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| Interim grades have been posted, and we've rounded the corner into the second half of the Spring 2023 semester. Along with our regularly scheduled programming, the site visit from the Middle States team is upon us, April 3 - 5. Our accreditation with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education is critical as it indicates to external stakeholders (prospective students and their families, legislators, community members, donors, alumni and more) that we are meeting specific research-based standards set for colleges and universities in supporting students and that we are measuring and assessing our efforts to achieve continuous improvement.
Please review the information about the Middle States visit open forums and report-out session in the Oneonta Bulletin and your email and plan to participate as you can. We must all be familiar with our self-study report and review the new Regaining Momentum SharePoint site that gives updates on initiatives implemented as a result of the agenda. You'll see that the university community has been working to continuously improve due to the number of initiatives implemented since May 2022. Details on a few of those initiatives and related efforts are outlined below.
I thank everyone in advance for supporting this important reaccreditation process.
Sincerely,
Alberto J.F. Cardelle
President
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| Alumni Family Inspired to Support Inclusive Efforts
Paul Adamo, Vice President for University Advancement
Bernadette Tiapo, Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer
Tom '85, Frank '82, George '86, and Rebecca '11 Capek are the driving forces behind a significant new fund within the SUNY Oneonta Foundation. Earlier this winter, the Capeks committed to endowing a fund that will provide at least $5,000 per year specifically to support initiatives promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within our university community.
The Capeks have been long committed to helping make an Oneonta education more accessible through two endowed scholarships. Recently, the family was inspired by updates provided by University Advancement about on-campus diversity, equity and inclusion-related programs and initiatives. They wanted to expand their giving to align with SUNY Oneonta's priorities surrounding these efforts and participate in our Grow.Thrive.Live. comprehensive campaign with a multi-year pledge. Working with University Advancement and the Office of Equity and Inclusion, they identified that their desire also aligned with Regaining Momentum. Specifically, the emphasis on a need for community building focused on efforts reiterating a campus-wide value of inclusivity.
The Office of Equity and Inclusion will work collaboratively across divisions to identify activities, events and programs that create and support an inclusive living and learning community at the university that will benefit from the Capek Fund for Inclusive Excellence.
We are extremely grateful to the Capek family for their generosity and vision, which will position SUNY Oneonta as a regional leader in fostering a deeply diverse and inclusive society.
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| Regional Innovation Council Off and Running
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The Regional Innovation leadership team. L to R: Catherine Huber, Chad Hall, Patricia Kennedy, Jeff Katz, Alberto Cardelle, Darren Reisberg and Steve Wilson
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| Danielle McMullen
Chief of Staff
The Regional Innovation Council (RIC) has grown both in size and scope since its inception in 2022. Over the last eight months, approximately 75 individuals representing more than 30 organizations have joined together to collaborate on regional issues and opportunities in healthcare and human services, education, business development, employee recruitment and retention, arts and culture, sustainability and agriculture.
The RIC, spearheaded by our university, is a collective initiative of educational and healthcare institutions, businesses, human service agencies, non-profits and public officials. The group aims to increase coordination between anchor institutions on economic and community development initiatives and address opportunities for continued partnership and collaboration within the region.
At this time, the group is working on more than 20 initiatives, including new educational and workforce development pipelines supporting our schools, healthcare and human service industries, a business plan challenge that aims to support entrepreneurs in our local and regional communities, and new initiatives to attract and retain employees and families in the region.
The RIC is led by a cohort of anchor institutions and businesses in Otsego County and the surrounding region. The leadership team includes:
- Chad Hall, Senior Vice President and Co-Founder, Ioxus
- Catherine Huber, District Superintendent, ONC BOCES
- Jeff Katz, Executive Director, Community Foundation of Otsego County
- Patricia Kennedy, CEO, Springbrook
- Darren Reisberg, President, Hartwick College
- Steve Wilson, County Administrator, Otsego County
More details on the business plan challenge, workforce development pipelines and employee recruitment and retention initiatives will be announced in the upcoming weeks. Read more about the RIC's recent formal launch, and please reach out via email if you have any questions or would like more information.
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| Fueling Our Dragons
Diane Williams
Executive Director, Oneonta Auxiliary Services
Did you know special funding is available to our students who face a significant financial burden in purchasing textbooks or meal plans? Oneonta Auxiliary Services and the Financial Aid team have partnered to support students through an impactful initiative -- Fueling Our Dragons. Currently in its fourth funding year, this program provides textbooks and meal plans to students with extreme financial need. Since the 2019-2020 academic year, nearly $200,000 has been awarded to our students. eCampus, our online bookstore vendor, also contributes to this funding. Students who are in need of support in purchasing textbooks and/or meal plans should contact the Financial Aid Office to inquire if they qualify to receive support through Fueling Our Dragons.
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| Enrique Morales-Diaz
Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs
I want to begin by expressing my thanks for the welcome I have received since beginning my role as Provost earlier this month. The interactions I have already had with faculty, students and staff only underscore for me how grateful I am to be a part of a community that is so passionate.
As a first-generation college student who attended two SUNY institutions, I always remember the support and encouragement I received from my EOP advisor and many of the faculty with whom I studied. It was the value of those experiences that brought me back to New York and SUNY Oneonta. These past three weeks on campus have reminded me how vital it is to belong to a community that values relationships, understands that supporting student success is a university-wide effort and is hopeful for the institution's future direction.
One of my initial priorities is to meet with all departments and offices within the Division of Academic Affairs. These meetings will allow me to understand the projects/initiatives faculty and staff are engaged in and hear about each area's vision. Likewise, the opportunities for me to learn how I can support our faculty, librarians and staff as they engage ensuring our students' success are equally important.
I also look forward to getting to know the departments and colleagues across campus. Collaboration and teamwork are keys to SUNY Oneonta's continued success. I look forward to contributing to efforts to help us remain a force of learning, culture and development.
I am excited about the work ahead of us. I value the opportunity to work with you all to support our curricular and academic endeavors, assist in enrollment and retention initiatives throughout the division and the university, ensure that students feel satisfied with the support they receive, and strengthen our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice.
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Academic Success Program Update
Last spring, an essential retention and success initiative began as an experiment by the Student Progress Committee and was formalized into a program and administered by Michelle Thibault, senior director of Career and Academic Planning and Continuing Education. The “Academic Success Program” offered multiple forms of support for students whose first-semester grades did not meet the university’s minimum standards. Students in the program participated in a pre-semester resource and guidance fair and formed a re-bound plan. They also enrolled in a one-credit, semester-long course focused on academic skill-building and received support from “academic success consultants”—volunteers from across campus—whom they met with throughout the term. As reported at College Senate and elsewhere, the initial results of the program suggested the benefit for many students of a longer adjustment period to university life and study: in the very next term, 60% of students earned a term GPA of 2.0 or higher—and 40% cleared probation entirely. The longer view affirms the benefit of retaining and enhancing support for Oneonta students who falter in their first semester: Of the original cohort of 123 students, 64 (52%) are currently enrolled. Of those 64, 42 (66%) are in good academic standing, and 22 (34%) are on probation.
This program has continued in subsequent semesters. Amy Crouse-Powers, assistant director of the Student Learning Center, has assumed leadership over the program and has used a similar framework as the one employed last year, including notably the reliance on volunteers (faculty, staff and administrators) to support and guide students. Since Spring 2022, 59 dedicated individuals have served as volunteers for the program. Amy also secured Regaining Momentum Agenda funding to hire two academic consultants to help coordinate the program next year—and provide additional support for both the students and their Academic Success Consultants. Please anticipate an update on the enhanced program next fall—and more data about the progress of our student participants in all cohorts.
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New York State History Day Comes to Oneonta
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Gretchen Sorin
Director, Cooperstown Graduate Program
For the first time, SUNY Oneonta will host New York's state-wide history competition for middle and high school students in grades 6-12. New York State History Day (NYSHD) is part of National History Day, a nonprofit organization dedicated to history and civics education and improving the teaching and learning of history. On April 24, approximately 1,000 students will gather on our main Oneonta campus to present their research and findings in the form of a documentary, website, paper, exhibit or performance. This year's presentation theme is "Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas."
The students presenting their work at NYSHD have competed in local and regional competitions. They are vying for a chance to go to Maryland and Washington D.C. to compete in the National History Day competition in June. The students will come from all corners of New York State and spend the day on campus as they participate in the competition.
Faculty, staff and students from the Cooperstown Graduate Program (CGP) are thrilled to be coordinating this event. All students enrolled in the Museum Studies programs at CGP are volunteering and will be on-site to welcome the competitors (and their chaperones, parents and teachers) to campus. We have several opportunities for other students, faculty and staff to volunteer during the day. We need assistance with event operations as well as competition judges. If you are interested in participating, please email nyshd@nhd.org.
Thank you to the many departments assisting with logistics and preparations for NYSHD. Previously, this competition was held in several locations around Cooperstown, NY. The teachers and regional coordinators I have heard from are incredibly excited that the event will be centrally located on our main campus and look forward to visiting and learning more about SUNY Oneonta. This is an excellent opportunity for students and families from across New York to visit our beautiful campus and has the potential to lead to future interest in attending our university for some of the participants. The event also offers a wonderful experiential learning opportunity for our CGP students. From event planning to volunteer management to guest services, the students play key roles in all aspects of the program's management and administration.
The volume of visitors to campus on April 24 will impact traffic and parking and increase visitors to our buildings and dining venues. Please watch your email for information and details about facilities and areas affected as we get closer to the date.
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SUNY Oneonta Named Among Best Online Master's in Education Programs
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U.S. News and World Report recently recognized the university for having one of the country's best online master's programs in Education. The methodology considers student-instructor access, graduation rates, and educating distance learners while offering robust career and financial support. Read more about this ranking.
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