President’s Newsletter

Friday, October 18, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

At the end of last week, I took the opportunity to tour some academic buildings and talk with colleagues. I was able to visit Holmes, Hartwell, Tower, Smith and Lennon, and I am thankful for the rich conversations that I had with several people. Thank you.

I began this week by focusing on my academic research. I have a chapter in an edited collection coming out in 2025, and I was making the minor changes that the editors asked me to make. It was refreshing to dive back into my research and to have some unscheduled time in which to do it.

The rest of the week has been a blend of regularly scheduled meetings, planning sessions, and external commitments. Cabinet focused on a review of our institutional values, a review of the Administration and Finance annual report, and planning for commencement (yes, it really does start this early!). I was asked to open the SUNY HR conference on Wednesday and share highlights of Brockport’s strategic plan, including the development of the Employee Success Center. I also attended a Willow Domestic Violence Center board meeting.

On campus, I was able to attend a talk by Mr. Damian Webster, which was the first session of the Indigenous People’s Day program, and I was pleased to see so many students in attendance. I’d like to express my gratitude to the Indigenous People’s Day Committee, which worked hard to build a wonderful day of events.

This morning I met with Susan Orr for my annual one-to-one with UUP leadership. Later today I’ll be holding an open forum for the Division of Enrollment Management, and I’ll be touring the Walk-in Clinic at Hartwell Hall.

On Saturday we not only have our first Open House of the season, but there are several sporting events, including Senior Day for men’s soccer. I know I’ll see many of you on campus, and I thank you in advance for your commitment to recruiting the next class of Golden Eagles.

As I close out this week’s newsletter, I should also note, with some chagrin, that I did not attend the opening of the Origin Stories art show last week. I wrote my note to campus on Thursday afternoon, and had fully intended to go to the opening, and I forgot to update the message before it went out. The show actually opened this week, and I did attend—please do go along to it if you have time. The show is on until November 17.