Fuschillo & Sweeney Secure $54.5 Million Investment For Farmingdale State

    State Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. and State Assemblyman Robert K. Sweeney today announced that they have secured $54.524 million in the 2008-2009 state budget to fund much-needed infrastructure improvement projects, including a new $28.9 million School of Business building, at the 96-year-old Farmingdale State College campus.  

    Senator Fuschillo, (R-Merrick) said, “I am very pleased to secure this funding for Farmingdale State College to support these much-needed campus modernization projects.  With enrollment booming and the campus aging, the need for these critical capital projects has never been greater.  This state funding will benefit the students and faculty for many years to come.”  

    Assemblyman Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst) said, “I am delighted to have been able to obtain these funds which will enhance educational opportunities at Farmingdale State College.  Farmingdale acts as an important driver for Long Island employing nearly one thousand employees. Partnerships with industry have propelled Farmingdale into a leading role in economic development. For example, the Small Business Development Center, has worked with more than 21,000 clients who have invested $230 million in the Long Island economy.”

    Chief among the projects is construction of a new building for the college’s School of Business (SOB) funded with a $28.9 allotment.   Enrollment at the SOB has increased 35 percent in the last six years and now represents 29 percent of overall enrollment at Farmingdale State.  Currently, SOB classes are split between Thompson Hall and Whitman Hall.  The new building will allow the college to merge the classes into one site, improving access to faculty and resources, and enhancing the student experience.

    The School of Business has also increased its academic offerings by 50 percent over the last six years.  Recent additions to the degree program include Bachelor degrees in Computer Programming and Horticulture Technology Management and a minor in Sports Management.  

    Farmingdale State College President W. Hubert Keen said, “Senator Fuschillo and Assemblyman Sweeney have always been strong supporters of Farmingdale State College.   I thank them again for this latest commitment that will have a major impact on the future of this institution.  These projects are critical to the overall transformation of Farmingdale State as it continues to provide a first class education to students and supplies a well trained workforce for Long Island.”
   
    Senator Fuschillo and Assemblyman Sweeney also secured $7.5 million funding for construction of a new day care center on campus.  The new facility will replace the current temporary buildings that have served as a child care center and are in poor overall condition.  The new facility will also be relocated to a more appropriate location on campus and will have the capacity to offer child care for the increasing number of students, and faculty at Farmingdale State as well as parents at Broadhollow Bioscience Park.   

    Other projects include a Center for Applied Mathematics ($1 million) and an Information Commons ($1 million), $750,000 to enhance accessibility for the disabled, and $175,000 for a covered practice facility to be used by all of the College’s eighteen Intercollegiate Athletic Teams.    

    Enrollment at Farmingdale State College has risen 27.8 percent in the past seven years, from 5,045 students to 6,447 students today.

    Farmingdale State College plays an important role in economic development by providing a large portion of the region’s workforce as students often remain on Long Island.  In 2005, of the 225 companies that hired Farmingdale State graduates, 192 of those firms were located on Long Island.  

    Specifically, Senator Fuschillo and Assemblyman Sweeney secured the following funding in the 2008-09 state budget to support revitalization of Farmingdale State College:

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