Topic: “Shaping the Future of Innovation, Access, and Academic Excellence”
Dr. Ed Bonahue, the president of Suffolk County Community College, will be the guest speaker at LIMBA (Long Island Metro Business Action) on September 12, starting at 8:30 a.m. This event will take place at the Candlelight Diner, located at 56 Veterans Memorial Highway in Commack. Bonahue will discuss “Shaping the Future of Innovation, Access, and Academic Excellence.”
Bonahue was appointed president of Suffolk County Community College in April 2021 and assumed leadership in June 2021. He is the seventh president of the college, the largest community college in the State University of New York (SUNY) system.
Under Bonahue’s leadership, SUNY Suffolk has recommitted itself to a mission of open access, academic excellence, equity, and expansion of the workforce and continuing education divisions. The college now serves over 26,000 credit students, with several thousand more in English language and workforce and continuing education programs.
The college has joined SUNY in implementing free community college for adult New Yorkers through the SUNY Reconnect program. The program provides free tuition to a range of high-demand programs for students 25 to 55 years old who have not yet earned a degree.
To better serve the healthcare sector, the college launched a new degree program in surgical technology in 2024 and is currently working to expand nursing enrollment by 20%. SUNY Suffolk is also the first and only community college on Long Island with partnerships allowing graduates to transfer first into bachelor’s and then Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degrees.
In addition to offering comprehensive arts and sciences and preprofessional classes for undergraduates in over 100 majors, the college has also established new short-term certificate programs in many fields.
For more information about upcoming LIMBA programs, visit https://limba.net/.