NEW PALTZ – Faced with massive budget cutbacks from the state and the raiding of student tuition funds by Albany, SUNY New Paltz Tuesday announced a deficit reduction plan of $6 million that includes ending the college’s nursing program.

“The severe economic recession has hit New York especially hard, and the recently-enacted state budget drives those consequences home to New Paltz in a most direct and painful way,” said College President Steven Poskanzer. “It is distressing that SUNY’s state-operated campuses have been hit harder than any other segment of New York’s educational institutions and it is particularly egregious that the new budget fundamentally breaches faith with students and their families by sweeping 80 percent of the additional tuition charges.”

Aside from eliminating the nursing program, the college plans to suspend admission to several low-enrolled graduate programs including Master of Science in Education and Master of Arts in teaching programs in chemistry, earth science, French, math and Spanish.

In total, the majority of the recommended cuts at the college -- $3.7 million – will come from non-instructional areas, while $2.3 million will come from the instructional budget. The college has proposed a series of new revenue ideas that will generate about $250,000 annually and has developed a target of $640,000 for cost-saving measures in non-personnel expenses like supplies and contracts, and additional $325,000 reduction in energy use.

State Senator John Bonacic, whose district includes New Paltz, said he is “disappointed that SUNY New Paltz has been forced to reduce the educational services it offers.” The Republican lawmaker said it would be one thing if the state budget was actually being reduced and the cuts had to be made, but spending by state government in New York is higher than ever.

“The decision by the Democrats in the Legislature to raid SUNY tuition amounts to nothing more than a tax on SUNY students and their families hurts the economy of the Hudson Valley,” said Bonacic. “The reductions at SUNY New Paltz are the product of a flawed budget that taxes too much and has misplaced priorities. New York now has a government completely controlled by New York City Democrats and the disastrous results speak for themselves.”