11.20.18 - Albany college leaders consider creating a consortium to address challenges
'Fewer students are enrolling in colleges and universities. Population demographics are changing. And business owners say they need more trained employees to fill their workforce needs. Those issues are part of why Havidán Rodríguez, the University at Albany president who is in his second year, wanted to convene the leaders of local colleges and universities to discuss ways to collaborate and work together regionally.'
'Nineteen college presidents attended a meeting with that goal on Monday at UAlbany. The higher education leaders talked about issues like declining enrollment, and how to balance tuition affordability with making budget.'
'Rodríguez believes the first meeting was a good start, especially coming a few weeks after the November elections where the U.S. House and New York state Senate flipped to Democratic control. "This is an opportunity with the changes that occurred, not only regionally but across the country, that we continue to emphasize the critical importance of higher education," Rodríguez told the Business Review.'