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The college benefits from the New Deal for Students because...
The college benefits from more full-time faculty. This sounds counterintuitive during a time of contraction but during tough times it's crucial to think big.
Departments that are growing in enrollment require more full-time lines to help prepare their students for success here at the college and beyond. The same is true for disciplines for which we believe future growth is necessary and feasible. Specifically, at the present moment, we believe there is a need for more full-time lines in popular, competitive programs that students demand, including nursing, automotive, and cybersecurity.
I teach mathematics at the Eastern Campus and have been at the college for just about a decade—and I'm still considered one of the junior faculty.
Some of the best experiences I have had at the college involve collaborations with colleagues from our various departments, disciplines, and campuses. Having more full-time faculty at the college brings a broader range of experiences and expertise.
Any opportunity to increase faculty presence for students will make our academic programs healthier and more robust. We know what our students need and we know how to accomplish it. Greater collaborations among faculty and with administration to achieve the goals of this New Deal will help the institution grow.
— Rachael Millings, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Eastern Campus
Improved recruitment and
retention rates
We need more full-time faculty in these critical areas to better ensure student success. For example, we identify cybersecurity as one particular area of need due to the current challenges we face from having only two full-time cybersecurity professors on staff. The cybersecurity program at SCCC started out with 38 students in 2017 and now grown to nearly 110 students—with 20 students on a waitlist for the fall.
We know from recent events in the county, state, and nation that there's a critical demand for more cybersecurity workers. In December, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a press conference at SCCC to announce a federally funded Cyber Service Academy scholarship for those interested in pursuing a career in the field of cybersecurity. Senator Gillibrand noted, "There are thousands of unfilled public-sector cybersecurity positions, leaving our country with a severe shortage of cyber personnel needed to protect the United States." Given that the college plans to expand the program, it stands to reason that more full-time faculty are sorely needed.
More vibrant academic programs
Increased faculty presence makes our academic programs healthier and more robust. Education thrives on a diversity of ideas, perspectives, and viewpoints. We know that our nursing program is one of the most competitive at the college. Last summer, graduates from the Jane F. Shearer School of Nursing earned some of the highest NCLEX scores out any community college of its size in New York State. The students earned higher scores than some of the four-year baccalaureate nursing programs on Long Island. Yet we know that there are growing demands on our healthcare workers given our aging demographics.
Since the pandemic, more than 100,000 nurses nationwide have left the workforce. Since Suffolk is the largest suburban county in the nation, we need highly trained, qualified nurses to care for the medical needs of our families, colleagues, friends and neighbors. On November 6, 2023, Newsday published a cover story titled "Nursing Instructor Shortage: LI schools turn away qualified students in part because of instructor shortage on Long Island, in US." Dr. Cheryl Shaffer, associate dean of the Jane F. Shearer School of Nursing, states in the article, "Every year, Suffolk turns away 100 to 150 applicants who passed a nursing school admission exam." More full-time faculty would enable us to avoid this.
Enhanced collaborations among stakeholders
Stakeholders at the college need to collaborate on strategic decisions to move the institution forward. If questions arise about how SCCC is responding to the pressures facing not only our institution but nearly all community colleges across the nation, it is imperative that we can all stand up, stand proud, and share what we are each doing to improve student recruitment, retention, and success. Standing together united in support of student success can only come from enhancing our collaborative efforts as we move forward.
