This summer, SUNY Oneonta’s sunny, quiet campus quad was filled with the buzz of 145 accepted students arriving early to learn what to expect as new first-year students. But this was no tour, these students moved into the residence halls for four weeks.
Designed to make the huge transition to college a little less intimidating, the AOP (Access and Opportunity Program) Summer Academy has been welcoming new students since the 1990s. From morning to night, the students’ days are designed to familiarize them with collegiate academic and social expectations, school policies, student services and learning resources at SUNY Oneonta.
Throughout the week, there were presentations and tours of departments including Financial Aid, Counseling, Academic Advisement, Career Planning & Networking, Global Education and Student Accounts. Students were able to ask questions about internships, studying abroad and course selections.
I learned about the intensity of academics compared to high school,”
“I learned about the intensity of academics compared to high school,” says Angie Maldonado, of Hempstead, N.Y. “We have to constantly grind for finals week.”
“Summer Academy is a building block and getting us closer to being freshmen,” says Ace Odell, of Bainbridge, NY. “We get to see what college is like because it is not like everything you see on TV or in the movies.”
There were opportunities to connect with faculty, staff, students and community members - both in and out of classroom settings. Picnics and field days with members of Student Affairs and University Police, crafting with the Counseling Center staff, tie dying tee shirts, painting rocks, and lifting their voices at an open mic night gave students ample opportunity to be seen and heard in their soon-to-be home away from home.
When not in their daily composition, math and elective classes, the students were provided supplemental instruction, tutoring and study hours in the many colorful, quiet nooks and crannies of Milne Library.
In classes and dorms, they participated in discussions about the importance of accountability, responsibility and positive citizenship. Surrounded by peers and AOP staff that understand their unique strengths and challenges, it was a safe space to speak about the steps needed to work hard and succeed in college.
AOP students have the advantage of a big, powerful support system,”
“AOP students have the advantage of a big, powerful support system,” says student leader Sabrina Sholes, a class of 2027 Anthropology major from Oneonta, NY. “These students will know the campus and have already built connections and made friends before the first day of classes.”
Making new friends and being introduced to a diverse campus community was a happy outcome that many of the students were not expecting. Many that met as strangers on the first move-in day were sad to depart after the final Academy banquet but were looking forward to seeing each other again, with the semester only a few weeks away. “I love being social, and I wasn’t until I got here,” says Noor Daragmeh of Corona, NY.
“Succeeding in a rural college community often depends upon the community they build, so making AOP students aware of the educational, cultural and social activities is crucial,” says Pathy Leiva, Executive Director of Access & Opportunity Programs. “SUNY Oneonta students appreciate knowing and being known across our approachable campus - whether it is the dining hall staff, classmates, professors or counselors.”