NORWICH – Enrollment is down by 100 students at Morrisville State College in Norwich, and a flurry of meetings involving business executives, Norwich High School and the county have ensued over the past several days to meet a directive from the State University of New York to reverse the situation.

There were just 360 students on the attendance roster this semester, compared to 460 last year. The number is a far cry from reaching a goal of 600-plus set when SUNY Morrisville’s new campus opened at The Eaton Center site on Conkey Avenue in 2006. The college began an extension in Norwich back in 1970.

The economic downturn, rising cost of tuition and fewer students going to college has had an impact on enrollment statewide. Though it varies by campus, New York State universities have lost approximately 30 to 35 percent of their annual operating budgets over the past few years.

Another concern is that more Chenango County students are choosing to attend two-year community colleges over SUNY Morrisville because courses are less expensive. Base tuition at Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) is about $4,921 per year for example, compared to SUNY’s at $5,300. SUNY schools charge more because they offer courses that are applicable to a four-year, bachelor’s degree, should students decide to continue their education. SUNY Morrisville in Norwich offers not only associate degree programs in select career and technical areas, but also liberal arts transfer programs.