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| My first summer in Oneonta has been wonderful so far. I have been able to spend time with my family exploring new places, and I hope you've also enjoyed, or have plans to enjoy, a break to rest or do something gratifying. I look forward to connecting more with the community throughout the rest of the summer at various events and traditions in the region.
The summer also provides time to plan and strategize. I am excited for our work to begin next semester, as we shift from the great conversations during the dialogue sessions to the implementation of thoughtful actions that meet some of the strategic opportunities identified in the Regaining Momentum agenda. To that end, we received 10 requests for strategic funding related to the opportunities on the agenda. They are currently under review, and I am grateful there has been so much interest in moving the agenda forward. We have also started working on other items on the agenda, which are highlighted below (Student Success and Community-Building).
Earlier this month, I participated in my first Alumni Weekend on campus, and what a marvelous weekend it was! Each alumna and alumnus I met was thrilled to be back on campus and so proud to be a Red Dragon. It was an honor to congratulate this year's Alumni Association Award winners and the 2020 and 2021 Alumni of Distinction honorees. Each tied their successes back to his or her time at the college and recounted the positive influences and inspirations from SUNY Oneonta faculty, staff, and friends. It was an excellent reminder of the potential our students have and how our support and guidance can help spark their passions, careers, and achievements.
Sincerely,
Alberto J.F. Cardelle
President
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| SUNY Oneonta Named a “Best College in America”
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SUNY Oneonta is ranked No. 114 on the Money "Best Colleges in America" 2022 list, which recognizes colleges and universities across the country that have a record of helping students graduate and launching graduates into jobs with above-average wages. The college ranked higher than three of SUNY’s university centers and was the only institution in SUNY’s 13-school “University Colleges” sector to make the top 135.
Money reviewed more than 2,400 four-year colleges with sufficient data and above-average graduation rates and scored them on 24 measures in three areas: quality, affordability and outcomes. Rankings measures focused on graduation rates, the net price of a degree, student and parent borrowing, loan repayment rates, median alumni earning, share of alumni working, share of alumni earning more than a high school graduate, and other "value-added" calculations, which compare a school's performance against its predicted performance after accounting for the standardized test scores and percentage of low-income students among its enrollees.
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| Collaborating for a Successful Summer Orientation
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Orientation staff in August 2017
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| Monica Grau
Director, Office of Student Success
Each year, the Office of Student Success (OSS) collaborates with campus partners on the college’s orientation program for first-year students. This year, we are offering one-day sessions throughout the month of July to engage new students early and help them feel more connected and prepared. In determining the outline of the day-long program, we reviewed research regarding the transition of new students and the needs of incoming college students. National research has shown a relationship between students' positive feelings of connection and belonging and increased persistence in college. In addition, there have been significant positive persistence outcomes when new students identify and commit to goals upon their entrance to college life.
Our new "Day One" sessions in July will focus on providing opportunities for new students to connect with their Dragon Guide (new student mentors) and their peers and develop an understanding of their academic path. These sessions will also help new students understand the many ways to connect and engage with the entire community and gain awareness of our values. New students will begin setting goals for their first year and their overall college experience and be assigned a Dragon Guide who will mentor them throughout their first semester. During the July Day One sessions, we will also offer a concurrent program for parents/families to enhance their understanding of the many facets of life their students will experience at the college. Students unable to attend a July Day One will move in on Aug. 24, 2022, and attend their Day One on Aug. 25. Students who attend a session in July will move in on Aug. 25.
All new first-year students will attend additional sessions for "Day Two" and "Day Three" on Aug. 26 and 27. These sessions will introduce key resources and expectations, focus on consent as well as mental health, and discuss how to use technology to one's advantage. OSS is partnering with other departments to offer social opportunities during these sessions to help new students foster connections with the college and one another. The Dragon Guides will reach out to their mentees to revisit their goals from Day One and offer support on reaching those goals. They will also be sponsoring connection groups for new students to participate in, which will encourage and support engagement.
OSS is also working on an extended orientation program with sessions early in the fall semester to reinforce the information and messaging from the summer orientation and to provide new information at key points throughout the semester.
Thank you to everyone who has helped us design and plan these essential summer sessions and to everyone who will be working with our new students as they join the Red Dragon community.
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| A Summer of Travel Returns
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Denise Leinonen
Global Programs Coordinator
SUNY Oneonta’s Office of Global Education is pleased to once again support student travel with study abroad and faculty-led programs. These experiential learning opportunities — sorely missed during the COVID-19 pandemic — enrich the lives of our students and help them develop skills such as intercultural communication, problem-solving, adaptability, and independence.
Thirteen SUNY Oneonta students are studying abroad this summer through our exchange programs at the American College of Greece (ACG) in Athens and the Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences in Finland. Some of these students have received study abroad scholarships through the College at Oneonta Foundation to help fund their experiences. SUNY Oneonta students are also studying abroad through other SUNY programs this summer in several locations. A total of 23 Red Dragons are participating in some form of international study this summer! Learn more about some of their experiences.
This fall, 11 students from across the SUNY system will participate in our college's exchange programs at ACG in Athens, Greece, and Seinan Gakuin University in Fukuoka, Japan. Oneonta students will also be participating in other SUNY programs, for a total of 22 students studying abroad this fall. We look forward to hearing from our students about their adventures and what they’ve learned through their experiences.
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The 2022 Archaeological Field School at Pine Lake
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In addition to our study abroad programs this summer, SUNY Oneonta faculty are providing opportunities for more than 40 students to engage in experiential learning around the United States through five domestic faculty-led programs.
So far this summer, students have participated in scuba diving and biological research in Maine and camped in multiple national parks while learning about the ecology and geology of the Rocky Mountain region. They have practiced methods of excavation and archaeological analysis during the Pine Lake Field School and learned about identifying stream biota and the interrelationships between them at Thayer Farm and nearby water sources. Next up? Students will spend time in the Adirondack Mountains studying botanical field techniques and plant identification.
These courses provide excellent opportunities for students to engage with the material they are learning in their courses in real-world settings, giving them hands-on experience they can apply to their educational journeys and career paths.
Summer 2022 domestic faculty-led programs:
- Maine BIOL 258 – Underwater Research Methods - Lt.Col. Paul Lord
- Denver/Rocky Mountains BIOL/GEOL 333 – Ecology of the Rocky Mountain Region & Geology of the Rocky Mountain Region - Dr. Leigh Fall & Dr. Donna Vogler
- Pine Lake Archaeology ANTH 345 – Field School in Archaeology - Dr. Renee Whitman
- Thayer Farm BIOL 285 – NY Stream Biota: ID & Ecology - Dr. Jeffrey Heilveil
- Adirondacks BIOL 320 – Field Botany - Dr. Sean Robinson
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| New Retention Group,
Student Success Leadership Team
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After the successful and productive retention dialogue session held in March, and as a result of the good work from the enrollment management team and previous retention, persistence and completion committee, a Student Success Leadership Team has been established. This team will build upon the efforts of these former groups to develop strategies that support our students' success in all facets of their lives at SUNY Oneonta.
The Student Success Leadership Team will work to increase coordination and communication about student success initiatives and take a holistic view of how we can best support students in achieving their goals and completing their degree programs. This includes addressing opportunity gaps, analyzing key institutional performance metrics, planning for strategic use of resources and ensuring institutional conditions enable equitable access to the transformative learning experiences we offer. The group also plans to host monthly open meetings highlighting and discussing the various student success initatives and will gain feedback from the college community.
The efforts to optimize our collective positive impact on student success will be led by the following group members, who will build upon the ongoing efforts that already make student well-being, development and learning top priorities at SUNY Oneonta:
- Enrollment Management/Admissions:
- Karen Brown, Senior Enrollment Management Officer/Executive Director of Admissions (Enrollment Liaison to President & Cabinet)
- Student Affairs:
- Monica Grau, Director of the Office of Student Success
- Amanda Finch, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs
- Academic Affairs:
- Eileen Morgan-Zayacheck, Associate Provost for Academic Programs
- Theresa Russo, Special Assistant to the Provost
- College Senate:
- Steering Committee or other representative, TBD
- Financial Aid:
- Melissa Allen, Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion:
- Alumni Affairs:
- Laura Lincoln, Director of the Office of Alumni Engagement
- Support Staff:
- Brenda Brooks, Administrative Assistant 1 for Academic Advisement
- Nelson Wells, Janitor for Welcome Center and Red Dragon Outfitters
- Students:
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