[Important Information for Employees] March Campus Message

[Office of the President]

Dear Cardinal Community,

Welcome back from spring break.

In just two weeks, SUNY Plattsburgh will experience the long-anticipated
total eclipse of the sun. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event for our
community and we look forward to a special time for all.

Details on the eclipse and related programming on campus are online here
<https://www.plattsburgh.edu/plattslife/eclipse-2024/index.html>. There are
many activities and events all around our area. While there will be no
formal suspension of university operations that day, employees may leave
their work stations to view the eclipse event without charging leave
credits, and faculty who are teaching during that same time frame may
choose to incorporate viewing the eclipse into a teaching/learning
opportunity -- with special viewing glasses.

During the break, I was able to travel to California and visit with alumni
and friends of the university. I was delighted to spend time with 30
Southern California Cardinals. The group ranged from retired nursing alumna
Janet Soule '59 to Amanda Crafts '22, who is currently the director of an
after school program for athletes.

Everyone was pleased to share stories, reconnect, hear news from campus,
and celebrate the $1 million legacy gift from Cindy Kahn Kansky '76, which
helped the Plattsburgh College Foundation launch Cardinals Thrive -
Creating and Sustaining Success
<https://alumni.plattsburgh.edu/s/1603/bp19/interior.aspx?sid=1603&gid=1&pgid=2966&cid=6921&ecid=6921#gsc.tab=0>.
Cindy spoke passionately about Cardinals Thrive and the need for alumni to
support student well-being so they can succeed in their education and in
life. I am happy to share that the foundation has successfully secured an
additional $600,000 more toward the goal to match Cindy's $1
million challenge gift.  And, if the enthusiasm of our California Cardinals
are any indication, we are certain to achieve this goal.

Campus student enrollment efforts are ongoing as undergraduate admissions
is actively engaging in one of the busiest periods of the yield season to
recruit and enroll the fall 2024 class. Spring travel by admissions
continues across the state and registrations for high school visits,
national and regional college fairs surpassing the spring goal.

With the assistance of faculty, staff and students, admissions has
completed the reinstatement of accepted student days, welcoming over 75
families to campus for a very focused and specialized visit during March.
With much campus support, admissions also held six accepted students
regional receptions with more than 200 students attending. Additionally,
final preparations are taking place for the spring open house and the
annual bus trips, with an estimated 300 families attending and 150 students
on three buses from key market areas. The disruption due to the FAFSA
rollout has warranted a change of the deposit deadline to June 1 for all
majors except nursing, which is now May 15. Efforts remain firm as the
admissions office works toward the fall goal of 1,365 new undergraduate
students.

For summer and fall 2024, we aim to enroll 335 new graduate students and
are on our way to achieving this. Year-to-date applications are up 24
percent, acceptances have increased 34 percent, and deposits are ahead 23
percent compared to 2023. These increases are being driven in large part by
the addition of an online modality for our data analytics program, joining
the CSDCAS application for speech language pathology,and increased demand
for our school district leader certificate. In addition, we have received
28 graduate transfer applications via our College of Saint Rose teach-out
partnership and are advancing on the addition of a graduate degree in
social work.

Work continues with SUNY system and Clinton Community College on a planned
relocation of their campus to ours. Efforts have continued to focus on the
details of integrating information technology, developing a scope for the
space and offices for Clinton and delving into the range of potential
shared services, how that might work and what it would cost. More study,
conversations and meetings are ahead, with up to date information always
available on the Clinton Community College website here
<https://www.clinton.edu/college-relocation/default.aspx>.

Finally, taking our university to the wider community has been a focus of
this month's three “I’ve Been Admitted to College” (IBAC) events, which
combined with four fall events brought our total for the academic year to
1,000 North Country eighth grade participants. IBAC started in fall 2021
with 40 students, making this year a milestone achievement.

The programming is made possible by faculty, staff, students and volunteers
from all across campus, including MST students providing campus tours and
activities. IBAC inspires eighth graders to see SUNY Plattsburgh as an
exciting and attainable option for their futures and has been embraced by
local school districts, including Ausable Valley, Beekmantown, Boquet
Valley, Brushton-Moira, Chateaugay, Chazy, Crown Point, Northeastern
Clinton, Peru, Saranac, Saranac Lake, Ticonderoga, Tupper Lake and
Willsboro. All visiting eighth graders receive a personalized SUNY
Plattsburgh Promise of Admission certificate, contingent on satisfying our
admissions requirements.

As we depart from spring break and move through the balance of the
semester, I am grateful for all of what makes SUNY Plattsburgh a
life-changing experience for our students and a difference-maker in our
wider community.


Sincerely,

Alex Enyedi
President
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