Newsletter — Office of the Provost

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Happy Spring! It has been my experience that the second half of the spring semester always flies by. I expect this semester to be no different. My favorite part of the semester is the many opportunities coming up to celebrate our students. I hope you will be able to join me at the events highlighted below.

Scholars Day

Scholars Day is April 14^th. Classes are suspended from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Morning sessions will be held from 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM and 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM. Poster Palooza in the SERC will be from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM. The afternoon is dedicated to departmental awards, ceremonies, and events. Over 275 student presenters are participating this year, advised by 97 participating faculty. This celebration of Brockport’s academic excellence will showcase the diverse talents of our students, and the hard work and dedication with which they approach their research, creative practice, and engaged learning experiences. For more information about Scholars Day, please visit the event website.

This year we are pleased to announce an end of day Scholars Day Reception, to be held in the New York Room in Cooper Hall from 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM, featuring our invited guest speaker Brad L. Utter, Senior Historian at the New York State Museum. Mr. Utter will be giving a brief talk regarding the history of the Erie Canal, as this school year marks the bicentennial of its completion in 1825. All Scholars Day participants, faculty, and attendees are welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be served. Those who wish to attend the reception are encouraged to RSVP using this mach form.

Honors and Awards

Since 1982, the Honors and Awards Ceremony has recognized thousands of extraordinary students in all academic areas of the University. This long-standing tradition recognizes academic excellence, honoring students for their outstanding achievements. This year’s ceremony is scheduled for Friday, April 24 from 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm. in the Seymour College Union Ballroom. Faculty planning to process in academic regalia should RSVP using this link: 2026 Honors & Awards Ceremony RSVP for Processing Faculty

Commencement Ceremonies

May 15^th will be the day we celebrate the SUNY Brockport Class of 2026. Please join the celebration as a volunteer or as a processing faculty member. 2026 Commencement Faculty RSVP

College of Education & Health and the School of Nursing Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony will be held Friday, May 15 from 9:30-11:00.

College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Business will be held Friday May 15 from 2:00-4:00.

End of Year Events

President’s Cabinet has agreed that departments can use funds for food at Honor Society Inductions and Awards Ceremonies. Be sure to complete the Food / Beverage Approval for Campus Events form at least 2 weeks prior to the event. That form needs to be printed to go as supporting documentation for that purchase. Please note, just because you fill out the form, it does not mean that it is an appropriate state expenditure. You still MUST follow the expenditure guidelines. The form is just your justification for the purchase. If the purchase is found that it does not align with the expenditure guidelines, you will have to pay the amount back with non-state dollars.

Invitation to Events

If you would like to invite me or any member of Cabinet to an event, please complete the Cabinet Member Briefing Sheet.

External Funding Submission Process

• All grants, regardless of the sponsor, must go through the Office of Scholarship, Research & Sponsored Programs for review, vetting, and approvals as they are the official hub for all grants.
• Involve the Office of Scholarship, Research & Sponsored Programs from the beginning of the grant process, including reviewing the RFPs to ensure eligibility and to provide a grant checklist for proposal components and due dates.
• External Funding: SUNY Brockport

Annual Reports

Faculty/Librarian/Professional annual reports are due by May 8. The Chair’s review needs to be completed by May 22.

2025-2026 Personnel & Academic Calendar: SUNY Brockport

New Faculty Success user Experience

As everyone begins working on their annual reports in Faculty Success, you may notice a new link at the top of the Faculty Success homepage: You’re using the original Faculty Success. Explore the new view!

On Wednesday, July 1^st, Faculty Success will be changing over to this new user experience. There will be some additional resources posted in Brightspace to help guide you through parts of the new look. To find those resources, log into Brightspace, the navigation bar, select Brightspace Resources at Brockport – Brockport Resources – Faculty Success Resources module.

Procurement Requisition Deadlines

• April 17, 2026, is the deadline to submit 2025/2026 requisitions including: $25,000 and above, all furniture orders, and all equipment installations.
• May 22, 2026, is the deadline to submit 2025/2026 requisitions including: $24,999 and below and all IT-related purchases must be cleared with BITS prior to submitting a requisition to ensure compatibility with campus systems.
• Anything over $2,500 needs VP approval.
• All commodities ordered and services rendered must be delivered and completed by June 30, 2026, or 26/27 funds will need to be used.

For other Procurement tips including travel, contracts, and more visit Procurement & Payment Services: SUNY Brockport.

Points of Pride

Please use the Points of Pride form to submit noteworthy items about faculty, staff, students and alumni that we can include in our upcoming Academic Affairs Points of Pride newsletter. If you have any questions about submissions, please reach out to Tiffany Jewell, tjewell@brockport.edu

Upcoming Events

April 1^st Brunch with Brasted - Harrison Dining Hall 11:30 - 1:00

April 8^th Cafe Chats with the Provost - Jitterbugs Cafe in the Seymour College Union 1:00 -2:30

April 14^th Scholars Day

April 24^th Honors and Awards

May 15^th Commencement

May 21^st Grades Due

Ping the Provost: SUNY Brockport is always open for questions, comments, concerns and ideas. Please feel free to reach out anytime.

Thanks for all you do. Enjoy the warmer weather of spring and the longer days of sunlight.