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The weeks approaching the start of a new academic year are filled with preparations and anticipation. The majority of new incoming students have completed day one of their orientation programs and are ready to join our community. The Faculty Center and Employee Services are preparing to welcome new colleagues. Final plans to welcome students back to campus and classrooms are being made in offices across campus.
This edition of Notes from Netzer highlights the benefits of planning across campus. From strategic planning to national awards for faculty and student excellence, program features in national publications, anniversary celebrations, and participation in cutting-edge projects, the preparation, forethought, and efforts of our university community members are paying off and setting us up for continued success.
There is much to be excited about for 2024-2025, our 135th academic year. I hope the stories below make you as proud to be a part of this dynamic, accomplished community as I am.
Sincerely,
Alberto J.F. Cardelle
President
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Forward Momentum Agenda Implementation Begins
The first of four short-term strategic agendas to help the university make our 13 long-term, 10-year strategic outcomes a reality was finalized at the end of the Spring 2024 semester. The Forward Momentum Agenda (FMA) will guide unit-level, divisional, and university-wide planning, actions, and assessment from May 2024 - Dec. 2026. It will also help the University Integrated Planning Council (UIPC) identify initiatives to implement/fund that will set the university on a path to achieve the 10-year outcomes and remain relevant and thriving in 2033.
After the FMA was presented to the university community and endorsed by the University Senate in May, work began to mobilize the implementation of the agenda. The University Budget Committee approved $2.4 million to fund FMA strategic initiatives and revised the proposal/request for funding form. The first funded initiatives will begin in Fall 2024.
This summer, the vice presidents have been working to identify up to 12 ideas proposed during the Spring 2024 planning sessions. These will be high-priority ideas or have a quick turnaround to begin implementation in Fall 2024. The vice presidents will work with those who submitted the ideas and other appropriate stakeholders to submit full proposals/requests for funding in August. The full proposals will be reviewed by the vice presidents and presented to the UIPC. More traditional proposal submission and funding request opportunities open to the entire university community will begin in the fall semester.
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Kiyoko Yokota Earns NSF Research Opportunity Award, Expands Experiential Learning Opportunities
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The $50,356 award, via the University of Missouri-Columbia, enables Dr. Yokota to purchase sampling gear for and provide paid undergraduate research experiences in winter limnology - the exploration of the biological, geological, physical, and chemical characteristics of lakes during the winter season. Samples and data from Otsego Lake will be analyzed in conjunction with those from 17 other lakes across the continental U.S.
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Conference Presentation Leads to Feature in Inside Higher Ed
Assistant Professor and Department Chair for Sport & Exercise Science Dr. Kim Fierke, Associate Professor of Sport & Exercise Science Dr. Katie Griffes, and Assistant Professor of Physics Dr. Valerie Rapson presented at the 2024 NASPA Student Success in Higher Education Conference in late June. Their presentation on SUNY Oneonta's faculty academy, the Pedagogy of Real Talk, outlined an interdisciplinary approach to increasing empathy and belonging for at-promise students. Their presentation caught the attention of Ashley Mowreader, a writer for Inside Higher Ed. Mowreader wrote about how SUNY Oneonta began our Pedagogy of Real Talk faculty academy and its positive impact on students and faculty, both inside and outside of the classroom.
Read the article to find out more about Dr. Fierke's, Dr. Griffes' and Dr. Rapson's experience in the faculty academy.
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Faculty Academy Group in Summer 2023
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Dragon Corp Program Featured as ASSCU Promising Practice
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 | Summer 2023 Dragon Corp Cohort
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| Erin Francisco
Assistant Director of DEI Projects & Initiatives
Bernadette Tiapo
Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Chief Diversity Officer
SUNY Oneonta has been featured on the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ (ASSCU) Promising Practices site for our Dragon Corp diversity pipeline program led by the Office of Equity & Inclusion in collaboration with Employee Services. The Dragon Corp program recruits talented, diverse SUNY Oneonta students for entry-level professional positions within the university once they graduate. This initiative is in its second year, and 11 new SUNY Oneonta alumni have been hired to date. Alumni hired through this program receive dedicated support through professional development sessions, scheduled cohort meetings, networking opportunities, and mentoring from senior colleagues. This program serves to help diversify SUNY Oneonta’s professional staff while providing alumni with their first professional experiences in a supportive and inclusive environment. Read more about this recognition.
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30 Years of Commitment to Volunteerism
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Students on a recent service trip to New Orleans
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Linda Drake
Director, Center for Volunteerism and Community Engagement
The CSRC was established in 1994 due to a partnership between SUNY Oneonta and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Provost Dr. Anne Federlein wrote the grant for $700,000 to help students develop a strong sense of social responsibility by establishing an undergraduate curriculum. She was ahead of her time as she stressed the importance of serving our community and being involved in nonprofit management. Dr. Federlein knew that if we identified and learned from good interdisciplinary training models to strengthen undergraduate preparation, our students would build a strong sense of community through service. In 2024, we now see this as part of the goals of experiential learning.
During the first 12 years, the CSRC received an AmeriCorps grant partnering with the Catskill Rural Opportunities Program (CROP). Our 60-80 AmeriCorps members “worked” in 16 school districts as tutors and with the afterschool program. During this time, students logged an average of 18,000 volunteer hours working with 36 local nonprofits. Post-COVID, the CVCE center is back to 45,000 hours of service completed by students during the last academic year and in partnership with 98 nonprofits!
The CVCE promotes student volunteerism and service learning, serving as an information and referral resource for students and community organizations. During these 30 years, we have become millionaires in service hours and experiential learning! As of May of 2024, our students have logged 1,207,929 hours of service in our county and poured in a value of $36,499,969 of free service for our partner organizations.
SUNY Oneonta students have learned valuable lessons while volunteering with our local nonprofits. Studies have shown that students learn more through real-world experiences that compliment their classroom learning. Furthermore, when students have direct experience alongside a reflection component, they learn new skills, retain knowledge of the subject matter better, and, as a result, gain confidence. All of these benefits lead to the retention of students at our institution.
All are welcome to stop by the CVCE in the Experiential Learning Center, 1st floor Hunt Union, to learn more. We would love to see you!
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SUNY Oneonta to Host Energy Storage Demonstration Project
SUNY Oneonta has been selected as a host site for the New York Power Authority's (NYPA) new long-duration energy storage (LDES) demonstration project using fire-safe battery technology. The project will receive funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to showcase and test new clean energy technologies. The system will offer 300 kilowatts of power, capable of delivering electricity for 10-24 hours, which can be used as backup energy or to reduce electric bills. The capacity of these zinc batteries rivals the more traditional short-duration systems powered by less safe and more scarce lithium-ion batteries.
By supporting the use of these clean energy systems, SUNY Oneonta is helping to accelerate New York's transition to renewable resources. NYPA will also provide energy education and outreach to the local community as part of this project.
The exact site where the LDES will be installed will be determined during the first phase of work. Construction will begin in 2026, and the facilities are projected to be operational by 2028.
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Recent Grad Wins National Leadership Award
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Graham Wooden '24 was recently named one of 20 regional recipients of this year's national Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award for his efforts toward tackling social issues and providing sustainable solutions through the power of sport.
Wooden has long been making an impact at SUNY Oneonta. In addition to earning his degree in Exercise Science, he was also the captain of the Red Dragon men's basketball team. He also owns and runs his own personal training company and volunteers his time to local camps and organizations like the Boys and Girls Club and the Special Olympics.
Wooden's many awards also speak to his dedication and character. As a student, he was honored with the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence, the Carol Henning Donovan Memorial Scholarship for Community Service, the Excercise Science Department Academic Achievement Award, and the Oneonta Athletics Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award.
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SUNY Oneonta in 4th of July Parade
A group of students and employees represented SUNY Oneonta in Oneonta's 4th of July Parade earlier this month! We used the opportunity to kick off our celebration of the university's 135th academic year. Additional anniversary celebrations are being planned and will be announced next month.
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L to R: Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Tracy Johnson, President's Office Assistant Claudia Hilts, Eric Trujillo '26, Nicole Valdez '24, Daniela Suarez '25, Chief of Staff Karyn Wendrow, Director of Maintenance/Facilities Operations Brian Murray
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Cabinet Meeting Notes
Notes from meetings of the President's Cabinet are shared with the university community monthly in Notes from Netzer. Questions can be directed to president@oneonta.edu.
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