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Local colleges facing historic declines in enrollment

Local colleges facing historic declines in enrollment

Plus, Top 5 Weekend Picks, Weird News Wednesday & best deals

Phat Chiem
June 12, 2024

Sponsored by

Good morning, Capital District! Today, we’re looking at the catastrophic drop-off in enrollment for many of our local colleges 😦 Plus, see our Top 5 Weekend Picks and Weird News Wednesday.

Btw, we’re featuring our first outside newsletter sponsor today! Be sure to give the “Master the Email-Based Course” some love (and clicks)—scroll below 🙏

Strap in and let’s 🚘 🛞

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Today in The 518

Local colleges face dire drops in enrollment
Dads celebrated with events all over the Capital District
Plus, our Top 5 Weekend Picks, Weird News Wednesday, and best deals & discounts!

📣 TALK OF THE TOWN

Yo, where did all the students go? 📷️ Union College

Local colleges facing historic declines in enrollment 😬

They’re calling it the “demographic cliff”—and a bunch of Capital Region colleges are falling victim to it.

Simply put, fewer kids are heading off to college than ever before. “The slide in the college-going rate since 2018 is the steepest on record," says the Associated Press.

Here’s why: Fewer people see college as a golden ticket to the American Dream. Student debt has ballooned 317% since 1971. Many kids would rather learn a trade than get saddled with huge loans.

This trend has dire consequences for the American economy—and for our local colleges. Already, we’ve seen the closures of College of St. Rose, Wells College and Medaille University in Buffalo. Last week, we learned that Union College is facing some “hard choices” amid falling enrollment.

The Albany Business Review recently did some number crunching and found that only 4 out of 17 colleges in the Capital Region have seen enrollment numbers grow since 2013, while five showed declines of more than 33% 😲 RPI and Siena College had the healthiest growth.

This is a 5 alarm fire, folks 🚨 and a trend to watch.

What happens when Regents tests become optional?

The NYS Board of Regents announced Monday that it intends to make the so-called Regents tests voluntary soon. Students will still need to take the tests this year and likely next year as well. But some people are worried that this change will create a system of “have and have-nots” as some school districts struggle to come up with alternatives for evaluating students. The Times Union has the full story.

🌞 WEATHER WATCH

“To see the summer sky is poetry, though never in a book it lie—true poems flee." —Emily Dickinson

Expect warmer temps this week—and a big thunderstorm on Friday.

🌦️ Wednesday 76°/55° 💧 46%

🌤️ Thursday 87°/67° 💧 1%

⛈️ Friday 79°/56° 💧 96%

🌤️ Saturday 79°/50° 💧 1%

🌤️ Sunday 79°/60° 💧 6%

“I want to build an email course”

Top creators like Jay Clouse are leveraging the unique benefits of email-based courses to create demand, develop relationships, and convert customers.

Learn from an expert (whose first email course business was acquired) on how to do email courses the right way.

Sign up for Master the Email-Based Course today and see why Dickie Bush said he got “Takeaways within 5 minutes of digging in. Huge value.”

Get $50 off for the next 48 hours with code LEAD.

🗞️ CAPITAL DISTRICT DIGEST

Nurses warn of staffing shortages at Albany Med

Staff-to-patient ratios at Albany Medical Center are reaching unacceptable levels, according to nurses who are raising the alarm at the region’s largest hospital. A patient waited 27 hours to get care, according to one nurse. They don’t call it the waiting room for nothing 🙃

World War II-era planes land in Schenectady

On the heels of the 80th anniversary of D-Day at Normandy, you have a rare chance to actually fly in five WWII-era aircraft and take a tour of a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber. It’s part the Air Power History Tour, taking place Wednesday through Sunday, 9a-5p each day. All of this is happening while the Dutch royals are visiting Albany this week.

Schenectady Central Pool to open June 22

The Times Union has a first look at the new Central Park Pool, featuring a wading pool, lap pool and a squirt pad. Meanwhile, Albany’s biggest pool—the historic Lincoln Park Pool—is scheduled to open in time for next year’s Fourth of July.

🎟️ TOP 5: WEEKEND PICKS

Dad Fest 2024: Calling all dad bods 📷️ News10

⭐️ Dad Fest at Washington Park

Dad Fest is Albany’s annual celebration of fathers and father figures. Anchored by a newly added classic car show, the festival features great food, craft vendors and live music. 10a-6p, Sunday, free. Details here. Also, don’t miss the Gas Up Exposition in Gallupville, Cars on Union in Saratoga, and Cruisin’ on the Avenue in Scotia, all happening Sunday.

⭐️ 3rd Annual Capital Strawberry and Wine Festival

Is there anything better than a juicy strawberry eaten on a warm June afternoon? Come out for all kinds of strawberry-themed treats, as well as wine tastings, lobster rolls, fried pickles, and more! 11a-6p, Sat; 11a-5p, Sun. Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy. Tix: $20, $10 for designated drivers, and free for kids. Details here. Btw, Schaghticoke and Averill Park have their own strawberry festivals on Saturday.

⭐️ NYS Parks Centennial Community Day Celebration

Celebrate the New York State Parks’ 100th anniversary with Civil War reenactors, pony rides, petting zoo, jugglers, face painting and food trucks. Bonus points for showing up in historical costume. 10a-4:30p, Sat, free. Ulysses S. Grant Cottage National Historic Landmark, 1000 Mount McGregor Rd, Wilton. Details here.

⭐️ Destroyer Escort Day at USS Slater: Free for dads

Do all dads love metal ships with giant machine guns? Here’s your chance to find out when the USS Slater celebrates Destroyer Escort Day with a ceremony at 10 am and an invitation for all dads to tour the iconic ship—for free! 10a-4p, Sun. 1 Quay St, Albany. Free for dads; otherwise $12 for adults, $10 for vets & seniors. Details here. Btw, don’t miss our story on the Slater’s 80th anniversary.

⭐️ BikeFest 2024 in Troy

Come out and celebrate a shared love of all things bicycle-related. Troy Bike Rescue’s BikeFest features beer, food, a cake auction, raffle prizes, and, of course, bike talk. 3-7p, Sat. Oakwood Community Center, 313 10th St, Troy. Suggested donation of $25 per person. Folks who purchase online will receive 2 free raffle tickets upon entry. Details here.

🌼 MORE NOTABLE EVENTS

The Soroptimist Int’l Annual Garden Tour in Schenectady is Saturday!

We couldn’t fit it all into one weekend, so here are some bonus events!

Soroptimist Int’l Annual Garden Tour in Schenectady

This year’s self-guided tour features 10 select gardens from across Schenectady County. Proceeds will support scholarships and other assistance for women and girls. 10a-3p, Sat, $25. Details and tix here.

Juneteenth Celebration on Pearl Street

The Juneteenth holiday marks the end of slavery in America. Join Albany’s South End community for a Juneteenth celebration to mark this important holiday. Noon-5p, Sat, free. Alice Moore Black Arts and Cultural Center, 135 S. Pearl St. Details here.

Albany’s Alive at Five

Albany’s signature free concert series features performances by Dokken and Hark this week. 4:30-8p, Thur, free. Jennings Landing, Albany. Details here.

State Street Yoga

Join friends and neighbors for a free, all-levels yoga class on the beautiful lawn at SUNY Plaza, led by instructors from Hot Yoga Spot. Every Saturday in June and July. 10-11a, SUNY Plaza. Details here.

PRIDE in PRINT Exhibition

Come see the history of the LGBTQ+ movement as seen in historical headlines and publications. On view through June 28 at the New York State Capitol. 7a-7p, weekdays. Details here.

👽️ WEIRD NEWS WEDNESDAY

River monster or river debris? 📷️ Jo-Ann Martin

Mysterious river monster spotted in the Hudson

Did you know that the Hudson River has its own version of the Loch Ness Monster? Yep! The Hudson River Monster is known as Kipsy, and he was spotted once again earlier this year. Hudson Valley resident Jo-Ann Martin even managed to snap a photo of the serpent-like creature, shrouded in the early morning fog.

Kipsy may actually be a very rare, 14-foot sturgeon that scientists discovered swimming in the Hudson back in 2019. Would you want this thing nibbling on your toes?

💰 CAPITAL DISTRICT DEALS & DISCOUNTS

Regal Cinemas is offering tickets on family-friendly movies for just $1 all summer. The catch? The shows are only Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 11 am. Regal also offers Early Bird tickets before noon on Saturdays and Sundays for just $5 and $8.

Is your birthday coming up? Be sure to check out this list of area eateries that offer half-off or even free birthday specials, including City Beer Hall, Barnsider Restaurant, The Rusty Nail, and Ben & Jerry’s! Details here.

The Honest Weight Co-op at 100 Watervliet Ave in Albany offers seniors an 8% discount on groceries every Wednesday and 2% off all other days. Students with a current valid ID get 8% off on Sunday. Details here.

Legoland New York is offering 1 free child ticket with a purchase of a full-price adult ticket. Details here.

Got a great coupon or deal to share? Get in touch: [email protected]!