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Vaccination Site is Result of Collaboration
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A view of the interior of the Alumni Field House where the state vaccination site is located.
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| The state-run mass COVID vaccination site on campus opened to the public last week. Several elected officials and local healthcare leaders made a strong case for its opening in our community.
Making vaccines available to the public is a great benefit to our region, bringing us one step closer to ending this pandemic. It is an example of how collaboration and common purpose throughout the college, within the Oneonta community, across Otsego County and beyond can be the driving forces for progress.
We can be extremely proud of the work that so many on our campus did to bring this site to fruition and the partnerships we have built through this process. I noted soon after my arrival at SUNY Oneonta that there is strong, broad support for our college. The vaccination site is a testament to that.
While the college serves as a host, the site is a state-run operation. Vaccination appointments are available through the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine website.
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Middle States Accreditation Update
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| As you may know, a team of faculty, staff and administration have taken the first steps in a two-year process of seeking Middle States reaccreditation. At the last College Senate meeting, the steering committee co-chairs described the new emphasis within Middle States on telling the institution’s story of continuous improvement efforts and lessons learned. The co-chairs thank those who submitted feedback on the college’s institutional priorities since the last reaccreditation in 2013. The feedback has led, specifically, to a re-framing of the priority focused on communication.
The workgroups drafting chapters of the college’s self-study have been busy establishing their approach to evaluating the college’s progress vis-à-vis Middle States standards. Some have even begun the essential process of identifying and locating evidence on which to base their findings. For the workgroups to succeed, they need considerable input from campus colleagues who have worked on different planning efforts, initiatives and assessments over the years.
Please don’t be surprised if you are asked to share your understanding or provide information. Inclusive campus participation is of course vitally important for telling our institution’s story accurately and fully.
Future updates will be shared here, but feel free to visit online to see more details on the college’s Middle States Accreditation process.
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| Brian Lowe Talks of Conspiracy on Academic Minute
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| A segment featuring Professor Brian Lowe aired March 17 on WAMC’s “The Academic Minute.” In it, Lowe references the current flood of American conspiracy theories and suggests that we look to the conspiratorial entrepreneurs promoting them. He argues there are all types of individuals who promote conspiracy from powerful people to those without the benefits of worldly accomplishments or wealth.
Click here to listen to Dr. Lowe’s segment.
This is Dr. Lowe’s second appearance on "The Academic Minute." His segment, “Analyzing ‘Big Data,’” aired in 2013. To listen to previous segments featuring our faculty, visit the college’s Academic Minute webpage.
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Student Awarded Psychology Honor Society Prize
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| Junior psychology and criminal justice major Jennifer Le is the recipient of the 2021 Psi Chi Honor Society Regional Research Award for the study “Psychopathy and Functions of Aggression: The Mediating Role of Behavioral, Cognitive, and Emotional Dysregulation.” She was recognized at the recent Eastern Psychological Association’s annual convention held on March 5 and 6. Le will also receive a $400 cash prize.
Le is conducting research with Dr. Katherine Lau in the Development of Aggression and Pathological Personality (DAPPer) Laboratory.
Le’s study investigates what may underlie the aggressive behaviors that we observe in detention center youth who show psychopathic personality traits. Specifically, she is looking at whether the aggressive behaviors are due to poor control over behavioral impulses, poor cognitive planning and considering of consequences, and/or the experience of intense emotions and difficulty with coping with those emotions.
Psi Chi is an international honor society whose purpose is to encourage, stimulate and maintain excellence in scholarship of the individual members in all fields, particularly in psychology, and to advance the science of psychology.
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Go STEM Institute Goes Virtual
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Gabriel Rissberger of Oneonta solders for his Go STEM assignment
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| Nineteen area middle- and high-school students recently participated in the college’s Go STEM Institute, which was virtual this year. Students in grades 7-12 from Oneonta, Worcester, Davenport, Fly Creek, Cooperstown and New Berlin took part in the week-long science program, which took place in mid-February and focused on the physics of sound and electricity.
This year's program was led by Gavin Vitale, instructional support technician and adjunct lecturer in the music department with assistance from Doug Reilly, director of the Science Discovery Center.
“There were challenges with the kits and with some basic skills that can be hard to teach remotely, like stripping wires,” said Reilly. “But for the most part, the participants did just fine and they seemed to really enjoy it.”
The Go STEM Institute is facilitated by the CDO-STEM Council, CORE, and the A.J. Read Science Discovery Center.
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Campus to Careers Events Ignite Students’ Futures
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| There may be a pandemic, but that hasn’t kept the Alumni Association from hosting its annual Campus to Careers events this spring. To date, over 100 students have met virtually with alumni who offered their insights on corporate finance, marketing, education, global investing, public relations, executive recruiting, management, costume and set design, real estate financing, music licensing and theater.
Each event is designed to inspire students in a particular field to jumpstart their careers by meeting well-established alumni to begin building their professional networks. All of this year’s events have been hosted remotely, which offered better flexibility for all those involved.
Some of the stellar alumni who took time out of their busy careers to network with students included:
- Carol Silverman ’83, an Emmy award-winning set decorator;
- Riis Massey-Williams ’17, an influencer/strategist for Ketchum;
- Bianca O’Brien ’85, managing partner at NY Life;
- David Gaber ’09, managing partner and co-founder at Arrow Search Partners; and
- Rich Saperstein ’81, founder and chief investment officer at Treasury Partners who ranks among Forbes America's “Top 100 Financial Advisors.”
The events are funded by the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.
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SUNY Oneonta Named a Best College for Digital Art
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SUNY Oneonta has been ranked number four on Universities.com's list of Best Digital Art Colleges in New York, making it the only SUNY college in the top five.
Universities.com ranks each school based on the compilation of data from government sources, student surveys, college graduate interviews and editorial reviews.
Universities.com was established in 1996 and is a trusted source used by millions of people to make informed decisions about their education. You can view the entire list online.
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Updates from the Office of Equity and Inclusion
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| Bernadette Tiapo
Chief Diversity Officer
PCOD and BART Revamped
The President’s Council on Diversity (PCOD) has been reconstituted to ensure broader campus participation in diversity, equity and inclusion activities. The Council is currently made up of 75 members (faculty, staff and students). The new structure is made up of five subcommittees charged with the following areas: campus climate; faculty, staff and student advocacy and support; community outreach, communication and membership; inclusive excellence; and strategic planning and assessment. Each subcommittee is led by co-chairs. More details about the new PCOD structure, membership and identified areas of focus are on our webpage.
The Bias Acts Response Team (BART) has also been revamped using feedback from faculty, staff and students; the membership list and the BART review process have been revised. Details on these changes are available online.
Trainings Offered
- Common Grounds Training
This training examines implicit bias, the manifestation of implicit bias in microaggressions, etc., as well as best practices for building allyship. - Beyond the Numbers Training
This training examines the demographics and history of the college community and includes discussions of identities, bias, privilege and oppression. Additional sessions for the Beyond the Numbers Training are scheduled as follows: April 5, 1 p.m.-3 p.m.; and April 30, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Please contact Affirmative Action Officer/ Title IX Coordinator Andrew Stammel and Emily Phelps, assistant director of Student Life & Leadership/Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, for more information or to sign up.
Bi-weekly Conversations on Inclusion
Join the OEI at 12 p.m., beginning April 15, for conversations on inclusion titled, “How inclusive is your space?”
This new series will explore the definitions of diversity, equity, inclusion, race, racism and anti-racism in the context of inclusive excellence. The series will explore these definitions and their implications at the level of the individual/office, department/division and the institution as a whole. Sessions will also include brief presentations, short videos, articles, etc. Sign up online.
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New University Police Officer Sworn In
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Acting President Dennis Craig swears in University Police Department Officer Michael Henry.
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| Jennifer Fila
University Police Chief
On March 11, Michael Henry was sworn in by Acting President Dennis Craig as University Police’s newest officer. Michael comes to Oneonta from Lagrangeville, N.Y., where he worked part-time for both the Town of Lloyd Police Department and the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office.
Michael is certified in procedural justice and crisis response. These certifications prepare him to better serve our community and will reduce the number of immediate training hours he’ll need to pursue as a University Police officer.
If you see Michael patrolling campus, please give him a warm welcome.
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