By James M. Odato
New York State Police chose a closed central New York college for its auxiliary academy, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday, taking Paul Smith’s College out of the running.
The force will lease space at Cazenovia College for up to 275 recruits and 115 instructors. The firearms training and Emergency Vehicle Operations Courses will continue to be held offsite at the locations that are presently used, the governor’s office said.
The first basic school class at the Cazenovia site is scheduled to start in October of 2023.
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State police officials scouted the Paul Smith’s campus as a potential site for the extra teaching space to augment and run concurrently with the Albany academy, agency officials told the Explorer last month. The college’s administration has not commented on the proposed arrangement.
The potential for Paul Smith’s to be used by the police agency alongside college students for several months triggered an anonymous protest by a group calling itself Paul Smith’s College Students for Change who didn’t like the idea. State police representatives toured the school with an interest in using facilities for two years for recruits needing campus dormitories, eating halls, a gym and classrooms.
Hochul did not specify why Cazenovia became the choice, but she said the selection follows her plan to fund an unprecedented number of basic school classes with more than $66 million for two additional police trainings. Cazenovia ended its college programs in June after years of declining enrollment and weak revenues.
Paul Smith’s College has been experiencing similar trends, and last week announced its decision to break with The Fedcap Group, which had planned to acquire the school and has been lending operational support for months.
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Cazenovia officials said the two-year deal with the state begins in August. “We are pleased that we were able to arrange the lease with the state police and avoid having the campus vacant for a period of time,” said Kenneth Gardiner, chair of the Cazenovia College Board of Trustees.
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It’s unfortunate that Paul Smith’s didn’t get chosen, the additional revenue would have been nice.
Students for Change protests didn’t help Paul Smith’s College situation at all. Short sighted.
A lot of the Student for Change protests are not helping their situation around the country.
The Paul Smith’s College Students for Change apparently does not like change. The practical funding would help the struggling college stay afloat by sharing empty space with State Trooper Training.
The State didn’t need the flak and moved on to a more welcoming venue.
This is a opportunity lost.