State University of New York at Fredonia officials note enrollment is below 4,000 this fall. Photo by M.J. Stafford

FREDONIA — Enrollment figures continue to be an issue at SUNY Fredonia — and they are affecting the finances of the campus.

In fact, the school expects to run a $16.4 million deficit this year, assuming its current headcount of 3,780 students. Administrators expect to make most of it up with federal and state aid, but have called for $1.5 million in salary savings from unspecified sources.

“The bottom line is this: Nobody’s satisfied with the enrollment. Nobody’s satisfied with the retention,” College Council President Frank Pagano said at the panel’s recent quarterly meeting.

Stephen Kolison, SUNY Fredonia president, said the campus wants to raise enrollment to 6,000 students by 2024-25 to eliminate the spending deficit. He’s looking to get up to 4,710 students for the 2022-23 school year.

Kolison and other campus officials are beefing up recruiting efforts in response. The college has hired two full-time recruiters to seek out-of-state students. One works on Ohio and Pennsylvania, the other Massachusetts and New Jersey.

There is also an ad campaign underway to promote SUNY Fredonia. There’s traditional outlets such as TV and billboards on busy highways in Buffalo, but there’s a focus on streaming and digital markets as well, to reach tech-savvy kids in their own environments.

Campus officials agreed they must make sure the study programs they offer students are attractive. “We need to get into the 21st century and get programs students want,” Pagano said.

He added that the campus should emphasize its new science building and related renovations to nearby Houghton Hall. “A kid walks through that building, they’re gonna come here,” he said.

In the meantime, Pagano said, the campus will have to take a hard look at cutting positions.

“We had the same amount of people working when we had 5,700 (students) as we do when we have 3,700 students,” he said.

Pagano added that some programs will also have to be cut or eliminated. It will be tough to do with tenured professors, but it will have to be done if the campus wants to shore up its finances, he said.