SUNY New Paltz Suspending Graduate Math Program

April 28, 2009

The State University of New York New Paltz has done the budget math on its graduate program in mathematics—and the result isn't good. To help overcome a $6 million institution-wide shortfall, SUNY New Paltz will suspend its graduate math program—alongside several other graduate programs.

The only good news is that SUNY students now enrolled in Master of Science programs in education and Master of Arts in Teaching programs in mathematics, chemistry, earth science, French, Spanish, and nursing will be allowed to complete their courses of study.

SUNY's Department of Mathematics features a rotating selection of advanced courses under Program Director Donald Silberger. In conjunction with the Department of Secondary Education, it offers a Master of Science in Secondary Education designed for secondary school teachers who need a Master's for certification. The math department offers a Master of Arts degree in Teaching for those seeking a rapid route to certification as secondary education teachers.

Most of SUNY's job cuts will probably result from retirement and attrition, according to the Times Herald-Record and college President Steve Poskanzer. Of the cuts, $3.7 million will come from non-instructional areas and $2.3 million from the instructional budget. The programs under fire had not garnered sufficient enrollment to justify continuation.

At the same time, Poskanzer blamed the deep cuts on the state's decision to break faith with the SUNY system by imposing a tuition increase, most of which was swept into other parts of the state budget. As the affected programs wind down, Poskanzer indicated, full-time faculty will be asked to teach high-demand core subjects at the undergraduate level, resulting in fewer adjunct instructors.

Source: Times Herald-Record, April 15, 2009; State University of New York New Paltz.