The Culture of Care and Success
Academic Affairs
Michelle Ragucci, Director of Academic Services, hosted a “Fall Semester Kick-off” for returning Learning Specialists and Peer Navigators to inform them of campus updates, and upcoming training opportunities/requirements. Staff participated in professional development on navigating the campus-wide access to Kurzweil and revisited the Digital Accessibility Hub to remind them of where to seek support when creating compliant documents and resources. (1.1)
Early College Student Success Coaches provided orientation for rising 11th graders entering SUNY SCCC full time this fall. As in the past, this included workshops for students but for the first time, newly developed, separate workshops exclusively for parents were offered. (1.3, 1.4 & 1.5)
Schenectady Outreach Center
Schenectady Outreach Center (SOC) staff actively engaged with the community through participation in several local outreach events, including Fidelis’ Annual Unity Day, MLK Elementary School’s Back-to-School Block Party, New Jerusalem Church’s Annual Block Party, and Schenectady’s Culture Fest. These events provided valuable opportunities for staff to connect directly with community members, strengthen community partnerships, increase awareness of the Center, and promote the educational, employment, and support services available through SOC. (1.4)
Delivering a Meaningful Student Experience
Academic Affairs
TRIO has recently implemented a new approach to student outreach during tabling events, including New Student Orientation and First-Year Seminar Fairs. The Fall 2026 New Student Orientation generated almost 100 new TRIO applications, clearly demonstrating the effectiveness of their outreach efforts. (2.1, 2.3, 2.4)
SUNY Schenectady has opened the ASAP grant to approximately 300 students this Fall comprised of 127 new students and 173 returning students. This represents substantial growth from the original cohort of 52 students in Spring 2024 and demonstrates the College's ability to scale a high-touch student support model while maintaining individualized advising and a strong focus on retention and completion. (2.3)
Dawn Jones, Director of Career & Transfer Services and Jessica Gilbert, Dean of Learner Support, researched tools and funding to assist with Degree Mapping efforts and alignment to labor market needs to better meet student understanding of the careers they are interested in and to meet SUNY Momentum goals. (2.2)
All of the ECHS Success Coaches completed an attainment review of summer student performance and worked with High School and/or Academic Advising to adjust the Fall schedules of students at the high school (College in the High School/CHS courses) and/or here at SUNY Schenectady (for upperclassmen). (2.1, 2.3, 2.4)
Jacquie Keleher-Hughes, Director of Library Services, Steve Fragale, Vice President for Student Affairs, and Jessica Gilbert, Dean of Learner Support, organized a successful evening New Student Orientation (NSO) on August 20. The event welcomed 37 students, and was designed specifically for evening students and those unable to attend the daytime NSOs. (2.1,2.3, 2.5)
Michael Henderson, Director EOP Program and Tiffany Wilson, EOP Student Success Coach, welcomed 29 new EOP students to campus through a 3-week summer program for them which ran from July 27 through August 14. The students completed classwork in Math and English and received one academic credit for completing the program. They also went on a bus trip to University at Albany to tour the campus and meet with EOP and Admission Advisors. Dr. Reaves stopped by to introduce herself and held a brief meet and greet session. (Gen P2)
Administration
FAFSA completion remains strong as students prepare for the 2026–27 academic year. As of August 24, Student Financial Services has received 2,916 FAFSA applications, compared with 2,608 at the same point last year—an increase of approximately 12%. The continued growth reflects ongoing efforts to connect students with the financial resources available to support their enrollment and educational goals. (2.3)
Development
Corporate & Foundation Relations Officer, Sarah Boink received a verbal confirmation for $5,000 from Broadview Federal Credit Union to support the SUNY Schenectady Food Pantry (2.5)
VP, Foundation Peter Gabak is working with Allen & Nancy Slaterpyrce on a new gift; in the past, the Slaterpryces have funded the Allen & Nancy Slaterpryce Scholarship fund (2.5)
VP, Foundation Peter Gabak and Scholarship & Alumni Relations Officer, Leanna Liuzzi are working with Bill McCann on behalf of A Place for Jazz to establish the Tim Coakley Endowed Scholarship fund (2.5)
Schenectady Outreach Center
Schenectady Outreach Center (SOC) staff presented a series of workshops to the New Choice’s Independent Living Skills group, providing an overview of SOC services and resources available to participants. Staff also conducted a career and resume workshop designed to help participants explore their interests, identify potential career paths, and develop skills and tools to support their educational and employment goals. (2.4)
Through continued collaboration with SUNY Schenectady’s Liberty Partnership Program
(LPP), Schenectady Outreach Center (SOC) staff provide LPP’s Summer Melt students
with educational workshops, career exploration opportunities, and campus experiences
designed to support their personal and academic development. These activities help
students explore their interests, identify potential career paths, and gain a better
understanding of educational opportunities available to them.
In addition, SOC sponsored and accompanied the LPP Summer Melt program on a tour of
the Capital District Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) in Troy, NY, providing students
with an opportunity to learn more about educational and career training opportunities.
(2.4)
Strategic Initiatives and Planning
The Admissions Office, in collaboration Student Affairs and Academic Affairs, partnered to host two successful New Student Orientation programs. The events held on August 19 and 20, hosted 361 new students and 172 guests. Students were able to receive their schedules, engage with offices from across the campus and meet with faculty. The successful event resulted in a great experience for all students (Gen. Pillar 2, 2.1).
The Academic Advising team has effectively responded to the needs of students, completing New Student Registration Days, proactively reaching out to students to encourage completion of the advising process, and supported enrollment programming (Gen. Pillar 2).
Student Affairs
New student orientation on August 19 and 20 which saw significant growth in both attendance and engagement. Student attendance increased 18%, from 306 to 361, while total participation, including guests, grew from 395 to 533. Improved communication and consistent messaging also contributed to a 26.3 percentage-point increase in the show rate, reflecting stronger student and family engagement. (2.1)
Food Pantry:
Food Pantry Summer 2026 Summary — June & July
Student Impact & Outcomes (All 2.1)
- 47 unduplicated students/visitors accessed the Food Pantry during June and July.
- 123 household visits, representing individuals and families served.
- 408 total member visits during the summer period.
- 58 students who graduated in May 2026 had utilized the Food Pantry during their time at the College.
- 85 students who used the Food Pantry are registered for the upcoming semester.
- 143 students were either retained or completed their studies.
- During 2025–26, Food Pantry visits and the number of individuals served increased by approximately 5% overall.
Student Activities/SGA: (All 2.1)
- Assisted in hosting New Student Orientation on August 19 and 20.
- Completed the SGA Training Day on August 7.
- Held the first SGA Executive Board meeting on August 27.
- Hosted Welcome Week from August 24–28, bringing together faculty, staff, and administrators to welcome students back to campus.
- Coordinated Welcome Week tabling with campus departments, providing students with information, snacks, smiles, and opportunities to connect with the campus community.
- Funded a specialty beverage truck through the Student Activities programming funds, providing complimentary drinks to over 150 students while on campus during Welcome Week.
Workforce Development and Community Education
Sarah Wilson-Sparrow was interviewed by Hudson Valley Magazine with the support of Karen Tanski, to highlight community education programs with a particular focus on the culinary trip to Italy and other culinary programs developed and managed by Maria Kotary.
Building Organizational Effectiveness
Academic Affairs
David Wolf, Director of Instructional Design and Online Learning developed and started a series of 9 training sessions for faculty and staff on utilizing MS Copilot (the college’s subscription AI Tool) for improving workflow efficiency and for assisting faculty and students. The first session provided training and access to two AI agents; one that acts as a tutor for faculty learning to use Banner for taking attendance and another that acts as a FAQ for the student handbook. (Gen P3)
TRIO has implemented a process to provide a real-time count of currently active participants to enable the Academic Specialists to focus on recruiting continuing students, so the Outreach Advisor can focus on recruiting new applicants. Timely enrollment data allows staff to make data-informed decisions and better support students. (3.1, 3.4, 3.5)
SUNY Schenectady continues to serve as the pilot campus for the SUNY ASAP/ACE Data Integration Project, a SUNY System initiative through the Office of Student Success to develop an integrated data dashboard for ASAP/ACE programs. The project brings together Banner, Argos, SIRIS, and other institutional data to improve the College's ability to monitor enrollment, engagement, retention, registration, and graduation. The ASAP Executive Director continues to collaborate with SUNY System Administration, Information Technology, and institutional partners on the project's development and implementation. The first dashboard configuration was successfully tested in August 2026, advancing the project toward broader implementation across SUNY ASAP/ACE campuses. (3.5)
Chastity Rios, Non-Traditional Career Advisor developed an elaborate social media plan for the Office of Career & Transfer Services and is working alongside Public Relations Specialist, Heather Meaney to explore student engagement through social media platforms. (3.1)
Alondra Aca Garcia, Early College Success Coach has an ongoing collaboration with the bookstore to obtain Fall textbooks for grant students. Textbook distribution will occur during institute week. They created a new process involving QR codes for Early College High School textbook distribution to improve efficiency and resource tracking. (3.1, 3.4, 3.5)
Jacquie Keleher, Director of Library Services, earned the Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) certification, a nationally recognized credential demonstrating competency in human resources principles and practices. This certification strengthens her ability to support staff development, employee relations, policy implementation and effective management within Library Services. (Gen P3)
Academic Affairs worked closely with Wa’kena Jackson, Campus Events Coordinator and maintenance to produce a successful Institute Week that included student speakers who shared their journeys in their “I am SUNY Schenectady” presentations at the opening convocation, an informative Poster Session showcasing 21 programs and offices, professional development experiences and planning time. This year’s experience was intentionally curated to provide a meaningful balance of professional learning, updates and opportunities to connect. (3.2, 3.3)
Administration
During the month of August, the campus saw progress on the following Capital projects:
- Elston Hall Gathering Space – New flooring was installed in the main Gathering Space and in the alcove where the food pantry lockers are located. Lighting has been installed and electrical work is being done for AV and power in the casework. Anticipated opening in late October. (3.4)
- Begley Auditorium – This space was used for Institute Week, despite still having some finishing touches being completed. IT is working to get the projector installed. (3.4)
- Begley Basement – Work on the School of Music classrooms was temporarily delayed due to a leak discovered in one of the classrooms. The leak has since been repaired, and work has resumed. The classrooms are expected to be back online by the end of the first week of classes. The Library was opened and fully operational for the first day of classes. The excavation area outside Begley Hall is still being evaluated to determine the best method for installing the drainage piping. Engineers, the construction team, and the County are working collaboratively to develop a solution that addresses the plumbing issues while minimizing any additional disruption to campus operations. (3.4)
- Elston Hall Façade – Brick repointing and window restoration work continues to progress. The construction team anticipates being completed by the middle of October. (3.4)
- Elston Hall Boiler Room Shoring – this project is moving along; however, due to long lead times for plumbing, the end date has been shifted to the end of September. (3.4)
- Elston Hall Basement Renovations – This project began in early August with asbestos abatement. During that phase of the work, two pipe leaks were discovered and have since been repaired. The project team is now working with the engineers to determine the best approach for leveling the floor in preparation for the new flooring installation. Despite these challenges, the project remains on schedule and is expected to be completed by the end of October.
- Van Curler Room Renovations – College representatives from IT, Culinary, Events, and Administration recently met with C2 Architects to discuss the project design. During these meetings, the Culinary and Events teams shared their preferences for furniture, finishes, and other design elements. The next phase of the project will be to finalize the construction drawings and proceed with the bidding process. The room is expected to remain available for use through at least the end of October, with construction anticipated to begin during the winter, pending project approvals. The project timeline will become more definitive once the County completes the necessary paperwork and the project is formally released for bid.
- Student Financial Services entered the fall semester with positive trends in student
account readiness. The number of students beginning classes with an outstanding balance
decreased by 8% compared with last year. More significantly, there was an 18% decrease
in students who still owed their entire bill on the first day of classes, demonstrating
progress in helping students address their financial obligations before the semester
began. (3.5)
Certificate of Residence collection continues to be a significant focus for Student Financial Services, with 81% of students successfully submitting their certificate for the fall semester. Staff continue targeted outreach to students with outstanding certificates to maximize compliance within the required 30-day timeframe and secure appropriate county funding for the College. (3.5)
Human Resources
Employee Wellbeing & Campus Climate
Human Resources continues to advance initiatives that strengthen employee wellbeing, community connection, and organizational resilience.
Wednesday Wellbeing messages
-
- 7/29 – Summer harvest recipe – Cucumber Hummus
- 8/5 – Simple habits that support focus, productivity, and wellbeing
- 8/12 – National Eye Exam Month
- 8/19 – Reenvisioning detours as opportunities
- 8/26 – Wellbeing and physically connecting with the Earth
(3.1,3.2)
Workplace Wellbeing & Engagement Initiatives
We participated in Institute Week by welcoming our new employees and recognizing our newly promoted employees and by preparing an informational poster which highlights how Human Resources supports our employees. (3.1,3.2)
Benefits Engagement
We attended sessions on the upcoming changes to the NYS retirement plan Tier 6 member benefits and provided a training on work-life balance. (3.2)
New Employee Onboarding
We welcomed 13 new employees, ensuring they received a supportive, well-structured onboarding experience aligned with institutional expectations and culture. (3.2)
Employee Support Services
-
- We provided one-on-one benefits counseling to 15 employees.
- We assisted seven employees with leave of absence counseling.
- We worked closely with four employees who retired this month to transition their benefits.
These services reinforce HR’s role as a strategic partner in employee wellbeing and organizational stability. (3.1, 3.5)
Talent Acquisition & Staffing
HR continues to support operational effectiveness by advancing critical searches across
the College.
Active Searches: 8 Total
Civil Service: Four (4) Faculty: Zero (0) Professional Staff: Four (4)
(3.2)
Strategic Initiatives and Planning
Dale Miller, Director of Institutional Research, submitted one SUNY Systems report and two New York State Department of Education reports. Mr. Miller also provided data for the following projects: admissions data to Admissions for SUNY reporting, enrollment data to the Dean of the School of Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism for course planning, enrollment data to EOP, MSCHE quality control data to Ms. Paula Ohlhous on the Annual Institutional Update, aviation data for a cost benefit analysis, and additional program review data to faculty (Gen. Pillar 3).
Mary Silvestri, Director of Admissions and Matriculated Enrollment, created a more intentional workflow for student engagement and outreach to increase student attendance at New Student Orientation. This included creative emailing, paced messaging, changed modality for messaging and highly personalized messaging. This change in messaging resulted in a 77% show rate across all student orientation events, which increased from last year’s 51% and an increase of 18% of new students (3.1, 3.4, 3.5, 2.4).
The Admissions Office is actively preparing for the fall recruitment season and has already scheduled 100 off-campus recruitment events between late September and early December. These visits will provide opportunities to engage prospective students, families, and school counselors throughout the region. In addition, the College is working closely with Wa'Kena Jackson and SUNY to prepare for SUNY Operation Inform (OpInform) in October. SUNY Schenectady will host more than 100 high school counselors and approximately 30 SUNY campus representatives for updates on SUNY initiatives and an opportunity to experience the College's programs, services, and campus community (3.1, 3.4, 2.4).
Student Affairs
Safety and Security:
Coordinated and provided security support for Secretary Duffy and Congressman Tonko, ensuring a safe and well-organized campus visit while supporting the successful execution of the events. (3.1)
Purchased two tablets for use by Campus Security when completing incident reports with complainants, improving efficiency, accuracy, and consistency in documentation and allowing reports to be completed more effectively in the field. (3.4)
Ensuring Financial Sustainability and Self-Sufficiency
Academic Affairs
TRIO has developed several contingency plans to ensure continuity of program operations while awaiting the second-year Grant Award Notification. Although the program does not anticipate a funding issue, a delay in the award notification is possible. These contingency plans will help ensure that TRIO students continue to receive consistent services and support without interruption. (4.1, 4.3)
The Office of College and High School Partnerships has successfully re-engaged two school districts who did not offer CHS courses last year but have decided to offer CHS courses for the 2026-2027 school year. (4.3)
Administration
The College’s 2026/2027 Operating budget was submitted to SUNY at the beginning of August. (4.1)
Development
We received $20,000 from KeyBank; our missions align as they both focus on the under resourced and underrepresented student who seek empowerment and support on the pathway to higher education opportunities (4.4)
Student Affairs
Food Pantry:
Food Distribution & Inventory (All 4.5)
- 2,815 items received through donations and food partnerships.
- 2,243 items distributed to students and households.
- Distributed food represented an estimated $6,593 in value.
- Continued efforts to control inventory costs through community food donations and partnerships.
Funding, Grants & Donations (All 4.5)
- Food Pantry support currently includes 4 grants, 5 corporate partners, and 24 individual donors.
- SUNY Food Insecurity Grant funding is expected to be distributed in the fall.
- $1,000 HPNAP grant was accepted and utilized through the Regional Food Bank.
- Community donations included four shopping carts from St. Madeleine Sophie Church and approximately one-half cart from College staff members.
- Continued partnership with Panera, which provides fresh bread, bagels, and pastries to the campus. This recurring donation is particularly valuable in helping offset food purchasing costs as student food insecurity continues to increase.
Community Partnerships & Engagement (All 4.5)
- Continued successful partnership with the Urban Farm, providing 9–11 boxes of fresh produce weekly. Student response has been very positive.
- Participated in the New York State Food Summit to learn about emerging food insecurity issues and best practices.
- Participated in a Regional Food Bank panel discussion on SNAP, including conversations with local agencies regarding the impact of food insecurity across New York State.
- Regional Food Bank data indicates that approximately 1 in 8 adults and 1 in 6 children experience food insecurity, reinforcing the importance of the Food Pantry's role in supporting our students and their families.
Workforce Development and Community Education
Lauren Lankau and Sarah Wilson-Sparrow attended a signing event for Police Officer Registered Apprenticeship Signing Ceremony at Clinton Community College. This represents a second group sponsorship in NYS for the Police Officer apprenticeship trade which SUNY Schenectady developed in 2023. (4.5)
President's Outreach
President Dr. Nicole Reaves and Reverend Dr. Catherine Solomon, pastor of Duryee AME Zion Church.