August 2023 Update

Title for Update Newsletter from President's Office

August 31, 2023... As the summer of 2023 comes to an end, I want to officially welcome all members of our campus community to a new academic year at SUNY Old Westbury. 

For those students new to our campus, I welcome you to the array of new experiences and relationships that await you as you interact with our faculty, your fellow students, and our community as a whole. Please take the time, and opportunity, to immerse yourself in the activities and programs made available to you as a member of the dynamic, culturally aware student body we are proud to serve. For those students who have been with us before and are returning from a summer away, I extend to you a hearty hello and hope you also will stay active in your campus as you move closer to your graduation day.

To the members of our faculty and staff, this is less of a “hello, again” message, since a great many of you have been at work through the summer months preparing for this academic year. While we are only a few days in, I want to congratulate all who have helped make the beginning of this semester so enjoyable, efficient, and productive! 

Along with welcoming all of you for this new academic year, I want to take a few moments to make you aware of some accomplishments we’ve achieved and changes that are greeting you upon your arrival on campus this year. 

UNIVERSITY STATUSIn case you missed all the announcements, I am proud to report that, effective on July 1, 2023, SUNY Old Westbury became formally recognized as a university. Our university will continue to be known as SUNY Old Westbury, but its official state education title has changed from “State University of New York College at Old Westbury” to “State University of New York at Old Westbury.” This change reflects the quality and prestige of a SUNY Old Westbury education, which throughout its history has prepared its students for career and life success while empowering them to be changemakers for social and environmental justice. Moving forward, we will seek to use our new status to attract more students, grow the research and scholarship capabilities of our faculty, and strengthen and expand our partnerships to serve the local and regional community we call home.  Visit the University Announcement website to learn more.

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS SUCCESSOur School of Business has earned accreditation from AACSB International — The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Earning AACSB accreditation is all about our dedication to our students and our faculty’s commitment to excellence. Synonymous with the highest standards of quality, AACSB accreditation inspires new ways of thinking within business education globally. As a result, less than 6 percent of the world's schools offering business degree programs hold AACSB business accreditation. This is a powerful achievement and all within the School of Business should be congratulated! 

RANKINGS AND DISTINCTIONSI was pleased this summer when SUNY Old Westbury was highlighted in two national reviews:

  • Money.com gave SUNY Old Westbury four out of five stars when it included our University among its “Best Colleges in America 2023” survey.
  • Think tank Third Way ranked our University among the top 2 percent of U.S. universities for its record of increasing economic mobility for low- and moderate-income students.

CHANGES MADE OVER THE SUMMERI am also very pleased to announce that we have added stellar scholars to the ranks of our faculty.

Six of these new faculty members, in addition to teaching responsibilities, will serve as fellows of our new and developing Social and Environmental Justice Institute during their first years on campus.  Joining us in these roles are Dr. Faisal Ibrahim, Assistant Professor, Chemistry; Dr. Andrew O'Bannon, Assistant Professor, Physics; Dr. Ela Tokay, Assistant Professor, Philosophy; Marcela Torres, Assistant Professor, Visual Arts; Dr. Shameika Williams, Assistant Professor, Public Health, and Kevin Maritato, Instructor, Math and Data Science.

Also joining us as full-time faculty this fall are Dr. Patricia Enmore, Lecturer, Biological Sciences; Dr. Coby Klein, Lecturer, Biological Sciences; Bianca Rivera, Lecturer, Public Health and Dr. Shalinie Sarju, Assistant Professor, Exceptional Education & Learning.

While already a member of our faculty (and an alumna!), Dr. Danielle Lee of the English Department began serving this summer as the Associate Dean of Academic Institutes and Programs within the School of Arts & Sciences. In this role, Dr. Lee’s chief foci will be managing growth of the Social and Environmental Justice Institute and working with colleagues in the Office of First Year Experience to maximize the impact we have for our newest students.

Physically, our campus also continues to improve:

  • The Clark Athletic facilities have been turned back over to our campus for use after 3½ years! Be sure to check the schedules for your favorite team on the Panther Athletics website  and come out and root on our student-athletes.
  • Improvements in the Campus Center Atrium have entered their last phase, with the staircase closest to the Food Hall now closed for the replacement of railings, etc.
  • Renovations to the Duane L. Jones Recital Hall should be completed this semester. The last piece of this work relates to the completion of networking service in the space.
  • The new, expanded Media Innovation Center in the Campus Center has been putting on its finishing touches and should also debut this semester. Congratulations to the American Studies/Media & Communications faculty and staff who worked alongside our Capital Planning team to make this new facility come to life.
  • A new outdoor stage was constructed outside Woodlands Residence Hall 1 to be used for student and campus programming. The area held its first event last weekend when a barbecue was held for our newest students during move-in weekend.

MARK YOUR CALENDARSAs usual, there are a host of events and activities coming up this semester. 

First and foremost, I urge all on campus to monitor Panther Connect available via Engage. This service, managed by the Center for Student Leadership and Involvement, is THE PLACE to go to see what’s happening on campus. Interested in listing your events here? Contact CSLI to learn how.

In terms of special dates I’d like you to remember:

Watch for details on each of these as they come closer.

So, there’s a lot ahead of us as we commence Fall 2023.  I look forward to seeing you on campus!  

Timothy E. Sams
President