Welcome Center Presentation Room
SUNY Oneonta
DRAFT
Present
Mr. Joseph Bernier
Mr. Patrick Brown
Dr. Diane Georgeson
Maj. Gen. Anthony German
Ms. Debra Parisian
Mx. Aolat Salami
Mr. Daniel Sniezek
Presiding
Mr. Patrick Brown, Chair
College Administrators
Mr. Paul Adamo, Vice President of College Advancement
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. Franklin Chambers, Vice President of External Affairs
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. 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
Mr. Alec Woodruff, president of the SUNY Oneonta Young Americans for Liberty chapter
Mr. Finn Ashworth, treasurer of the SUNY Oneonta Young Americans for Liberty chapter
Ms. Amanda Finch, Associate Director of Student Affairs
Call to Order
Mr. Brown called the meeting to order at 4:02 p.m.
Approval of Minutes of April 14, 2022
Upon motion of Mr. Joe Bernier, seconded by Maj. Gen. Anthony German, Council approved by unanimous vote the minutes of the April 14, 2022, meeting.
President’s Report
College President Alberto Cardelle introduced one new executive team member, Dr. Tracy Johnson, Vice President for Student Affairs, and three new Cabinet members: Dirk Budd, University Police Chief, Dia Carleton, Chief Human Resource Officer, and Lisa Miller, Senior Communication and Marketing Officer; and announced the appointment of Dr. Diane Georgeson as Interim Director of the Student Health Center.
He then gave a report on progress during the fall 2022 semester, including:
- facilities upgrades and renovations under way across the campus;
- seven new projects funded through the first round of the Regaining Momentum: Strategic Opportunities agenda, with additional applications being submitted this semester for the next round of funding;
- establishment of four Recruitment Roundtable working groups and a Student Success Leadership Team to identify new strategies and tactics for improving student recruitment and retention;
- reinstatement of summer orientation, with about half of the incoming class attending;
- initiation of a Real Talk Faculty Academy to train faculty across disciplines in “inclusive pedagogies” -- different ways to approach and relate to students;
- a successful first-year move-in, thanks to the efforts of many college volunteers;
- well-received in-person events to kick off the academic year, including an academic convocation for new students, a welcome back picnic, an employee breakfast and a “Red Dragon HQ,” where staff from Academic Advisement, the Registrar and other student-services offices set up workstations under a tent on the quad to answer questions during the first few days of the semester;
- submission of a letter to the SUNY Board of Trustees requesting designation as a “university,” in step with nearly all of the other SUNY schools in our sector;
- a successful “Remembering the Black List and Moving Forward” event on Sept. 7 that included a dedication of the Center for Racial Justice and Inclusive Excellence and is part of a semester-long commemoration of the 30th anniversary of The Black List;
- passage by the College Senate of a general education proposal that will help the college meet new SUNY requirements and includes the addition of a first-year experience course;
- the kick-off of an Engage Oneonta event series to onboard new employees;
- upcoming events, including the Mills Distinguished Lecture and a visit by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones;
- successful fundraising efforts toward the goal of raising $1 million to endow the Student Emergency Fund;
- recent external rankings for SUNY Oneonta, which was named to the U.S. News and World Report’s list of the top 20 public regional universities in the Northeast and to Forbes’ list of America’s Best Colleges; and
- a successful in-person Family Weekend, with 2,800 families registered and record attendance of 1,300 at the barbecue event.
Enrollment Update
Ms. Karen Brown, Senior Enrollment Officer and Executive Director of Admissions, reported that the college brought in 1,116 new freshmen in fall 2022, compared to 940 last year, as well as 129 graduate students and 290 transfer students, fairly even with 2021. She said that since 2020, the population of graduating seniors in New York State has declined by 5,000, making recruitment of traditional-age students increasingly challenging, and discussed several successful recruitment strategies. She reported preliminary numbers for the average grade-point average of fall 2022 first-year students, the percentage who identify as first-generation, the top majors new students are pursuing and the top locations they are coming from.
In terms of retention, Ms. Brown reported that the college has seen an increase in withdrawals and leaves among both new and returning students, resulting in an overall decrease of 580 in the total number of students enrolled at the college this fall compared to last fall. She anticipates another decline in first-to-second-year retention rates, which fell to 76% last year and said that, while a few SUNY comprehensives are outperforming SUNY Oneonta in terms of retention, most are facing similar challenges. She shared preliminary SUNY-wide enrollment numbers, which indicate an anticipated decline in enrollment, and said SUNY is working on a number of initiatives to support enrollment activities throughout the system.
A discussion followed about options students are pursuing after they withdraw and strategies the college is using to improve recruitment and retention. In response to a question from Mr. Bernier, Ms. Brown reported that total enrollment is 5,460, down from a peak of 6,400-6,700 three to five years ago. Mr. Brown asked whether the college has identified a realistic enrollment target given the declining population of high school graduates, and Dr. Cardelle said the college is discussing the need to serve a broader array of students by investing in digital marketing, particularly to out-of-state students; increasing partnerships with community colleges; and developing online degree-completion and graduate programs.
Mr. Brown asked about the impact of reputational damage due to COVID-related disruption of in-person classes in fall 2020. Ms. Brown mentioned the positive impact of a seven-month general awareness marketing campaign conducted last year and said that although pandemic-related mental health and financial aid challenges have affected retention, we are not seeing those issues at the same level among our incoming students.
COVID-19 Update
Ms. Danielle McMullen, Chief of Staff, gave an update on changes to SUNY requirements for COVID-19 testing and booster shots for students. She reported an uptick in cases over the course of the first few weeks of the semester and said that the number of cases subsequently dropped precipitously – from a high of 90 total on- and off-campus students in isolation to only three currently. Ms. McMullen said wastewater testing results indicate that the worst is over, and the college continues to move forward with public health efforts, including the continuation of a pool testing site on campus in partnership with Quadrant Biosciences, the availability of thousands of rapid over-the-counter tests distributed free of charge to students and employees, ongoing collaboration with the county public health department, and upcoming booster clinics on campus open to students, employees and community members.
Mr. Bernier asked whether all classes are being held in person now and Ms. Morgan-Zayachek reported that fewer than 10 courses are being delivered online, none due to COVID.
Mr. Brown asked Dr. Diane Georgeson to provide perspective on COVID cases within the city. She said COVID is still present in the wastewater and while we are at a low community level now, we should remain cautious through the winter months. She applauded the college for doing a good job communicating to students the importance of continuing to mask after the five-day isolation period and said the CDC-endorsed shorter isolation period has allowed students to have less disruption to their classes.
Mr. Bernier asked a follow-up question to the enrollment discussion about the impact of the decline in tuition revenue on college finances. President Cardelle reported that the college has been in a stable position because of its savings but started the fiscal year at a deficit that he expects will shrink as additional savings come into play and new students enroll for the spring semester.
Mr. Bernier asked how many open staff and faculty positions the college has, and there was a brief discussion of which positions are the hardest to fill and the savings realized during searches for vacant positions, and when longtime faculty retire and are replaced by junior faculty.
LMS Management Update
Dr. Eileen Morgan-Zayachek gave an update on the college’s transition to a new Learning Management System (LMS) course delivery platform. She said SUNY is moving all campuses to Brightspace, a dynamic software platform through which each course is given a unique website where faculty can post assignments, course content and activities; manage gradebooks; and facilitate student discussions. Dr. Morgan-Zayachek said other campuses are reporting positive experience with the new LMS, which will officially launch at SUNY Oneonta in summer 2023.
Student Code of Conduct Proposal
After verification of a quorum by Mr. Brown, Dr. Cardelle introduced the proposed update to the Code of Student Conduct, Article II – Prohibited Conduct, WEAPONS due to changes in New York State penal laws. President Cardelle said that last spring, he received a student petition requesting that the college revisit the weapons section of the Code of Student Conduct to allow for possession of pepper spray. The revised, Cabinet-endorsed policy permits “possession of a self-defense spray as allowed under New York State Penal Law Section 285.20(a)(14) and must follow New York State Codes, Rules and Regulations Section 54.3 Requirements, which governs substance type, size and weight of spray allowed.”
Mr. Brown asked for details about how compliance with the policy will be enforced, who will investigate incidents where spray is discharged, what the consequences for impermissible conduct will be, and whether the college has considered an “amnesty” program where students who possess self-defense spray that does not meet the requirements could turn it in in exchange for a permissible alternative.
Dr. Cardelle said that, upon approval by the Council, the college would take a few months to plan proper implementation and explained how violations of the Code of Student Conduct are addressed. Chief Budd elaborated on the procedures that would be used to address intentional or accidental spray discharge reported to University Police.
Two students representing the college’s Young Americans for Liberty chapter attended the meeting as observers, and Mr. Bernier asked chapter President Alec Woodruff to explain his involvement in the petition. Mr. Woodruff said his organization created the petition to advocate for individual freedom, but in the process of collecting signatures – 550 to date – he realized that many students supported the policy change so that they would have a means to defend themselves if needed. Mx. Salaimi said the policy change resonated with a lot of students at a time when Student Association leaders have struggled to get the student body to express its voice. Mr. Brown commended Mr. Woodruff for getting his voice heard and organizing the effort.
Mr. Bernier made motion to approve the proposed change to the Student Code of Conduct, and Dr. Georgeson seconded the motion. President Cardelle asked that implementation be no later than Jan. 1, 2023. By unanimous vote, Council approved the proposal.
ACT Representative
Mr. Brown nominated Dr. Georgeson to be the ACT representative. Upon a motion by Mr. Bernier, seconded by Ms. Parisian, the nomination was approved by unanimous vote.
College Council Vice Chair selection
Mr. Brown announced that he will step down from the College Council on Dec. 31, 2022, after 15 years of service, suggested that Mr. Bernier remain in his role as the vice chair, and asked if anyone else would like to serve in the position. When no one responded, Mr. Sniezek made a motion to keep Mr. Bernier as the vice chair. Ms. Parisian seconded the motion, and it was approved by unanimous vote.
Good of the Order
Dr. Cardelle thanked the ACT and announced that recent SUNY Oneonta graduate Alyssa Carbone has been selected to receive this year’s ACT scholarship. Mr. Brown invited Council members to attend the ACT conference in October. Dr. Cardelle invited Council members to attend his inauguration in October and events leading up to it on campus and in the community and said that the council’s November meeting will be held one week earlier than planned because of scheduling conflicts.
Adjournment
Mr. Brown adjourned the meeting at 5:43 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Lisa Miller
Senior Communication and Marketing Officer