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April 2023

April's fast pace can often seem like a race toward the end. While this time can feel hectic, I encourage everyone to consider what a gift it is to have so many opportunities to celebrate accomplishments and recognize achievements.

We hosted a successful site visit for the reaccreditation team from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education with several commendations for the ways in which we support students. A more thorough recap from the site visit team's report will be shared in the coming weeks. We’ve had recognitions for academic excellence, scholarship and teaching. We’ve honored distinction among student leaders for clubs and organizations. We’ve celebrated research and creative activity. And, as recently as last night, we’ve begun graduation commemorations. Many more celebrations and recognitions will come before commencement on May 20. I hope everyone takes the time to enjoy and appreciate these opportunities to gather and revel in our collective successes.

Speaking of commencement, we will recognize the three students named as winners of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence and award an honorary degree during the ceremonies. We will also celebrate several faculty and staff who are receiving Chancellor’s Awards. An email announcing the faculty and staff recipients will be shared next week. I hope to see you at commencement and thank everyone in advance for supporting our students and their families on this special day.

Sincerely,

Alberto J.F. Cardelle
President

Summer Facilities & Construction Projects Overview

Lachlan Squair
Associate Vice President for Facilities and Planning

This summer, the campus will see many construction projects at various sites. Thank you to our dedicated staff involved in the work and planning for these improvements. Please review the projects below and make a note of affected areas as you are planning any events or activities over the next several months. Reach out to facilities@oneonta.edu with any questions.

Alumni Hall & West Dorm Drive

This comprehensive $22 million renovation project for Alumni Hall that began in 2021 is winding down. Occupants will move in after Aug.1, and the building will be fully open for classes for Fall 2023. The building will contain offices for the departments of Business, Economics, Political Science and the Division of University Advancement. The building includes a stock trading simulation room, several state-of-the-art active-learning classrooms, a student entrepreneurial space, small group rooms and ample lounge study areas. The upper floor contains a large conference room for formal meetings. West dorm drive will be fully open immediately following commencement.

This renovation is an important milestone in SUNY Oneonta's Clean Energy Master Plan, which is a long-term plan to eliminate on-site use of fossil fuels for facilities operations. Alumni Hall is fully heated and cooled through ground source heat pumps and an array of 39 geothermal bores housed beneath the parking lot. Future plans include expanding the array to provide geothermal heating and cooling to other buildings. This building is incredibly energy efficient, reducing campus carbon emissions by 130 tons per year through new energy-efficient technology. The project will be certified LEED Gold through the Green Building Council.

Welcome Center Outdoor Site Improvements

Also planned is a significant project to replace the staircase from the Pillars to the Welcome Center, including the construction of a plaza and tiered seating areas on the hillside near the Welcome Center. Watch a video outlining the project and concept for the finished product.

Athletics

Several improvements are planned for athletics facilities including commissioning a new air conditioning system for large events, installation of electronic scoreboards and a video display system, all in the Dewar Arena, Alumni Field House. Improvements to the throw area on the upper fields including new gates and nets are also planned.

ADA Accessibility & Goodrich Theater

This summer will see projects completed to improve access for persons with disabilities. New sidewalks and paths between Alumni Hall and Hulbert Hall will be installed, the Fine Arts lower parking lot will be reconstructed to improve handicapped parking access, and a sidewalk to Hunt Union will be improved to better meet ADA compliance.

The Goodrich Theater will be offline this summer to enable the installation of wheelchair access to the box office as well as modifications within the theater to improve accessible seating.

Hulbert Hall Event Space

Improvements are being made to the former dining space in Hulbert Hall to create a multipurpose event space. The work will involve removing the walls and fixed seating, card access upgrades, installing new flooring, and lighting and audio-visual improvements. The result will be a bookable space for events of up to 200 people capable of hosting catered events, entertainment and presentations. Facilities expects the work to be completed and the space to be open for events in the fall semester.

Residence Halls

Higgins Hall will be the target of this summer’s “fluff & buff” project involving painting, replacement carpets, lighting upgrades and other minor improvements to freshen up spaces.

The second phase of major renovations to Hulbert Hall is underway and expected to be completed this August. The project, with a total budget of about $8 million, includes new ceilings, lighting, finishes, renovated bathrooms, wayfinding signs, new community kitchens, and renovated lounges. Additional accessibility accommodations are planned, as well as renovations to entry areas.

Other residence hall improvements include renovating bathrooms in Hays Hall and installing outdoor recreation hammock stands.

Hunt Union Renovations

The Hunt Union ballroom, the living room and Starbucks will be closed between May 2023 and January 2024 to complete major structural repairs. The $7.5 million project will permanently address structural issues in the building, allow the reopening of the ballroom as an event space, and allow the full renovation of the 1^st-floor living room area and Starbucks. The project will transform the living room and Starbucks spaces when completed. Starbucks will move to an interim location in the Red Dragon Outfitters building so coffee fans will still be able to get their fix through the construction period!

Human Ecology & IT Upgrades

Human Ecology will be closed through the summer while we complete a comprehensive IT upgrade project, including all new wiring, wireless access points, network routers, and switches to upgrade the building’s IT infrastructure to contemporary standards.

Critical Maintenance

Many more critical maintenance projects are planned this summer as Facilities goes about our mission of stewardship. Some of these include boiler and chiller replacements, upgrades to card access systems, roof repairs at Fine Arts, a humidity control project for music at Fine Arts, window replacements, fire alarm upgrades and many others.

SUNY Oneonta Student Wins SUNY EOP Award

President Cardelle, Samuel Rodriguez and Pathy Leiva

President Cardelle, Samuel Rodriguez and AOP Director Pathy Leiva at the awards ceremony on April 17.

SUNY Oneonta senior Samuel Rodriguez is one of just 46 students in the SUNY system to receive the Norman R. McConney, Jr. Award for Student Excellence. Awardees were recognized during a ceremony in Albany on Monday, April 17.

Now celebrating its fourth class of awardees, the award recognizes outstanding Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) students for their academic merit and perseverance. The honor is named in memory of Norman R. McConney, Jr. (1946-2016), a graduate of the University at Albany and former assistant dean for special programs at SUNY. McConney, alongside former Assembly Deputy Speaker Arthur O. Eve, helped create the EOP as a statewide program.

Community Table to Benefit Students, Local Residents

A new program supported by Regaining Momentum strategic opportunities funding will offer a way to connect students with the local community and our local farmers. It also provides an opportunity for local residents to learn more about what is happening on campus at SUNY Oneonta.

Proposed by Rachel Kornhauser and the Office of Sustainability, the Community Table project will launch next fall. Once a month, university volunteers will host a table at the Oneonta Farmer's Market at Foothills Performing Arts Center on Saturday mornings that will serve two purposes.

Allow the first 75 SUNY Oneonta students who visit the table to pick up a $15 voucher to spend with vendors at the Farmer's Market that day. This will increase student awareness of local agriculture, expose them to new and sustainable food options, and provide easy, affordable access to fresh groceries.
Expand our presence in the local community and residents' awareness of university programs and initiatives. Farmer's Market shoppers can stop by the table to engage with campus hosts. Students can share their work with community members and provide information about on-campus activities, resources, academic offerings, achievements, etc.

Though the program will not launch until Fall 2023, we are looking to gather and schedule hosts for the table. All employees and students, even departments, are invited to volunteer to help host. Offering rotating hosts allows for different table themes each month and provides an experiential learning opportunity for any students who volunteer. Departments or individuals interested in hosting or helping should contact Rachel Kornhauser.

The Community Table initiative is just the latest accomplishment from the Office of Sustainability. Along with a successful 2023 Green Dragon Week and Earth Day celebration, SUNY Oneonta earned a Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System silver rating from the Association of Sustainability in Higher Education. Read more about this recognition of our sustainability achievements online.

Mail Services Impresses as Regional Conference Host

Katherine Nelligan

Julie Piscitello
Vice President for Finance & Administration

SUNY Oneonta's Mail Services department recently sponsored and hosted a regional conference for the Association of College & University Mail Services (ACUMS) and was asked to present at an upcoming national conference for the same group. Katherine Nelligan, manager of mail, receiving and supply, is the treasurer for ACUMS and played a key role in conference planning and operations.

The conference was held from March 12 - 14. It provided educational sessions, business partner information and networking opportunities for attendees from institutions like Harvard University, Boston Medical, University at Buffalo, Hartwick College, Rochester Institute of Technology, and more. Hosting the conference allowed SUNY Oneonta to highlight our Dragon Express facility and improvements in services through the use of parcel lockers. As a result, Katherine has been asked to speak at the National ACUMS conference in Rhode Island this July.

Oneonta Inclusive Business Award Established

Bernadette Tiapo
Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer

Conversations between SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College to continue to foster partnerships with the Oneonta community have led to the establishment of the Oneonta Inclusive Business Award.

This initiative is the outcome of collaborative efforts between SUNY Oneonta’s Office of Equity and Inclusion, the President’s Council on Diversity(PCOD)'s Community Outreach and Engagement and Campus Climate subcommittees, and Hartwick College’s Offices of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging and Human Resources, Inclusion and Compliance. The Oneonta Inclusive Business Award recognizes local businesses or organizations that have shown exemplary commitment to fostering inclusivity in line with the missions of SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College concerning diversity and inclusion.

Nominations for the Inclusive Business awards were solicited through a short survey sent to SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College community members between Feb. and March 2023. The following criteria were used for the nominations: (i) the buisiness provides exceptional service to diverse populations, (ii) it treats customers with utmost respect and civility, and (ii) it goes above and beyond in meeting the needs of its diverse customer.

Following the nomination of 18 local businesses, campus community members were invited to vote on their top two choices. The PCOD Community Outreach and Engagement and Campus Climate Subcommittees and Hartwick 's Office of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging staff reviewed the results and recommended the five top-selected businesses to be recognized for this year’s inaugural award.

A recognition ceremony to recognize all the nominated businesses and announce the 2023 winners is scheduled for Tuesday, May 9, at 4 p.m. in the CRJIE Great Room. All are invited to attend.

A new call for nominations will go out to both campuses each spring. The award ceremony will rotate between the campuses and locations in the community.

SUNY Oneonta Participates in AASCU on the Hill

President Cardelle and Mathew Rodriguez-Jenkins at the Capitol building in Washington D.C.

President Cardelle and Mathew Rodriguez-Jenkins at the Capitol in Washington D.C.

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) hosted institutional members on Capitol Hill during its inaugural AASCU on the Hill event. AASCU represents over 400 regional comprehensive institutions across the country. President Cardelle, Chief of Staff Danielle McMullen and Matthew Rodriguez-Jenkins, a senior political science major, represented SUNY Oneonta. After a half day of briefings on the legislative landscape in Washington, the SUNY Oneonta group met with Representative Marc Molinaro, Senator Chuck Schumer and staff from Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's office. During the visits, the SUNY Oneonta group spoke to the members of Congress about AASCU’s priorities for this upcoming budget; doubling Pell Grants to a maximum of $13,000 by fiscal year 2027, supporting the EDUCATORS for America Act when reintroduced in Congress that will double TEACH Grants to $8,000 per year, and funding and supporting the $165 million Postsecondary Student Success Grants to improve retention efforts. The meetings also highlighted the critical role regional comprehensive universities play as engines of social mobility for our students and as engines of economic growth in our host communities. We will continue to work through AASCU, through SUNY and locally to garner continued support for the critical mission SUNY Oneonta plays in the region and the country.

Kiara Pipino Honored by Kennedy Center

Kiara Pipino

Associate Professor of Theatre Dr. Kiara Pipino has received The National Distinguished Achievement Award in Dramaturgy from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This award recognizes excellence in the dramaturgy of the production of a play, musical, classic and devised work, and new plays and musicals as part of The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

The 2023 festival was held via eight regional events in Jan. - March 2023, allowing colleges to showcase their work and talents and network with the professional theatre community. Dr. Pipino directed a production of 'Nordost,' featuring six SUNY Oneonta students, at the regional event in Cape Cod in Feb. 2023.

Seniors Recognize Faculty & Staff With Pillar Awards

Laura Lincoln
Director of Alumni Engagement

The Pillar Awards recognition is a recent tradition that provides members of the graduating class the opportunity to recognize an individual on campus who has been a pillar of their journey and made a significant difference in their lives. The program is sponsored by the senior class and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association.

A reception to celebrate this year's honorees was held on Thursday, April 20. The program included remarks from President of the Class of 2023 Jaida Sweeney, Vice President of the Class of 2023 Rachel Faden, Professor, Mathematics and Honorary Director, SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association Dr. Toke Knusdon, and Chief Human Resources Officer Dia Carleton.

Seventy-seven students nominated 60 members of the campus community. View a complete list of honorees and find additional information on the Alumni Association's website.

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Oneonta, NY | 13820 US

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