some favorite events and a few new opportunities as well. All events are FREE and open to the public unless otherwise indicated.

• FRIDAY EVENT: Third Annual Cougar Crawl
• 5-8 p.m., Sept. 22 / Various Stops in Downtown Batavia

The GCC community, be they current students, faculty or staff, alumni, retirees or general supporters are all invited to stroll through downtown Batavia making special stops for special treats at various businesses, many owned or operated by GCC alumni. The event kicks off at City Slickers / Ken's Charcoal Pits and winds up at T.F. Brown's Restaurant with various stops to businesses such as The YNGoddess Shop, The Hidden Door / Pollyanna and Dot, and Center Street Smoke House. Cougar Crawl stops are still in development and subject to change. Cost is $15, or 2 for $25 and will NOT be sold at the door.

• SATURDAY EVENT: Sept. 23, Public Open House and Facility Tours
• Public Open House and Facility Tours / 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

This is the chance for the general public to tour the new Richard C. Call Arena and Student Success Center. Visitors can catch a view of the Turf Field from the new Press Box, check out the new Fitness Center and Arena and explore both floors of the Student Success Center.

• "Rods and Rock" Classic Cruise
•  11 a.m. - 4 p.m. / North Parking Lot

For those who love classic cars, trucks and motorcycles, the popular "Rods and Rock" Car Cruise returns on Saturday in GCC's north parking lot.

• "Lollapalooza Golden Gala" Concert with the Genesee Symphony Orchestra
• 5 p.m. / Richard C. Call Arena

The first music to grace the new Richard C. Call Arena will be from the Genesee Symphony Orchestra, the College's orchestra-in-residence. Led by Conductor and Music Director S. Shade Zajac, the GSO is presenting a variety of musical selections especially arranged for this one-time event under the theme, "Lollapalooza Golden Gala." A reception with light refreshments will immediately follow the performance. The concert is free with general admission seating on a first-come, first-served basis.

"September is shaping up to be an exciting month in the life and history of Genesee Community College," James M. Sunser, Ph.D., president of GCC, said. "We are so grateful to many thousands of people who have positively impacted GCC through the years.

"From our trustees and donors, to legislators and advisory council members, hardworking students and involved alumni, and of course, our dedicated faculty and staff who make a difference in the lives of our students each and every day-we have been truly blessed with a supportive community that makes our middle name. Next month, we hope to recognize and remember all of you!

Press release:

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education granted reaccreditation for an eight-year term to Genesee Community College June 23, the Board of Trustees learned at its annual meeting this week.

In a significant move, the Middle States Commission also issued rare commendations (official praise) to Genesee Community College for the quality of its self-study and the final Middle States team report, which found a high level of performance at Genesee.

The Middle States action followed an intensive 18-month self-study process that culminated in a Middle States Commission team visit in early April. The eight-member team comprised of highly respected educational leaders led by retired Atlantic Cape Community College President Peter L. Mora Sr., examined the College's self-study prepared by 70+ faculty and staff members, as well as more than 900 pages of documentation about all areas of the College's academic program and administrative operations. Team members also met and interviewed several hundred faculty and staff members, students, advisory committee members and trustees.

Accreditation is a rigorous process in which external experts review every facet of a college's administrative, financial, academic and student services functions. The Middle States Commission, which has accreditation jurisdiction over about 525 colleges and universities in the Mid-Atlantic States and Caribbean, places an exceptionally high priority on continuous improvement. Colleges and universities accredited by Middle States are expected to demonstrate both good performance and meticulous strategies for ongoing evaluation and progress toward demanding new goals.

The Middle States Commission is one of six regional accrediting bodies that oversee accreditation of the nation's 4,700+ colleges and universities. Colleges and universities must be accredited for their students to receive financial assistance, and only accredited colleges can receive public grants and contracts. Employers also see accreditation as a mark of quality, and an indication that employees' degrees are backed by high academic standards.

The Middle States Commission selected Genesee Community College as one of only 15 colleges and universities to "pilot" demanding new accreditation standards, which will take effect for all 525 Middle States colleges and universities next year. Of the 15 institutions in the pilot, only Genesee Community College and Union College (Schenectady) received commendations (official praise) for both the quality of their self-studies and final accreditation reports.

President James M. Sunser told trustees that the results of the accreditation process mean that Genesee will be viewed as an "exemplar" college throughout the mid-Atlantic region and beyond.

"I expect that other colleges and universities will be asking us for guidance and advice as they prepare to seek reaccreditation, and that faculty and staff leaders of our accreditation process will be called on to provide presentations to their peers at other colleges in the years ahead," he said.

Sunser said that the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, students and the community should be deeply proud of the reaccreditation and commendations: "This reflects on the caliber of the people here, and the many strengths of our College. It [reaccreditation] is an extraordinary accomplishment."

About 50 students from Batavia High School, Batavia Middle School, Byron-Bergen Central School, Albion Central School and Medina Central School took part in a recreational field trip this afternoon (Thursday) at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia. They participated in the Liberty Partnership Program, which is coordinated by Genesee Community College in conjunction with the NYS Department of Education.

Mary Ann Bowman, program director, said the outing provided an opportunity to "keep the students connected" while school is in recess. The students bowled two or three games and enjoyed pizza and pop during their time at the East Main Street facility.

The Liberty Partnership Program, in its 28th year, provides service to students in public and non-public schools grades five through 12 in an effort to maximize high school graduation and to encourage them to pursue higher education or post-secondary vocational training.

The Program promotes collaboration between colleges and universities, community based organizations, school districts, parents, volunteers, businesses and industry in providing comprehensive services for students to enter the workforce prepared with the necessary skills to be successful.

Liberty Partnership provides the following services: Academic/Personal Advisement, Homework Assistance, Career Awareness, Cultural and Enrichment Activities, Family Casework, Mentoring, Home Visits, Parental Involvement, Service Learning Projects/Civic Duty, Preparedness and College Tours and Summer Programming.

Photos -- From the top: Batavia High School students; Novalee Pocock, B-B fifth-grader; Batavia Middle School students with caseworker Kristen Calarco-Gomez; Jayden Doyle, B-B eighth-grader. 

Press release:

"Construction documents are almost complete and everything is on schedule," Kristin G. Schmitt, AIA, principal of JMZ Architects and Planners told Genesee Community College Board of Trustees at last week's monthly meeting. "It has been a smooth process, which is a testament to the College."

The construction bid packages with all the necessary documents for contractors to submit their cost estimates for the project are anticipated to be ready for review on Monday, Feb. 8. The proposed deadline for the College to receive the publicly opened bids is Tuesday, March 8. JMZ anticipates five different bid packages for Site Work, General Contracting, Electrical, Plumbing/Fire Protection, and Heating, Ventilation and Cooling (HVAC).

As stipulated by the Board of Trustees during the early planning process, JMZ is carefully crafting the bid packages to attract as many local contractors as possible. The two separate facilities, the 18,500-square-foot Student Success Center and the 56,000-square-foot College and Community Events Center, are being built on parallel construction schedules allowing contractors to bid on both projects or individual projects. 

"We anticipate good participation from the local construction community and will be reaching out to them," Schmitt said.

The project will also be announced in area media outlets and the Dodge Report. Once the bidding and project award process is complete, construction will begin in April with a formal ground-breaking ceremony scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday, April 28.

The College and Community Event Center located at the far west side of the Batavia campus near the turf field will begin first so as to not interrupt College's activities and spring semester traffic flow. The Student Success Center will begin after the Commencement ceremony on May 22. Project completion for both buildings is expected the following Summer in 2017. 

In addition to reviewing the construction schedule, Schmitt presented six different schematic presentation boards that illustrated both buildings employing state-of-the-art graphics that combine photographs of the existing facilities blended with the new architectural renderings. A dramatic Student Success Center is shown at night with the lights from the large glass foray reflecting out onto the Clock Tower Plaza. Viewers can also appreciate how the Student Success Center will connect with the Conable Technology Building through the second level bridge. Interior illustrations reveal an open lobby and lounge with two-story glass windows, an open staircase and a fireplace. 

"This will be the new front door to the whole campus," GCC President James Sunser, Ed.D. said. "The new facility is exciting, but more exciting is how it will allow us to reinvent how we support our students in being successful. Like a case manager, our new student success coaches will know what students need and proactively help them through the process." 

Interior and exterior renderings of the College and Community Events Center were also reviewed illustrating the dual facility. The sizable arena, which will be the largest open floor space in the GLOW region (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties), is accented by a long, glassed-in arcade leading to the central entrance and lobby that connects the two buildings. The smaller building provides classrooms, locker rooms, coaches' offices, the fitness center, meeting rooms and a press box overlooking the existing turf field.

The large arena will not only accommodate an array of athletic competitions, but the open space will allow all kinds of civic, community, trade, industry as well as college events-from farm, boat and tractor shows to commencement ceremonies where a whole family can sit together. The new facility is expected to draw as many as 500,000 visitors to the campus each year. 

Both presentation boards included samples of different flooring, brickwork, ceiling and wall tiles, window mullions, paint, stair treads and countertops. Combined, the two projects will provide an additional 74,000 square feet of new indoor space at GCC, allowing the College to repurpose some of the existing space for labs and classrooms accommodating new academic programs such as Nanotechnology AAS. The overall building project follows GCC's Facilities Master Plan, which was approved by the Board and SUNY (State University of New York) more than two years ago.

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s visit to Batavia on Tuesday included some hands-on education.

Hochul met for about a half hour with officials at Genesee Community College, who discussed the college’s workforce development initiatives and STEM — or Science, Technology, Engineering and Math — career path training.

A subsequent campus tour included the third-floor science laboratories, where Assistant Professor Karen Huffman-Kelly was teaching a Cellular Biology class.

The lab is equipped with a luminometer, a hand-held swab unit that uses bioluminescence technology to test bacteria levels on food-processing equipment.

Hochul — under the guidance of Greg Sharpe, instructor for the college’s Food Processing Technology program, pictured above — used the device to test the cleanliness of a student’s cell phone.

“We’ll see whether I want to keep holding your cell phone,” Hochul told the student.

The verdict?

After a quick swab and a 15-second countdown, the device yielded a score of 136.

“Not too bad,” Sharpe said.

“Cell phones on average (score) around a 300,” he explained. “In the food industry, typically anything over a 30 we make them re-clean it.”

GCC launched its Food Processing Technology degree program last year. It was designed to meet the demand for skilled workers in the food manufacturing field.

The program already has an international reach, as Hochul learned by chance on Tuesday.

She was introduced to Arsenio Ferreira, 22, who is in his second year of the FPT program.

Ferreira hails from the southeast Asian island nation of Timor-Leste, which became independent in 2002. He told Hochul he will bring new skills back to Timor-Leste, to help with its economic and social development.

Hochul called New York’s community colleges the creative engines of the SUNY System, with the flexibility to meet changing economic needs.

“I think we’re very lucky because we have a strong reputation as far as the academic quality of this institution,” said GCC President James Sunser, Ph.D.

The Food Processing Technology program, he noted, was developed in cooperation with Cornell University.

“Their willingness to work with us — and to accept our students in transfer — is in large part because of our strong academic reputation.”

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, right, speaks Tuesday at Genesee Community College with Arsenio Ferreira, an international student from Timor-Leste who is studying Food Processing Technology.

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