Welcome Back
Dear FSC Colleagues:
Welcome back from your well-earned, and storm-induced slightly extended break—and
to those who remained on campus to ensure that our community stayed safe and operational,
thank you for your continued dedication. And special thanks to the many who worked
so diligently over the last 48 hours to get our campus walks and roads cleared from
the recent winter blast.
Over the past week, we were pleased to welcome hundreds of new transfer students,
including students from Italy and Brazil. Our overall enrollment remains strong, and
in the coming weeks we will engage in thoughtful discussions about how to sustain
and build upon this momentum, particularly in light of the declining number of high
school students on Long Island.
The spring semester promises to be an exciting, busy, and important one for the College.
We will soon hold a town hall meeting to review the status of our strategic plan and
how it aligns with the priorities identified during our fall workshops. In addition,
our Middle States team will begin early preparatory work—while the site visit is still
about three years away, the time will pass quickly. Also, I'm delighted to share that
our athletes all continue to do us proud. Our men's basketball team is now 7-1 in the Skyline Division!
Several noteworthy events are also on the horizon. On January 30, we will host members
of the broader community, including legislative leaders, for our annual Legislative
Breakfast. On March 4, we will welcome the presidents of NYIT, Stony Brook University,
and SUNY Old Westbury, who will join me for a panel discussion, Our Collective Reality: Challenges and Opportunities Facing Higher Education Today, moderated by Kara Cannon, the new executive director of the Tesla Science Center.
We also anticipate welcoming a new director for the Research and Sponsored Programs
Office and a new executive director for the DEI Office, as both searches are in their
final stages. And perhaps of the utmost importance, we anticipate Roosevelt Hall to
be reopened in April 2026!
I look forward to seeing you back on campus as we continue our shared work to ensure
that our students receive the best possible learning and discovery experiences.
Welcome back, stay warm and safe—and as always, Go Rams!
Robert S. Prezant, PhD
President
Professor of Biology
