President’s Newsletter

Friday, November 21, 2025

Dear Colleagues:

Given the upcoming Thanksgiving break, this will be the last newsletter in November. In the spirit of gratitude, thank you for your commitment to SUNY Brockport. We are only able to achieve our goals because you are invested in them and you work towards them. I hope you get to spend time with family and friends and enjoy good food and wonderful company over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Monday’s Senate meeting started with an excellent presentation on the research associated with the “Academics, Professions and Exploration” (APEX) pilot for first year students, which focuses on career preparation as an alternate Academic Planning Seminar course. It was good to see the benefits of the program for the students who took part in it; at the next Senate meeting, there will be a second reading on whether to accept APEX as an alternate APS graduation requirement. Logan Rath, the Senate President, updated members about the expanded EAP Program and encouraged individuals to explore the brochure that lists the many free benefits to SUNY Brockport employees, from counseling to financial literacy to coaching and much more.

Tuesday was a day for external meetings and time at the REOC. I attended a United Way Board meeting and a Rotary lunch about plans for the expanded Susan B. Anthony Museum, and had a regular 1-2-1 with Roosevelt Mareus. Additionally, I had 1-2-1s with Interim Provost Monica Brasted and with Mike Andriatch, VP for Advancement & Communications this week as well as a meeting with the BSG leaders.

Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting focused on developing action response plans for critical events. Our emergency manager Tim Durfee will be soon sending plan templates out to divisions and each department for completion. The purpose of these plans is to assess departmental preparedness in case of active shooter incidents, to identify gaps in current procedures and to develop practical steps to improve safety, communication and coordination amongst areas on campus.

The SUNY comprehensive presidents met virtually this week, discussing a range of topics from procurement and contract issues, to AI, to the Academic Momentum Campaign, as well as student issues facing certain campuses. SUNY also hosted a virtual Presidents and Provosts meeting on the Academic Momentum Campaign.

I was glad to be able to attend this week’s Writers Forum with SUNY Brockport’s own Sarah Cedeño. She read from her collection of short stories, The Grand Scheme of Things. On Thursday evening, I attended the Rochester Area Community Foundation Celebration of Giving.

Today Cabinet will be having a full day budget retreat to consider a variety of investment opportunities as well as future planning. In addition, this evening we have our Igniting Excellence Campaign Launch, where we will officially announce our comprehensive campaign fundraising goal. It should be a wonderful event.

I wish you a safe and relaxing Thanksgiving next week.