December 21, 2022...Welcome to my new e-newsletter, which I will be sending to you from this point forward at the opening and closing of each semester on campus. I begin today by thanking all associated with our campus on what was a great Fall 2022.
CAMPUS SPIRIT: Our students returned to campus this semester with boundless energy and a readiness to be engaged in classes, campus events and activities. You could feel their energy permeate our efforts and activities throughout the semester. We enjoyed the return of an in-person Panther Pride Homecoming, celebrating not only our current students but welcoming back members of the Class of 2020 and more than 700 attendees at Panther Fest. Attendance at events and programs led by Student Government and student clubs and organizations were well attended and made our new students feel right at home. This excitement and participatory spirit were shared by our friends and alumni who attended in November our “SUNY Old Westbury’s Promise for Tomorrow,” event featuring CNN National Politics Reporter Eva McKend. The energy on campus this fall was fantastic, and I look forward to even higher levels in the spring.
INTRODUCING THE OW MODEL: We opened the year by activating the early stages of the OW Model. Through this effort, we are building on and incorporating best practices to improve the overall student experience, with targeted student outcomes such as improved retention and graduation rates, and professional life skills, through a strong partnership and collaboration between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs. By offering deep care and support, and a robust co-curricular based education, our goal is to provide every student with the tools they need for success and to lead impactful lives. My thanks to Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Gail DiSabatino, Assistant Provost Cris Notaro, Assistant Provost Mike Kavic, Special Assistant to the President Lisandra Ramos and Faculty Senate Chair Jennie D’Ambroise for their leadership and to the entire committee bringing this concept to life. Thanks also to the class deans who are working so closely with our students: Bonnie Eannone (First-Year Class), Kaitlin Janes (Sophomore Class), Samantha Kloeckener-Soszynski (Junior Class) and Joshua Phillips (Senior Class).
THE DREAM.US: SUNY Old Westbury this semester became a Partner College of TheDream.US, the nation’s largest college access and success program for immigrant students. As such, we will be able to provide scholarships for tuition and fees for up to $33,000 for each student towards their bachelor’s degrees and for as many immigrant students as we can enroll, to help them achieve their higher education dreams. This is an incredible partnership that speaks clearly about our commitments to access to education, diversity and social justice – and as a college recognized federally as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPSI).
BASEBALL & THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Congratulations to the members of the Panther Baseball Team, led by Head Coach Rod Stephan, who were featured last week by SUNY in its “30 Days of Giving” series. The team was recognized for its volunteer efforts on behalf of the Special Olympics of New York. While I am calling out the baseball team here, I know very well that so many of our student-athletes, particularly through the work of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, have conducted volunteer efforts and contributed their time to causes great and small. I am so impressed at those who compete on the field of competition while also pursuing their studies, and even more so when they give back so much to the community around them. Well done one and all!
THRIVE TRAINING: Improving our own understanding of the experiences of disenfranchised citizens, and how we can better educate and support their success, was the goal of the College’s Thrive Training. Our campus was the first in SUNY and first on Long Island to receive a THRIVE training grant from College & Community Fellowship (CCF) to provide training to members of its faculty and staff to improve their abilities to ensure the successful reintegration of students who have been impacted by the criminal justice system. Thanks to Vice President for Institutional Advancement Angela Wambugu-Cobb for introducing us to CCF and to the more than 50 members of the staff and faculty who completed THRIVE training this fall.
SUFFOLK COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRANSFER AGREEMENT: For the first time in more than 20 years, SUNY Old Westbury signed an updated joint admissions agreement with Suffolk County Community College, making clearer the path for some of Suffolk’s 25,000 students to find their way into 24 of our College’s majors and programs. A “job well done” to Director of Transfer Student Services Rachel Littenberg for bringing this new agreement to fruition. The joint admissions program is open to all first-year students who enroll at Suffolk, students who transfer to Suffolk with fewer than 24 completed credits, and enrolled Suffolk students who have completed less than 24 credits at the institution. For the transfer students, a maximum of 66 credits will be applied toward the completion of the relevant SUNY Old Westbury Bachelor’s degree programs.
HEED AWARD: October 2022 brought the announcement that SUNY Old Westbury had been awarded, for the fifth consecutive year, the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. Presented to U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion, the HEED Award recognizes Old Westbury’s ongoing initiatives to promote diversity, equity and inclusivity across its campus. As the most diverse student body in the State University of New York system, SUNY Old Westbury and 102 other recipients were featured in the November 2022 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
STUDENT MEDIA: Finally, a few words directed towards all those involved in our student media. To the students of the Media Innovation Center, under the guidance of Assistant Professor Özgür Akgün, thank you for your work to report and document on the activities of our campus. To the many students working at the microphone and behind the scenes of OWWR Web Radio, thank you for producing content that is engaging, entertaining, and illustrative of the intelligence and talent of our campus and thank you, too, to Station Manager Joe Manfredi for his efforts to support our students and develop their skills. Lastly, thanks to the very engaged group of students who produced the latest print edition of The Catalyst. Executive Editor Laura Francavilla and her team have been writing and working to build student interest. Thanks also to their advisor, Associate Professor John Friedman, who helped the students move the paper to publication. I hope to see more print editions in the future so that we build awareness of and interest in the student paper.
Thank you, and Happy New Year to members of the SUNY Old Westbury community!
Timothy E. Sams