January 28, 2026
Alumni Hall Conference Room
108 Ravine Parkway, Oneonta, NY
Present
Mr. Joe Bernier
Dr. Diane Georgeson
Ms. Stacie Haynes
Ms. Debra Parisian
Mr. Will Rivera
Ms. Ashley Romero
Mr. Daniel Sniezek
Presiding
Mr. Joe Bernier
University Administrators
Mr. Paul Adamo, Vice President for College Advancement
Ms. Karen Brown, Assistant Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Initiatives
Mr. Dirk Budd, University Police Chief
Ms. Dia Carleton, Chief Human Resources Officer
Dr. Alberto Cardelle, University President
Dr. Tracy Johnson, Vice President for Student Affairs
Mr. Steve Maniscalco, Chief Information Officer
Ms. Lisa Miller, Senior Communication and Marketing Officer
Dr. Enrique Morales-Diaz, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Ms. Becca O’Donnell, Interim Vice President for Finance and Administration
Mr. Lachlan Squair, Associate Vice President for Facilities Management
Dr. Bernadette Tiapo, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion
Ms. Karyn Wendrow, Chief of Staff and Director of Executive Communications
Ms. J. Caroline Williams, Director of Community and Government Relations
Presenters, Invitees, Observers
Dr. Charlene Foley-Deno, Assistant Professor of Accounting
Mr. Mark Farrell, Instructional Support Technician
Emma Heckert, SUNY Oneonta junior, Accounting Major
Dr. Gina Solano, Presiding Officer of the University Senate
Tudor Wolfson, SUNY Oneonta, senior, Accounting Major
Call to Order
Mr. Bernier called the meeting to order at 4:32 p.m.
Approval of Minutes
Ms. Parisian made a motion to approve the minutes of Nov. 13, 2025. Dr. Georgeson seconded, and the minutes were approved by unanimous vote.
Chair’s Report
Mr. Bernier gave brief opening remarks focused on how much he enjoyed the recent Brooks Family Commercial Kitchen dedication in the Human Ecology building, recognizing a $100,000 contribution from John and Joan Brooks and their support for scholarships for Food and Restaurant Administration students.
President’s Report
Dr. Cardelle presented a snapshot of the New York State Budget, as outlined in Gov. Hochul’s State of the State address, and its potential impact on SUNY Oneonta. He said this is the third consecutive year of strong support from the state Legislature and SUNY, including:
- Maintaining the state-operated resident undergraduate tuition freeze by increasing state-operated campus operating funding by $54 million.
- $8.5 million to expand the SUNY Reconnect program that provides free Community College to eligible adult learners preparing for high-demand careers, highlighting the opportunity for SUNY Oneonta to partner with community colleges to expand the university’s transfer pipeline.
- An additional $8 million to expand the ASAP/ACE program, which provides additional financial support for Pell-eligible students. SUNY’s goal is to enroll a total of 10,000 students systemwide in this nation-leading retention and completion program by fall 2026.
- Doubling the Empire State Service Corps to provide paid community service opportunities to 1,000 SUNY students. Dr. Cardelle noted that SUNY Oneonta had highest participation in the SUNY system in the first year of the program and we hope to recruit more students.
- Investing in additional paid, career-connected internships as SUNY works to meet its goal of enabling every undergraduate student to complete an internship or other experiential learning opportunity.
- Providing $595 million in critical maintenance capital funding to help address SUNY’s $10 billion critical maintenance backlog.
- Providing $600,000 for emergency student funds. Oneonta already has an endowed Student Emergency Fund that provides grants to students facing unexpected financial challenges, and Dr. Cardelle said this item made it to the governor’s budget discussion because of SUNY Oneonta’s advocacy and success in this area.
Dr. Cardelle also mentioned priorities for advocacy, including restoring and increasing funding for the Educational Opportunity Program; increasing critical maintenance, emergency avoidance and research capital funding; and restoring funding for mental health services.
He then highlighted Regional Economic Development Council 2025-26 grants to several regional entities, including $2,000,000 to SUNY Oneonta for the Netzer renovation project construction of a geothermal loop and heat pumps that will fully electrify the building.
Mission Story: VITA Program
Dr. Cardelle introduced Dr. Charlene Foley-Deno, Assistant Professor of Accounting, for a “mission story” presentation on the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Dr. Foley-Deno gave an overview of the program, which is part of a class and provides free assistance with basic income tax returns for campus and Oneonta community members. A total of 32 students are involved in the program this semester and have received specialized training to perform this work. Last year, the program served 400 community members and it is growing every year. Dr. Foley Deno introduced two Professional Accounting majors, junior Emma Heckert and senior Tudor Wolfson, who gave an overview of their work and the impact of the program. Emma was selected to present a paper titled, “VITA Community Outreach and Student Experiential Learning,” at a national business conference.
Mr. Bernier asked if the university has considered using the ExCL Center as a location for VITA. Dr. Foley-Deno said one session was held there last year with great success, but logistical issues made it difficult to hold sessions off campus this year.
Data Center Opposition
Mr. Bernier introduced the topic by referencing a letter from a concerned citizen asking SUNY Oneonta to rescind its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a New Jersey-based private company that plans to build a new data center in the Town of Oneonta. Dr. Cardelle explained how MOUs are developed, gave examples of some others that the university has, and outlined the parameters of this “exploratory MOU.” He said the university’s interest is in exploring potential internships or other experiential learning opportunities for our students, particularly in computer science.
Dr. Cardelle said the project has generated robust debate within the community, but SUNY Oneonta has not taken any position on zoning or other actions related to the development of the data center.
Dr. Georgeson said that in addition to the letter Mr. Bernier mentioned, she was approached by a faculty member expressing concern that the faculty and the university’s AI Task Force were not involved in the development of the MOU. Dr. Cardelle explained that faculty are only involved in MOUs when they relate to their programs and departments. If SUNY Oneonta reaches a stage where a specific partnership with the business is being considered, such as for computer science internships, then the Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics Department would be involved in developing an agreement. Any partnerships that involve curricular developments would also involve shared governance through the University Senate’s Curriculum Committee.
Ms. Parisian said the university would be wise to be careful about associating with the project since SUNY Oneonta has worked hard to have strong relationships with the town and city and said she was glad to hear that the university has not taken a position.
AI Task Force Report-Out
Mr. Maniscalco described the charge of the university’s AI Task Force, which was developed in spring 2025, and gave an overview of a campus survey about AI administered last spring. He outlined the broad representation of the new AI Advisory Working Group and described some key events and developments, including an AI Workshop led by an external facilitator and a three-year program in development with the University at Albany to create an AI Preparedness Academy, faculty learning community, visiting affiliated faculty program, AI for Good Challenge and AI + CORE (Collaborative Research Experience).
Mr. Maniscalco said recommendations in seven areas have come out of the group and will be included in its report to be presented in February to senior leadership:
- Governance, Ethics and Trust
- Campuswide AI Literacy
- Operational Efficiency and Decision Support
- Student Success and Support
- Academic Integrity and Teaching Innovation
- Curriculum Workforce and Research Advancement
- Community Engagement and Sustainability
The overall goal, Maniscalco said, is to position the university as a thoughtful leader in AI, balancing innovation, accountability and impact.
Mr. Bernier asked if students were involved in the work. Mr. Maniscalco said one of the working groups included students, and the university will seek to increase student engagement in the next phase, including getting the student Technology Committee involved.
Foundation Update
Mr. Adamo thanked everyone who attended the naming event for the Brooks Family Commercial Kitchen, gave an overview of the University Foundation’s mission and vision, and provided data indicating that fundraising increases student success. He said students who receive Foundation scholarships in their first year of college are retained and graduate at a higher rate than the overall student body.
Mr. Adamo said scholarships represent 49% of the university’s fundraising impact; the Foundation also raises money to support a variety of strategic priorities and critical needs, including student/faculty research, the Student Emergency Fund, global experiences, faculty development, internship support, student travel and Access and Opportunity Programs.
The university’s endowment value as of Dec. 31, 2025, was approximately $98.30 million, Mr. Adamo said, inching closer to the SUNY Oneonta Foundation’s vision of providing a $100 million endowment for the university. The majority of this is from gifts and grants, including planned giving/estate planning.
Mr. Bernier asked how the university is investing the endowment. Mr. Adamo outlined the university’s 60/20/60 plan, investing 60 percent in publicly traded stocks through mutual funds, 20 percent in bonds (fixed) mutual funds and 20 percent in alternative investments/private equity.
Ms. Haynes referenced her work with Senior Advancement Officer Tim Hayes to learn about fundraising in her role at the SPCA and said it stuck with her – demonstrating the regional impact that the Advancement team has in the community.
ACT Report
Dr. Georgeson said she did not have anything new to report.
Adjournment
Mr. Bernier adjourned the meeting at 5:58 p.m.