State University of New York at Canton
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
2015-16
Foreword from President Zvi Szafran As I write this introduction, the world’s best athletes are demonstrating sporting excellence at the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. We’re all inspired by the determination, sacrifice, and passion that it took to reach this high point in their athletic careers.
• Achieving membership in the NCAA Division III, and three of our teams made the playoffs and one student-athlete earned a national championship. • Appointing Co-Chief Diversity Officers who will help ensure a supportive, welcoming environment for everyone. Plans to open a Center for Diversities and Inclusion in October are underway.
At SUNY Canton, we believe that it’s our mission to provide an environment where our students can harness their own determination and passion and achieve their own personal bests. What’s our version of the Olympic gold medal? That’s an easy one – creating a smooth pathway for our students to earn a college degree that leads to a great career and a purposeful life.
• Implementing an innovative “It’s On Us” sexual assault awareness campaign, a Green Dot Bystander Intervention Training program, and a Fair and Impartial Policing course. • Being selected for four national awards for military friendliness from Military Times, Military Advanced Education, G.I. Jobs, and Military Spouse magazines, as well as grants to offer a Solar Ready Veterans Program and construct a Battle Buddy Center.
Throughout the past year, we have implemented policies to increase retention and graduation rates, developed new learning opportunities within and outside the classroom, obtained grants and funded scholarships, enhanced our campus infrastructure, and made our campus more sustainable and environmentally friendly. It’s this type of commitment to improving that will enable our students to thrive.
• Earning a STEM Jobs Approved College designation from STEM Jobs magazine for the second consecutive year. I am tremendously proud of all we have achieved and am confident that our efforts will yield even more gold-medal moments in the years to come.
This report highlights the victories during 2015-2016 that specifically align with our Strategic Plan and SUNY’s Six Big Ideas. Several accomplishments that deserve special recognition include: • Earning number-one rankings in library resources, library services, and tutoring services in the SUNY Student Opinion Survey. • Inclusion in U.S. News and World Report’s list of the top 50 online programs in the nation. • Opening a campus Ready Center providing student support with Advising, Career Services, and International Programs. • Receiving successful accreditations for our programs in Civil and Environmental Engineering Technology, Electrical Engineering Technology, Funeral Services Management, Mechanical Engineering Technology, and Nursing (A.A.S.).
ON THE COVER: SUNY Canton’s “Gold Medal” Each member of the Class of 2016 received a specially commissioned medal from the SUNY Canton alumni family. The medallions were made possible thanks to a donation by Bernard C. Regan ’65, which was part of an overall campaign that raised $11,427 from 123 donors. The Alumni Association plans to make the medallion presentation an annual tradition. 1
GOALS
Promote Academic Excellence
The College strives to provide the resources and faculty expertise students can utilize to think critically, lead others, and innovate.
Students were invited to share their college research at the annual Scholarly Activities Celebration. This year, presentations detailed automobile aerodynamics, explored the effects of World War II on the evolution of Central Asia, and investigated the criminalization of mentally ill populations.
A new agreement allows graduates of SUNY Canton’s Bachelor of Business Administration program to pursue a one-year accelerated Master of Business Administration program at Clarkson University. A $10,000 tuition scholarship, $4,000 travel scholarship, and $3,000 graduate assistant position will be awarded to those students who enroll in the graduate degree. SeaComm Federal Credit Union pledged $25,000 to create an endowed scholarship that will be awarded to a Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or Management major from St. Lawrence, Franklin, or Clinton County. Corning Incorporated Foundation donated funding to sponsor a STEM tutor who assists students academically and helps them develop valuable workplace skills.
In the spring, the campus authored and submitted a summary report, which was successfully accepted by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. This speaks to the hard work of our faculty and staff over the last several years. While we often talk about accreditation and assessment, the emphasis of the reports is on teaching and student learning. – Douglas M. Scheidt, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Throughout the past year, many of SUNY Canton’s faculty members have received academic awards, published or presented research, or shared their knowledge in a variety of ways. Some highlights include: Christina Lesyk, a Ph.D. candidate in the Hospitality Management Program at Iowa State University, collaborated with the 1,000 Islands and Adirondack Regional Tourism Development councils to create an online training program for hospitality professionals.
Adrienne Rygel, Ph.D., who teaches in the College’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Technology program, conducted research with students to eliminate waterborne contaminants leftover from pyrite mining in Stellaville.
Eunjyu Yu, Ph.D., authored an article titled “Immigrating to a Mainstream College Composition Class: I Wish…”, which was published in the fall 2015 issue of Research and Teaching in Developmental Education. 2
Rajiv Narula, Ph.D., and Erica Sharpe, Ph.D., received a grant to fund a lecture and activity series on natural medicine.
Umesh Kumar, Ph.D., and Brian K. Harte, Ph.D., co-authored research on mutual fund investments that earned a best paper award at the Academy of Business Research’s fall 2015 conference.
GOALS
SUNY and the Vibrant Community Create a Robust, Active, and Enriching Campus Life Students and faculty from the SUNY Canton Accounting program helped individuals and families file their tax returns through the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. The College’s School of Business and Liberal Arts sponsors this program as a service to those who cannot afford to visit an accountant or are unable to prepare their taxes on their own.
Throughout the past year, SUNY Canton has worked to strengthen connections between the College and surrounding community through volunteer endeavors, educational events, guest lectures, and performances.
Enhancing Campus Resources The National Endowment for the Arts awarded a $10,000 grant to the College’s Living Writers Series. The funding will be used to bring world-renowned authors to campus in conjunction with African American and Native American History months.
The American Dental Hygienists Association awarded the Dental Hygiene Program the 2015-2016 Wrigley Company Foundation Community Service grant, which will allow students to promote dental health in the Rome, N.Y., area.
SUNY Canton raised more than $600 during a Denim Day fundraiser to benefit St. Lawrence Valley Renewal House in Canton. Faculty, staff, and students were encouraged to wear jeans to support the nonprofit organization that provides shelter to victims of domestic violence and their families.
DURING 2015-2016, SUNY CANTON DONORS INVESTED IN:
The Leadership Lecture Series sponsored by Corning Incorporated Foundation, brought CEOs, military leaders, top executives, and diplomats to campus to discuss world events, successful business strategies, and career opportunities. The Student Government Association unveiled a new Memorial Rock in February. Meant to serve as a place of reflection, remembrance, and celebration of life, the plaque on the rock says, “Forever Remembered, Forever Missed.”
Alumnus Guilford ‘Gil’ White ’68 donated a 1956 Lincoln Premiere to benefit the Automotive Technology Department and the Canton Fund. Students made the car roadworthy, and it was sold for about $2,000 more than its projected value. – Anne M. Sibley, Vice President for Advancement and Executive Director of the Canton College Foundation
Scholarships - $465,460 Roo Crew Athletic Boosters - $142,219 Campus Programs - $127,155 Professional Development Awards - $27,183 Campus Enhancement Awards - $21,706 Events - $12,610
SCHOLARSHIP BREAKDOWN TOTAL SCHOLARSHIPS
291
STUDENT RECIPIENTS
169 3
SCHOLARSHIP SPONSORS
115
SCHOLARSHIP DOLLARS
$465,460
Our focus is centered around our motto, ‘Everyone is Welcome Here.’ We are increasing cross-cultural programming, dedicating time to discussions about diverse topics affecting our students, and increasing bystander intervention awareness. Additionally, more than 100 awards were given out in recognition of student excellence outside the classroom at our annual Student Specialty Awards Ceremony. We feel that recognizing positive student contributions is one of the most important ways we can ensure a welcoming and safe campus environment for all students. – Courtney B. Bish, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Students sign up for activities and organizations at the College’s Carnival of Clubs event.
The campus came together for a silent march to promote diversity, equity, and justice. The Student Affairs Division hosted more than 200 programs and events throughout the 2015-2016 academic year.
North Country Savings Bank and St. Lawrence Federal Credit Union donated more than $17,000 to establish a financial literacy center, which serves as a resource for no-cost financial education and counseling services for students, staff, and the community.
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GOALS
Improve Operational Effectiveness
Over the past year, the College has invested in projects that create efficiencies, simplify administrative processes, and improve the quality of student life.
In March, University Police staged a campus-wide shelterin-place drill and test of the Canton Rave Alert System in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies.
Students can now upload, download, and stream faster than ever before. The College began offering Apogee’s ResNet Wi-Fi in all of the residence halls this spring. The company is the largest provider of residential Internet solutions in higher education and offers a high-speed network with greater mobility and bandwidth.
The Registrar’s Office and the Office of Advising and FirstYear Programs have implemented Ellucian’s Degree Works software, a comprehensive web-based academic advising, transfer articulation, and degree-audit tool. It allows students and advisors to more efficiently monitor academic progress, credits, and GPA data.
The Canton College Foundation refinanced the debt service on Kennedy Hall. The series 2010 bonds were replaced with the issuance of new series 2016 bonds that were purchased at a fixed rate of 2.53 percent. The projected savings exceeds $300,000 per year. As part of a comprehensive plan to centralize servicefocused departments, SUNY Canton unveiled its “Ready Center” in March, which co-locates Career Services, Advising and First-Year Programs, and International Programs. The new location helps maximize students’ time on campus and is in close proximity to other key administrative offices.
To help raise awareness of fire safety, our Environmental Health and Safety Office has participated in staging a fire in a model dorm room. We use this controlled burn exercise as an opportunity to show our faculty, staff, and most importantly our students, how quickly a fire can spread and what it takes to extinguish it. This coincides with our overall applied learning style. – Shawn K. Miller, Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer 5
GOALS
SUNY and the Seamless Education Pipeline
SUNY Canton has a long tradition of hosting youth-focused learning workshops to encourage children to pursue careers in STEM fields.
The annual Women in Engineering Day on May 13 brought more than 235 girls from 11 St. Lawrence County school districts to campus to explore STEM careers.
SUNY Canton hosted the St. Lawrence County High School Mock Trial Tournament where students learn debating and trial skills and obtain first-hand knowledge of criminal and civil law.
An open house during National Engineers Week in February gave K-12 students a unique glimpse into the College’s engineering technology programs through faculty-led interactive demonstrations, an engineering design competition, and tours.
SUNY Canton hosted a summer Aeronautical Camp for middle-school students to experiment and explore the values of engineering technology in the real world. Sponsored by the Liberty Partnerships Program, the camp allowed kids to launch rockets, practice flying with a remote-control simulator, and construct an operational hovercraft.
GOALS
SUNY and a Healthier New York
SUNY Canton recognizes the importance of physical and emotional health and wellness. To that end, the College has sponsored programs, services, and special events that allow students to thrive.
healthy lifestyles. The Mobile Veterans Center, which is used to serve geographically remote communities, was on hand to provide counseling services and information for military veterans and their families.
The College received approval from the New York State Department of Health to launch its own Emergency Medical Service Squad, which will provide medical emergency support at the College’s main campus beginning this fall. Student volunteers will perform initial patient assessments, saving time and resources for area first-responders.
The Davis Health Center was ranked first among SUNY technology-sector colleges and second among 27 SUNY health centers in the most recent Student Opinion Survey.
The Davis Health Center hosted more than 25 area agencies last fall to educate the College and the community about 6
GOALS
SUNY and an Energy-Smart New York Focus on Sustainability
The College is committed to fostering a campus-wide culture of sustainability by promoting environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
ut Program The Move-O o r e th a n c o ll e c te d m of stunds 10,000 pou d clothing, te a n o d tn e d , bedding, food, shoes lies for upp and school s izations rgan community o ple in need. that serve peo
President Szafran is a founding president of the newly formed New York Presidents for Climate Action Initiative. He also signed the American Campuses Act on Climate Pledge, an initiative launched by the White House to support a strong international climate agreement. Students traveled to Tupper Lake to participate in the Adirondack Youth Climate Summit, which allowed them to share ideas about sustainability. The summit, which preceded the United Nations Convention on Climate Change in Paris, aims to develop strategies to combat global warming.
SUNY Canton’s Career Ready Education and Success Training (CREST) Center for Workforce Development helped launch New York’s first Solar Ready Vets Program at Fort Drum in Watertown. The five-week training class taught by CREST instructors provides active-duty personnel who are transitioning to the civilian work force with the skills needed to begin a career in the solar industry. To date, 61 soldiers have completed the class, and graduates have a 90 percent pass rate on the national exam.
GOALS
More than two tons of pre-consumer food scraps were composted on campus from November 2015 to April 2016.
SUNY and the Entrepreneurial Century
The College has actively sought out opportunities to encourage entrepreneurial thinking and implement policies that help new and existing businesses prosper and grow.
menu item for McDonald’s. The event also consisted of a Social Entrepreneurship Speak-Off Competition, where Management major Devine Pearson came in first place for his speech about higher education.
Students in School of Business and Liberal Arts were challenged to develop innovative ideas to help a local boutique increase foot traffic and sales. Illisa B. Barney, a Management major, and Alex L. Davison, a Finance major, earned the first-place prize. Four students in the Management program participated in the fourth annual Free Enterprise Marathon at SUNY Plattsburgh in March, where teams were challenged to develop a new
The Small Business Development Center assisted more than 300 current and future entrepreneurs during the past year. Their efforts have generated 70 jobs and made more than an $8 million economic impact in the North Country region. The center also received a $45,000 grant from the Alcoa Foundation to help small businesses expand their marketing reach through ecommerce. 7
GOALS
SUNY and the World
SUNY Canton seeks to provide a variety of cultural and international experiences to deepen students’ understanding of global issues.
As part of a nationwide campaign to increase diversity, the International Programs Office hosted a week-long cultural celebration, which included lectures from international scholars, information sessions about studyabroad opportunities, and social events featuring global cuisine and music.
SUNY Canton worked in partnership with the government of Puerto Rico and the Roberto Clemente Foundation to establish the first Clemente Cup, a NCAA Division III baseball tournament held in Puerto Rico named in honor of the legendary Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famer. Ten collegiate teams from throughout the U.S. competed for the title, and work is underway to continue the tournament in 2017.
During the 2015-2016 winter break, SUNY Canton led an exciting study abroad trip to Senegal, Africa. The three-week trip immersed students in Senegalese culture through excursions to important historical and cultural sites. They were also exposed to the French language through daily discussions with their host families in the capital city of Dakar.
International student Áine McMorrow won the 2015 United States Collegiate Athletic Association Cross Country National Championship. A native of Knocklyon, Ireland, Áine bested 119 other competitors to run away with the title. 8
GOALS
Build Greater Awareness of SUNY Canton
During the past year, several initiatives have increased the College’s visibility and helped improve name recognition among students within New York State and beyond. A marketing campaign to encourage women to pursue engineering technology careers and men to pursue healthcare careers consisted of two 30-second commercials produced by the Office of Public Relations. The spots have received more than 1,000 views and were aired on television stations throughout Northern and Central New York.
An “It’s On Us” video featuring students, faculty, and staff speaking out against sexual assault received more than 1,000 YouTube views in a single week. The video was made to encourage the college community to take the It’s On Us pledge, which serves as a personal commitment to help keep students safe.
Facebook - More than 1,000 new fans. Twitter - About 300 new followers. YouTube - Doubled views in the last year. SUNY Canton was ranked #1 for social media within the tech sector in the recent SUNY Student Opinion Survey.
The Public Relations Department worked with Voices In America to produce special segments that will air on CNN and PBS as part of an outreach campaign. The televised spots featured administration, faculty, and students. Morgan D. Elliott, the College’s videographer, provided much of the on-campus footage for the production.
The most popular video was a campus tour piece created for last year’s incoming freshmen. Other unique video efforts this year include five new videos featuring Roody Roo that were inspired by the SUNY-wide Mascot Madness competition. These efforts were augmented by new program videos used in the College’s outreach efforts.
GOALS
Drive Decisions with Relevant Information
SUNY Canton is committed to making timely, accurate information available to aid in planning and decision making. The College is continuing a comprehensive effort to identify students who may be experiencing academic challenges early in the semester and encourage them to take advantage of various resources available, such as tutoring, advising, and counseling. Plans to expand the program in the next academic year are under way. 9
GOALS
Optimize Enrollment
Two programs awarded by SUNY’s Investment and Performance Fund are aimed at increasing retention and enrollment. • SUNY Canton received $575,000 to expand “Jump Start,” a program that furthers the College’s mission of accessibility. The eight-week intensive boot camp is designed to allow more than 100 incoming freshmen students to fulfill general education requirements before the start of their first semester.
2000
1,743
1,782
1,550
1500
1,196
1,134 1000
500
1,320
1,862
Winterterm Summer Sessions
1,434
Enrollments for the College’s highly popular online Winterterm and Summer Sessions continue to grow.
• SUNY Canton and Jefferson Community College received $500,000 to implement an initiative called 0 2013 2014 2015 2016 “Transitioning Veterans from Boots to Books and Beyond.” The program will provide support services exclusively for former military members who are transitioning to a college environment.
The funding was supplemented by nearly $750,000 in new awards to support career-focused technical education (Perkins Grants), science and technology readiness (CSTEP), employee training (I Love NY), and others.
Our Admissions application percentage increase was the highest within SUNY last year. This is a solid step toward meeting our recruitment goals, and can be attributed to our engaged faculty, applied programs, and excellent academic support services. Students are looking for our hands-on STEM oriented programs and flexible online offerings. It’s our goal to help all students reach their highest potential. – Molly A. Mott, Associate Provost/Dean of Academic Support Services and Instructional Technologies
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