Board Of Trustees Now Working Around Clock To Save Dowling College

OAKDALE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Dowling College on Long Island is not closing yet, but the community of Oakdale where the college is located said the closing would be an economic disaster.

The school in the Suffolk County community announced Thursday that it would be still be closing, but not until Wednesday, June 8 -- later than initially planned.

But on Friday, the board of trustees at the college said they were working with Global University Systems to create a partnership to keep the college open, WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported.

Initially, the school had said it planned to close on Friday.

Ron Beattie, president of the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce, said it will be an economic disaster if the college closes.

"Dowling is the biggest employer in our town. There are employees coming in and losing them -- and the student population -- just think about 7-11, the pizza places, the deli -- all these places," he said.

Long Island's first four-year college, founded nearly 50 years ago, was steeped in debt. Its bonds were junk-rated, the school was plagued with plunging enrollment, and a last-ditch effort to find an academic partner to stay afloat recently fell through.

The board of trustees for the college is currently working around the clock to save the school.