KINGSTON – Dr. Donald Christian has been the president of SUNY New Paltz for 12 years, and he is set to retire June 30 and he believes he’s accomplished much during his tenure.
“By many, many measures, we have improved our academic quality and the array of offerings for our students,” he said. “That’s what we do, and we are proud of that.”
The college is Ulster County’s largest employer, and he said many changes have affected the lives of employees and students. Christian commented on his tenure after being the guest speaker during the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce’s annual holiday breakfast at the Wiltwyck Golf Club on Friday.
“We think we have improved a lot of policies that make life better for students and employees,” he said. “The campus facilities, the physical environment, have improved dramatically. It’s much more welcoming, brighter, cleaner, more functional.”
And Christian thinks the changes will bode well in the future for the campus and the county as he has worked hard during the last dozen years to make life better there.
“Presidential jobs are always challenging, he said. “You can never get everything done that you want to get done. And there’s always more than could be done, but I have been able to work with all the people I have been able to work with to accomplish what we have accomplished and engage with students as I have. It’s been very rewarding.”
