Dear Members of the SUNY Oswego Community-
It is a great honor and joy to be named your 11th President by the State University of New York Board of Trustees. I find myself humbled to be joining an extraordinary community of teachers, scholars, staff and learners at this storied institution, a community that has kept faith with a transformational promise made 162 years ago – to contribute to the common good by enriching the human spirit and offering to as many as could realize the opportunity to be so enriched. As an individual who came to the United States as an immigrant student decades ago and was the first in my family to go to college, I find this promise extraordinarily powerful. Education transforms lives and ignites new possibilities. As your President, I am committed to advancing this promise, working together with you to build on the solid foundation laid by our founders, and all those who have preceded me in this role.
You – the students who span the globe and who each grew up wonderfully rich in ability, talent and promise, and who all worked hard, made wise choices that enabled you to reach this point and earned the opportunity to be at this storied institution founded in 1861 by Edward Austin Sheldon! You are capable, you are resilient and we are here to help you achieve your goals. I see myself in you and I cannot wait to meet you.
You – the faculty who are so passionate about and accomplished in your academic areas of expertise. You devote your time and talent to teaching, mentoring, research and scholarship in ways that continue to advance the Oswego promise. You inspire, and you spark and advance minds. You transform lives and ignite new possibilities that are vital to the maintenance and sustenance of a democratic society. Thank you for all you do. I cannot wait to meet you.
You – the staff who choose to work at the university because you simply love being around students and the dynamic, vibrant 24/7 operations of a residential campus and online learning environments. You enable us to be our best selves; you maintain our grounds and facilities beautifully, you take action to create an environment in which all feel safe, and you nurture minds and help develop strong, healthy individuals while building bridges, holding up ladders and opening doors (literally and figuratively) so our students can achieve their goals. I see your critical role and how much you matter. Thank you for all you do. I cannot wait to meet you.
You – the alumni and the College Council who share your resources, time and attention generously and humbly with our students and institution – you are our success stories – you are our record of achievement, and you are our role models and dream makers for our students. You are the ones who make us a better institution. As the African proverb states, “A person is a person through other people.” We exist because of you, and we advance together because of your deep care and commitment to our students and our bright future. Thank you for all you do. I cannot wait to meet you.
You –the friends and partners of SUNY Oswego – where would any of us be without your friendship and partnership? Thank you for including us, understanding our mission and purpose, and for inviting us to partake in new opportunities and for supporting our efforts just as we support yours. I cannot wait to meet you.
All - we are the stewards of the promise made 162 years ago: to provide access to quality higher education that will transform ordinary lives, ignite extraordinary possibilities, enrich the civic and cultural life of our community, and advance our region’s economy.
I invite you to visit the new presidential website to learn more about me and my hopes in continuing to build upon the Oswego promise for the sake of our students and every member of the Oswego family.
Lastly, I cannot close this message without thanking and recognizing Dr. Mary C. Toale, who served as Officer-in-Charge from January 2022 until today. I am pleased she will continue working in the Office of the President as deputy to the president where she will provide support in fulfilling the university's mission, vision and institutional priorities.
As we embark together on this new chapter, let’s remember that we are all SUNY Oswego. Let’s continue to advance this powerful promise, and let’s have a great start to the fall 2023 semester. Go Lakers! See you soon!!
Remain well,
Peter O. Nwosu, Ph.D.
President