Bernie wants you to test

Welcome back to our third semester of COVID. Each semester seems to bring new issues and challenges. Although I don't want to focus this Update solely on COVID-related matters, the first topic relates directly to recent changes in SUNY and New York State policies.

Testing - As you probably know, we are required to conduct weekly mandatory pooled surveillance testing on all students with a regular campus presence for the spring. Members of most collective bargaining units are also required to test. To date, the College has had much success with very few positive tests results from thousands of tests performed. Please comply. It's the best way to keep each other safe. Thanks to Health and Wellness, and the multiple staff members who've offered to assist, including the Department of Nursing, Dental Hygiene, athletic trainers, and Student Affairs staff. Frank Rampello in the Dean of Students Office is leading a very innovative approach to assuring student compliance.

Spring Enrollment - Good news! We're at 99% of our spring 2021 enrollment target number thanks to a lot of effort by Admissions and Academics. Keep in mind, however, that our target was well below the 2020 spring number. It's important that the campus understand the significance of enrollment and retention to our ability to invest in things that we all want, such as professional development, new and replacement equipment, aesthetic improvements, new staff and faculty, and more.

Signage and Aesthetics - The Cabinet recently adopted a new policy regarding signage on campus. Frankly, much of the signage around campus is unappealing and does not well represent many of our offices, departments, or functional areas. Some of the signs leave a bad impression and simply do not suitably represent the College. The intent of the policy is to support and maintain a welcoming campus image and improve the on-campus experience for both regular users and visitors through a uniform and cohesive signage system. The policy indicates that all signage on campus must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, New York State Fire and Building codes, and all other applicable state and federal regulations. Signage must also adhere to the College's approved style guidelines maintained by the Office for Institutional Advancement. The campus has the authority to remove signage that does not follow the guidelines set forth in this policy.  

SUNY Proposed Budget - Although SUNY and New York State have experienced an enormous financial strain as a result of COVID, the proposed executive budget is actually fairly favorable. Tuition flexibility would be extended, University-wide programs (such as EOP and EOC) would be held harmless from cuts, SUNY would be given relief from SED approval for new programs, and a fairly good capital budget has been proposed. SUNY, and the campuses, like most state entities, would be expected to take a cut. However, this is far less than the magnitude originally projected. Of course, this is the governor's proposal, subject to change by the state legislature.

FSC Budget - Until we receive an approved state budget with actual funding from the state or from federal stimulus funds we will need to be very prudent about expenditures. To be clear, the College is in a very strong financial position. However, we have not received millions in anticipated state support, do not have authorization to use funds credited to campus accounts, and are being required to front money (or "put at risk") funds for university sponsored programs. We have done so repeatedly. I appreciate your patience as we work through these constraints.

Foundation - Another piece of good news. Thanks to the work of Matt Colson and the College Foundation, the College has had a number of recent fundraising wins. More significant is a gift form Murray Pasternack '60 of $500,000. This is the second largest gift in College history and will help us begin funding for an honors program. In addition, our virtual gala and annual fund have been quite successful. At mid-year we are well above recent fundingraising levels. In addition, the Foundation and Alumni staff have organized events including a virtual panel discussion, Forecasting the 2021 Economy, with Dean Richard Vogel, faculty members Betty Feng and Kenneth Liao from the School of Business, and FSC Alumnus Kenneth Rende ′82. Nearly 50 alums and others participated.

Title IX and Affirmative Action - A new position focused on Title IX compliance and training and affirmative action efforts is being established within Human Resources. These areas present both challenges and opportunities for the College and it is prudent to invest responsibility for these functions within a dedicated position.

Mother Language Day- As always, thanks to Nazrul Islam, Computer Security, Chiara DeSanti, Modern Languages, and Jeannette Sinnott of International Education and Programs, for organizing this year's Mother Language Day. The previous events have been informative and enjoyable. Given the quality of the event, attendance has been a bit low. The virtual event will be held on Tuesday, February 23 from 11:00 a.m. to noon. Please try to attend.

CircleIn - Thanks to all of you who have been working to engage students under these unfavorable circumstances. I know it is not easy. This semester, thanks to the Greenley Library and the Provost's Office, students will have access to CircleIn. This is a new student engagement app that allows students to study together remotely, collaborate with their peers to exchange ideas, and stay productive. Students logging into CircleIn on their mobile devices or desktops will find their courses pre-populated, and will be able to reach out to their classmates to share class notes, ask each other questions, and set up chat or video study sessions. Faculty who use CircleIn will have access to an insights dashboard where they can see the types of questions their students are asking each other. By using the dashboard, faculty will get a previously unseen window into students' out-of-class collaboration.

CTLT Program - The CTLT 10 Annual Conference "Online Student Engagement" was a huge success with over 300 attendees. Faculty and staff along with 100 UHS faculty partners from participating school districts engaged in the event. The Keynote speaker, Dr. Bettyjo Bouchey, kicked off the conference focusing attention on bridging the virtual divide and creating meaningful learning experiences through community building. The afternoon included colleagues from Monroe Community College who provided information on the utilization of the CircleIn App to support student engagement. Faculty across many schools shared experiences and lessons learned from the fall semester.

John Nader
President