SUNY New Paltz may have nonprofit status, but when it comes to generating income for the region, interim President Donald Christian said the college generates more than $338 million in economic activity and 3,331 jobs annually to the Hudson Valley economy, while concurrently contributing $398.6 million and 3,981 jobs to the state economy.  Some $67.5 million of the $338 million represents the college”™s payroll, making it Ulster”™s third-largest employer.
“The college is an economic anchor,” said Christian in a statement. Â “Even though we do not pay taxes, we return a lot of money to the local economy in other ways.”
With more than 1,700 teachers and staffers, and nearly 8,000 full- and part-time students, the college generates an additional 1,800 jobs for student workers. Students spent more than $101 million, not including tuition or fees, using local services and buying goods. Visitors to the college added another $3.8 million to local revenue.
The college estimated that 79 percent of its personnel volunteered 100 hours of time on average to the community, which Christian described as the equivalent of 70 full-time volunteers working year-round.
The economic impact study, based on the 2008-2009 school year, was prepared by the college”™s staff in its Office of Institutional Research and Planning and the Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach using standard models developed by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The counties the college”™s economic report based its finding on included Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan, Westchester, Putnam and Rockland.
To view the full report, visit www.newpaltz.edu/makinganimpact
