Office of the President
University statements
Dec. 1, 2022
Dear Members of the Binghamton University Community,
Over the past few months, Binghamton University has been in discussions to develop opportunities for increasing shared services as well as educational opportunities between Binghamton University and SUNY Broome Community College. Strengthening the partnership between our two institutions would build on the strong relationship we have developed over the past decades and would pay significant dividends for our campuses, students, county and state.
The past several years have been especially challenging for the community colleges in SUNY, including SUNY Broome. Over the past decade, SUNY’s community colleges have seen enrollment decreases due in large part to the declining number of high school students in New York state. Since 2011, SUNY Broome’s enrollment has dropped by 37%, while Binghamton University’s enrollment has grown by 22%. As a result, SUNY Broome is facing significant fiscal challenges that would eventually result in reduced educational opportunities for students in the Southern Tier. At the same time, Binghamton University, while still attracting students, is seeing its pipeline of community college transfer students reduced, particularly from the Broome County area. Given these challenges, I believe that an integration of University and community college functions would have positive impacts on both institutions as well as the community. And most of all, it would improve educational outcomes for transfer students, especially those coming from first-generation and underrepresented minority backgrounds.
