Dear Members of the SUNY Oswego Community-
I’d like to give you a status report on one of the important components of our work on Vision 4040: increasing the number of transfer students who choose SUNY Oswego. Over a third of our new baccalaureate students transfer to the university each year after completing coursework or associate degrees at other institutions. We have the capacity to increase that number, and we are in the process of building a robust infrastructure to make that increase a reality. We have always worked with our community college transfers to make the student experience as straightforward as possible, making us a leader for transfer students; these new efforts will help us continue improving in this space.
Earlier this year, with technical and funding support from SUNY Central, we launched the Central New York Transfer Coalition (CNYTC), a partnership between Cayuga, Jefferson, and Onondaga Community Colleges and SUNY Oswego, to enhance seamless transfer pathways to Oswego for community college students. The ultimate goals of this coalition are to create an environment where transfer students receive credit for all the classes they’ve taken and to ensure that all their credits count towards the degree they seek. Transcripts are evaluated in days, not weeks, like our competitors. High school seniors entering community college will know from Day One what courses they’ll need for their associate and bachelor’s degrees. All colleges in the coalition will be in constant contact to provide the right information and the support and encouragement transfer students need to succeed.
Creating a clear path to a degree involves working with our partners to define pathways, reduce credit duplication, identify the number of credits that will count towards a degree, and reduce the red tape that often discourages students from pursuing transfer. In addition, this work requires us to develop ways to accommodate reverse transfer opportunities for students who are academically dismissed at Oswego to return to our partner community college to complete the needed requirements, with the goal of returning to Oswego after a semester or two.
Establishing this coalition is a big step toward realizing Vision 4040, but it is just the beginning. The presidents of each college in the coalition came together last fall to plan the important work. In the coming weeks, working groups led by Provost Scott Furlong and Vice President for Enrollment Cory Bezek will begin to help reshape the transfer experience, work that will create a climate of student success throughout the region and help advance our grand vision for the future.
If you have any thoughts on how we can better support our transfer students, please drop a line at [email protected].
In other news:
As you recall, Hanover Research, a global leader in higher education services based in Virginia, is currently conducting market research about our university. The first part of the work, focusing on brand perceptions among current students, faculty, and staff, has been completed. That information will be very useful as we develop our advertising and marketing campaigns. Read the Hanover report on phase one at this link (LakerNet ID may be required).
Phase two, which will focus on external audiences in the tri-state area, is just getting underway and should be completed by the end of the semester. I am very eager to learn more about the public’s perceptions about our wonderful university and the transformative work we do.
Engagements:
Visit my website to see my recent engagements with internal and external stakeholders in support of SUNY Oswego.
Remain well,
Peter O. Nwosu, Ph.D.
President