A message about being good neighbors

09/02/2022 

Dear students,

I want to share an important message about your role in the greater Cortland community.

Whether you live on or off campus, you are going to interact with our neighbors in the city and surrounding areas. You share the same local stores and restaurants and walk the same sidewalks through the same neighborhoods. These people, many of whom are SUNY Cortland employees or their families, are vital members of a community that extends beyond our campus border. I ask that you treat everyone with respect.

Please keep in mind that you are a representative of this great institution in all that you do. Thousands of faculty and staff, both current and former, as well as more than the 80,000 living SUNY Cortland alumni, look to you to carry on the legacy of scholarship, service and achievement set by the Red Dragons who came before you.

For the students who do live off campus, please try to be mindful of your neighbors, their lives and their schedules. Living off campus should be a fun and exciting experience. However, it should also be a learning experience in independence, responsibility and finding your place in a larger community. If you have the opportunity, please introduce yourself to your neighbors. I encourage you to exchange cell phone numbers and stay in touch throughout the semester.

Living in Cortland is a short, but transformational, part of your life’s story. I hope that you use these years wisely in preparation for all the great things you go on to do. Cortland may not be your permanent residence, but I ask that while you are here, please consider this place your home.

All the best,

Erik J. Bitterbaum

President