On February 17, Dr. Sean  Fanelli, President of Nassau Community College, delivered his State of the College address to a general faculty meeting. The general tone of the address was one of cautious optimism.

Dr. Fanelli opened his remarks with a tribute to Doug Brown, and indicated that room B-3033B will be dedicated to his memory. We are all saddened by the loss of an outstanding educator and friend.

Dr. Fanelli explored a number of areas in his hour-long presentation. While he emphasized the progress that has been made in the last year, he indicated areas that require attention from the college community.

One such area is that of general classroom management. Dr. Fanelli suggested that this is an area of concern throughout the SUNY system. NCC has its own concerns with classroom management that have been brought forward by members of the faculty. He suggested that a study be made of the issue and has invited all communities of interest to participate. The Adjunct Faculty Association welcomes the opportunity to provide expertise in this area and will join in the development of strategies to deal with the problem.

In the area of General Education, Dr. Fanelli indicated that a healthy exchange of ideas was ongoing and welcome. He expected that more study would take place and that the entire college community would play a role in any future developments. The AFA believes that any future action should be explored thoroughly and implemented only after a consensus has been achieved.

The area of finances was one of great concern. The state effectively reduced the FTE payments to the college from a promised $2300 to $2235. This $65 cut resulted in a budget

deficit of $1.2 million. The institution found the means, some feel draconian, to make up this shortfall, and every segment of the college felt the pain. When this had been accomplished, other unexpected financial issues developed that created an additional $750,000 hole to be filled. The college is working to resolve these  problems, and it appears that they are not insurmountable.

Dr. Fanelli discussed the College Catalog, a legal document, and indicated that changes had been made; some of which were a surprise to many people. It has become clear that procedures need to be adopted to assure that catalog course descriptions and requirements are  well defined and accurate. This is rather important since students and advisors regard the catalog as a kind of "bible" to guide them on course selection and degree requirements.

As many know North Hall was closed during the Winterim to treat the building for mold. As it played out, the treatment seemed worse than the problem. Many complained of symptoms such as headache, nausea and general ague. Further action is on going to resolve health concerns in North Hall.

The college stands to gain significant property from the Navy. The area south of the old railroad tracks including a number of buildings should become college real estate in the near future. While renovations will be needed to make them suitable for college use, the institution will benefit not only from the use of the buildings, but also from the buffer zone effect that will be created from the commercial development on the other side of the tracks.

 The AFA concurs with Dr. Fanelli's assessment of the state of the college. We are doing an outstanding job and we look forward to doing even better.