Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media State University of New York Chancellor Kristina Johnson toured Columbia-Greene Community College July 23. She visited with students and faculty in an effort to learn more about the college. Johnson is conducting a statewide tour of all 64 campuses in the SUNY system. The chancellor discussed a variety of issues with college officials, including programming, sustainability, the college’s building construction program and creating a welcoming environment for veterans. Johnson told officials that in light of the rising cost of higher education nationwide, SUNY is focused on keeping a college degree affordable. Asked about Columbia-Greene's declining population of young people, college president Carlee Rader Drummer said the school is also targeting non-traditional students. Online education is a potential growth area for the SUNY system, Johnson said. “Each campus is really unique,” Johnson said. “At Columbia-Greene, we saw that this really is a family; everybody has talked about how it’s a community. This is a beloved campus.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.