Fresh start for a New Year

New Year, New Beginning! 

As fall semester ends we enter a holiday season, a New Year, and a fresh start at SUNY Erie Community College. 

We have a new President, and the SUNY Erie Board of Trustees has committed to retaining a campus in the Southtowns. We will retain the three-campus structure we have fought for, even though the location will change. 

This would not have been possible without the advocacy of the FFECC and our state union: NYSUT. Labor Management meetings with the College have continually included member concerns such as improving enrollment outreach activities, addressing staffing needs, developing advisement centers, improving infrastructure and the cleanliness of campuses, and more. Additionally, our focus has prioritized the status of South Campus. Now that we finally have a commitment to a south campus, the FFECC leadership can continue to discuss the impact of this decision on our members, advocating for what is best for our members and our institution. 

We are finding that the college leadership, including the Board of Trustees and new administrative team are open to collaborating with us in determining Erie’s future. This is clearly a new direction for our college and its work with the FFECC leadership team. Building a strong institution can only be achieved with open dialogue and sincere respect of faculty by Senior Management. In turn we must also maintain our quality of teaching while providing high quality services in a state-of-the-art environment for our students. 

The success of our new President is critical to the long-term viability of this institution and our longevity within our areas of expertise. Our students’ success is also key to regaining our rightful status of a high-quality, low-cost institution of higher education that people want to attend. 

Happy Holidays to all! 

FFECC Leadership Team 

Andrew Sako, President, sakoad@ecc.edu, 851-1026

Angela Crocker, VP City, crockera@ecc.edu, 270-5275

Michael Kozlowski, VP North, kozlowski@ecc.edu, 851-1537

James Ruggiero, VP South, ruggiero@ecc.edu, 851-1770

Joan Bukowski, Grievance Chair, bukowskij@ecc.edu, 851-1522 

Jacqui Bollinger, Secretary, bollinger@ecc.edu, 270-2981 

Melissa Dennee, Treasurer, denneem@ecc.edu, 851-1082