SUNY chancellor Malatras tours New Paltz campus, announces $100,000 grant program

NEW PALTZ - Jim Malatras is the perfect height for the hawk wings mural on the State University of New York at New Paltz's campus. 

This was one of many things the newest SUNY chancellor learned Sunday morning while touring the Ulster County campus. One of the stops included a look at how the School of Science and Engineering is involved in creating face shields in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"They're literally giving students opportunities that many other students don't have as to how to produce some of these types of materials," said Malatras, an Ulster County native from Ellenville. "And saving lives here. Think about that, 30,000-plus face shields, working with our hospital systems in the county."

Coronavirus: Vassar launches dashboard to track cases, testing

Reopening schools: Arlington, Wappingers begin remotely; see other plans, meetings

Coronavirus: Red Hook schools delay start of in-person classes until October

Daniel Freedman, dean of the School of Science and Engineering, told Malatras that about 100 face shields can be made in a day. 

Malatras, the president of SUNY Empire State College, was appointed Friday as SUNY's 14th chancellor.

The 42-year-old former top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo replaces Kristina Johnson, who left in June to head the Ohio State University. Malatras also served as director of state operations and deputy secretary for policy management. 

New Paltz was the first campus Malatras visited as incoming chancellor. He attested the university's ability to both focus on safety and providing the student experience on campus to President Donald Christian and his team. Lessons learned from the visit will be shared with the state, Malatras said. 

"New Paltz is one of the crown jewels that we have in the SUNY system," he said. "They have a state-of-the-art Advanced Manufacturing Center. They have a diverse system of programming from the arts to sciences."

Multiple sanitization stations were present on campus, with a notably quiet campus. Students sat in small pairs on campus and followed signage on the ground to stay six-feet apart. Dining was no different, as plates are now to-go containers and drinks are in to-go cups. 

$100,000 COVID-19 grant 

The campus was an early leader in the manufacturing of face shields while using 3D printers and funding from the state's NYSUNY 2020 grant program. Community organizations partner with the campus's Hudson Valley Additive Manufacturing Center and have created more than 32,700 so far. 

In preparation for a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Malatras announced the launch of the SUNY Prepare Innovation and Internship Program. It is a $100,000 grant program that will be available to faculty across the SUNY network.

It will also help students with internship opportunities to help innovate the production of personal protection equipment materials. 

"We want to prepare for today," he said.

"We have vast resources in our SUNY system. I want to help incentivize more innovation to get face shields, and masks and the latest discoveries of health innovations to help respond to this crisis and the next one."

More:Amid COVID woes, many schools in New York have 20% of state aid withheld

More:67,000 out-of-state college students must quarantine in NY. Here's how they're doing it.

Classroom safety, hotline 

In-person courses will be offered, however 75% of courses will be taught remotely and online, Christian said.

"Some faculty are teaching totally remotely, some teaching totally on campus," Christian said. "We were able to achieve the goal we wanted by giving faculty the choice."

During the tour, Malatras sat at a desk in a classroom set up for social distancing. Rows of desks were in the room, many with x's on top to warn students not to sit. It allows each student 36 square feet of personal space. Students will not be allowed to take off their mask.

A hotline 845-257-6275, was created for the SUNY New Paltz community to report if staff, faculty or students are not following COVID-19 precautions.If a professor of staff member isn't complying, it will go to human resources.

If it's a student, the call will go to dean of students. 

Michael Corbisiero, deputy chief of police for SUNY New Paltz, said he was part of a committee to create a toolkit in how staff can respond.

This includes faculty carrying extra face masks, as well as mask stations set up around campus. Also, staff and faculty were trained in different scenarios regarding issues of non-compliance with wearing face masks. 

"We don't want to take an active role in enforcement in any shape or form," Corbisiero said about mask wearing.

"The only time law enforcement is going to respond is if there is a criminal element going on besides mask on-compliance."

More:Back to college campus in New York: What you need to know

More:College towns, developers in New York brace for COVID blow as fewer students return

Ryan Santistevan: rsantistev@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4809; Twitter: @NewsByRyan_.