The two state college campuses in St. Lawrence County have been preparing an outline for sharing services between the two schools, which they will talk about on Monday.

SUNY Canton Acting President Joseph C. Hoffman and SUNY Potsdam Interim President Dennis L. Hefner will sign a memorandum of understanding on shared services between the two campuses at a July 1 event.

SUNY administration in Albany has been seeking ways to make the colleges in the system more efficient by making better use of existing programs and functions. The proximity of these two schools, 10 miles apart, makes them prime candidates for such an effort.

The memorandum of understanding will “clearly define the shared services we’ll be working on in the next two years,” says SUNY Potsdam’s Pres. Hefner.

Hefner said the areas they will concentrate on are academic programs, back-office operations, and shared purchasing.

The agreement highlights current shared positions and defines the scope of future shared services, particularly back-office operations.

The goal of these collaborations is to provide high-quality services to the students, faculty and staff of both colleges, while conserving resources and preserving the individual character and mission of each campus, the joint SUNY Potsdam-SUNY Canton announcement said.

At the signing on Monday, both presidents plan to recognize the work of the many people who have begun collaborative efforts between the two institutions.