SUNY Oswego, SUNY ESF announce shared services agreement

SUNY Oswego and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry announced a shared services agreement at a news conference and signing ceremony on Sept. 29 at SUNY Oswego’s lakeside campus.

Under the agreement to streamline certain business operations, SUNY Oswego is providing procurement and accounts payable services to SUNY ESF, which began Aug. 1. 

Noting that SUNY Chancellor John B. King has challenged institutions to think more intentionally and purposefully about harnessing collective strengths to shift resources toward serving students, SUNY Oswego President Peter O. Nwosu stated that the moment represented something larger than an administrative agreement.

“One of SUNY's great strengths is that we are not simply 64 individual institutions. We are a system — one with extraordinary expertise, talent, and capacity across our campuses,” President Nwosu said. 

“Shared services are an important part of that work. When one SUNY institution has expertise and capacity that can benefit another, it makes sense for us to collaborate,” President Nwosu added. “We can strengthen our operations, use our resources more effectively, and, most importantly, keep our focus on our students and our academic missions.”

“Oswego and ESF each bring unique strengths, perspectives, and expertise to this partnership,” SUNY ESF President Joanie Mahoney said. “By collaborating more closely, we can streamline services, share talent and resources, expand opportunities for academic and operational innovation, and better support the success of our students, faculty, and staff.” 

Oswego lending its expertise to SUNY ESF will allow both institutions to continue focusing on their distinctive missions to serve their students and communities in different ways while drawing strength from increased connections and collaboration, officials said.

“This agreement reflects a shared commitment to public higher education and the belief that collaboration can create more value than either institution could achieve alone,” President Mahoney said. “Together, we are building a stronger foundation for our campuses and the communities we serve.”

“We look forward to the work ahead and, I hope, to identify even more opportunities for our institutions to collaborate in service to our students, our communities, and the State University of New York,” President Nwosu said.

Others present for the announcement in the newly renovated Hewitt Hall – an $80 million-plus facility that houses SUNY Oswego’s College of Communication, Media, and the Arts – included SUNY Oswego Vice President for Administration and Finance Victoria Furlong; SUNY ESF Chief Operating Officer Matt Millea; Budget Director Amy Brown; Director of Communications and Strategic Initiatives Sarah Yurka; and Contract Administrator Bryan Smith. SUNY Oswego’s Assistant Vice President for Financial Operations Becky Waters and Assistant Purchasing Agent Tamara Cunningham were among other Oswego attendees.

About SUNY Oswego

SUNY Oswego is a dynamic public university on the shores of Lake Ontario, committed to delivering a transformative, affordable education. The university focuses on expanding access, advancing innovation, and preparing students for success in a rapidly changing world.

With more than 110 undergraduate and graduate programs and growing strength in STEAM, SUNY Oswego combines rigorous academics with hands-on learning to prepare students to lead, contribute, and make an impact. The university strives to provide opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and alumni to grow, connect, and thrive while contributing to the well-being of the region and beyond.

About SUNY ESF

The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry is one of the nation's premier colleges focused on the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable future. ESF’s mission is to educate future environmental leaders from all backgrounds, advance the knowledge and skills necessary to promote scholarship and stewardship of the natural and designed environments, and act both locally and globally to improve the world. 

ESF’s students, faculty, staff, and alumni make a global impact by improving and sustaining the environment. ESF offers a world-class education within a close-knit community of more than 2,000 scholars who share values and a sense of purpose.