[Important Information for Employees] Gratitude and Reflections

[Office of the President]

Dear Cardinal Community,

Watching *the December commencement online*
<https://www.plattsburgh.edu/plattslife/commencement/livestream.html>, I
was drawn to the reading of each student's name during the program. As I
heard each one, I was struck by the profound significance of what this
meant.

A changed life. A dream realized. The final step taken to join our cadre of
incredible Cardinal alumni.

I thought about the time, care, energy and expertise invested in each
student life. How students are forever changed by their time here. How our
student-first mission is not only our calling, it is the compass and
foundation that will lead us in the years and decades ahead.

Collectively, we do wonderful, life-altering work.

Each of us -- from teaching faculty and classified staff to essential
workers and professional staff -- can be proud. You are the success story,
too. It is your effort and dedication that ensured we read those students’
names during commencement.

The end of 2020 is welcomed by us all. No year in our memory has taken more
and offered less. It has prevented us experiencing many life passages,
including traditional commencements. At the same time, our campus came
together to support students inside and outside of the classroom.

The coming year holds promise to be better, but it will also have
challenges that in some ways are no less daunting.

As we process the economic impact of COVID-19 and couple it with a
structural deficit the college was already facing, we are on a budget
trajectory we must alter. The uncertainty of New York state support adds to
the criticality of this moment. This is not easy or pleasant news, here or
at other colleges and universities.

Next month, we will initiate a strategic process and timetable to decide
what we must do at SUNY Plattsburgh to ensure excellence in the years
ahead. This work will be done together, with shared governance and care
over the spring semester. It will be deliberate and transparent.

"A Proud Past. A Strong Future" has often been used to describe our
college. That is what we will hold onto next year as we map our course
ahead, keep students first, and take this opportunity to shape our future
and thrive.

I am confident in our ability to do this work because of you. My first year
as your president has not been what I imagined, but it has also been much
more than I could have hoped for.

I am thankful for each of you who comprise Cardinal Country, who invest in
the lives of our students and lead them to graduation and beyond.

Dr. Alexander Enyedi
President
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