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It is hard to believe that the Fall 2022 semester begins in less than one month. Seeing the progression of construction projects around campus, meeting new students at orientation, and the hard work going on behind the scenes to prepare to welcome students back in August has been energizing.
As part of that work, we have been shifting our focus to long-term management of the COVID pandemic's impact on the college. The COVID Response Team will now be led by the COVID Incident Management Team. This is a group of representatives from across the college who served as part of the COVID strategic and operations groups in the past. Julie Piscitello, Richie Lee, and Bernadette Tiapo will no longer serve as CRT co-chairs, and I offer my profound thanks to them for their steadfast leadership over the past two years.
We are also gearing up to tackle the items identified in the Regaining Momentum Agenda. These include allocation of funds through the strategic funding requests, the establishment of working groups to support recruitment, the reinstatement of college-wide gatherings, and the creation of a Regional Innovation Council – all items highlighted below. Additionally, we are working to establish college-wide meeting times and dates for additional dialogue sessions. The first will be about the path to university designation status early in the fall semester. Please watch your email for further information.
This summer has certainly provided time to prepare, plan and strategize, but also time to reflect. I've been reflecting on how recent Supreme Court decisions have altered the role of government and impacted our college, region, nation and world. The dramatic shift in the governance of abortion rights through the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision and the overturning of Roe v. Wade is momentous and calls for institutions of higher education like ours to do what we do best – inform, debate and engage. Here in New York, our laws distinctly outline that residents of our state have the right to comprehensive reproductive healthcare, which includes the right to make choices about their healthcare and futures. However, we cannot discount the greater impact this decision will have on public health and our society. Other recent decisions further strengthen this call for our college to become involved in national deliberations. The Court's decisions on concealed weapons, overturning a century-old New York law, and the Environmental Protection Agency's authority over carbon emissions bring bearing on our college's hard work to provide a safe living and learning environment and core value of sustainability.
The importance for each member of our college community to engage in constructive conversations, carry out our role and responsibility to be informed and engaged citizens, and participate in elections cannot be understated. This sentiment will be reiterated to students in a message I will email to them a few days before the fall semester begins.
Sincerely,
Alberto J.F. Cardelle
President
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| A Note From a New Red Dragon
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| Tracy P. Johnson
Vice President for Student Affairs
With a few weeks as a Red Dragon on the books, I want to tell my colleagues how humbled and honored I am to be a part of the SUNY Oneonta community and the Division of Student Affairs.
I aim to ensure that all departments that fall within the Division of Student Affairs are places where rich student experiences are shaped. Below are three principles that I have communicated with the division to help guide our work as we engage with students and partner with colleagues.
- The work of Student Affairs at SUNY Oneonta is grounded in consistent, collective, conspicuous investment in our students’, and Student Affairs professionals', interests, well-being, and success.
- Student Affairs is holistic and intersectional and engages in high-impact collaborative practices to support and develop our students.
- Student Affairs is anchored in our college's mission and supported by our three core values of inclusivity, service, and sustainability.
With these principles in mind, I am eager to actively listen, learn, and observe to guide the creation of a shared vision for the future of the Division of Student Affairs. I am grateful to join a team that is passionate, hard working, and committed to our students.
I look forward to meeting and working with all of you to enhance our collaboration across campus and to advance our students’ experience.
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Strategic Opportunities Funding Update
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| In May, the College Budget Committee received 10 requests to fund initiatives that support the college’s Regaining Momentum Agenda. In June, the committee reviewed these requests and made funding recommendations. Seven of the 10 proposals will be funded with temporary funds totaling $286,781. More information regarding the proposals received and those funded can be found on the College Budget Committee webpage. The work on these funded initiatives will begin this summer and fall. Those that did not receive funding this round were encouraged to discuss their proposal with their respective vice presidents for potential revisions and resubmission in the next round of Strategic Opportunities Funding.
The next opportunity to apply for funding for new or enhanced projects and programs will be announced this fall. Proposals for initiatives that are innovative and take reasonable risks are encouraged. Everyone is encouraged to think about how we can do things differently and to submit proposals for ideas, even if not perfectly developed. There may be some updates and minor changes to the process for the second round, but the first-round process information may help get you started if you are considering a new initiative. An official communication will go out when the next application window opens but begin thinking now.
Congratulations to those who received funds in this first round of Strategic Opportunities Funding. We look forward to the next round of new and innovative proposals that will help leverage the strategic opportunities and forward the Regaining Momentum Agenda.
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Recruitment Working Groups Formed
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Karen A. Brown
Senior Enrollment Management Officer and Executive Director of Admissions
In collaboration with all divisions, a "recruitment roundtable" was held in May to discuss ways that the college can build upon our recruitment success and to explore strategies to attract new students. The roundtable resulted in many potential strategies and ideas to enhance the recruitment of prospective students to the college. As the higher education market continues to change, we need to be ready to provide the opportunity for an accessible and quality education to a broader group of students. To that end, four working groups have been established to explore new strategies related to:
- Marketing and Communication
- Improve SUNY Oneonta's visibility among prospective students, families, school counselors, and other influencers/stakeholders. Work to regain market share through lead generation, digital marketing, and relationship building to recruit and enroll new students.
- New Academic Program
- Collaborate with Academic Affairs to identify opportunities for new programs. Extend SUNY Oneonta's academic offerings, specifically within graduate-level programs, to increase enrollment.
- Student Sub-Populations
- Develop an undergraduate peer-to-peer program to support the recruitment of first-generation, racially diverse and underrepresented students.
- Partnership Pipeline
- Strengthen and expand partnerships between the college and high schools, community-based organizations and community colleges.
I look forward to working with each of the groups to enhance our recruitment efforts and develop a strategic enrollment plan. We will share additional updates with the college community in the weeks and months ahead.
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Academic Year Opening Activities Return
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After a two-year hiatus, the traditions of the all-campus picnic for all students, faculty, and staff and the employee opening breakfast are back! Please watch your email for the official invitations to these events but mark your calendars for the first day of class, Monday, Aug. 29, for the picnic, and Friday, Sept. 2, for the employee breakfast.
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| Over $4.69 Million Raised in FY 2021-2022
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| Paul J. Adamo
Vice President for College Advancement
Our fiscal year for fundraising concluded on June 30, and the Division of College Advancement would like to extend sincere thanks to everyone who contributed last year. Collectively, gifts to our college foundation totaled over $4.69 million for the 2021-2022 fiscal year – our highest one-year fundraising total ever. This was accomplished through the generosity of thousands of donors who made gifts of all sizes that all help keep an Oneonta education affordable, accessible, and inclusive.
I am pleased to share the following highlights from this past year that demonstrate the impact charitable giving has on our students and college community:
- Over $892,000 has been given and pledged toward endowing the Student Emergency Fund (SEF). This is excellent progress towards our new campaign goal of raising $1 million to fully endow the SEF, which would provide $50,000 a year to meet students’ unanticipated needs.
- From Jan. 1 – June 30, 2022, 12 new endowed scholarships and student support funds were established to aid student recruitment and retention. See the graph below to view the growth of privately funded scholarships through gifts, grants and endowment income over the past 40 years.
- Thanks to gifts and the growth of the unrestricted portion of our endowment, faculty development, scholarships, and student/faculty research are now funded at their highest levels in the college's history.
- With more than $27.9 million in gifts, grants, and pledges, SUNY Oneonta’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, Grow. Thrive. Live. The Future of SUNY Oneonta, surpassed its original $25 million goal in early 2022 and continues until June 2023.
I would also like to recognize our Grow. Thrive. Live. Campaign Co-chairs, Pat ’75 and Linda ’76 McCann, for their leadership and generosity. Additionally, Jim Doig ’75, President of the College at Oneonta Foundation Board of Directors, and Christine Warnquist ’71, President of the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association Board of Directors, play key roles in leading our two 501(c)3 organizations whose Board members gave a collective $1.53 million in the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
Thank you to all who play a role in our fundraising success and help to create a brighter future for our students and society.
Growth of Privately Funded Scholarships Through Gifts, Grants and Endowment Income
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Regional Innovation Council Established
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Over the past year, the college has had several discussions about what role we should play in regional economic, cultural and community development. The dialogue sessions with faculty and staff highlighted significant internal support for expanded engagement opportunities with the local region. In addition, meetings with regional leaders underscored the importance of anchor institutions serving as conveners and catalysts for such efforts.
In response, the Office of the President has proposed the establishment of a Regional Innovation Council (RIC) to be comprised of regional leaders in healthcare, education, non-profits, government, and business who will provide strategic vision, guidance, and resources to projects and initiatives related to innovations that will positively impact our local city, town and region.
The purpose of this group is to:
- Strengthen coordination between the various economic and community development entities;
- Identify, develop, and implement opportunities for collaboration;
- Identify new and emerging partnership opportunities; and
- Advocate and secure funding for identified points of collaboration/initiatives at local, state, and federal levels.
The RIC will also help the college collaborate to be a leader and facilitator of regional development.
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