| |
|
|
A newly updated study shows that SUNY Oswego had an
economic impact of $261.7 million last year on the seven-county
Central New York region and injected $137.3 million
into the Oswego County economy last year.
Prospering Together: 2005-06
goes beyond dollars to detail many of the effects the
college has on the neighboring area in terms of economic
development, educational and civic support, and cultural
enrichment.
“There is no easy or shorthand way of assessing
the impact of an institution of higher learning,”
SUNY Oswego President Deborah F. Stanley said. “This
document gives an indication of how inextricably our
college is woven into the fabric of the community, engendering
benefits that touch all its citizens.”
The economic impact study noted that the campus had
1,912 full-time-equivalent employees, making it the
top employer in the county and one of the largest in
Central New York, with a payroll of $84 million.
The spending of the college and its students, faculty
and staff created an additional 2,261 jobs in Oswego
County plus another 1,664 jobs in six neighboring counties
— Onondaga, Cayuga, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida and
Madison, the study found.
“The purchasing power of our employees combined
with that of the college itself and the goods and services
consumed by our 8,200 students help drive the regional
economy,” Stanley said.
Students are active in the economy both as consumers
and producers. The report’s new survey data indicated
that students spent $19.1 million within Oswego County
and $24.3 million in all in the seven-county region.
Students provided nearly 90,000 hours of service as
interns and 260,000 hours of service as volunteers to
businesses, government offices, and non-profit agencies
such as youth organizations, nursing homes and community
agencies last year.
The report cites other ways SUNY Oswego benefits the
economy, such as its Small Business Development Center
and programs for entrepreneurs, businesses’ employees,
and individuals seeking career advancement.
The college adds to the quality of life in the area
educationally and culturally and enhances the area through
the research and volunteer activities of its faculty,
staff and students. Among such items mentioned in the
report are Project SMART’s partnership to improve
teaching in public schools; the dozens of art exhibitions,
concerts and plays available for community people to
attend; WRVO, one of the top public radio stations in
the country by ratings; research to improve lake-effect
storm forecasting; students’ volunteer income
tax assistance to county residents; the college-based
Retired Senior Volunteer Program; and faculty leadership
in community organizations.
Joseph Grant Jr., vice president for student affairs
and enrollment, said the Prospering
Together: 2005-06 brochure will be distributed
to state leaders and will also be shared with Oswego
County legislators, business people and others.
“Many people understand in a general way that
the college is important to the health and vitality
of the community,” he said, “but this report
is eye-opening in the details it reveals about the college's
multifaceted influence.”
—Julie Harrison Blissert |
| Back
To April 2007 E-Newsletter |
|
|
|
|
|
|
