Dear Members of the SUNY Oswego Community–
I am pleased to announce the formation of the President's Student Advisory Board for Inclusive Excellence (SABIE), which held its inaugural meeting on October 21, 2024. This newly established advisory board was seated following an open call for student members and is part of our ongoing commitment to fostering an inclusive campus environment.
At the first meeting, I formally charged the board to engage in meaningful discussions about SUNY Oswego’s campus climate, identify areas for improvement, review relevant data and best practices, and provide recommendations for action to me and other senior leaders. The board will convene monthly throughout the academic year under the leadership of Vice President for Student Affairs Kathleen G. Kerr and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Kendra Cadogan.
SABIE was created in line with the principles outlined in “Making Excellence Inclusive: A Framework for Embedding Diversity and Inclusion into Colleges and Universities’ Academic Excellence Mission” (Clayton-Pederson et al., 2013). According to this framework, inclusive excellence involves more than just focusing on numbers or programs; it’s about building a culture where diversity and inclusion become foundational to learning, research, institutional functioning, community engagement, and workforce development.
SUNY Oswego strives for inclusive excellence by bringing together a community of individuals with diverse identities, perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences in pursuit of our mission: “to contribute to the common good by lighting the path to wisdom and empowering every person in the college community to pursue a meaningful life as a productive, responsible member of society.” Achieving this mission relies on open communication, mutual respect, and a willingness to learn from one another.
Through regular meetings, SABIE will serve as a forum for exchanging information and identifying data-informed solutions on matters affecting campus climate, student belonging, and student success at the university. Though not a decision-making body, SABIE will focus on identifying and celebrating campus successes while examining challenges and proposing thoughtful solutions. Honesty and transparency are essential to this work.
If you are a student interested in joining SABIE for the 2024-2025 academic year, please submit this application.
I look forward to the positive impact that SABIE will have in fostering a more supportive, inclusive, and vibrant SUNY Oswego community.
Remain well,
Peter O. Nwosu
President