Colleagues:
In my September report to the Faculty Senate, I committed up to $50,000 to be spent during this acdemic year to enable a campus-wide experiment in creating a stronger New Paltz. This ‘experiment’ will support twenty to thirty collaborative proposals from faculty and staff to design and implement projects aimed at enhancing the culture and climate on our campus and beyond. This initiative is open to all 1300 faculty and staff at SUNY New Paltz.
As President Wheeler has stated since his arrival, SUNY New Paltz must invest in its people, and this is a serious investment. In order to be its best and most productive, New Paltz must be a place where every member feels they have a role, a sense of purpose, and a sense belonging. It is us, and we are it. There are no simple solutions to getting to this goal, but I believe we can start this change by conversing with each other (a lot), working together on shared projects, and giving ourselves the chance to create opportunities, moments, and space to build a history of shared experience. This effort could help define this institution for generations to come.
The ideas and proposals for events, activities, and projects to move us towards this greater sense of belonging and trust must come from you. My hope is that the mixture of activities will propel SUNY New Paltz forward as an institution that demonstrates daily its commitment to creativity and education, to knowledge creation, and to civil discourse.
To that end, please begin by talking to your friends and colleagues about ideas for events, activities, and projects. Ideally, the overall set of proposals will include some that are scholarly (a discussion group, a research project, a book exhibit, new technology, a new use for old technology, etc.), artistic (an exhibit, a performance, a project to create new art), service-oriented (clean up projects, helping out in the yards of our town neighbors, figuring out new ways to engage people in sustainability practices, helping people to vote), athletic (bike ride for charity, town-gown sporting event). Specific themes might include: civil discourse, freedom of expression, freedom of speech, justice, neighborhood, change, higher education, the uniqueness of SUNY New Paltz.
This entire initiative is linked to the two pillars of our mission – educational excellence and value to our community – but how those connections are made will come from you and your ideas. In addition, please remember the following:
- The event or activity or project must happen or conclude by the end of the spring semester;
- The ideas must come from at least two members of the faculty and/or staff (or from already existing groups of faculty and staff) who work, teach, or study in different parts of campus – not in the same office, not from the same department or program or, if possible, not even the same school.
- These funds can also be used to build upon already planned initiatives and events – to expand them to include the ideas and involvement of more members of the campus community.
Please use this link to submit your ideas. There are a few questions to answer. Please include information about who will be part of making the event or activity happen and who might benefit or participate. As part of your proposal, you will be asked to submit an approximate cost. No upper limit has been set, but the average per proposal should be around $2,000. (Please remember that these are state funds so alcohol cannot be funded, and no funds can be used to compensate faculty, staff, or student-employees).
As promised, I will also host three campus-wide Zoom sessions to answer any questions.
- Thursday, Sept. 12 from 1 - 2 p.m.
- Friday, Sept. 13 from 3 - 4 p.m.
- Monday, Sept. 16 from 9 -10 a.m.
Please use this link to RSVP, and you’ll receive a Zoom invite.
This is an ambitious plan. SUNY New Paltz is home to 1300 faculty and staff. Building our community together is all of our jobs.
A final note. We will need help in reviewing the ideas, to ensure variety, breadth, impact and depth. Helping to review and having a role in a submitted proposal are independent factors. You may be part of one or both, so please start thinking if you’d like to be part of that process. (The same link – above – that allows you to submit ideas allows you to volunteer to help review.)
Of course, please reach out to me directly if you have unanswered questions, ideas, or concerns: mcclurew@newpaltz.edu.
Thanks very much.
William McClure
Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs
