Campus Champion

Hands-on lessons make for memorable learning, and they're key to becoming a successful teacher, says childhood/early childhood education professor Orvil White. Whether it’s at the College’s Outdoor Education Center at Raquette Lake or in Thailand, where he started a summer teaching program, Professor White calls on the world around him to make his own memorable lessons. The former high school science teacher returned recently from the month-long Teach in Thailand Study Abroad internship program. His students earned six credit hours and shared once-in-a-lifetime cross-cultural experiences, immersing themselves in Thai classrooms and customs.

Coaches and players from the New York Jets Wednesday will make their traditional “Downtown Touchdown” on Main Street in Cortland as the unofficial public opening of summer training camp.

Buses carrying first-year players, head coach Rex Ryan and other Jets officials will stop in front of the U.S. Post Office between Court and Tompkins streets on their way to camp check-in at SUNY Cortland. They are expected to arrive sometime between 3 and 4:30 p.m.

As he has for all four of the Jets’ previous Cortland training camps, Ryan is expected to briefly introduce some of the Jets’ new players to the crowd, then thank the community for its support. On hand to welcome him will be SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum, Cortland Mayor Brian Tobin and hundreds of local fans and well-wishers.

“We are excited to welcome the Jets back to Cortland and our beautiful campus for a fifth year of summer training camp,” Bitterbaum said. “Their arrival is something that the Cortland community looks forward to every summer.”

The first camp practice will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 24, on the Jets’ field south of the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex. The Jets  will train at SUNY Cortland for three weeks, leaving Aug. 14. During that time the team will hold 15 public practices which fans are invited to watch for free.

“Our business community is once again excited to welcome the New York Jets and their fans back to Cortland for their 2014 training camp,” said Bob Haight, the executive director of the Cortland County Chamber of Commerce. “The economic impact to our community from the visitors is tremendous.”

The team will hold its popular Green and White Practice in the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex, at 7 p.m. on Aug. 2. This year, the event will include the team’s Flight Crew cheerleaders and the New York Jets Aviators drumline, and will be followed by a fireworks display.

Daily practices will be from 10 a.m. until noon. Gates open at 9 a.m. and close at 1 p.m. In addition to the action on the field, visitors can enjoy Jets Fest, a football theme park for kids, and shop for official team merchandise in the Jets Shop. The team will also host a “Taste of Cortland” event on Friday, Aug. 1, with a handful of local eateries offering free food samples; Mascot Day on Monday, Aug. 11, featuring several mascots from throughout Central New York; and a military appreciation day on a date to be determined.

Although the Jets invite all fans to attend open practices, please note that all schedules are subject to change. Practices may be canceled or closed to the public in the event of inclement weather.

Check the SUNY Cortland website’s Jets Training Camp page for scheduling updates and event details.

Practice is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon for every public practice, with the exception of the Green and White Practice. The Jets Shop merchandise tent, Jets Fest and training camp gates are open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for most practices and from 5 to 9:30 p.m. for the Green and White Practice.

Admission remains free, with tickets printed from the Jets website required.

Fans should call the team’s fan line at 973-549-4844 or visit the team’s Training Camp page for the most up-to-date news regarding practice schedules. Updates also are available on Twitter and Facebook.

The 2014 camp will be the fifth Cortland camp under six-year head coach Rex Ryan. Last summer, 21,000 training camp visitors from 34 states and five countries spent more than $1.6 million locally, creating an economic impact of nearly $3.7 million, according to a study by SUNY Cortland faculty members. Together, the four New York Jets training camps hosted at SUNY Cortland since 2009 have generated $19.24 million in economic impact for Cortland County.

Summer in Costa Rica, Italy, Ghana or Thailand beckoned this year to many SUNY Cortland students, who embarked on overseas studies during June, July and August rather than September.

“Consistent with national trends, an increasing number of SUNY Cortland students opt to engage in shorter term, faculty-led courses abroad in the summer, winter or over spring break,” said Mary Schlarb, director of international programs.

“These programs offer students an opportunity to explore the world in an academically rigorous, dynamic environment, under the guidance of faculty who are not only disciplinary experts, but who also take to heart the need to guide students in their intercultural and personal development in the new settings of their host countries,” Schlarb said.

An additional benefit of these shorter-term programs is that they permit students to satisfy degree or general education requirements, creating some flexibility for students who have set course sequences during the fall and spring semesters, Schlarb added. 

“They also allow students who are freshman or sophomores to have an international experience earlier than junior or senior year, when students typically embark on semester-long program,” she said. “This gives them a taste of the thrill of studying abroad and in many cases, encourages them to participate in longer-term programs.”

The College, through its International Programs Office (IPO), recently awarded approximately $85,746 in scholarships and exchange awards to help 70 of its students expand their educational horizons through study in another country. More than half are already immersed in their host country.

Sixty-three students will use $43,850 in scholarships to pursue academics abroad during summer or fall 2014. Additionally, through the IPO’s many exchange agreements with international universities, seven SUNY Cortland students will receive tuition waivers and grants totaling $41,896 in exchange value to help pay for their international study.

The students have benefitted from a more than 15 percent increase in direct scholarship funding since last year, allowing six more students to study in another country.

Recipients were selected based on criteria that included high academic achievement, financial need, involvement in extracurricular activities, a personal essay and letters of recommendation.

“We are grateful for the generous support of alumni, faculty and friends so that more students can access these transformational opportunities to grow and learn in new cultural contexts,” Schlarb said.

A description of the scholarships and the award recipients appears below:

Overseas Academic Program (OAP) Award

One SUNY Cortland student savors a beautiful vista as she visits a foreign country for studies made possible through the College's International Programs Office.

Overseas Academic Program (OAP) scholarships are awarded to students accepted in a study abroad program. The scholarship is for amounts between $200 and $750 for summer recipients.

Three summer 2014 OAP scholarship recipients completed academic work in London, England through SUNY Oswego:

• Sidnei Afari, a senior new communication media major from Saint Albans, N.Y.;

• Madeline Herlihy, a senior community health major from Levittown, N.Y.; and,

• Sabrina Vidal, a senior communication studies major from Bronx, N.Y.

Three summer 2014 OAP awardees participated with the Summer in Ghana, Africa program:

• Anderson Briggs, a senior political science major from Fort Plain, N.Y.;

• Nyeshia Hicks, a senior human services major from Brooklyn, N.Y.; and,

• Kiana Morris, a sophomore speech and language disabilities major from Brooklyn.

Two summer 2014 OAP award winners attended Universidad Veritas, Costa Rica:

• Aminata Fisiru, a senior community health major from Bronx; and,

• Joshua Head, a senior English as a second language major from Trumansburg, N.Y.

Two summer 2014 OAP awardees studied in Muscat, Oman:

• Rachel Miller, a senior international studies major from Hamburg, N.Y.; and,

• Frederik Tremblay, a sophomore psychology major from East Islip, N.Y. 

Two summer 2014 OAP recipients were scholars in Rome, Italy through Stony Brook University:

• Lindsey Hund, a senior new media design major from Farmingdale, N.Y.; and,

• Anissa Quilty, a senior communication studies major from Liverpool, N.Y.

The remaining summer 2014 OAP winners used their scholarship as follows:

• Imani Bruce, a junior psychology major from Brooklyn, to complete an internship in Belize;

• Allison Campbell, a senior childhood education major from Eden, N.Y., to participate in Teach in Thailand;

• Melissa Case, a senior therapeutic recreation major from Manlius, N.Y., to complete a Projects Abroad service learning assignment in Ghana;

• Allison DiGregoiro, a senior psychology major from North Massapequa, N.Y., for scholarship in Middlesex, England through SUNY New Paltz;

• Kadeeja Fredankey, a junior biomedical science major from Brooklyn, for studies in Fulda, Germany;

• Rachel Forester, a graduate student in second language education from Cortland, for participation in the Summer Teacher Institute in Costa Rica;

• Amanda Garchitorena, a senior criminology major from Babylon, for scholarship in Sorrento, Italy through Suffolk Community College;

• Jasmine Lahoz, a junior adolescence education: mathematics major from Bronx, for participation in the Teach in Thailand program;

• Amber Santiago, a junior community health major from Campbell Hall, N.Y., for studies in Dublin, Ireland through SUNY Brockport;

• Erica Vega, a junior community health major from Mastic, N.Y., for academic work in Cork, Ireland; and,

• Ashley Vogler, a senior exercise science major from Jamesville, for scholarship in Western Europe through Stony Brook University.

Willi Uschald Scholarship 

Visitors to an Asian country experience a snake charming, a demonstration they would never see in their native country.

Created in 1991, the Uschald Study Abroad Scholarship is named for Willi A. Uschald, professor emeritus of foreign languages and director emeritus of international programs at SUNY Cortland. Uschald Scholarships are open to students accepted to a study abroad program who are U.S. citizens. Summer 2014 awardees received between $300 and $750.

Three students received the scholarship to attend Universidad Veritas, Costa Rica:

• Jocelyn Jones, a senior adolescence education: French and Spanish major from Auburn, N.Y.;

• Kathryn Mryglod, a junior inclusive special education major from Farmington, N.Y.; and,

• Katherine Quiroz, a senior early childhood education major from White Plains, N.Y.

Two students received the funding for studies through the Summer in Ghana program in Africa:

• Sierra Degale-Rodgers, a junior exercise science major from Brooklyn; and,

• Matthew Graves, a senior psychology major from Rochester, N.Y.

Two students received the award to participate in Teach in Thailand:

• Jasmine Lahoz, a junior adolescence education: mathematics major from Bronx; and,

• Nicholas Testman, a senior childhood education major from Hamburg.

The remaining summer Uschald recipients used their scholarship as follows:

• Nicole Becker, a junior communication studies major from Cicero, N.Y., for academic work in Rome, Italy through Stony Brook University;

• Nikole Espositio, a junior inclusive special education major from Bethlehem, Pa., to complete an internship in Belize;

• Jessica Gattus, a senior childhood education major from Seaford, N.Y., to participate in the Australia Summer Education program;

• Rachel Miller, a senior international studies major from Hamburg, for scholarship in Muscat, Oman;

• Katie Rivera, a senior international studies major from Bronx, for academic work in Cuzco, Peru through SUNY Geneseo;

• Shanice Simon, a senior exercise science major from Brooklyn, to complete a Projects Abroad service learning assignment in Ghana; and,

• Ashely Vogler, a senior exercise science major from Jamesville, for studies in Western Europe through Stony Brook University.

The fall 2014 study abroad scholarships were awarded as follows:

Chin Memorial Scholarship

The Yuki and Wah Chip Chin Memorial Scholarship supports exchange students at SUNY Cortland from Capital Normal University in Beijing, other Mainland China universities and other Asian countries. It also supports SUNY Cortland students wishing to study in Asia. The scholarships, expanded in 2003, were created by a Cortland couple that supported the College’s Asian study abroad initiatives, Chinese native Wah Chip Chin and his Japanese-born wife, Yuki. The Fall 2014 recipient of the $1,500 scholarship is:

• Molly Cairns, a senior anthropology major from Walton, N.Y., to attend Capital Normal University, China; 

Charles A. Gibson Study Abroad Scholarship

The Charles A. Gibson Scholarship, which was created in 1998, awards students participating in a study abroad program outside the Western Hemisphere who demonstrate high academic achievement and financial need. Two scholarships were awarded for $1,150 each in fall 2014, both to complete the semester of student teaching requirement in Australia, to:

• Victoria Albertassi, a senior childhood education major from Brewster, N.Y.; and,

• Kathryn Burke, a senior childhood education major from Rockville Centre, N.Y.

Gregory R. Huether ’10 Scholarship

A scholarship created in 2010 by Ronald and Marguerite Huether and family honors the memory of their son, Gregory R. Huether ’10. The Gregory R. Huether ’10 European Sport Study Seminar Memorial Scholarship will offer the College’s sport management majors $2,500 for Fall 2014. The recipient is:

• Javier Roman Tirado, a graduate student in sport management from Arecibo, Puerto Rico, to complete an internship in Australia.

Marcia Spaeth McDermott Scholarship

The Marcia Spaeth McDermott Professional Study Abroad Scholarship was created in 2009 by the late, former acting dean of the School of Professional Studies, to support the overseas studies of a SUNY Cortland student majoring in a school program. The recipient of the $1,500 scholarship for fall 2014 is:

• Talia Peck, a senior exercise science major from Pelham, N.Y., for academic work in Dublin, Ireland through SUNY Oswego. 

Gail Reed ’67 Scholarship

Created in 2007, the Gail Reed ’67 Scholarship is open to students who are U.S citizens and accepted to a study abroad program in destinations other than Great Britain for the sake of encouraging cross-cultural experiences. Reed created the scholarship to recognize the profound impact of the study abroad experience on her own life and to acknowledge the College’s study abroad program founder, Willi Uschald. The $1,000 scholarship for fall 2014 is awarded to:

• Louis Puca, a senior communication studies major from Huntington, N.Y., for study in Sorrento, Italy through SUNY Alfred. 

Kevin A. Rowell ’83 Award

SUNY Cortland graduate Kevin A. Rowell ’83 created the award in 1998 to support the overseas studies of a student who has participated in club sports, student government and volunteer work. The fall 2014 recipient of this $1,500 award is:

• Michael Knox, a senior adolescence education: Spanish major from Red Hook, N.Y., to attend Universidad Veritas, Costa Rica.

Fall 2014 Uschald Scholarship

The fall 2014 Willi Uschald Study Abroad Scholarship winners received between $500 and $1,000 to support their academic work abroad.

Two students received the award for study in Florence, Italy through Stony Brook University:

• Lindsey Bowen, a junior psychology major from Memphis, N.Y.; and,

• Megan Graham, a junior international studies major from Paramus, N.J.

The remaining recipients used their scholarship as follows:

• Ian Biggar, a senior English major from Tully, N.Y., for academic work in Cumbria, England;

• Jessica Chiodo, a junior criminology major from Staten Island, N.Y., for scholarship in London, England through SUNY Brockport;

• Kayla Douglas, a senior international studies major from Wilson, N.Y., for study in Grenoble, France through SUNY Albany;

• Glodibal Natera, a senior sociology major from Bronx, for scholarship in Fulda, Germany;

• Alexis Smith, a junior geography major from Howes Cave, N.Y., for academic work in Portsmouth, England through SUNY Brockport;

• Sally Velasco, a junior international studies major from Carlsbad, Calif., to attend University of Salamanca, Spain: and,

• Brooke Wilson, a junior communication studies major from Farmingdale, N.J., to study in Barcelona, Spain through SUNY Oswego.

Fall 2014 OAP Scholarship

Fall 2014 OAP scholarship recipients were awarded amounts between $500 and $1,000.

Two students received the award for academic work in Fulda, Germany:

• Sara Barnes, a senior sociology major from Stamford, N.Y.; and,

• Stephanie Disen, a senior psychology major from Medford, N.Y.

Two students were awarded the scholarship for study in La Rochelle, France:

•  Jessica Borio, a senior childhood education major from Cicero; and,

• Sophie Krahling, a senior communication studies major from Buffalo, N.Y. 

The remaining recipients will use their award as follows:

 • Alexa Cosgro, a senior exercise science major from Plattsburgh, N.Y., for academic work in Cologne, Germany;

• Matthew D’Alesio, a senior political science major from Yorktown, N.Y., for scholarship in Dublin, Ireland through SUNY Brockport;

• Danielle Gebhardt, a senior physical education major from Dix Hills, N.Y., to complete the student teaching requirement in Australia;

• Fionna Hart, a junior criminology major from Ithaca, N.Y., to attend Universidad Veritas, Costa Rica;

• Jesse Kapito, a senior business economics major from Monticello, N.Y., to study at London Metropolitan University in England; and,

• Nancy Roman, a senior adolescence education: Spanish major from Brooklyn, for academic work in Salamanca, Spain.

Exchange Recipients for Fall 2014

The College presented seven SUNY Cortland students with exchange awards resulting from agreements with some of the College’s 25 international partner universities, saving the selected students a total of almost $42,000. The partner universities have agreed to waive tuition for students involved in the exchange so that an award recipient pays only the SUNY tuition for the study abroad opportunity.

Two students received the award for study in Cumbria, United Kingdom:

• Alyssa Breslow, a junior criminology major from West Nyack, N.Y.; and,

• Caitlyn Jenkins, a senior communication studies major from Rochester.

Two students received the award to attend Griffith University in Australia:

• Taylor Krug, a sophomore early childhood/childhood education major from Merrick, N.Y.; and,

• Karly Neuss, a junior exercise science major from Manlius.

The remaining recipients will use their award as follows:

• Elisa Marin, a junior adolescence education: mathematics major from Islip, N.Y., for study in

Salamanca, Spain;

• Elizabeth Nevins, a senior psychology major from Schroon Lake, N.Y., to attend University College Cork, National University of Ireland; and,

• Brittany Weissman, a senior therapeutic recreation major from Levittown, to study at Federation University (Ballarat), Australia.

For more information on the scholarships, contact the International Programs Office at 607-753-2209.

The official results are in and SUNY Cortland again finished strong at the J.P. Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge in Syracuse, with the College’s four-person men’s team placing first overall and its women fifth.

For the second time in three years, SUNY Cortland will be represented at the international championship race at a location to be determined in 2015. Both the SUNY Cortland men’s and women’s squads competed at the championship race in Rochester, N.Y., in 2013.

The companies producing top times across men’s, women’s and co-ed divisions in 13 cities — 156 runners in all — receive an expenses-paid trip from J.P. Morgan Chase to the championship.

The College’s men’s team ran the fastest four-person time overall, 1:24:01, at the 3.5-mile event on June 17. The group included: John Aerni-Flessner, assistant professor of history; Joshua Henry ’09, M ’11, assistant coach of cross country and track and field; Michael Bersani, assistant director of public relations; and Hugh Anderson, study abroad advisor in the International Programs Office.

The fifth-place women’s group included: Julie Barclay, lecturer of geology; Jillian Tucker, senior admissions advisor; Pam Sullivan, interim budget officer; and Theresa Curtis, associate professor of biological sciences.

More than 50 faculty and staff members ran and walked for SUNY Cortland’s team on a sweltering Tuesday evening in 2014. Kerry Mincher and Christopher Tucker ’01 organized the College’s efforts this year with assistance from Brenda Chaffee, Melissa Fox, Jillian Tucker and Murphy’s Complete Catering, which supplied the food.

It marked the eighth year SUNY Cortland has participated in Central New York’s most popular corporate fitness event.

More than 50 faculty and staff members ran and walked for SUNY Cortland’s team on a sweltering Tuesday evening in 2014.

Area school administrators will gather at SUNY Cortland Tuesday, Aug. 19, to participate in an interactive panel discussion as well as hands-on activities geared to foster effective approaches to teaching mathematics to kindergarten through the ninth grade.

During the conference participants will break for comedian Dan Viola who, as a husband and father of seven, connects with any audience, especially those willing to think “outside of the gutter.” He incorporates his myriad life experiences into smart, clean and razor-sharp comedy. 

Viola has worked his magic alongside Jon Stewart, Rob Schneider, Kevin Nealon, Jay Pharoah of “Saturday Night Live,” Sam Kinison, Steven Wright and The Shirelles. The Rochester, N.Y.-based entertainer also hosted the comedy game show “The Battle of Wits.” Viola’s credits include appearances on The Nashville Network and in TV commercials.

The conference program, “Getting to the Core of Learning and Achievement in Mathematics,” is offered during the 2014 Francis J. Cheney Educational Leadership Summer Conference, which will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Sperry Center.

Comedian Dan Viola will regale his audience with humor directly after lunch.

“There’s been a lot of discussion about implementing the modules in the Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS),” said Kevin Mack M ’74, C.A.S. ’78, coordinator of the Educational Leadership Department in SUNY Cortland’s School of Education. “Every administrator had to deal with the modules through the ninth grade last year. This year, we’re asking administrators to bring teachers to the conference. As the school year is coming on soon, it’s a good time to have this conversation.”

Participants will address the following questions:

• What do schools do to successfully implement the CCLS/modules using a district-wide curriculum?

• How do schools incorporate the modules into the curriculum?

• How do leaders set teachers up for success in implementing CCLS?

• What are essential and guiding questions and how should educators use them in their teaching?

Sponsored by Louise M. Conley, Ph.D., and the Cortland College Foundation, the free conference is geared for all area school administrators, future administrators and students enrolled in SUNY Cortland’s Educational Leadership Department. The administrators are encouraged to bring with them their teachers of mathematics, kindergarten through ninth grade.

Participant registration is required to attend the conference. To register for the event, which includes lunch and refreshments, or to receive more information, contact the Educational Leadership Department by calling Gen Herrling at 607-753-2444 or by contacting Janice Eaton at 607-753-2447.

Gary Astles, the retired principal and a Board of Education member in the Trumansburg Central School District, will facilitate the panel discussions, which will spotlight specialists from many school districts across New York state and at SUNY Cortland.

The administrative panel will feature Jeffrey Evener ’02, M ’05, C.A.S. ’07, a principal at Lansing Middle School; Zane Mahar C.A.S. ’08, high school principal in the Sauquoit Valley Central district; Sara  Vakkas C.A.S. ’11, director of instruction for the Trumansburg district; and Stephen Dunham C.A.S. ’10, principal at West Genesee Middle School.

The planned teacher’s panel presentation will include Tracy Orr Durkee ’90, M ’95, a fifth grade teacher in the Homer Central district; Jackie Mack, a first grade teacher in the Cortland City district; Abbey Hadzicki Albright ’02, Mathematics Department chair for the Cortland City district and one of 35 participants in SUNY Cortland’s new Master Teacher Program; and Isaac Maslyn, special education teacher in the Cincinnatus Central district.

Then Denise Harvey Cook ’93, C.A.S. ’06, elementary principal in the Deposit Central district, and Kevin Mack will address the essential questions of the gathering.

The summer conference marks its sixth year as an annual event.

Kevin Mack, who chairs the Educational Leadership Department, works with an 11-member advisory board composed of regional school administrators to organize the one-day summer conference, arranged to encourage the free exchange of ideas in a small-group setting.

Named after Francis J. Cheney, who served as Cortland Normal School principal from 1891 until his death in 1912, the educational conference was created and funded by Cheney’s granddaughter, Louise M. Conley of Princeton, N.J. Conley chairs the Cortland College Foundation Board of Directors.

The conference’s mission is to create a learning community for educational leaders that enhances and supports the success of all students through ongoing professional development, refinement of leadership skills and networking.

Students begin returning to SUNY Cortland on Friday, Aug. 22. In all, College officials expect approximately 7,100 students to be enrolled for the fall semester. Classes begin on Monday, Aug. 25.

On Thursday, Aug. 21, the campus will open its 16 residence halls, the West Campus Apartments and Leadership House to approximately 100 new residential students who did not attend the summer orientation program.

With the exception of some upper class members and returning students occupying the new Dragon Hall residential facility, the majority of new residential students will move in the following day. Most returning residential students will occupy their rooms Saturday, Aug. 23, through Sunday, Aug. 24.

Between Friday and Sunday, access will be limited on Prospect Terrace and from Graham Avenue to Neubig Road, which winds past the SUNY Cortland residence halls to the Broadway intersection. Traffic will proceed one-way, in a westerly, downhill direction from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. during this time. On Friday, University Police will limit traffic solely to first-year or transfer students moving into the residences. Neubig Road will be closed to traffic from 5 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. during all three move-in days.

Parents or guardians who are helping their new or returning student move into a residence hall should approach from Graham Avenue, quickly unload their vehicle, and proceed immediately to the Park Center and Professional Studies Building parking lots. Bus service will be available between the parking lots, Corey Union and the residence halls. Faculty, staff and others with business on the campus are encouraged to park at Park Center and the Professional Studies Building and use the bus service.

Faculty, staff and students are invited to join Blaze’s Opening Crew to help students move into the residence halls from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The crew includes many early returning fall varsity athletes. There are two shifts each day that fall between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Volunteers can choose to sign up for one or two shifts. Volunteers will receive a newly designed t-shirt. To sign up today, visit the Arrival Information Web page.

On Thursday, Aug. 21, all faculty, professional and classified staff members are invited to attend SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum’s annual opening address and faculty meetings at 8 a.m. in the Corey Union Function Room. The president will speak and senior administrators will introduce new faculty and staff members and report on their respective areas.

Marking the start of another academic year, the Fall 2014 Academic Convocation begins at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 24, in the Park Center Alumni Arena. The hour-long ceremony is designed for all first-year and new transfer students. All SUNY Cortland faculty and professional staff are encouraged to attend.

Welcome Week will offer a number of events geared to help new students connect with the campus community and assist them in their transition and adjustment to college life. For more information about Welcome Week events, contact Campus Activities and Corey Union at 607-753-5574.

President Erik J. Bitterbaum has announced that the opening meeting of the Fall 2014 semester is scheduled on Thursday, Aug. 21. The meeting will begin with light refreshments at 8 a.m. in the Corey Union Function Room and lunch also will be served.

Detailed information including an agenda and response form will be sent via email.

All classified, UUP and M/C campus community members are invited to attend. 

For more information, refer to the email or call the President’s Office at 607-753-2201.

SUNY Cortland will open its 2014-15 academic year with the pomp and circumstance of the Academic Convocation on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 24, in the Park Center Alumni Arena.

All first-year and new transfer students, along with the SUNY Cortland faculty, librarians and professional staff, are invited to participate in this hour-long event, which will begin at 4 p.m.

“Academic Convocation at SUNY Cortland marks the beginning of a student’s academic journey,” said SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum. “An important milestone, the event affords faculty and staff the opportunity to formally welcome incoming students to the College. In addition, the ceremony reflects the supportive role of the entire campus community in ensuring academic achievement.”

The concept for an opening academic convocation, modeled after a ceremony held during Cortland’s earlier years, was developed from a recommendation by the College’s Cultural and Intellectual Climate Committee. The tradition, restarted in 2003, is coordinated through the President’s Office. An academic convocation website can be found at cortland.edu/academic-convocation.

Faculty and Professional Staff are encouraged to attend. Please indicate your participation on this Academic Convocation participation form. 

Campus Artist and Lecture Series (CALS) Lecture Grant Applications are now available for the 2014-15 academic year.

Applications are eligible for a maximum award of $500 and are open to any club, program or department. These lecture grants will not cover performances of any kind.

Applications must be received by Thursday, Sept. 4, in order to be considered for September, October, November and December 2014 lecture programs. Applications received after this date may not be eligible for any fall semester funds remaining.

For more information or to request a hard copy of the CALS Lecture Grant Application, contact Sandra Wohlleber by email or at 607-753-5574.