Page 23 - Annual Report 2012-2013

before the end of January. Changes were also made to the de-scheduling process so
that students whose balance is $300 or less are
bypassed and unaffected.
e College hosted an Academic Convocation
on the first day of classes for the fall 2012
semester. is was a new approach for leading
off the academic year, and we were honored to
have the keynote address delivered by SUNY
Board Chairman H. Carl McCall. During the
afternoon program, the College welcomed new
faculty members and students, honored six
SUNY Chancellor Award recipients, two
Professor emeritus designees and one faculty
member recently honored with a special
statewide award. Approximately 300 students,
faculty and administrators attended the
Convocation. A similar event will take place
for the 2013 fall semester.
in october, the College participated in New
York Completion Day, a statewide initiative
involving all 37 SUNY and CUNY community
colleges, where a single day was used to focus
on activities encouraging students to complete
their degree or credential programs. is effort
was organized under the auspices of the New York Community College Association of
Presidents (NYCCAP). Completion Day was a huge success on all our campuses and
successfully provided our students with a better understanding of the importance of
completion. our campuses worked closely with their Phi eta Kappa chapters, as
completion is also a focus area for this organization. Alumnus and foundation Board
Treasurer eric Martinez, was prominently featured in the statewide video shared with
all of SUNY’s and CUNY’s community colleges.
e College is poised to participate on a project that will allow its astronomy faculty
and students access to a world-class telescope. e Astronomical Society of New York
(ASNY), consisting of several research-level universities and four-year colleges such
as Columbia, Cornell, rochester institute of Technology, rensselaer Polytechnic
institute, Stony Brook, as well as the Natural History Museum in New York, the
National Astronomy and ionosphere Center, to name but a few, are to develop and
build an observatory either in Chile or Hawaii. Suffolk is the only community college
affiliated with the Society. To be a member is a great honor and reflects how highly we
are regarded in the scientific educational community. is project will allow our
students and faculty unprecedented opportunities that otherwise would not exist.
e observatory will provide a major focus and impetus to astrophysics research
and technology development in New York that will advance education, technology,
science, the economy, and STeM education at all levels in the State. it will also
support the growth of technology and science-based jobs and enhance the research
reputation of New York State on the world stage. when completed, the telescope will
be the largest ground-based optical-infrared telescope in the world.
2012-2013 Review of Accomplishments ❘ 23
During New York Completion Day, a statewide initiative involving
all 37 SUNY and CUNY community colleges, students pledged to
complete their degree or credential programs.
To commence the new academic year, the College held an academic
convocation featuring H. Carl McCall,
Chairman of the State University of New York Board of Trustees.