President’s Newsletter

Friday, September 13, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

This was another week that blended internal and external meetings. In terms of external meetings, I was able to attend a Rotary luncheon as well as participate in the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce virtual board meeting where we discussed our advocacy agenda for the year. Roosevelt Mareus and I were also able to meet with the CEO of the Strong Museum of Play this week. We discussed opportunities to expand potential internships and paid work for our students, as well as further ways to connect the REOC with the museum. I am grateful that Emily Marchese, our Career Design Center Director, is taking the lead on working with the museum as a next step.

We had our fall Town Gown meeting on Thursday afternoon, which covered a range of topics, including the opening of the academic year and collaborative grant opportunities. We also received updates on the Main Street bridge, the opening of which is now delayed until the winter. I was also able to attend the Village’s 9/11 remembrance ceremonies. Our ROTC cadets did an excellent job of representing SUNY Brockport officially by taking part in the flag raising, and various members of our academic community were in attendance.

I took part in a SUNY brand analysis discussion as well as the virtual September Presidents’ meeting. Our agenda focused on advocacy, Title VI, sustainability initiatives, and work on students’ basic needs.

During Cabinet this week, we reviewed our annual reports. Cabinet members offered feedback to each other regarding aspects of the work of their divisions over the 2023-24 academic year. This was a valuable exercise because it ensured that every member of the senior leadership team was aware of the successes, efforts, and challenges of the other divisions as well as each area’s goals and plans for 2024-25.

As part of my regular meetings with affinity group leaders, I met with Lauren Lieberman and Jamie Spiller regarding the Jewish Affinity Group. I also plan to continue to host open forums this year with each division. These have provided me with a valuable opportunity to share information, answer questions, and receive feedback from across the institution. This week, I met with Administration and Finance. We talked about morale, facilities updates, opportunities to support employees, as well as other topics

Finally, there was an event to celebrate the successes of Undergraduate Admissions, the Center for Graduate Studies, and University Communications in recruiting a large and vibrant class this year. It is a whole university effort, and I’m grateful for everyone’s input.

We are now midway through the first 6 weeks of the semester—the crucial time for student retention. Thank you for all that you do to support our students’ engagement!

Next week is Homecoming and Family Weekend—hope to see you at many of the activities that are planned to celebrate this wonderful tradition!