Give Nassau Community College a new leader, fresh start

For 15 years, Nassau Community College has lacked steady, lasting leadership. In that time, the college has gone through president after president, search after search, and battle after battle.

Still the toxic infighting, gamesmanship and patronage have continued, and endless calls for new leadership and a newly invigorated board of trustees went unheeded.

So here we are once more.

In the latest chapter of this saga, the State University of New York’s trustees voted unanimously on Nov. 14 to “disapprove” the nomination of Maria Conzatti as president of Nassau Community College. The state trustees haven’t ever taken such a step before for any campus. It was a necessary move, but one that has enormous implications for NCC and its future.

COLLISION COURSE

The dispute sets up a dysfunctional and untenable collision course between SUNY officials and those at NCC. Without a willingness to compromise, negotiate and find a new path forward, everyone will lose — especially the students.

The vote came only after SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. and the SUNY board each interviewed Conzatti in recent weeks, meetings that led both to draw the conclusion that she should not be the college’s next president. It likely was the right move. But coming just as Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman explores a run for governor against Gov. Kathy Hochul, the timing is unfortunate, as it risks being perceived as a political play, just as the response from Blakeman and the NCC board might seem politicized.

Conzatti isn’t new to NCC; she has been associated with the college for nearly 40 years and has served in various temporary leadership capacities, as interim president, acting president and most recently, chief administrative officer. Even after the SUNY move, she has the unwavering support of the NCC board of trustees and other college officials, who highlight her accomplishments and say they stand with her no matter what.

There’s no doubt that Conzatti has had some successes. Just last week, SUNY reported that NCC saw a 12.4% jump in enrollment since last fall, although since 2020, enrollment remains down slightly. And she has made a laudable effort to consolidate departments and improve the college’s fiscal picture.

But there are also clear concerns. Perhaps most significant: NCC’s graduation rates. The college’s two-year graduation rate stands at 9.4% — the lowest of the 30 community colleges in the SUNY system. Its three-year rate is 23.6%, the second-lowest statewide only to Broome. But upstate Broome has a significant portion of students who transfer to and earn degrees from four-year schools. Nassau does not.

Then there’s the constant fighting with NCC’s faculty union. Here, there are no winners. But any good leader has to be able to find common ground, gain trust, develop consensus, manage personalities and seek creative solutions without constantly falling back on the blame game. Conzatti has failed to do that.

More broadly, the college has relied upon temporary leadership for far too long. SUNY is in the process of implementing a reasonable rule which would limit interim administrator appointments to one year. That might force the issue.

The SUNY board’s disapproval decision can open the door for a fresh start, but only if SUNY and Nassau Community College officials work together and move past the rhetoric and rancor. While NCC officials are right to emphasize the need for some local control, SUNY still plays a critical role in the college’s funding, programming and oversight. NCC’s $185 million budget anticipates $38 million in state aid and $52 million from the county. They must find a middle ground.

TIME FOR NEW SEARCH

Any next steps must include an independent, intensive and thorough search for a new, permanent NCC president. The last time the college did a search, the trustees bypassed five chosen finalists to stick with Conzatti.

Complicating matters: Conzatti has a contract through the end of 2028, leading some to suggest they can’t bring in a new president. But the contract actually contemplates such a move, specifically saying that if a new president is selected, Conzatti must be appointed as executive vice president for the same term, at the same salary. That’s a tricky situation still to be resolved.

The NCC board, too, needs a closer look. Most members are holdovers — a mix of state and county appointments that has not been revisited in years. Both Hochul and Blakeman should re-evaluate the current trustees, determine who should stay — and who should be replaced with new, apolitical voices who can contribute to the college’s future.

Missing from the petty fights, entrenched alliances and finger-pointing is the voice of the students. SUNY and NCC leaders would be wise to now hear from them.

In 2016, the Newsday editorial board wrote: “NCC won’t turn around until an extraordinary new leader is chosen.” That’s still true.

But today the repercussions are even more considerable than they were then. This is an especially critical moment, when we need our educational institutions — and most especially community colleges like Nassau — to be able to respond to employers’ changing needs and a shifting economic landscape by preparing our students for the jobs and skill sets of the future. Also important: The school remains a relatively low-cost option in the increasingly expensive world of higher education, a key factor especially as we hope those same students will be able to afford to live and work on the Island after graduation.

NCC’s failures will be Long Island’s failures. But if it can find its way forward, its success will be our success.