1.0 Campus Role and Distinctiveness

Founded in 1889 as a State Normal School, the College at Oneonta is now a comprehensive, Carnegie Master’s I, largely residential institution providing a high-quality liberal arts education that maintains an appropriate balance of liberal arts and professional studies programs. Distinctive programs include NCATE-accredited Education programs; the nationally-known Cooperstown Graduate Program in History Museum Studies; and, undergraduate majors such as Music Industry, Human Ecology, Computer Art, and Environmental Sciences. Oneonta is also known for its commitment to educational technology; the volunteer Center for Social Responsibility and Community; its emphasis on a student-centered environment; and, very good facilities on a geographically centrally-located campus.

During the past five years and since Mission Review I (MRI), Oneonta has become a college of choice within SUNY due, in large part, to adherence to the seven major goals of the Comprehensive College Plan (CCP), to which repeated reference will be made throughout this document. The College has been particularly active during this time in promoting the goals of academic quality, admissions selectivity, and retention.

For the future, the College will continue to promote academic excellence and enhance its reputation. Its mission will continue to be centered on fostering the individual student’s intellectual development through an emphasis on excellence in teaching…and with a concern for students’ personal, cultural, and ethical development. Oneonta has, for example, been named to the last two Templeton Honor Rolls of Character Building Colleges.

2.0 National Context: Peer Institutions

Comparisons to other, similar institutions provide useful benchmarks for campuses, reinforce an institution’s confidence in existing practices, and can lead to new ideas for improvement. In terms of overall academic characteristics, Oneonta’s current peers include SUNY Cortland and SUNY Fredonia; aspirational peers include Bloomsburg, Millersville, and Shippensburg Universities in the Pennsylvania system. During the Mission Review visit, it was agreed that SUNY Geneseo and The College of New Jersey would be added to the list of aspirational peers for Oneonta. Table 1 below includes comparative data for these seven institutions.

SUNY College at Oneonta Peer Analysis

3.0 Economic Impact

One of the goals of Mission Review II is to compile an accurate account of SUNY’s impact on the New York State economy. To this end, System Administration has standardized employment and fiscal data across the 64-campus system and will use U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis multipliers to calculate the total regional and state-wide impacts.

The College at Oneonta, located in Otsego County, contributes in many ways, both economic and social, to the rural central southern tier of New York and to the State as a whole. The city of Oneonta is located 60 miles or more from the larger upstate cities of Albany, Binghamton, and Utica. The College is, therefore, a major source of educational, cultural, and economic opportunities for its students, its employees, the city of Oneonta, and the surrounding communities.

The most recent economic impact study, conducted in 2003, shows that the College directly employs 1,600 people and that its activities lead to the employment of another 2,975 people. Direct expenditures amount to $168 million, with additional indirect expenditures amounting to $50 million, accounting for total expenditures of $218 million (based on U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis methodology).

4.0 Enrollment and Admissions

4.1 Enrollment growth

Oneonta anticipates that its total AAFTE enrollment will increase slightly (just over 5,600 AAFTE by 2010 is indicated in the table below) over the next five years, and that enrollment will continue to be managed on an institutional rather than a programmatic level. Decisions on expansion or contraction of programs will continue to be based on factors such as market conditions, congruency with the CCP, and institutional resource allocation analyses. Oneonta anticipates a slight decline in the cohort of continuing/returning students in the out-years because of an anticipated increase in graduation rates, current student mix, and anticipated smaller average inputs of new students than for the period 1999-2005.

The College’s actual Fall 2004 and Fall 2005 enrollment and out-year projections are detailed in Table 2 below.

Table 2

Oneonta Planned Enrollment – Fall Headcounts and Annual Average FTE

	Fall 2004	Fall 2005	Fall 2006	Fall 2007	Fall 2008	Fall 2009	Fall 2010
Student Group	(Actual)	(Actual)	(Planned)	(Planned)	(Planned)	(Planned)	(Planned)
Undergraduate
First-Time FT	1,075	1,156	1,105	1,105	1,105	1,105	1,105
Transfer FT	480	501	495	495	495	495	495
Continuing/Returning	3,876	3,830	3,902	3,898	3,877	3,868	3,867
Total FT Undergraduate	5,431	5,487	5,502	5,498	5,477	5,468	5,467
Total PT Undergraduate	174	161	168	168	168	168	168
Total Undergraduate	5,605	5,648	5,670	5,666	5,645	5,636	5,635

Graduate
New Graduate FT	37	42	31	31	31	31	31
Continuing/Returning	26	22	32	32	32	32	32
Total FT Graduate	63	64	63	63	63	63	63
Total PT Graduate	138	147	137	137	137	137	137
Total Graduate	201	211	200	200	200	200	200

Total Headcount	5,806	5,859	5,870	5,866	5,845	5,836	5,835
AAFTE	5,576	5,636	5,650	5,645	5,625	5,616	5,615

These enrollment goals may be affected by external factors such as changing economic conditions, demographic shifts, and fiscal constraints. Official enrollment targets that are the basis for the University’s budget model are set annually through dialogue between campuses and System Administration, and may differ somewhat from the projections shown in Table 2.

4.2 Enrollment mix

During the next five years, Oneonta does not foresee any significant changes in its student mix in terms of geographic origin, percentage of resident to commuter (currently 65%/35%), or percentage of international students; a minor increase in graduate enrollment is desired and anticipated if a proposed new graduate program is approved. The College will hold steady on the current ratio of “native” to transfer students (presently 60% freshman/40% transfers: fall and spring inputs).

Transfer admission is based on overall enrollment and space available and has declined somewhat since MRI; applicants are expected to have a cumulative GPA of 2.3 or better, with a strong record in their major, and transfer students who wish to major in Education must have a GPA of 2.8. In addition, because the overwhelming majority of Oneonta students is, and is expected to remain, traditional-aged undergraduates, no significant change is predicted in the students’ average age through 2015.

It is worth noting here that in terms of its students’ geographic origin, Oneonta is less “regional” than most sector peers. In Fall 2004, 21.9% of all students came from the Oneonta “region” with 74.3% from the “rest of New York.” Comprehensive college averages for the same year were 56.2% and 39%, respectively. Going forward, the College is committed to:

Ø maintaining and, as possible, enhancing its student geographic diversity

SUNY’s 2004-08 Master Plan reaffirms the State University’s commitment as a public university to ensuring access to the full range of populations served, and therefore emphasizes student diversity as a priority goal for Mission Review II. At Oneonta, plans for increasing the diversity of the student body are an important component of the College’s overall commitment to pluralism, as stated in the CCP. System data indicate that in 2004 the “Total Minorities” headcount was 479, 8.3% of the Total Campus Headcount of 5,806, representing a 3.8% decline from 9.3% in 2000. The College is committed to:

Ø enhancing its efforts to recruit and retain students from under-served populations

4.3 Enrollment management plans

Oneonta anticipates it will continue to achieve its managed enrollment goals through its highly-refined admissions recruitment program and continued improvements in student retention. The College has improved its institutional image significantly in recent years through appropriate marketing strategies and concerted efforts in public relations, based on improvements in academic programs, student services, and the overall quality of student life. These strategies will continue. In addition, the College plans to be even more selective in freshman admissions during the next five years in order to improve the freshman profile. EOP and CAMP freshman enrollment will be maintained at the 7% aggregate level while further reducing other special admit categories to 10%. In this regard, it should be noted that for Fall 2005 the total Special Admit category was 18.1%, an almost 10% reduction compared to MRI, and that the same number of EOP and CAMP freshmen in future years will equate to a slightly higher percentage of EOP and CAMP freshmen because of the reduced size of projected incoming freshman classes.

To improve the recruitment of ethnic minority students, Oneonta adapted the state-funded Edward R. Murrow High School initiative into a highly successful campus-funded “On-Site Acceptance” at twelve New York City high schools. Participation in this program has increased substantially, and the yield rate for participants continues to be extremely high – over 80% some years. Additional merit scholarships have been created for under-represented student groups, and an Office of Multicultural Student Affairs opened in 2002. Again, strategies such as these will be maintained and, where possible, enhanced.

4.4 Selectivity

In Mission Review I and the resulting Memorandum of Understanding, just 27% of Oneonta’s freshman class qualified as Group 1 or Group 2 students. In Fall 2004, the College achieved Group 2 selectivity (i.e., Highly Selective) status with 66.5% of first-time, full-time students in Groups 1 (13.4%) and 2 (53.1%); Group 2 selectivity was enhanced quite significantly in Fall 2005; mean SAT scores and high school averages for those students were 1099 and 88, respectively. As Table 3 indicates, Oneonta expects to solidify this position over the next five years, projecting 71% of students in Groups 1 and 2 annually despite a concurrent reduction in its special admits, increased competition for top students, and demographic trends that suggest a decline in the number of New York State high school graduates after 2009.

Table 3

Distribution of First-Time Full-Time Regular Admit Students by Selectivity Group

Selectivity Group	Fall 2004 (Actual)	Fall 2005 (Actual)	Fall 2006 (Planned)	Fall 2007 (Planned)	Fall 2008 (Planned)	Fall 2009 (Planned)	Fall 2010 (Planned)
Group 1	13.4%	20.7%	16.0%	16.0%	16.0%	16.0%	16.0%
Group 2	53.1%	58.0%	55.0%	55.0%	55.0%	55.0%	55.0%
Group 3	33.5%	21.2%	29.0%	29.0%	29.0%	29.0%	29.0%
Group 4	0.0%	0.1%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Group 5	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Not Classifiable	3.4%	3.1%	3.4%	3.4%	3.4%	3.4%	3.4%
Special Admits (EOP or Other Risk)	18.2%	18.1%	18.0%	17.8%	17.5%	17.3%	17.0%

5.0 Faculty

5.1 Faculty profile

Oneonta currently employs 246 full-time and 180 part-time faculty members, 77% of whom hold terminal degrees. In terms of rank, approximately 25% are full professors, 21% associate professors, 41% assistant professors, and 13% lecturers or instructors. The College maintains a student/faculty ratio of approximately 21:1. During the next five years, hiring of new faculty is expected to be quite limited because of budgetary constraints and a stable enrollment.

However, the College has a number of growing majors in both emerging and traditional fields in which job openings for graduates are projected to be high. The College has so far met demand for these majors by assigning faculty positions, as they become available, based on programs’ centrality to mission, student demand, workforce expectations, demonstration of quality, positive assessment results and cost effectiveness; this practice will continue. Further, several mission-related areas would benefit from the addition of faculty resources, specifically General Education, diversity initiatives, professional accreditations, and experiential learning. For the future, with no significant changes in faculty workload anticipated, Oneonta will:

Ø hire full-time tenure-track faculty with terminal degrees in areas of specialization that support existing programs;

Ø continue ongoing efforts to recruit under-represented faculty and staff; and

Ø seek a more appropriate balance between full-time and part-time faculty.

5.2 Faculty development

Oneonta faculty members are active in research, scholarship, and service although their primary responsibility is teaching. Since MRI, the College has significantly increased faculty research and development opportunities by: opening a Grants Development Office; expanding available internal grants programs; establishing the Teaching, Learning and Technology Center, offering additional competitive internal grant funding; and, implementing orientation sessions for new faculty. In addition, the Student/Faculty Research Grant Program has been enhanced and awards (e.g., Susan Sutton Smith, Richard Siegfried, Innovative Uses of Instructional Technology) annually recognize outstanding faculty accomplishments. In addition, Oneonta actively pursues recognition of faculty through the SUNY Distinguished Professor awards.

5.3 Scholarship and research/Sponsored activity

The College projects that it will continue as one of the top three institutions in the comprehensive college sector in terms of total direct and indirect sponsored program activity over the next several years. Sponsored activity for the College has increased steadily over the past five years. In 1999-2000 when the first Memorandum of Understanding was written, Oneonta recorded almost $3.5 in Total Sponsored Activity (direct and indirect); by 2004-05, that figure had increased to $5.3 million. While Oneonta does not anticipate sustaining the exceptional increase in research funding that it experienced from 2003-04 ($4.5 million) to 2004-05 ($5.3 million), the College does project steady increases to $5.1 million annually in 2009-2010, a gain of more than 13% over the 2003-04 baseline, or more than 45% over the baseline of $3.5 million in 1999-2000. Table 4 shows Oneonta’s goals for sponsored research expenditures through 2010.

Table 4

Sponsored Research Expenditures (Direct + Indirect), 2003-04 through 2009-10 (in Millions)

2004-05

(Actual)

2005-06

(Planned)

2006-07

(Planned)

2007-08

(Planned)

2008-09

(Planned)

2009-10

(Planned)

$5.3

$4.9

$5.0

$5.1

5.4 Faculty review: tenure and promotion

Oneonta’s Faculty Handbook, updated in 2003 after a campus-wide review, clearly delineates review, promotion, and tenure procedures. These procedures include review by appropriate departmental personnel, deans, a divisional committee, and a college-wide committee, and are consistent with the Policies of the Board of Trustees. The College does not anticipate additional changes over the next five years, except any that might result from the routine review of policies and publications. The College requires external peer review for promotion and tenure.

5.5 Faculty opinion and satisfaction

Overall, faculty morale and satisfaction is quite high at Oneonta. In addition to annual departmental and divisional reports, faculty satisfaction and opinion are measured through other instruments. For example, the Employee Recruitment and Retention Task Force, charged to enhance recruitment and retention with an initial focus on faculty positions, collects local and comparative data and has developed two surveys specific to the College: a decliner survey of applicants who turn down positions and a new exit survey of employees who resign. Particular aspects of faculty opinion and satisfaction are evaluated through specific surveys, including the Registrar’s Office survey, Instructional Resources Support survey, Faculty Research Show survey, and Faculty Orientation survey.

The primary body for faculty governance is the College Senate. The Faculty Presiding Officer, Alternate Presiding Officer, and Secretary serve respectively as Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary of the College Senate. The College Senate reviews all major planning documents, and the Chair of the Senate is a member of the Strategic Planning Advisory Group, the primary planning body directly advisory to the President.

6.0 Academic Program Directions

6.1 Undergraduate programs

Oneonta’s plans to strengthen the quality and reputation of academic programs are outlined in the CCP. Specific objectives include the following:

Ø improving quality of instruction as demonstrated through assessment of student learning outcomes;

Ø sustaining a student-oriented advisement program; continuing to improve academic support services for students;

Ø providing faculty the opportunity to articulate and assess discipline-oriented learning outcomes; maintaining an academically rigorous general education experience;

Ø supporting faculty development activities; and

Ø encouraging and celebrating accomplishments of students, faculty, and staff.

With a stable enrollment planned for the next five years, programmatic decisions are based on centrality to mission, demonstration of quality, enhancement of uniqueness or attractiveness of the institution, positive assessment results, and cost effectiveness. Programmatic changes to 2010 will likely be adjustments in emphasis of programs rather than in new or reconfigured programs. Within programs, substantial changes may occur as a result of the priority for attaining and retaining national accreditation. For example, the programs in the Division of Economics and Business are under review to meet the requirements for accreditation by AACSB International, and the College is committed to:

Ø reapplying for initial accreditation candidacy in academic year 2006-07 with a view to undertaking programmatic review in 2008-09.

With support from the Center for Social Responsibility and Community, Service Learning has become an important part of the Oneonta curriculum. The Center also coordinates the College’s AmeriCorps program and American Humanics program; the latter leads to certification in not-for-profit management.

6.2 Majors/programs with national/regional distinction

In addition to strong liberal arts and sciences majors, distinctive undergraduate majors include large majors in Childhood Education, Music Industry, Adolescence Education, and Business. Oneonta also offers unique programs in Music Industry and Computer Art, and new programs in Mass Communication and Criminal Justice. NCATE accreditation has brought recognition to programs in Adolescence Education, Childhood Education, and Literacy Education. A range of cooperative programs with other institutions includes a distinctive program in Fashion. Also noteworthy are the Biological Field Station in Cooperstown, which is very active in research, regional services, and curricular support; the Science Discovery Center, which has a national reputation; the Music Recording Studio, with tunable walls; and, the Computer Art Laboratory, with state-of-the-art technology.

6.3 General education

All Oneonta students are required to complete a group of General Education courses that have been carefully devised to provide students with opportunities to enrich personal intellectual development and to help them appreciate multiple perspectives on a wide range of topics while mastering the skills of effective thinking, problem solving, and communication.

6.4 Graduate and professional programs and support for graduate education

Oneonta graduate programs are relatively small in scale (projected enrollment of 63 full-time and 147 part-time students) and emphasize regional needs; the graduate programs in Education are an important example. Since MRI, Oneonta experienced some decline in its graduate enrollment resulting in the creation of an Ad Hoc Committee to study the future of graduate education at the College. The Committee presented the results of its study in February 2003, and made several recommendations, including reconfiguration of some programs in education so that they can be completed by a full-time student within one academic year and a summer. The group also recommended that the College provide graduate programs professional assistance to improve the quality of admissions materials, identify potential markets, and develop recruitment strategies; add a button for graduate programs on the campus home Web page; and, explore the possibility of adding new masters programs or non-degree certificate programs, using outside consultants to determine whether a market for the program exists and whether that market can be served in a cost-effective way.

The Ad Hoc Committee’s recommendations are being implemented with a view to attracting more students, especially those enrolled full-time. For instance, several of the potentially more popular master’s degree programs can now be completed in one or one-and-one-half years on a full-time basis, with courses scheduled to make this possible. In addition, curriculum sheets for the programs that can be completed in one-and-one-half years or less are now displayed on the Graduate Studies website. Further, an emphasis in Literacy and in Special Education were added to the Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) program, and this program is now configured so that it can be completed in one calendar year starting with Summer Session and continuing through the following fall and spring terms.

A revised Graduate Studies marketing plan was developed and implemented, which includes new brochures and posters for each graduate program, and a continuously updated Graduate Studies website was developed as a primary marketing tool. Further, a Graduate Newsletter is now published each semester to inform readers concerning graduate studies and related activities at Oneonta. Finally, there is an ongoing effort to explore the potential for various graduate programs and to promote the development of those programs that are compatible with the campus mission and are likely to be in significant demand.

6.5 Teacher education

Oneonta has a long-standing regional and state reputation for excellence in Teacher Education; the College also enjoys a strong niche in area school districts as many administrators and teachers are Oneonta alumni. Since 2001, the Teacher Education program has been NCATE-accredited, and was successfully re-accredited in Spring 2005.

The College maintains stringent requirements for its Education majors, including a minimum 2.8 GPA for transfer admission. A transfer credit analyst facilitates transfer of two-year students into upper-division programs without loss of credit as recommended by the Teacher Education Transfer Template (TETT) initiative. Oneonta Education majors continue to perform well on the New York State Teacher Certification Exams, and the College monitors the performance of students – native, transfer, and joint program matriculants separately – on NYSTCE (LAST, ATS-W, and CST). To demonstrate, the most recent data (2004-05 program completers) indicate that 100% of Oneonta students passed the NYSTCE LAST exam (SUNY-wide total was 98%), 100% passed the ATS-W, and 97% passed the CST.

During the next five years, and based on programmatic assessment, the College will modify its teacher education programs as needed to maintain NCATE accreditation, support the standards of a New Vision in Teacher Education, and meet local needs. More specifically, the Division of Education has set the following goals for the next five years:

Ø to increase the number of faculty from diverse backgrounds;

Ø to continue to develop and manage the assessment system critical to the Division, and use data to make program improvements;

Ø to develop programs internationally, including student teaching-abroad opportunities as well as summer programs;

Ø to increase the number of teacher education students from diverse backgrounds;

Ø to increase the number of teacher education students in master’s programs; and

Ø to investigate the possibility of developing master’s degree programs in high-need areas such as Special Education and Teaching English as a Second Language.

6.6 International programs

Since Fall 2000, the number of international students increased from 40 to 97 in Fall 2005. Although small increases in international enrollment are anticipated over the next several years, the College has no specific enrollment targets for this student group and anticipates that its international programs will remain small enough to have no significant financial impact on the institution. Nevertheless, the College does support a very active International Students Organization and offers an international living option through which American and international students live together.

Approximately 50-60 Oneonta students study abroad in any given academic year in programs such as the Learn and Serve in India intersession program; the Seinan Gakuin University exchange program in Fukuoka, Japan; the Music Industry program at the University of Kalmar; and, two programs in the U.K., the Nottingham Trent University exchange/academic program and the University of Wales exchange program in Aberystwyth. Oneonta also belongs to the College Consortium for International Studies which offers additional study-abroad programs. In addition and working with two substantial federal grants, Oneonta has developed a strong relationship with the Siberian Aerospace Academy and its Pedagogical University, Institute of Art, and Commercial Institute in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. The institutions have exchanged faculty and established a dual-degree program in Business. In 2005, the College opened a Russian-American Center to further cooperation between the Central New York region and Russia in education, business, culture, and science.

6.7 Collaborative academic programming

Oneonta has worked collaboratively with a large number of institutions within SUNY and the state to develop joint programs, including the jointly registered 2+2 Teacher Education program with Mohawk Valley Community College. Other joint programs include: 2+2 programs in Cytotechnology, Medical Technology, and Respiratory Care with Upstate Medical University; a 4+3 program in Physical Therapy with Upstate; a 3+4 program in Optometry with SUNY Optometry; 3+2 Engineering programs with Binghamton University, the University at Buffalo, and Alfred, Clarkson, Rensselaer, and Syracuse Universities; 3+1 Fashion programs with FIT; and, a 3+1 option in Fashion Merchandising and a 2+2 option in Fashion Design with American Intercontinental University in London. Oneonta continues to pursue appropriate collaborations, as evidenced by the new 4+1 MBA program with the Rochester Institute of Technology. In addition, the College maintains transfer articulation agreements with many SUNY units.

6.8 Technology-enhanced learning environments

At present fewer than 50 Oneonta students a year participate in online courses, the most innovative of which is the online post-baccalaureate dietetic internship, with a maximum enrollment of 20 students. Since the College views distance learning as complementary to regular teaching and learning methodologies, it anticipates that the current limited distance learning offerings will continue but not expand significantly in the near future.

Oneonta’s goal in the area of technology, as noted in the CCP, is to:

Ø enhance the use of technology to further the institution’s educational mission. Distance learning will be enhanced consistent with and appropriate to the College’s mission.

Oneonta also maintains a strong commitment to integrating technology to enhance student learning, and since 1998 has supported the Universal Computer Access for Students (UnCAS) program. The College’s anticipation of widespread applications of technology to support learning, its accurate evaluation of need and demand, and its commitment of resources have ensured that both students and faculty have access to the educational technology that enhances teaching and learning. In short, Oneonta faculty members make extensive use of technology in teaching.

6.9 Library services and support

Oneonta’s Milne Library serves both as a library and as a center of academic technology. The Library takes full advantage of electronic resources, and has the second-largest collection in the sector as well as the highest number of volumes per FTE students. Library services have been augmented significantly since the mid-1990s, most notably through the use of technology. The position of “Director of Libraries” has been redefined – to Associate Provost for Library and Information Services – and now includes campus-wide responsibility for academic technology. The Library’s Web site is extensive, computers are widely available, and a wireless network allows users to access the system anywhere in the building. During 2002-03, the Library migrated to Aleph 500, the shared SUNYConnect library management system. In addition, the Library’s instructional program was expanded recently with the approval of a new 3-credit course, Research Sources in the Information Age. For the future:

Ø enhancement of the Library and its technology will continue as and when resources become available.

6.10 Assessment of academic programs

Oneonta’s academic programs are assessed by several means and for multiple purposes and agencies. In 2003, the College attained re-accreditation without any recommendations for improvement from the Middle States Association. In 1998, participation in MRI resulted in the revision or clarification of several areas of the CCP.

The College’s Institutional Assessment Plan is based on nine underlying assessment guidelines, eight of which – Academic Majors, General Education, Student Development, Information Literacy, Basic Skills, Student Services, Human Resources, and Facilities – serve as focal points for organizing assessment activities. In Academic Affairs, assessment requirements include those related to the SUNY General Education program; the SUNY assessment of academic programs; and, external requirements from various accrediting agencies (e.g., Middle States, NCATE, AACSB International, NASM).

The College has established and is implementing a plan for the assessment of academic majors over a seven-year period, from 2001-02 through 2007-08. To date, external reviewers have submitted reports in a timely fashion, and all summary program reports have been submitted to SUNY System Administration on schedule. The result is that as of AY 2005-06, Oneonta is in complete compliance with the SUNY Assessment initiative in terms of both program assessment and general education assessment. For the future, the College will:

Ø work toward the implementation of Strengthened Campus-Based Assessment following the timeline established by System Administration as well as the GEAR Group’s assessment guidelines.

6.11 Responsiveness to state needs

Oneonta’s academic offerings are responsive to state, regional, and local needs. The College’s largest major – Education – provides many teachers and school counselors employed by the local school systems, and Oneonta is one of very few local sources for their continuing education. To illustrate, on average, over 80% of Oneonta’s 200 full- and part-time graduate students are enrolled in Education programs. Oneonta’s new post-baccalaureate certificate program in Adolescence Education addresses the state’s needs for teachers in areas such as math, science, foreign language, and family consumer science by enabling students with content-area bachelor’s degrees to earn certification with one year of study.

In addition, the Center for Economic Development offers the “Leadership Otsego” program, designed to train future county leaders. The Center also provides workforce development in non-credit manager/supervisor training, planning, assessment, and data collection for local businesses, non-profits, and healthcare organizations. To help address the state’s changing population demographics, the College recently revised its Adulthood and Aging program into a Gerontology Studies major and minor.

7.0 Student Outcomes

7.1 Retention and graduation rates

The CCP lays out Oneonta's plans for enhancing student outcomes and success. Specifically, the College will continue to: improve the quality of instruction; sustain a reliable, student-oriented advisement program; improve academic support services; increase retention and graduation rates; focus on campus environmental issues; enhance the quality of student life and learning; utilize the ACT Student Opinion Survey and Alumni Survey to measure satisfaction; and increase scholarship opportunities. These objectives were re-stated at the 1997 campus-wide Retention Summit.

Oneonta's overall retention goal is to increase substantially the number of students who complete programs of study. The 1996 enrollment management model focused on increasing the first-year retention rate, and the 75% goal established in the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding has been met. In Fall 2004, first-year retention for the 2003 cohort was 79.4%.

In 2002, Oneonta introduced a First-Year Experience program which sponsors interactive faculty/staff/student programs, connects students with faculty members who participate in residence life events, and provides informal mentoring in the residence halls. In 2003, a one-credit First-Year seminar was introduced which facilitates student transition to the academic demands of college. In addition, in 1998 the College implemented an annual six-week Freshman Satisfaction Survey, which continues to provide valuable data about the adjustment of freshmen early in their first semester. Survey results have been and continue to be used to modify a number of orientation processes and to implement new components in freshman transition programming. These and other efforts are expected to increase first-year retention to 81% by 2008, as shown in Table 5 below.

Since the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding, Oneonta has begun to see an improvement in its 6-year graduation rates as a result of gains in first-year retention and other initiatives to improve the quality of student life and learning. To be specific, the 6-year rate has increased from 41% for the 1995 cohort to almost 50% for the 1998 cohort. As Table 5 indicates, the College expects graduation rates to continue to improve as more academically-qualified first-year students persist at a higher rate, and anticipates a six-year graduation rate of well over 50% by 2010.

Table 5

Projected Changes in Retention and Graduation Rates

Indicator

Current

3-Year Goal

5-Year Goal

First-Year Retention Rate

80.5%

(2004)

81.0%

82%

Six-Year Graduation Rate

(Baccalaureate Degrees)

49.77%

(1998)

55.4%

(2001)

61.9 %

(2003)

Note: Dates in parentheses indicate cohort year.

7.2 Transfer success

Oneonta enrolls approximately 700 new transfer students per year, 75-80% of which transfer from other SUNY institutions; 90% of these are from SUNY two-year colleges. The College’s most active transfer partner is Mohawk Valley Community College, due in large part to the successful jointly-registered Education program. Transfer admission is based on the College’s overall enrollment goal and space available; applicants are expected to have a cumulative GPA of 2.3 or better with a strong record in their major. Students who wish to major in Education must have a 2.8 GPA; the same GPA is required of all Education majors before they enter their professional methods semester. (In 2001, concurrent with accreditation by NCATE, Oneonta raised its GPA requirement for transfer Education majors from 2.3 to 2.8.)

For the last completed cohort (2000), the upper-division transfer graduation rate was 61.9%. For the future, Oneonta will:

Ø continue to facilitate intra-SUNY transfer and to resolve transfer difficulties as these arise without compromising academic quality.

Table 6 presents transfer first-year retention and four-year graduation projections through 2010:

Table 6

Educational Outcomes for Full-time Students Transferring Into the Institution

Indicator

2004

2008

2010

First-Year Retention Rate (Fall 2003 Full-time Transfers as of Fall 2004)

81.3%

(2003)

81.4%

(2007)

81.5%

(2009)

Four-Year Graduation Rate (Fall 2000 Full-time Transfers as of Fall 2004)

61.9%

(2000)

62.0%

(2004)

62.5%

(2006)

Note: Year in parentheses denotes transfer year.

Note: Graduation rates are calculated four years post transfer.

8.0 Student Support and Student Life

Several improvements in the quality of student life and learning at Oneonta have increased student satisfaction in recent years. For example, enhancements in student advisement led to an increase in students’ mean ratings of academic advisement from 2.78 (out of a 5-point scale) on the 1994 Student Opinion Survey (SOS) to 3.61 on the 2003 SOS. Other results from the 2003 SOS also illustrate the general increase in student satisfaction and scores for most major areas place Oneonta above the average both for the sector and in the System. For example, Oneonta was rated “High” on student perception of Campus Computing, and “Average +” for Course Availability/Registration and Overall Satisfaction.

Oneonta focuses on making the residential life experience part of its students’ overall educational development. New living options are offered ─ freshman interest groups, international living, and education building blocks ─ that group students with similar academic interest or majors. Up-to-date computer labs, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, are installed in every residence hall, and each hall is home to at least one Res-Tech, a technology-savvy student who assists in maintaining the lab, trouble shooting, etc. The College is confident that these and similar efforts play a significant role in promoting student retention and academic development.

For the future, the College will:

Ø continue to administer surveys of student perceptions of the campus, including the NSSE, which will be a part of the SUNY-wide Strengthened Campus-Based Assessment beginning in Spring 2007

9.0 Technology

As with all of Oneonta’s strategic planning, the CCP states that the College’s goal in the area of technology is to enhance the use of technology to further the College’s academic mission. Specific objectives include: providing access to current technology for all members of the campus community with demonstrable need; enhancing access for student learning and services through the campus network and related technologies; enhancing training opportunities; establishing systematic procedures for assessing the impact of technology on the curriculum; ensuring students acquire computer skills and develop information literacy; and, continuing to develop the technological infrastructure. The College currently has 733 computers available for student use (in general purpose and department computer labs, teaching labs, and clusters); the College’s ratio of students per computer is currently 7.73:1.

The College finances the campus-wide implementation of technology through a variety of means, including the student technology fee, grants, and private funding. Oneonta anticipates that such sources will continue to provide adequate funding through 2010.

During the next five years, all of System Administration’s Institutional Research Systems will be retired and replaced with new systems that will be more effective in supporting the transfer articulation function in the two-year sector, and will provide campus presidents access to better information for benchmarking. The new systems require that campuses prepare new file extracts for submission to System Administration, and in a few cases, provide information that was not requested in the past, but has a high value for both campuses and System Administration. In order to implement the new Institutional Research Systems,

Ø System Administration will provide information and guidance to plan for the transition and assist with training;

Ø Oneonta will put in place an implementation plan and commit sufficient resources to meet the implementation schedule;

Ø Oneonta will ensure an uninterrupted flow of information to meet State and Federal reporting requirements, and

Ø Oneonta will establish a robust process to review the accuracy and completeness of information submitted to System Administration.

10.0 Facilities

In the past ten years, the College has made enormous strides in improving campus facilities with the most prominent projects being the construction of the Alumni Field House, the addition of a new residence hall, and the complete renovation of the Human Ecology Building. In addition, improvements in technological and campus infrastructure, academic facilities, and campus beautification have contributed substantially to the College’s progress in achieving goals set out in the CCP.

Overall, facilities are in generally good condition and meet overall programmatic needs. However, due to changes in academic majors, notably the incorporation of advanced technology, needs have arisen in specific programs. For example, the rapid growth of the Music Industry program and the infusion of technology in the field created needs that will be addressed in an upcoming renovation project.

10.1 Campus facilities plan

The College established facilities planning focus groups (academic infrastructure; residence halls; technology; food and retail services; facilities and utilities; athletics) to identify and prioritize college-wide needs. With leadership from the Division of Finance and Administration and input from the broader campus community, the College developed a comprehensive five-year capital facilities plan that was updated annually through the 1990’s. Therefore, when the five-year Capital Budget proposal for SUNY was announced in 1998, Oneonta was well positioned to produce an updated five-year campus capital plan that fit within the Governor's proposal. By supplementing state funding with campus matching funds, the College has accomplished most of the facilities items detailed in the 1998 plan.

The successful facilities planning process has continued, and the College has a current five-year Capital Plan. Facilities planning groups annually review, assess, and modify long-term and short-term facilities plans. The long-range plan addresses components such as academic buildings, residence halls, landscaping/site, infrastructure, and food service needs. Ongoing evaluations used in facilities planning include the annual comprehensive NYS Department of State building inspection; bi-annual inspections by the NYS Department of Labor; regular inspection of food service facilities by the NYS Department of Health; and five-year review of academic and administrative buildings by the State University Construction Fund. These evaluations are considered, together with the College’s goals, in establishing capital project priorities.

The campus has a regular planned maintenance program for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and site needs. Resource allocations to the program are managed through standard processes in the Division of Finance and Administration.

10.2 Educational facilities (including research)

Academic facilities at the College have undergone significant improvements in the past several years. The largest and most visible recent project was the complete renovation of the Human Ecology Building which has new laboratories for computer-assisted design, chemistry, and food preparation, as well as a new gallery and textile-design spaces.

The College uses an “oldest first” policy for rehabilitation of academic buildings. Now that the renovation of the Human Ecology building – the oldest on campus – is complete, the College will move, in order, on to Science Building I, Fitzelle Hall, Science Building II, and the Biological Field Station. Other enhancements to academic facilities are evidence of the College’s commitment to educational technology. For example, in response to the popularity of the Music Industry program, the College opened a unique music recording studio with tunable walls, the only teaching facility of its kind in SUNY. Another example facilitated the development of a new major: the Computer Art Lab in the Fine Arts Building has been developed into a state-of-the-art facility. As interest and course offerings expanded, the College offered first a minor in Computer Art in 1991 and then a Computer Art major in 2002. The Alumni Field House, opened in 1999, strengthens the physical education and athletics programs, provides opportunities for personal fitness and recreation, and helps attract students to the College as it now hosts the College’s admissions open houses.

The College’s three highest facilities priorities are as follows:

1. Science Building I renovation: Project 09267

Currently in design; construction 2006-08;

Square footage: 78,388; cost: $14,267,200.

2. Fine Arts Building renovation, Phase II; Project 09313

Program Study: 2006; Design: 2007; construction: 2008-2010.

Square footage: 101,260; cost: $11,260,000.

3. Fitzelle Hall renovation: Project 09308

Construction 2009-2010.

Square footage: 66,210; cost: $16,500,400

10.3 Residence halls

A critical part of the campus budget and planning process focuses on the College’s residence halls. Since these facilities are funded through a self-supporting program that must cover staff fringe benefits as well as debt service, it is especially important that the program be fiscally sound and includes long-range plans for rehabilitation and repair and new construction. SUNY Oneonta maintains DIFR contingency cash reserve equal to or greater than the sum of one year’s rehabilitation spending plus 5% of annual DIFR income.

Analyses of student survey results have helped guide facilities planning in the area of student services. Because of students’ growing interest in on-campus housing, the College added a new residence hall, opened in 2004, to its Capital Facilities Plans in 2000.

Ø Given the projected stable enrollment, the current long-range plan contains no new residence facilities.

In response to students’ desire for improved food service facilities, dining facilities at the College, some housed in residence halls, have been upgraded significantly. During the past five years, every dining facility has been renovated and a number of new facilities added.

10.4 Energy planning and management

Because energy costs are rapidly increasing and becoming a larger portion of an institution’s budget, energy planning and management is also a critical component of campus planning and is of interest to SUNY System Administration.

Oneonta has taken, and continues to take, positive steps toward energy conservation. The College has a Johnson Metasys Energy Management System, all HVAC systems are controlled by departmental program schedules thereby allowing effective control of energy use, and peak electrical loads are controlled by load-shedding in the summer. In addition, the College is part of the load-shed agreement with NYSEG and of the SUNY Electrical Buyers Group for electricity purchase. Natural gas is also purchased through state contract, and the unique dual-fuel (natural gas/oil) system enables the College to obtain lower interruptible rate prices for natural gas. The central boilers are capable of shifting quickly to oil, which is also purchased via state contract. To maximize savings, purchases are made in the summer when prices are lower.

The entire campus has recently been re-lamped with energy-efficient lights. Energy-efficient mechanical systems have been installed in several buildings. Roof and window replacements have also resulted in energy conservation.

11.0 Administrative Structure and Resource Management

One of the key points of “Rethinking SUNY” is to provide additional fiscal autonomy to the state-operated campuses. While the campus is responsible for developing and implementing an all-funds budget that addresses its unique circumstances, System Administration has a critical oversight role to ensure that the campus is a good steward of its resources, whether those resources are provided through state tax dollar support or generated through tuition or other charges. Such oversight may involve ensuring adherence to appropriate SUNY and New York State policies, procedures, statutes, rules and regulations, or determining that the campus has appropriate and sound budget and planning practices in place.

11.1 Administrative structure and effectiveness

The Oneonta administration has fostered general improvements in the campus over the past ten years and has produced specific noteworthy improvements in academic programs, campus infrastructure, and enrollment management areas. The College is known for the effective and responsible use of all its resources, including advanced technology, and provides extensive opportunities for students’ academic and personal development.

Led and overseen by the President, the College is organized into four divisions: Academic Affairs; Student Development; College Advancement; and, Finance and Administration. A vice-president leads each division. Academic departments and programs are organized in a divisional structure overseen by deans and associate deans, who collectively – through the Council of Deans – report to and work with the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The College Senate, which includes representatives from the faculty, staff, administration, and students, has the authority and responsibility for the review of curriculum and faculty governance matters and to make recommendations to the College administration. Student governance is a function of the Student Association. Oneonta gauges the effectiveness and efficiency of its administrative structure by evaluating the College’s overall success in implementing the CCP.

Ø The College's administrative structure has proven effective in recent years and no significant changes are anticipated in the next five years.

11.2 Institutional research capability

Oneonta collects and uses institutional data on facilities, students, personnel, finances, curriculum, and other areas, and, over the past few years, has improved accessibility to and comprehensiveness of data. In 2002, the College established the Institutional Research Council to provide leadership and support for planning and institutional research; coordinate and disseminate institutional data; provide a clearing-house for institutional data; and, provide recommendations and advice to the president and the cabinet on research, information and assessment priorities. The Council’s accomplishments to date include the development of a set of empirical indicators to assess the College’s programmatic and financial condition and help direct strategic planning processes; compiling an institutional data inventory, to be shared with the campus community; and, conducting an environmental scan to assess external factors to be considered in the College’s planning.

The College uses technology effectively to support its administrative functions. The campus network, Internet, and administrative software (i.e., Banner) provide quick access to data. For the future, Oneonta will:

Ø comply with all routine System data requests, with particular attention to distance learning, student goals, remedial instruction, and concurrently enrolled high school students, and

Ø increase reliance on data for improving planning and making decisions.

11.3 Alignment of resource planning and academic plans

The sharp decline in direct state support over the last ten years has challenged the College to seek additional sources of funding, stabilize and enhance its enrollment, and use its resources efficiently and effectively. Through careful planning and strategic budget decisions, the College has been able to develop some budgetary reserves while maintaining and enhancing programs and service. In recent years, Oneonta has increased its reliance on non‑state revenues and managed in an all-funds budgeting strategy. Income from residence hall operations, student fees, other income funds, and auxiliary activities now represents one‑half of the all-funds operating budget. From the all-funds perspective, the College’s current state tax dollar support represents just 15% of the all-funds budget.

In financial planning, the College relies on a relatively centralized but highly effective planning and budgeting system. Each administrative division maintains its respective goals and objectives, consistent with the CCP. Resource priorities are reviewed and established by the President’s Cabinet with the College’s educational mission and goal of enhancing academic quality central to all decisions. All faculty and professional vacancies are reviewed for potential reallocation. For the past several years, Oneonta has generated salary savings from early retirement programs; over one-third of the College’s full-time faculty positions have turned over during the past five years, largely through retirements.

Over the past five years, significant resources have been re-deployed to support institutional priorities laid out in the CCP: academic quality, national accreditation of selected programs, instructional technology, student recruitment, and retention initiatives. In addition, the College has invested over $1 million in operating funds for academic infrastructure improvements (e.g., instructional/laboratory equipment, departmental computing), and has completed over $60 million in new construction and capital improvements.

Oneonta’s current cash balances contain adequate reserves to meet all but the most dire of budget contingencies. The College maintains operations contingency reserves of at least 5% in its DIFR and IFR budgets. Similarly, conservative reserves exist in the College’s State Purposes and Tuition Overflow budgets to meet unexpected contingencies and fund one-time investment opportunities.

11.4 Institutional development and fundraising

The Division of College Advancement is responsible for the College’s fundraising, and institutional scholarships have been a fundraising priority. Since 1996, Oneonta has increased its total scholarship offerings from $143,000 to over $1 million. Currently over 130 named, endowed annual scholarships are offered to students with strong academic records and/or financial need.

The volunteer College at Oneonta Foundation Board of Directors raises, manages, and administers charitable gifts and grants. This board also manages the College’s $20 million endowment.

The College was successful in raising nearly $6 million for The Campaign for Oneonta, which concluded in 1999. The current comprehensive fundraising campaign, which began in July 2002, has a goal of a minimum of $10 million and has raised $7.8 million toward that goal as of January 2006; it will conclude in June 2007, and will count toward the College’s goal of $17.25 million in the SUNY $3 Billion Challenge. Table 7 presents Institutional Advancement Revenue Projections through 2010:

Table 7

Institutional Advancement Revenue Projections, 2004 – 2010

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

$2,000,000

$2,150,000

$2,300,000

$2,400,000

$2,500,000

$2,700,000

$2,800,000

11.5 Collaborative administrative and financial arrangements

Oneonta supports and uses many of the collaborative administrative and financial arrangements afforded by the SUNY System; the participation in the Microsoft purchasing arrangement with the University at Buffalo is one example. As noted earlier, the College participates in SUNY energy purchasing plans. In addition, the SICAS Center, which provides SUNY-wide administrative support for Banner and other administrative software, is located on the Oneonta campus.

12.0 Community Relations and Service

The College offers a multitude of co-curricular and cultural programs and events that both serve the community and enhance interaction among key constituencies. Overarching and specific goals and objectives for this area are, as for all the College’s planning, set out in the CCP.

As examples, community members may take classes on campus, and all cultural and athletic events are open to the public, many free of charge. The Alumni Field House provides an outstanding venue for athletic contests and major community events (e.g., benefit concerts), and the Morris Conference Center continues to be used by a wide range of campus and community organizations as well as local businesses. The Center for Multicultural Experiences offers a diversity of programs and has greatly expanded its collaborations with student clubs and organizations, faculty and staff, and community groups.

Oneonta’s commitment to volunteer service is integral to its mission. In 1994, the College used a $1 million Kellogg Foundation grant to establish the Center for Social Responsibility and Community (CSRC). Through the Center, Oneonta students perform over 44,000 hours of volunteer service annually, which, at minimum wage, computes to a value of over $228,000. The CSRC coordinates the College’s participation in the American Humanics program and administers the campus’ AmeriCorps program. Together with the Center for Multicultural Experiences, the Center for Economic and Community Development established in 1990, and the College’s longstanding commitment to Migrant Education Programs, the CSRC implements the CCP goals and objectives in community relations and service.

13.0 Overall Institutional Reputation

The mission of the College at Oneonta is to foster the individual student’s intellectual, personal, and civic development. The College is dedicated to excellence in teaching, advisement, and scholarly activities, and the cultivation of a campus environment rich in opportunities for participation, personal challenge, and service.

The College’s goal in the area of institutional reputation is to build a positive image for the College, both on and off campus, and to enhance and celebrate its traditions. Results of recent surveys indicate that the College has made substantial progress towards its goals by enhancing its academic reputation, promoting and rewarding faculty and staff excellence, increasing scholarship opportunities, and creating and sustaining traditions that instill pride in the campus community. For example, in 2003 Oneonta was selected by the Princeton Review for inclusion in its new guidebook, The Best Northeastern Colleges. Other national recognition includes being named to the last two Templeton Honor Ross of Character Building Colleges, receiving four of seven awards at the 2003 national conference of the Campus Outreach Opportunity League, receiving a Best Practices Award from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and being selected as one of the nation’s 200 “Most Wired Colleges” by Yahoo Internet Life magazine.

* * * *

This Memorandum of Understanding was developed jointly by the College at Oneonta and the State University of New York System Administration to provide guidance for planning the campus’s future and a framework for gauging the achievement of its goals. Recognizing that individual institutions and the State University as a whole must be able to respond to changing circumstances, both the College at Oneonta and System Administration will work together to realize the goals and objectives articulated in this document.

Alan B. Donovan, President John R. Ryan, Chancellor

State University of New York College State University of New York

at Oneonta