Learner-Centeredness

from Winter 2022 Issue of OSWEGO Alumni Magazine

Caring and Inclusive Culture

“We have been careful to preserve SUNY

Oswego’s mission as a place of learning where the academic endeavor is at the heart of all we do.”

—President Deborah F. Stanley, 1996 Better Than We Dared Believe

Long before “student-centered learning” became a catchphrase in higher education, President Stanley and the SUNY Oswego campus in the 1990s were re-examining the institution and putting students at the core of everything the campus does. “Students to me are the driving force,” President Stanley said. “Learner-centeredness became the concept by which we renovated the programs of the institution and the physical spaces. It is the lens we use to direct our decision-making and resource-allocation. How does this affect the student experience today and how will it deepen their learning for tomorrow?” One of the first programs President Stanley initiated was the Oswego Guarantee. The original promise in 1995 committed to maintain stable costs for room, board and tuition; provide access to courses needed for on-time graduation; and keep class size small for more individualized attention. In 2013, the college added the $300 Oswego Graduation Return on Investment for students who complete their four-year degrees on time. In December 2020, President Stanley announced the Laker Success Package to step up efforts to support students and their families who were facing unexpected challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The package included Imagine 2021, a robust virtual career development program that brought together alumni, employers, guest speakers and students for career exploration, skill building and professional networking. It also expanded the college’s Alumni Sharing Knowledge program to guarantee an alumni mentor to every student who desires one. President Stanley also spearheaded a variety of programs, including Upskilling in a Digital World, to connect students with alumni who shared invaluable insights about skills needed in today’s workplaces. President Stanley also worked to ensure that the college met students where they were. That led to the establishment of the Syracuse Branch Campus, which enabled Syracuse-area residents to complete in-demand degree and certificate programs. SUNY Oswego was also among the first SUNY

1996 Student success first-year experiences delivered 2003 School of Business moves to renovated Rich Hall

2005 Media Summit launched

1995

1995 Oswego Guarantee launched 2001

2001 Oswego Reading Initiative begins 2006 Festa Graduate Leadership Fellows founded

colleges to develop online degree programs, including the top-ranked online MBA. Oswego faculty developed courses for Open SUNY, a systemwide initiative to provide students with maximum flexibility and access courses and degree programs across SUNY institutions. The college also customized academic programs for working professionals, including an innovative MBA program for SRC Inc. employees that was delivered on-site at the company’s North Syracuse headquarters. Throughout President Stanley’s tenure, the college invested in resources to support student success. She encouraged the college to adopt new technologies, such as the Starfish Early Alert System that identifies struggling students and connects them to additional resources, improving their chances for success. Through the Start Now program, the college also keeps alive the dream of a SUNY Oswego education for students who initially may have been denied admission. The program connects students to additional resources and coursework at partner SUNY community colleges until they are ready to transfer into SUNY Oswego, earning both an associate’s and bachelor’s degree in the process. These programs assist and empower students to meet challenges head on and overcome obstacles on their journey toward a college degree. Over the past 26 years, the college has invested in student advisement, counseling and mental health programs to support the total well-being and success of our students inside and outside of the classroom. In addition to the establishment of formal programs or student support offices, the college community came together to implement the informal Ask Oz pop-up Student Support Center as a one-stop shop to help students with whatever questions or issues that they may have. The President’s Town Hall meetings gave students direct access to the key campus leaders who listened to and addressed student concerns.

A hallmark of SUNY Oswego has always been hands-on learning, and this continued to flourish under President Stanley’s leadership. Programs such as the student-run Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit, Festa Fellows leadership program, the Oswego Reading Initiative and the Grand Challenges projects are just a few examples of how the college helps students integrate and apply their knowledge in real-world situations.

“When I became president, I was very interested in what was being written about studentcentered learning,” President Stanley said. “An important element of the concept was students feeling that someone was taking a personal interest in them. What we saw was that students started to achieve at different levels and they learned more, and what they learned became embedded for them in deeper learning. I’m very proud of this institution and the progress that we have made. Learner-centeredness is a living, breathing concept for us.” “If you’ve worked with

President Stanley on a project, initiative or event, you are sure to have heard her ask a very familiar question—how will this affect our students? That learner-centered approach is at the heart of everything

SUNY Oswego does.”

— Leigh Wilson, SUNY

Distinguished Service Professor and SUNY Oswego professor and chair of the English and creative writing department

2009 College begins a Foundations of Excellence self-study project to enhance first-year and transfer student experiences 2013 College implements use of the Starfish Early Alert System to identify and help struggling students 2020 Laker Success Package announced