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The summer months offer an opportunity to both reflect and look ahead. The changing landscape of higher education makes it imperative that we learn from the past, evaluate what may be coming and prepare. While there is turbulence and uncertainty, there are also guiding stars and principles we can look toward to continue our success.
I recently wrote a guest column for The Daily Star that outlines how investing in our students and their success is an investment in our community and its success. This investment includes expanding access to ensure students from all backgrounds benefit from the life-changing aspects of earning a degree from SUNY Oneonta. It also includes establishing and sustaining systems to support students throughout their educational journies and helping them reach graduation. After graduation, students make positive impacts in communities near and far. For example, at the ribbon cutting for the ExCL Center, Patricia Kennedy, CEO of Springbrook, shared that half of Sprinbrook's educational staff are students or alumni of SUNY Oneonta. We are meeting students where they need it and in turn our students are serving the community in impactful ways.
Looking ahead to next year, our investment in student success will receive extra support from New York State and SUNY. The SUNY Board of Trustees increased funding to our campus by 12.7 percent ($1.8 million) as part of the FY 2025 state budget. This will allow us to continue enhancing student support services related to mental health, internships, workforce training and more.
Our continued dedication to providing an enriching and accessible education will empower students to become key contributors to their workplaces' and communities' civic stability, economic success, and cultural vitality.
Sincerely,
Alberto J.F. Cardelle
President
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Foundation Achieves Perfect Score from Charity Navigator
Paul Adamo
Vice President for University Advancement & Executive Director, University Foundation
The SUNY Oneonta Foundation recently achieved GuideStar’s Platinum Seal of Transparency for 2024 and Charity Navigator’s Four-Star Rating. Additionally, the Foundation has a perfect 100% score in Charity Navigator through its Encompass Rating System that “provides a comprehensive analysis of charity performance across four key domains,” referred to as “beacons” for the rating system. These beacons are:
- Impact & Measurement
- Accountability and Finance
- Leadership and Adaptability
- Culture and Community
Charity Navigator’s website reports that it has rated more than 225,000 charities and less than one-tenth of one percent of the rated non-profit organizations receive a perfect score.
The Division of University Advancement, working with the University Foundation’s board of directors, ensures that fundraising and endowment management best practices are the centerpieces of our work and that all policies and the Foundation’s bylaws are strictly followed and updated.
The mission of the Foundation is to raise and administer gifts and grants to enhance the academic status of SUNY Oneonta through endowment, scholarships, and institutional programs. The Foundation’s vision is to provide a $100 million endowment supporting affordable access to high quality academic experiences for students at SUNY Oneonta. Thanks to the generosity of alumni and other donors, including many SUNY Oneonta employees and retirees, and the success of the recently completed Grow.Thrive.Live. campaign, the Foundation’s endowment and net assets total $81 million. Scholarships are the largest component of the Foundation’s allocations at more than $2.5 million through endowment income and expendable gifts and grants. Student research and faculty development total $116,000, the largest allocation from unrestricted endowment income.
Dean Davis, Class of 1984, is the president of the Foundation’s board of directors. Nancy Pierce, Class of 1977, is the board Vice President. Julie Piscitello is the Treasurer and Linda McCann, Class of 1976, is the board Secretary. Below are the badges associated with our Foundation’s ratings and featured on our Foundation’s web page and in Advancement communications.
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New Advising Model Takes Effect This Fall
Maureen Artale
Executive Director of Academic Student Support & University Registrar
In response to input from students, staff and faculty, SUNY Oneonta is implementing a new academic advising model beginning in Fall 2024. This model will be a combination of professional advisement for new students with faculty advisement/mentorship later on.
Professional advisors in Academic Advisement will work directly with:
- first year new students
- first semester transfer students
- transfer students with less than 30 credits up to one year
- undeclared students
Academic Advisement will:
- design degree plans with students using a recommended course sequence.
- provide accurate information regarding policies and procedures.
- offer professional advising that will allow students to develop the knowledge base necessary to make well-informed academic decisions.
- ensure students have the knowledge to navigate the university efficiently & expediently.
- provide tools and resources to help students articulate and accomplish their goals.
- Process all change of majors.
- Offer academic maps to degree completion at the time of major change.
- Handle prior approvals for post-matriculation transfer credit.
- Readmission processing.
- Conduct faculty advisor/mentor programming and workshops.
Faculty Advisors/Mentors will be assigned by the academic department to work directly with:
- declared majors following their development with a professional advisor
- graduate level students
Faculty Advisors/Mentors will:
- Assist students with implementing plans set out by professional advisors.
- Share academic knowledge related to the faculty member’s area of expertise with students.
- Encourage student exploration of experiential learning opportunities as well as future/career goals.
- Provide information and referral to appropriate offices and individuals (i.e., Career Development, Student Learning Center, Health Services, Office of Student Experience).
With this new model, all new students benefit from early interactions with Academic Advisement –which are less about specific discipline requirements and more about high-level guidance and an overall introduction to the university's academic policies, procedures and requirements. Students will then be prepared to interact with faculty advisors/mentors in meaningful and purposeful ways regarding specific majors and future goals.
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Students Discuss Civic Engagement with Lieutenant Governor
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Last month, before the ExCL Center ribbon cutting, Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado met with a group of 30 students from SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College to discuss their experiences related to civic engagement and service. The Lieutenant Governor wanted to hear from students about how they are connected to their communities and serving others - both on campus and off. Students in attendance were involved in various civic and service activities like student government/leadership, service clubs, internships with local municipalities and non-profits, service-learning through classes, and volunteering with local agencies. The conversation allowed the Lieutenant Governor to learn about the types of activities available to students and what they are involved and interested in. Students heard about future plans for increased encouragement and opportunities for college students to get involved and serve their communities.
Earlier this month, Governor Hochul announced that Lieutenant Governor Delgado would lead the new Empire State Service Corps Program in the new Office of Service and Civic Engagement. This program will connect SUNY students to service opportunities in communities across the state and provide compensation for participants. Information about how students can apply for the program is forthcoming from SUNY. Read more about the Empire State Service Corps Program.
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Oneonta Well Represented at 2024 SUNY Graduate Research Conference
Cindy Falk
Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies
Seventeen SUNY Oneonta graduate students had their work featured at the 2024 SUNY Graduate Research Conference on Friday, April 26. Student presentations included those by Alex Allen and Alexandar Javitz, both from the MS Lake Management program; Kari Minissale and John Skelton from the MS Biology program; and the Historic Preservation class at the Cooperstown Graduate Program in Museum Studies. Nicholas Farese, from SUNY Brockport, also presented work on Otsego Lake supported by the SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station.
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Sustainability Updates
Rachel Kornhauser
Associate Director of Sustainability
SUNY Sustainability Initiatives
SUNY is developing a sustainability strategic action plan that will allow us to lead on climate solutions for our facilities and operations, provide learning opportunities for students, and increase our research in innovative technology and practices. Efforts are being coordinated on our campus to implement additional state and SUNY mandates, including phasing out many single-use plastics, reducing waste, and adopting green procurement specifications. The Sustainability Action Plan will be completed before the end of 2024. Additional information about our campus efforts toward this plan will be shared soon.
New Student EcoRep Program
This year we started an EcoRep program for student sustainability volunteers. We engaged 16 students in 123 hours of campus-based sustainability service. Their work supported plastic film collection in Dragon Express, food waste audits in the dining halls, thrift shop maintenance, sustainability events, and more!
Move Out Program
Earlier this month, our annual Move Out program, now in its ninth year, collected gently used items donated by students. This year's donations were estimated to be worth $80,000! We provided the donated clothes, housewares, books, office supplies, and more to representatives of 20 local non-profits and 300 community members for free. Through initiatives like this, we are proud to promote the option of reuse, collaborate with local partners, keep items out of the waste stream, save money on waste management fees, and support our community.
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2024 Move Out free sale at the Otsego Reuse Center
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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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