SCHENECTADY COUNTY College music space delayed County funds held over idea to move to Proctor’s BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
The successful music program at Schenectady County Community College faces a delay in its expansion over a disagreement about moving partially to facilities at Proctor’s Theatre. Schenectady County has yet to release $2.7 million to the community college for a proposed addition for its accredited music program, holding up the funding seemingly as part of negotiations to have the college relocate the program downtown. The delay could affect the music program’s accreditation, said Schenectady County Legislator Vincent DiCerbo, D-Schenectady. DiCerbo also serves as a trustee on the Schenectady County Community College’s board. “The accreditation agency has told the college it needs more practice space and enlarged facilities in order to keep its accreditation,” DiCerbo said. The county Legislature approved the $2.7 million last year as part of its capital budget. College officials had hoped to receive the money in time to begin construction of the $5.3 million addition to the Begley Building this fall. “The money has not been released yet. It is on hold,” said college President Gabriel Basil. “We need space for our students. We need to double our space. We were hoping to open it a year from now. Music space has been a crunch for two or three years. It will continue to be for now,” Basil said. Basil said the college has completed design of the proposed 15,000-square-foot addition, using money the county Legislature provided earlier. The hold-up appears tied to requests by Democratic leadership in the county Legislature to have the college relocate all or some portions of the music program to Proctor’s Theatre on State Street. Legislature Chairwoman Susan Savage, D-Niskayuna, was not available for comment. But DiCerbo said college officials are resisting the proposal, saying it would compromise the music program’s integrity. “The college has indicated it would be disruptive to the music program to split it up. The only other schools that have programs separate and distinct have their whole programs off campus.” Basil said “moving downtown is not a viable option for helping us with practice space, which is not available.” Unless the county releases the money by September, when the state goes out for bonding, the SCCC addition could be delayed further, affecting the program’s accreditation, DiCerbo said. The state pays for half of construction costs at the college, with the county paying the other half. “If we don’t meet their requirements, we will be in jeopardy. We are trying to work with the county to do something up there. I don’t think moving any instructional and music programs are in the best interests of the college,” DiCerbo said. A compromise under discussion is to offer music lessons and community programs out of Proctor’s, DiCerbo said. “They can do something innovative at Proctor’s that is good for Proctor’s, the college, the community and the students.” The music program is nearing the end of its five-year accreditation. Basil said accreditation offi - cials were concerned about the lack of classrooms and practice rooms on the SCCC campus during the last review. He had said earlier the county’s financial commitment showed accreditation officials the college was addressing their concerns and that accreditation would proceed with that in mind. Accreditation helps the college recruit students, and the proposed addition will allow the college to increase enrollment by 20 percent — the program currently has 150 students — as well as add a new program, sound recording. The recording studio will address the business side of the profession. County officials want to add more foot traffic to downtown, believing students are a key to its continued revitalization. They were upset when Mildred Elley backed out of a deal last year to relocate its business schools into Center City downtown. The move would have brought 600 students and 100 faculty and staff into the city for day and evening classes.
County officials want to add more foot traffic to downtown, believing students are a key to its continued revitalization.
Are they kidding here? SCCC is what, 2 blocks from the big revitalized downtown area!!! And yet the county officials are holding back money to the college, pretty much blackmailing them into making a decision. The college knows what the college needs FOR educating the paying students. That is their job!
But the self serving, dictatorship county officials are more concerned in how much foot traffic the one block in Schenctady gets. For their political gain only. Pathetic!
If I were the college, I would tell the blackmailing dictatorship to take their money and stick it where the sun don't shine. Cause it seems that is where their heads are at anywyas!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
.......those in high places at any educational facility and governments go hand in hand....they have an agenda too.....
The county chose to make SCCC part of it's 'revitalization'....and there is $$ to be had.....SHOW ME THE $$ TRAIL.....The college has alot to do with those on Ms.Savages benefits.....robbing Peter to pay Paul and scratch my back and I will scratch yours......
Power, Money, Votes.......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
You all didn't even catch the interesting part about this. This is a case where the County Chairperson couldn't be contacted, even though she's got her hands dug deep into this. She instead, sends a lacky to give the announcement to the press.
Quoted Text
Legislature Chairwoman Susan Savage, D-Niskayuna, was not available for comment. But DiCerbo said college officials are resisting the proposal, saying it would compromise the music program’s integrity. “The college has indicated it would be disruptive to the music program to split it up. The only other schools that have programs separate and distinct have their whole programs off campus.”
While at the same time, on the same day, she WAS able to be contacted about a Sexual Harrassment suit against the county and knew nothing about it?
Something's definitely here, and it isn't the LOVELY Mohawk...
I think that Suzie must still be in shock over the Ed Kosiur disaster. She's probably just not thinking straight. Although she never has!
The general concensus is that Suzie's political career is coming to an end along with others on the county legislature. Suzie Savage has hopefully smartened up and realizes that when she talks, she not only puts her foot in her mouth but she is just adding one more nail in her political coffin!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Schenectady County Community College is almost literally an island. But that doesn’t mean it has to think and act like one. It’s time the college became more a part of downtown, with such things as student housing and programs. A proposal by the Democratic leadership of the county Legislature, to have SCCC relocate all or part of its music program, to Proctor’s Theatre, would be an excellent place to start. Unfortunately the college administration, rather than looking for ways to make this work, is looking for reasons why it won’t. SCCC’s music program has been growing lately, and the existing space on campus is no longer adequate. A $5.3 million addition is planned, with $2.7 million coming from the county and the rest from the state. The county has always been generous to the college with capital funds (less so with operating), but that doesn’t mean it has to provide a blank check. It should have a say in where those facilities go and how they are used. There’s also obviously a limit to how much the landlocked college can expand where it is. SCCC President Gabriel Basil says that moving the entire program downtown would cost three or four times the amount of the planned addition, because everything — classrooms, practice space and performance space — would have to be re-created downtown. Why? There’s plenty of space available for rent over the Carl Co., the movie theater, even Center City. And Proctor’s has a new black-box theater that could easily be adapted to musical performances, as well as a new artsy coffee house coming, called the Muddy Cup, where students could perform informally. Basil also says that moving part of the program would be disruptive and create a hardship for students, who would have to go back and forth between downtown and the main campus. But students on many large campuses walk that far every day. And many SCCC students are commuters who come by car for a class or two and then leave. Far from being a hardship, being in the middle of a live arts/entertainment district would likely be an attraction for music students. Ideally, the county would have pushed harder for this change earlier — before approving the $2.7 million for the new addition last year. But that doesn’t mean it’s too late now. A good idea is a good idea.
Schenectady County Community College is almost literally an island. But that doesn’t mean it has to think and act like one. It’s time the college became more a part of downtown, with such things as student housing and programs. A proposal by the Democratic leadership of the county Legislature, to have SCCC relocate all or part of its music program, to Proctor’s Theatre, would be an excellent place to start. Unfortunately the college administration, rather than looking for ways to make this work, is looking for reasons why it won’t.
Well, well, this is clearly a liberal slant from the gazette if I ever saw one! SCCC IS A COLLEGE!! Have these numbskulls overlooked this? Or are their political ambitions blinding them? SCCC is a college, not a bar, not a head shop, not a movie theater or a hotel that they can manipulate.
I would clearly NOT budge if I were the College. And I would be pissed at this article. And if the dictatorship refuses to give them the money....oh well....let the democratic dictatorship take the responsibility. At least the college is trying to do what is best for this music dept. The dictatorship is trying to do what is best for THEM!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
SCCC music program should stay where it is, right on campus AL AND ANITA HAUGEN Scotia
Your Aug. 14 editorial, “SCCC should make music with Proctor’s,” is so fraught with outright misconceptions and lack of understanding of college music programs and students, that to respond to all of them would violate your word limit. So please allow us to respond to just a few. Over $250,000 and many hours of faculty effort have been spent on stateof-the-art design of expanded music facilities at the SCCC campus. The plans are done. The county Legislature is now holding hostage the $2.7 million approved last year for this expansion. Why is the Legislature doing this, and endangering the national accreditation of the fine music program at SCCC? Could this unwarranted attack (by the Legislature and now the Gazette) have any connection to Proctor’s Theatre’s apparent difficulty meeting its ever-expanding capital campaign budget? Or are there darker, behindthe-scenes reasons? Isn’t it time for residents of Schenectady County to voice their disapprobation with having deals made behind closed doors? One can reasonably argue that SCCC is, at very least, as valuable to the so-called “rebirth” of Schenectady as Proctor’s Theatre. Segregating the music program by moving any of its classes or rehearsal/ practice space to off-campus locations would also do a huge disservice to the music students by reducing their participation in the camaraderie and activities of the campus community. Also, has anyone considered issues of parking, instrument transportation, fuel costs, off-campus dining, SCCC schedule vs. Proctor’s schedule, student safety, facility security, insurance costs, etc.? Remember the Virginia Tech tragedy? SCCC is investing heavily (much of it unfunded mandate) in enhancing campus security. Who would pay for the required security if SCCC were forced to provide off-campus facilities downtown? Add to all this the fact that the county Legislature has a long history of underfunding its mandated share (one-third each state, tuition, county) of annual operating costs at SCCC, contributing the lowest percentage of all community colleges in New York state. This is just a part of why your “good idea” is, indeed, a bad idea!
Music is made by a what?...group....together....It is hard enough paying for college but to have to truck your instrument from place to place--because you have to get to your "group" or ensemble....let the professional county/town bands tote their instruments around....let Proctors do what it is supposed to do....
Let's remember that Ms. Savage doesn't think folks on the 'benefits' need to learn English, or for that matter have any kind of educating going on----now either she thinks they are too dumb, doesn't want them educated,or the help is so little/demeaning and beaurocatic that the burden would actually be too much......those are her only choices.....So who in her constituency would be attending Proctors, going to SCCC etc.....Maybe she should work to fill the seats and venues at Proctors with her constituency.....
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Now, think about this. If Proctors is going to be used for all of the SCCC practices and performances, what happens if there's a way that Proctors can make more money with a big Broadway show coming in...can you say Schenectady (city) County (Christmas) Holiday Parade???
County shouldn’t be using SCCC music program as a pawn EVELYN M. CURRIE Burnt Hills
Re Aug. 14 editorial, “SCCC should make music with Proctor’s”: The Schenectady County Community College music program is one of the finest in the state! The county Legislature approved the $2.7 million for a proposed addition for its accredited music program last year, as part of its capital budget. But politics has reared its ugly head! The Legislature is holding up the funding to force part of the music department to relocate to Proctor’s Theatre. Shame on them! What is it that the Legislature doesn’t understand? The students need practice rooms on campus to use between classes. Walking, while carrying a string bass or tuba several blocks to Proctor’s, while one has only an hour between classes to practice, is unacceptable. At the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, the students take all of their classes on site. The practice rooms, counseling services, library, etc. are all located on site. Their performance space is on site. A music student’s success depends on being well taught and having the facilities to practice singly and in groups. The SCCC music teachers are superb, headed by William Meckley. We should be supporting them, not undermining the wonderful work they are doing. When the editorial suggested the Proctor’s black-box theater to replace the Taylor Auditorium at SCCC, I decided perhaps the writer had never been to a concert at SCCC. May I suggest that he and the Legislature attend one this fall and witness firsthand what a perfect venue it is for the students. As far as the suggestion that the students would like to perform in the “artsy coffee house” coming to Proctor’s, may I remind you that a lot of the students are poor and need places to perform to earn money in order to stay in college. They do not come to be, as the editorial states, “in the middle of a live arts/entertainment district.” They come to be immersed in an excellent music teaching college to prepare for their future. I trust that county officials will rethink their plan of sacrificing the SCCC Music Department “to add more foot traffi c to downtown, believing students are a key to its continued revitalization.” Perhaps the editor could find the time to visit SCCC and discover why SCCC should not make the music he suggests with Proctor’s.
I looks like everybody in the city is in agreement that the county should leave SCCC alone to run it's own music department except for our law makers. Are they really that far out of touch with the residents of this county?
Logged
here, and it isn't the LOVELY Mohawk...
