Welcome Center Presentation Room
SUNY Oneonta
Present
Mr. Joseph Bernier
Mr. Patrick Brown
Dr. Diane Georgeson
Ms. Stacie Haynes
Ms. Debra Parisian
Mx. Aolat Salami
Mr. Daniel Sniezek
Presiding
Mr. Patrick Brown, Chair
College Administrators
Ms. Karen Brown, Senior Enrollment Officer and Executive Director of Admissions
Mr. Dirk Budd, University Police Chief
Dr. Alberto Cardelle, College President
Ms. Dia Carleton, Chief Human Resources Officer
Dr. Tracy Johnson, Vice President for Student Affairs
Ms. Danielle McMullen, Chief of Staff
Ms. Lisa Miller, Senior Communication and Marketing Officer
Dr. Eileen Morgan-Zayachek, Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
Ms. Julie Piscitello, Vice President of Finance and Administration
Dr. Bernadette Tiapo, Chief Diversity Officer
Ms. Karyn Wendrow, Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Executive Communications
Presenters, Invitees, Observers
Mr. Ed Aluck, Alumni Representative
Dr. Keith Jones, Presiding Officer of the Faculty and Chair of the College Senate
Call to Order
Mr. Brown called the meeting to order at 4:01 p.m.
Approval of Minutes of Sept. 20, 2022
Upon a motion by Dr. Diane Georgeson, seconded by Ms. Debra Parisian, Council approved by unanimous vote the minutes of the Sept. 20, 2022, meeting.
Introduction of Stacie Haynes
Mr. Brown introduced new Council member Ms. Stacie Haynes, who said a few words about her background and work as the executive director of the Susquehanna SPCA in Cooperstown.
President’s Report
SUNY Oneonta President Alberto J.F. Cardelle gave an update on recent campus news and events, including:
- Pathy Leiva, SUNY Oneonta’s director of Access and Opportunity Programs, is one of nine emerging Hispanic/Latinx leaders selected for SUNY’s 2023 Hispanic Leadership Institute class
- The college has received positive feedback from community members on the outward-facing nature of the presidential inauguration events in October, which included four events in the Oneonta community and emphasized college and community connections.
- The newly formed Regional Innovation Council has been meeting for about 10 months and now has nine working groups focused on everything from pipelines between educational programs and the medical and health care nonprofit sector to rural education, arts and culture, and manufacturing.
- The college’s new Engage Oneonta program to provide employees who joined SUNY Oneonta within the past three years with opportunities to develop relationships and learn more about college resources is almost finished and has been well received.
- Two recent lectures on campus – by author, activist and actor George Takei and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones – were well attended by campus and community members.
- The college’s men’s soccer team has advanced to the NCCA Division III tournament, and SUNY Oneonta will host the opening round on Nov. 12.
- The college’s first women’s cross country individual SUNYAC champion in program history, Megan Francoeur, will compete in the NCAA Division III regional championships on Nov. 12.
- SUNY Oneonta’s iGEM student research team won a silver medal at an international biomedical engineering competition in Paris.
- Political Science professor Bill Wilkerson was mentioned on CBS News on Election Night regarding research he and a colleague have done indicating that this year’s female gubernatorial candidates had more political experience than their male counterparts
- Associate Professor of Chemistry Ron Bishop was cited in multiple media outlets based on a National Geographic article that referenced his research on hydrofracking.
- Investigations into two bias acts on campus earlier this fall – including one that also occurred at several other college campuses and made the news – revealed that the alleged perpetrators were not members of the SUNY Oneonta community.
- The college’s Grow, Thrive, Live fundraising campaign continues to progress, and our Student Emergency Fund – a key tool in our retention efforts – has been fully endowed.
- The president recently attended two productive and rewarding meetings with alumni in New York City and will meet with alumni on the West Coast later this month.
Enrollment Update
Ms. Karen Brown, Executive Director of Admissions and Senior Enrollment Management Officer, presented an update on fall 2022 enrollment and gave an overview of the fall 2022 class profile.
Mr. Brown asked whether the fall 2022 undergraduate student gender balance (65.5% female and 34.5% male) is “normal.” Ms. Brown said it is not unusual for SUNY Oneonta and reflects a national trend. She added that the gender balance can also be program-driven – education tends to enroll more females than males and it is one of our largest programs.
After giving an overview of preliminary SUNY system enrollment data for the 13 SUNY comprehensive colleges in fall 2022, broken down by school, as compared with fall 2021 enrollment numbers, Ms. Brown shared information on several recent SUNY system-based enrollment initiatives, including:
- a two-week period during which students could apply to up to five SUNY schools for free. According to Ms. Brown, SUNY Oneonta had the third largest application volume among the schools in our sector during the free application period and we are significantly ahead of last year in the number of fall 2023 applications received.
- a tuition match program designed to make SUNY schools more attractive to out-of-state students. A total of 22 campuses, including Oneonta, have opted into the effort. SUNY Oneonta already provides all out-of-state and international students with a renewable $8,000 scholarship, and Ms. Brown said the SUNY marketing campaign will help us generate greater awareness of SUNY Oneonta as an affordable option for out-of-state students.
- an in-state digital marketing campaign focused on the value of a SUNY education
- a system-wide advertising campaign called, “Big Hearts, Big Minds” that is set to launch in early spring and will feature success stories about SUNY alumni
- the implementation of central processing and financial review of documentation for applicants to the Educational Opportunity Program and other access programs
Dr. Jones asked a clarifying question to confirm we were third in our sector for the number of applications, rather than the percentage increase over last year, and Ms. Brown confirmed that this is correct.
Budget Report
Ms. Julie Piscitello, Vice President of Finance and Administration, gave an update on the college’s $112.7 million 2022-23 projected all-funds operating budget, broken down by funding source, and shared a comparison of the funding sources over the past 10 years.
She also shared a 15-year comparison of staffing and enrollment trends, reflecting the number of full-time employees and the number of enrolled undergraduate and graduate students, and said approximately 80 percent of our expenses are for staffing.
Mr. Brown asked about strategies for sustaining consistent staffing levels in an environment where revenue is declining. Ms. Piscitello pointed out that we may have been understaffed in the past, and Dr. Morgan Zayachek added that the staffing numbers reflect headcount but not salaries – so there can be savings when longtime faculty members retire and are replaced by junior faculty members.
Ms. Piscitello discussed the college’s projected $2.0 million structural operating deficit and presented strategies for closing the gap, including continuing to target new undergraduate first-year and transfer student cohorts of 1,400 students total each fall, improving the retention rate, growing graduate enrollment, reviewing spending and budget allocations to find operational efficiencies and potential cost savings, and advocacy for additional state operating support and rational tuition increases.
Ms. Piscitello also gave an overview of new funds for SUNY Oneonta allocated through the New York State Enacted Budget, including one-time funding for enrollment, academic programs, operational efficiencies, student services and support for Underrepresented Minority students, and permanent funding for additional faculty lines.
President Cardelle discussed the need to align staffing with the needs of first-generation students, who represent a growing segment of our student body, and said that SUNY Oneonta’s structural deficit in comparison to that of other schools indicates we are in a position of strength and should continue to grow our undergraduate enrollment and work toward strategic growth of our graduate programs.
Middle States Meeting
Ms. Parisian thanked Dr. Morgan-Zayachek for her work to move the Middle States accreditation process forward and make sure that SUNY Oneonta is meeting all expectations and standards. Mr. Bernier noted that the review appears to be more comprehensive and thorough than in the past but said he thought we are on the right track and will be successful. Ms. Parisian said the next Middle States site visit will occur in April 2023 and will include a meeting with Council members. Dr. Cardelle indicated that Middle States will be the primary focus of the next College Council meeting.
ACT Report
Dr. Georgeson said one of the highlights of the State University of New York Association of Council (ACT) Members and College Trustees meeting in October was hearing how much the SUNY Cobleskill representatives in attendance enjoyed Dr. Cardelle’s inauguration. She said the programming at the meeting was excellent. Mr. Brown said he enjoyed meeting the ACT scholarship recipients and their families and noted that 2021 SUNY Oneonta graduate Alyssa Carbone was among them.
Resolution for Patrick Brown
Mr. Bernier made a special resolution honoring Patrick Brown for his outstanding service to the college and community. Mr. Brown has served as College Council chair from his appointment by Gov. David Patterson in January 2008 through the fall of 2022. The resolution outlined Mr. Brown’s many contributions to SUNY Oneonta and expressed “heartfelt thanks and appreciation for Patrick Brown’s service to the college and steady leadership during a time of great uncertainty.”
After applause from those in attendance, Dr. Cardelle thanked Mr. Brown for his assistance during his transition as president and said the resolution will be officially presented at the college’s Fall Commencement ceremony on Dec. 11.
Mr. Brown reflected on his years of service and said he is often asked, “Why do you do it?” He said the best answer he can give centers on the value and reward of performing service without the expectation of anything in return. He thanked the group for allowing him to gain a deeper understanding of SUNY Oneonta and play a small role in its success.
Good of the Order
Ms. Wendrow suggested that everyone around the table introduce themselves to the Council’s new member, Ms. Stacie Haynes, and introductions were made.
Mr. Bernier praised Mr. Brown for being an excellent College Council chair and said he has always had the best interests of the college at heart and went above and beyond in both time and money to support SUNY Oneonta.
Adjournment
Ms. Parisian made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Upon a second by Mr. Sniezek, the meeting was adjourned at 5:34 p.m.