Farmingdale State College Needs Room to Grow

Newsday Editorial Board

April 16, 2019

"Farmingdale State College’s record of education and skilled worker retention on Long Island is an outstanding example of the SUNY mission in action. It is time for the state to make the right choice to invest in Farmingdale State College, an institution that has proven to work for the long-term benefit of Long Islanders.” --Senator John E. Brooks

The state budget may be done, but the legislature still needs to divvy up funds for the State University of New York’s capital needs — a pie that will include about $1 billion.

A slice of that must be saved for Farmingdale State College.

Farmingdale needs $53 million for a 40,000-square-foot academic building. Without a new building, the college’s classrooms will remain packed, and there will be no room to grow. With a new building, Farmingdale could add 1,000 full- and part-time students to its enrollment of more than 10,000. The building would provide a home for key departments like applied psychology, applied economics and geographic information systems. Students in those specialties graduate with skills and knowledge local employers are seeking.

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