Good News At the College

(01/24/2007)    Of all the encouraging statements to have been made recently by officials involved with Stony Brook Southampton, something said by its interim dean recently has to rank among the most exciting. Speaking at a meeting with the press two weeks ago, Martin Schoonen explained that the university did not want to duplicate the programs Stony Brook is known for. Rather, the university’s leadership wants to build an interdisciplinary curriculum that could gain national recognition on its own merits. For a long time, the East End has been without a college its residents could be proud of. Now there is a very good chance all that is about to change.

    As recently as a year ago, there was a fear that Long Island University, which had taken over the campus after the original Southampton College folded, might sell the 81-acre site for development. Enrollment had fallen, promised infusions of cash had not materialized, and the once-vibrant institution took on the appearance of a ghost town. There was fear that Long Island University, which had financial troubles of its own, would be forced to sell off the campus to developers. To be sure, it was a prime property with exposure along both County Road 39 and Montauk Highway, and a sale would have enriched Long Island University’s coffers, or at least put an end to its losses.

     However, through a series of aggressive moves by Southampton Town, county, and state officials, higher education will return. Southampton Town Supervisor Patrick A. Heaney took the bold step of warning Long Island University that the town would rezone the campus for educational use only should it be put up for sale. Whether this was the determining factor in getting the Long Island University board to agree to a sale to the state has not been disclosed, but there is good reason to suspect it could only have helped.

    Other elected officials, led by State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, worked to make it possible for Stony Brook to buy the college in a $35 million deal. Now, as many as 2,000 students are set to return starting in the fall. The State University at Stony Brook is already offering classes at the Southampton campus, including low-cost choices for high school students. Improvements to buildings and facilities are being planned, a writers conference established by Southampton College in its heyday will return, and professional development courses will be open to the public. Full-time tuition, which was about $20,000 when Long Island University ran the show, will be in line with that for Stony Brook undergraduates, which was $16,880 for state residents in 2006-7.

    In all, the Stony Brook Southampton story appears to be headed for a happy ending. All who were involved deserve to be congratulated for their perseverance.