CANTON – The organization of several SUNY Canton departments and offices have been realigned to better support priorities including student retention, strategic enrollment management and efficient shared services, according to Interim President Carli C. Schiffner.

Some of the major changes include the Athletics Department moving back to Student Affairs, Information Services and University Police shifting to College Administration, and Online Learning and Admissions moving under Academics.

"Canton has been a leader in SUNY's system-wide shared service initiatives, and today's realignment by President Schiffner mirrors our broader efforts to streamline administrative overhead so our resources can support student services and institutional priorities," said Brian Hutzley, vice chancellor for financial services and chief financial officer for SUNY.

"These changes will result in a more effective organizational structure that will allow SUNY Canton to better address its issues and priorities moving forward," Schiffner said. "The restructuring of these areas will allow us to focus on student success and better align us with the model of both our SUNY counterparts and colleges and universities around the nation. This is part of the evolution of Canton as we look to continue our remarkable progress."

Schiffner mentioned the college's increased focus on academics and student completion as well as future opportunities to continue saving money through shared services.

Last month SUNY Canton and SUNY Potsdam announced more than $1 million in shared services savings, and Vice President for Administration Natalie Higley expects those efforts to continue to benefit both schools.

"SUNY Canton and SUNY Potsdam have worked hard together to consolidate administrative services, become more efficient, and direct a larger percentage of funds toward the education of our students," said Higley, who works for both colleges and is an example of the new shared services model. "We've already seen progress in areas such as payroll services and information services, and we look forward to continuing to standardize our processes and procedures for future savings."