A University of the Community
SUNY Oneonta students, faculty, staff and alumni are working collectively with the community to create a vibrant, welcoming region, a place where businesses thrive, neighbors connect, new opportunities flourish and our hometown spirit shines.
SUNY Oneonta collaborates with a variety of community organizations to enhance the quality of life in our region. We offer space on campus, in-kind contributions and financial support for community-based projects and programs. Our faculty, staff and students volunteer at civic, educational and cultural events ranging from food drives and science fairs to theater productions.
Local partnerships, internships and apprenticeships give area businesses, nonprofits and municipalities the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent.
When campuses and communities engage with and invest in each other, everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Forming community-based partnerships is essential to making higher education relevant, equitable and impactful. Together, we energize each other’s efforts to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, social mobility and economic progress.”
Welcoming Visitors
SUNY Oneonta offers many resources open to members of the community that attract guests throughout the year, helping support the region’s hospitality and tourism industries.
More than 36,625 off-campus guests
- 8,400 loved ones celebrate student accomplishments at Commencement
- 4,740 people, including 92 field trips with 2,340 students and 460 chaperones/teachers, visited the A.J. Read Science Discovery Center
- 4,000 visitors at 250 shows at SUNY Oneonta’s Planetarium
- Approximately 8,300 guests visited the Martin Mullen and Project Space Galleries at the Fine Arts Center
- 2,318 attendees purchased tickets for productions at the Goodrich and “Black Box” Hamblin Theaters
- 2,200 concertgoers attended the Catskill Symphony Orchestra
- Over 4,000 guests enjoy the outdoors at College Camp annually
- 1,739 fans attended the Mayor’s Cup Soccer Tournament
- About 400 students come and compete in NYS History Day
- 528 total campers across seven specialized sports programs: Women's Basketball, Men's Basketball, Women's Soccer, and Men's Soccer, Volleyball, Baseball, and Tennis
SUNY Oneonta Impact in 2025-26
$2.7 M
Purchased from local suppliers, vendors and contractors
29,528
Empire State Service Corps and volunteer service hours given to our local community
$337,426
Scholarships and awards to local students from SUNY Oneonta Foundation
5,300
Alumni bring talent to the tri-counties of Otsego, Delaware and Chenango
112
Student Research and Creative Activity Projects
$6.3 M
Raised through charitable gifts and grants
Economic Engine for the Region
With an annual operating budget of $133 Million SUNY Oneonta is an economic driver within the region.
The University employs a workforce of more than 1,200 people, and we enroll about 5,400 students, many of whom volunteer, purchase goods locally, and support area businesses.
Regional Innovation Council (RIC) is a collective initiative of anchor institutions, including higher education, healthcare, business, human services and public officials have increased coordination between individuals and organizations on economic and community development. Within the past year, SUNY Oneonta has focused on opening the lines of communication with local landlords related to professional and student housing, entrepreneurship, downtown revitalization and regional visibility and funding.
For the fourth consecutive year, SUNY Oneonta, Hartwick College and the Community Foundation of Otsego County presented Inclusive Business Awards to recognize local organizations fostering a welcoming community. Seven local entities were honored this year, bringing the total to 23 businesses recognized since the program began, building a growing network of community partners recognized for helping make Oneonta a place where people feel welcomed and valued.
Applicants, Families, and Alumni
SUNY Oneonta attracts visitors from across the country, whether its perspective students visiting the college for the first time, students coming to live here during their college experience or alumni returning for reunions and events. The University brings thousands of individuals and families to the area each year.
$1.23 million estimated annual spending in local area by visitors to campus in the past year
The 2026 Alumni Association Awards Breakfast at Alumni Weekend honored 13 outstanding alumni and friends. Jay Winuk ’80 received a standing ovation for co-founding the 9/11 Day National Day of Service in memory of his brother, Glenn Winuk ’83, who died attempting to save others on September 11, 2001.
Plus…
- $9.4 million estimated annual amount spent locally by the SUNY Oneonta students.
(Approximately 4,650 undergraduate students x $2,020 per year)
visitors x $178 average tourist spends per day in Upstate NY
prospective students visited campus
guests on campus for family weekend (475 total families)
alumni returned to campus
Preparing for Careers
Extended and Community Learning (ExCL) Center
Located off campus on Dietz Street, the ExCL Center strengthens the region through local career training and personal enrichment courses in Otsego County.
70
courses with community partners
1,598
total learners served
$364,785
in community training funds
Manufacturing Bootcamp
An intensive four-week Manufacturing Bootcamp through the ExCL Center helped launch Otsego and Delaware County residents into local manufacturing jobs.
- 100 hours of classroom instruction
- 20 hours of hands-on experience at local manufacturing facilities
The Apprenticeship Roundtable brought together 62 participants across Manufacturing, IT, Healthcare, Hospitality, Agriculture, Education and Business Services to launch registered apprenticeship programs. Featured Speakers included experts from the NYS DOL, SUNY Apprenticeship Program and Amphenol Aerospace.
Career Planning and Networking Center
The Career Planning & Networking Center assists SUNY Oneonta students who are currently taking classes and alumni who have completed a degree with career exploration, skill development, resume writing, networking, interview skills and internship placements.
- 527 Total Internships with 72 Internship and job shadowing placements in Otsego and Delaware Counties
- Over $500,000 in funding from SUNY System and the SUNY Oneonta Foundation for student internship stipends distributed
Bassett Healthcare Network
SUNY Oneonta students gained exclusive, behind-the-scenes insights into healthcare careers during a specialized field trip to Bassett Healthcare Network in Cooperstown. The visit introduced students to diverse career pathways and featured a panel of alumni sharing firsthand professional experiences at Bassett.
Assisting the Community
Rural Educators Collaborative
Through the Rural Educators Collaborative, a partnership with Delaware-Chenango-Madison-Otsego and Otsego Northern Catskills BOCES, SUNY Oneonta directly supports local schools by helping small, isolated districts overcome critical staffing shortages, resource limits and geographic challenges.
Key Community Impacts:
- Uniting Regional Educators: The university brought over 900 local teachers and administrators together on campus for the inaugural Educating for the Future conference to share best practices and foster classroom innovation.
- Faculty and Academic Leadership: Experts from SUNY Oneonta’s School of Education actively guide and mentor area districts, providing hands-on leadership to elevate local teaching quality.
Law Enforcement Academy
Graduating officers from the SUNY Oneonta Law Enforcement Academy are committed to serving with the City of Oneonta Police Department, Chenango County Sheriff’s Office and the SUNY Oneonta University Police Department making our local community safer.
Springbrook GoZone
Springbrook GoZone brings an inclusive day habilitation program directly to the SUNY Oneonta Campus, empowering adults with developmental disabilities while deepening our community footprint. Participants enjoy active learning, campus activities and volunteer opportunities while SUNY Oneonta students gain hands-on internship experience. Together, this partnership strengthens local ties, fosters meaningful collaborations across academic programs and builds a more inclusive community.
Giving Back
90+ outside permits
for community groups to use space on campus
45+ faculty and staff
serve on community and nonprofit committees
Planning Efforts
SUNY Oneonta faculty and staff are participating at the city, town and county level by serving on local committees:
- Town of Oneonta West End Strategic Plan are developing a roadmap to strengthen the corridor as a mixed-use gateway.
- City of Oneonta will complete a coordinated update to its Comprehensive Plan and a BOA Nomination Study.
- PLACES Planning Partnership was funded to bring students and faculty together with the Otsego County Department of Planning, Destination Marketing and Otsego Now to focus on population retention and quality of life.
Student-athlete Service Hours
SUNY Oneonta was selected from more than 430 NCAA Division III institutions nationwide to receive the Community Engagement Impact Award, a top honor recognizing student-athletes who made extraordinary difference through service.
- 100% of student-athlete participation
- 13 hours on average per student athlete
- Total of 7,276 hours of community engagement
- More than 500 student athletes representing 21 teams
- Efforts translated into an estimated $253,149 in economic impact
SUNY Empire State Service Corps (ESSC)
SUNY Oneonta has one of the largest ESSC cohorts in the SUNY System. Throughout the 2025–26 academic year, ESSC students contributed 29,528+ hours of service to community activities.
- 300 student volunteers
- 60 community partners in the region
- 15,358 hours of paid public service
- More than 14,170 hours of volunteer community service
Canstruction
6,300 pounds of food was donated by 11 teams to local food banks from structures built with canned goods that are displayed at the Southside Mall for one week in April.
Into the Streets
The 2025 campus-wide day of service brought together over 320 students, organized into 24 teams, paired with a local organization.
National Day of Service
To commemorate the victims of September 11, 2001, the university assembles students, employees and alumni for a remembrance ceremony and to participate in a day of service. As a meaningful tribute, the campus community gives back through multiple hands-on volunteer projects such as collecting essential supplies for local animal shelters, gathering donations for area food pantries, and hosting a blood drive.
VITA Program
Through the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, students received extensive training and then provided basic tax return preparation and filing free of charge for the community during income tax season each year.
Community Collaborations
Firestarters & Hawk Ventures
To support and showcase the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs, SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College collaborate to host a Student Start-Up Challenge, Start-up Story series and Pitch Competition designated to cultivate leadership, creativity, problem solving and business development among our students.
Community Psychology Class
Students engage in three service-learning projects using practical skill-building and peer coaching: teaching life skills to clients with intellectual disabilities at The Arc, helping residents at Crossroads set goals via CBT and Motivational Interviewing and guiding first-year students on study habits and time management.
- 46 students involved in service-learning coursework
- 35 student internships in psychology
- 26 active local agencies engage interns
- 25 student researchers paired with a Psychology faculty member
Biological Field Station (BFS)
The BFS conducts twice-weekly testing on Otsego Lake, providing the frequent monitoring needed to catch harmful algal blooms (HABs) early. The BFS became an accredited, approved testing facility under the New York State Department of Health's Environmental Laboratory Approval Program in July 2025. By tracking toxic outbreaks in real time, testing helps safeguard local families, pets and visitors from severe illnesses linked to contaminated water, while protecting recreational use and overall public health.
Student Research & Creative Activity (SRCA)
SUNY Oneonta supports students’ success through funded, faculty-mentored research and experimental learning opportunities that allow students to apply their skills in service to broader academic and community needs. These programs expand access to high-impact learning experiences that prepare students to contribute meaningfully to their professions and communities.
Over $120,000 was provided by the university in students grants annually to support research, internships, study abroad, and conference participation
- 161 students and faculty mentors participated
- 112 separate projects were conducted
- 23 disciplines across campus
Advanced GIS in the Community
Each student created an interactive web-based ArcGIS dashboard, a professional presentation and demonstrate their interactive maps for Community organizations including Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society, Catskill Agrarian Alliance, Watershed Supervisory Council of Otsego Lake, Oneonta Pilgrimage Project, Otsego Groundwater Analysis, Huntington Memorial Library and SUNY Oneonta.
SUNY Institute for Local News
SUNY Oneonta launched the OnNY Media Lab in September 2025 as part of SUNY’s Institute for Local News that engages students in university-led reporting programs with local media partners. SUNY Oneonta students published 130 stories in 4 publications over the spring of 2026. Across the state nearly 200 students produced 160 stories for 12 local news publications around NY state.
Well Water Testing in Otsego County
Students collected 35 samples from 24 residences across Otsego County for free testing of private well water. This new environmental public health service initiative offers students an experiential learning opportunity to collect on-site samples, learn analytical techniques and conduct follow-up with personalized results to community members. Data will contribute to a publicly accessible groundwater geochemistry map.
Arts & Entertainment
Oneonta Outlaws Night
Several hundred employees, alumni, students, families, and friends gathered for the first ever SUNY Oneonta Night with the Oneonta Outlaws baseball team. The special evening celebrated the university's connection to the local community while giving future and current Red Dragons an opportunity to enjoy America's pastime together.
The Mills Distinguished Common Read Fall Lecture and The Cornell-Gladstone-Hanlon Kaufman Spring Lecture
The fall and spring lectures are free, open-to-the-public events. They bring leading authors and environmental thinkers to SUNY Oneonta, giving community members, local residents, students and faculty direct access to interact with environmental experts and writers with diverse perspectives and cultural backgrounds.
- An estimated 400 people attended the Cornell-Gladstone-Hanlon- Kaufmann Lecture
- 1250 books purchased for the Mills Common Read Lecture
Catskill Symphony Orchestra
With more than 2,200 concertgoers, the Catskill Symphony Orchestra brings world-class performances, signature holiday traditions, and high-impact fundraisers directly to the community in partnership with SUNY Oneonta. CSO keeps music accessible to all area families through subsidized ticketing and regional outreach.
Fine Arts Galleries
SUNY Oneonta proudly opens its Fine Arts Galleries to the public free of charge, serving as a vibrant cultural hub that enriches local arts appreciation and fosters creative dialog, Explore current exhibitions and plan your visit.
Enjoying Our Campus
Planetarium
Community members can experience world-class, student-crafted science right in their backyard! Thanks to a collaboration with RIT, 13 SUNY Oneonta students created a globally shared planetarium show now featuring year-round public presentations every Saturday and semester Fridays.
A.J. Read Science Discovery Center
The fall and spring lectures are free, open-to-the-public events. They bring leading authors and environmental thinkers to SUNY Oneonta, giving community members, local residents, students and faculty direct access to interact with environmental experts and writers with diverse perspectives and cultural backgrounds. Plan your visit.
College Camp
Set on 276 acres SUNY Oneonta’s College Camp offers educational, recreational, and social space for the campus and community at the lodge and grounds. Discover trail details and outdoor opportunities.
Kids in Sports Day
SUNY Oneonta Athletics empowers local youth (grades 1–6) by pairing local children with Red Dragon student-athletes for free hands-on sports instruction on Kids in Sports Day. The program fosters mentorship, builds confidence, and deepens community connections across the region.
Summer Sports Camps
SUNY Oneonta’s athletics facilities served as a vibrant hub for youth sports development with multi-age Summer Sports Camps for seven different boys’ and girls’ sports. Learn more about summer sports camp.
Sustainability
Move-Out / Move-In Donation Program
To reduce waste while giving back to the local community, SUNY Oneonta established multiple campus donation stations during end-of-semester move-out, enabling students to donate reusable items that were redistributed free of charge to community members through the Otsego ReUse Center.
- 5 tons of cardboard and 250 pounds of polystyrene and plastic film collected for recycling
- Over 200 local residents and 23 non-profits across Oneonta, Walton, Hamden, and Sidney reclaimed tons of student-donated goods
Red Dragon Thrift Store
The Red Dragon Thrift Store, located next to Starbucks in Hunt Union, drives equity and sustainability by offering a pay-what-you-wish shopping experience for everyday clothing and professional attire, supported by designated community donation days to keep inventory fresh. It also functions as a hands-on learning and paid service hub for students. Hours are listed on the Instagram @RedDragonThriftShop.
Community Table
At the SUNY Oneonta Community Table, each student is given $15 in coupons to use at any of the Farmers Market vendor stands. The program aims to increase positive student engagement in the community, provide a stigma-free support for students who may be facing food insecurity and support local farms and businesses.
Other Initiatives
The campus has 10 Electric Vehicle Chargers that can be used by the community, providing convenient, local access for households who may not have reliable charging infrastructure at home.
This year the Earth Festival, hosted by the Otsego County Conservation Association and held on campus, celebrated sustainability, environmental stewardship and community collaboration. The event brought together students, local organizations and community members to foster environmental awareness and strengthen campus-community partnerships.
Opportunities through New Pathways
College and Career Counseling Advanced Skills Microcredential for NYC School Counselors
Designed in response to needs identified by the university, this microcredential provides employed counselors and teachers with skill-building instruction and learning. The first course concentrates on enhancing understanding of employment data; the second course builds additional strategies for using that data effectively in career and college advisement of high-school students.
Lake Management Program Agreement
SUNY Oneonta and SUNY Cobleskill offer an accelerated 4+1 dual-degree program that lets qualified students earn a Bachelor of Science in Fisheries Science from SUNY Cobleskill and a Master of Science in Lake Management from SUNY Oneonta in five years.
The M.S. in Lake Management graduate program also offers three stackable, credit-bearing microcredentials:
- Community and Outreach in Lake Management Microcredential concentrates on stakeholder involvement, interpersonal communication, conflict resolution, networking and community engagement training.
- Lake and Watershed Science Microcredential focuses on hands-on foundational training in lake and watershed science core areas.
- Data and Analysis in Lake Management Microcredential teaches quantitative biology, data analysis and practical analytical applications.
Contact
Sherman Hall, 0307A
108 Ravine Parkway
Oneonta, NY 13820
United States