State of the College Address 2019 (President Donald P

I will emphasize our need to come together as a community to best serve an increasingly diverse student body, and to meet meeting Cobb's challenge to help all studentsfeel included as fu

Can I have your attention?

President Christian is just running a few minutes behind

So we have a short video for you to watch

[LAUGHTER]

Morning Shelly

Good morning Don, are you

ready for this year's State of the College?

Hey, I wanted to remind you

I know you got a lot in your mind,

you need to stop by the library and

pick up a few things on your way in

I'm on my way in shortly I've

got a couple of things to do on the way in,

but I'll be there on time and in just a few minutes, bye.Bye

Good bye dear, I'm off to the State of the College

Oh, good luck

Thanks See you there

Bye little hun You have a good day See you

Don, how's your workout going?

It's going great Thanks, Kevin

I don't have much time, though,

I've got to get to

the State of the College here in a few minutes

I'll see you there

Great, thanks

One, two, three

I'm off to State of the College and I'll

see you later on at convocation

See you there

Have a great day, take care, bye

Bye

Good morning, Julie, how are you?

Good morning

Good seeing you I'm on

my way to the State of the College

Do you have those figures for my meeting this afternoon?Yes, I do they're right here

Perfect Thank you Have a great day

You too

Hey, campus is looking really good

Glad to see the milkweed's there for

the butterflies That's really cool

Thanks

Well done, thanks

Have a good day

Thanks, you too

Hey Don

Morning, Megan, how are you?

Pretty good.

Good progress in the lab this summer?

Pretty much, yeah

Great, how many students?

Two

Good Excellent Have a great day

See you

Good morning Ann

Oh, good morning

Do you have the presentation book that I asked for?

I do, here you go

Perfect Presentation Zen

Thank you Have a great day

Amplification through simplification

Shelly, we need to cut slide number

14 from the presentation for this morning

Thanks, see you in just a minute Bye

Awesome Thank you so much

You are welcome

I appreciate it Morning lieutenant Coxum,

how are you? How are things at UPD?

Things are good, things are great.

You're on your way to State of the College?Absolutely I am

Good, me too Let's go

[APPLAUSE]

Good morning Good morning

I'm glad I could make it in for today's address.[LAUGHTER] Who says we

can't start the year with a little fun?

Jelani Cobb,

last year's Ottaway Visiting Journalism Professorspoke eloquently in his public address

about diversity and inclusion,

and reminded us that they're not the

same and they don't always happen together

He said, and I quote,

"An inclusive institution cannot be the same as

an institution that's simply added

more different people into it

Becoming inclusive means the institution

has fundamentally become something else,with adaptation of new customs and

new ways of listening to each other."

Cobb, went on, "Diversity creates guests,

while inclusion creates stakeholders

and builds participation in a democracy

The challenge for vital institutions,

" he concluded, "is to choose to do things differently."

In my State of the College Address last year,

I asked you to time travel with me to

the year 2040 to reflect on

our longer-term trajectory and to think about decisionsthat we make now and their implications for the future

In this graph, I showed you that in about 2040,

white people will become a minority in America

For us at SUNY New Paltz,

these demographic shifts are here now

The new students we will see at

convocation later today and in

your classes and office hours next week will include

a first-year class with 48% of its members,

nearly half, from historically underrepresented groups.[APPLAUSE]

We will see more black and more brown,

and fewer white students than ever,

including more first-year black students

than any year since 2000

These will be some of the visible differences,

but significant dimensions of

our diversity will be hidden from view

Those include gender and sexual orientation,

immigration status or national origin,

economic background,

level of academic preparedness,

veteran and military experience,

disabilities to be overcome,

different political viewpoints, among many others

Today I want to focus on inclusion, learning to change,and leading that change as

our most important work in the coming year

I will touch on several priorities

I will emphasize our need to come together as a community

to best serve an increasingly diverse student body,

and to meet meeting Cobb's challenge to help all studentsfeel included as full members of our campus community

A sense of belongingness leads to our student's success

I want to be sure that it's

clear that I'm talking about better

supporting all students to prepare each of them to

live in and contribute

to the world that they are inheriting

We each contribute to

these outcomes through our unique roles

To fulfill this purpose,

it's imperative that we develop

an increasingly diverse faculty and staff,

and build stronger support networks for all employees.These are not new themes

I've spoken about such ideas before,

but we need to tackle these goals

with renewed energy and focus

We have many reasons to be proud of

the strong sense of community that

SUNY New Paltz is known for

Students tell us it's

a distinctive and attractive feature of our campus.But at the same time we're

aware that not every student and

not every employee has

a sense of belonging in our community

Recognizing, accepting,

and working with the kinds of differences thatI've articulated requires our full attention

and our collective energy

Let me pause here to thank

members of our community joining

me here today to usher in a new academic year

My busy morning [LAUGHTER] reminds me ofthe many complex roles in the great work thatmake New Paltz such a top-notch college

It's the people who make us special and

who serve our institution and our students

Every day I'm grateful for

the privilege to serve as your president

At this time, I ask you to join me

in a moment of silence to recognize

two great losses to our community by

honoring the memories of

two of our most valued colleagues,

Professors Peter Kaufman and Pauline Uchmanowicz,who we recently lost

Thank you Several faculty are planning

a memorial service on campus for Pauline this fall

Our new year commences at noon today

with our annual fall convocation

This academic ceremony is an important rite of

passage for new first-year and transfer students

Professor of Political Science,

Nancy Kassop will serve as

faculty grand marshal and mace bearer,

and will welcome students on behalf of the faculty

She's a recent recipient of the Chancellor's Award forExcellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities

Dylan Rose, Class of 2016,

Mathematics major and a Digital Media Analyst

for AMC networks will be our alumni speaker

Student [inaudible 00:09:05] , who's

majoring in Communication Disorders,

will be our student speaker

I'm very grateful to the faculty who

will don academic regalia to

participate in convocation and hope that others

will consider watching the live stream

We welcome today new members of our community andacknowledge those who have stepped

in to new leadership roles.

We will introduce new

academic and professional faculty individually on

September 13 and new classified staff

individually on October 9

But today we ask that

all new employees stand to be recognized

Welcome to New Paltz If you could stand, please

[APPLAUSE]

Thank you You may be seated

I'll now welcome new campus administrators

Jonathan Von, joined us

in January as Executive Director of

Development and has hit the ground running in

advancing our fundraising success

He came to us from the Performing Arts Center of

Los Angeles County and previously

worked at the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center.Michael Corba Celo joined us

this summer as Deputy Chief of University Police

He came to us most immediately from

Stony Brook University with

20 years of law enforcement experience there,

at NYPD and at the Community College of Southern Nevada.Longtime employees being promoted

into a new role effective

September 5: Beth Vargas

of the Center for International Programs will

be named Executive Director of

the Center as Bruce Sillner enters

a phased retirement [APPLAUSE]

During her 20 years at New Paltz,

Beth has excelled in

her commitment to international education,

to welcoming and supporting

international students and faculty and to working

collegially with other campus offices and constituencies.We're very grateful for Bruce's many years

of exceptional leadership

He's advanced SUNY New Paltz into the top echelons ofwell-regarded institutions in international education,

both within SUNY and beyond

In the coming months, Bruce will

focus on external relations and

program development in the US and overseas

Thank you Bruce, for your great work

and many contributions [NOISE]

[APPLAUSE]

I'd like to ask directors of

the SUNY New Paltz foundation here

today to please stand so we can recognize and thank you.Don't be shy [APPLAUSE]

These business leaders, alumni and committed

citizens support the college and

our students by raising private funds,

being significant donors themselves,

and promoting us in the broader community

Thank you all for being here and

for your generosity and support

Several of the supporters

of the college have joined us here

this morning and we're

delighted that you're here as well

I want to acknowledge the members of the College Council.Most members are appointed by the Governor to

guide and advise the campus President

There's a student member also on the College Council.Taijah(phonetic) Pink is

the Student Association President

I know she's here today

I don't know if we have any other Council Members

[APPLAUSE] Thank you

I'll speak briefly about the mini strengths that make

SUNY New Paltz such a special place

I do so as a primer, if you will,

for new community members and

as a reminder for the rest of us,

as we may overlook these attributes in the course of

our fast-paced and busy lives in

the many challenges and distractions

of 21st century life

We're proud to be included in many best value rankings

of public colleges and

universities in the Northeast and across the US

That includes being ranked in

the top five percent of colleges and universities

nationwide on an index of

our impact on the social mobility of our graduates

Our mission is to provide high-quality,

affordable education to students from

all social and economic backgrounds

We provide one of the nation's most open, diverse,

and artistic environments to prepare students to

excel in rapidly changing times

that demand creativity and worldliness

Our students come to us through

a selective admissions process and they work closely withoutstanding faculty who are

committed to a teacher-scholar model of academic life

We value the teaching, research,

and creative achievements of our faculty

These are recognized often through chancellors awards,appointment to the rank of SUNY Distinguished Professor,Research and Creative Honors such as Fulbright,

Guggenheim, and National Science Foundation awards,National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships,

and frequent presentations on the Academic Minute,which is a program of

the Association of American Colleges and Universities,aired on public radio in

seven North Eastern states as well as beyond

One of SUNY Chancellors,

Christina Johnson's educational goals

is to foster individualized instruction

It's been a long tradition at SUNY New Paltz to

educate each student as a unique and whole person.When I ask students what they value

most about being a student here,

the most frequent response is the close attention andpersonal relationships that they develop with

their Professors and also with many staff

This is also a common refrain from alumni

The large number of majors

in diverse fields that we offer is

unusual for regional comprehensive university like us.Indeed, it's twice that of

some other SUNY comprehensives

That array of choice creates

opportunity for students to find their path and

to assemble distinctive combinations of majors andminors to fulfill special interests

in life and career goals

We've added new high-demand majors

and programs at the same time that we've sustainedour core foundation in the liberal arts and

sciences and our traditions in

the fine arts and teacher education

Our students and alumni see us as a "come as you

are" campus where people of diverse backgrounds,cultures, perspectives,

abilities, and ambitions are welcome

New Paltz embraces its culture of

encouraging and supporting students to learn

and function as scholars in

the classroom and beyond through independent study,research activities, study abroad and other internationalexperiences and other diverse learning opportunities.They develop skills, build relationships,

and applied learning in different settings

I hope that each of us sees our role in that achievement

If we were to go on a quest to

find the perfect college town,

we'd be hard pressed to find one better than New Paltz.This is a vibrant historic village

with great restaurants,

specialty shops, entertainment venues,

and abundant outdoor recreational activities

We hear often from students and

their families how much they love

this community in the Hudson Valley

In turn, one of

our strategic priorities is to engage with

and support the region by

sharing our expertise and knowledge,

volunteering our time, and using our convening power tobring people together to improve

life in the Hudson Valley and beyond

These are some of our strengths, values,

and priorities that guide

our success in a rapidly changing Higher Education world.I'll highlight now several projects and

issues that will occupy our attention this year

Some like budgetary challenges are perennial

As you know, we're experiencing

several leadership transitions this year

A natural part of the ongoing evolution

of any institution

We're working to place an interim Provost

as soon as possible

We will conduct searches this year to replace

the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

The Vice President for Enrollment Management,

Associate Vice President for Student Affairs,

and Dean of Education

It's going to be an exciting year [LAUGHTER]

We'll share more information about

these searches very soon and I encourage

each of you to help identify these new leaders

As I shared recently to the campus community,

we've realigned some organizational and reporting lines

as we adapt to this transition

We also established new ways

for the Cabinet and the Academic

Deans to communicate with each

other during this transition

I want to first frame

our work this year in the context of

our strategic plan and also the

thoughtful work last year of

the Strategic Planning and Assessment Council

The Council's work has identified a new lens on

our strategic plan priorities through

the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.While our core work is best reflected

in goal four, quality education,

each of the 17 goals is relevant to what we

do and is consistent with our campus culture

The Council concluded that

the sustainability goals align

well with the essential initiatives of

our strategic plan and will provide new ways to approachour ongoing planning and

enhance communication about the plan

These goals also help more of us see

our work in the context of our strategic plan

You'll have more opportunities this fall to

learn about the Council's thinking about these goals.I've been really pleased with

the direction of this work and that

this framework grew out of

the collective efforts of faculty,

staff and students in

alignment with institutional priorities

We will continue preparing for

institutional re-accreditation review which

is a process overseen by a regional accrediting body,the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.Last year we assembled committees and

resource personnel for each of

the seven accreditation standards and we

developed a self-study design to guide that process.Re-accreditation co-chairs, Laurel L M Garrett Dunno,who's the Associate Provost for Assessment and

Strategic Planning and Ken Goldstein,

Professor and Chair in

Theater Arts are leading that effort

Middle States selected our self-study

as an exemplary model to share in

their upcoming self-study Institute

To inspire other colleges and

universities that are just beginning their processes.Well done Ken, Laurel and colleagues [APPLAUSE].Our target date for

a completed self-study is November 2020.

It's not that far away

To prepare for a spring 2021 site visit

I've been impressed with the deep involvement of

many members of the campus community in this process.This will be my fifth re-accreditation process in

three different regions of

the country and my second at New Paltz

I know that one of the worst things

that can happen on a site visit is for reviewers

to be met with blank faces when they ask faculty or staffabout the process we don't want

during the headlights [APPLAUSE]

We'll share lots of information

to help campus community members,

both academic and non-academic,

learn about the standards and key elements of

this review well ahead of that site visit

Our campus physical environment continues to improve,even if some of the changes like a new high temperaturehot waterline to the old library

from Wooster Hall are largely hidden

from view and don't generate a lot of excitement

Others are more visible and dramatic

Like our significant progress this summer,

replacing floor and ceiling

tiles in the Smiley Arts Building

It's like a new building [APPLAUSE].

[APPLAUSE] Also moving into

the new engineering innovation hub,

where we'll have a ribbon cutting

ceremony early this fall

[APPLAUSE] We'll continue making

our campus more attractive to

prospective and current students,

for supporting our academic mission

in the working environment for employees,

and to become more efficient

For example, we've partnered recently with

the village of New Paltz and New York City to add

master water meters to the perimeter of campus to betterdetect and correct leaks and

reduce water consumption and cost

Upcoming projects include renovating Awosting Hall,

followed two years later by Mohonk Hall

These major projects will benefit

residential students and expand our housing capacity.Thanks to our successful advocacy,

we received about $27 million in

additional capital funding for

several projects including renovating

the lecture center lobbies

[APPLAUSE] They need it

Replacing the roof and renovating

the fourth floor of the student union building.

[APPLAUSE] Replacing windows in Jacobson Faculty Tower.[APPLAUSE] Nobody's applauding for that one?

[LAUGHTER]

Rehabilitating the exterior of the Fine Arts building

[APPLAUSE] Work on these projects

will begin in summer 2020

In addition, we're using some of that new funding

for very early stages of planning for

possible renovation and repurposing

of College/Shango Hall

[APPLAUSE] This will be a longer-term effort,

and we've digitally preserved

the murals in that residence hall that

mean so much to generations of

alumni and to current students

[APPLAUSE] We will also

improve our campus environment by moving towardsbecoming smoke-free and tobacco-free

[APPLAUSE] Vice president Stephanie Blaisdell

and Michele Halstead last year,

led a diverse group of faculty, staff,

and students that studied

this issue in depth and from many angles,

and solicited extensive community input,

including from employee union representatives

They developed a thoughtful analysis that