Community impact

---

Our college engages in an interlocking network of communities that extends from our neighbors across Washington Boulevard to partner universities in China. In 2014-15 our creativity, teaching, community service and economic development efforts added value to these communities.

Spurring economic vitality

The Start-Up NY partnership bringing state tax incentives together with the area’s economic shakers and entrepreneurs via SUNY Oswego scored a new business for the city of Oswego in 2015. Designer Hardwood Flooring CNY holds promise for 19 new jobs and a strengthened greater Oswego economy.

The company will employ local hires as well as college students to participate in design and manufacture of panelized flooring that uses a patent-pending system. For students, the project expands opportunities for experiential learning and college-to-career support.

Students in technology management and business disciplines are in line to get hands-on experience with the new business. They along with students in engineering and computer science are an especially valued resource for businesses looking to start up or expand in the area as the college continues to align curriculum with business needs to prepare students to excel in the workforce.

New labs in Wilber Hall and Shineman Center also offer businesses a place to develop and refine products and designs. Our technology department hosted an Advanced Manufacturing Jam to launch new business collaborations, with 28 participants attending, including such companies as National Grid, Novelis and the Fulton Companies.

Spreading the benefits of education

We put our college’s extensive learning and teaching resources in service to groups of people far beyond the typical young adult pursuing a degree. These efforts benefit businesses and employees, teachers and pupils, and colleagues at universities abroad.

Worksite MBA

At the invitation of SRC Inc., a research and development company headquartered in North Syracuse, SUNY Oswego delivered a customized MBA degree program to SRC employees in their workplace. Mainly scientists and technical experts, they developed business acumen, and new skills and perspectives to give themselves and their company an edge in a changing economy.

International peers

Teachers and administrators from around the globe come to our School of Education to learn how to use technologies more effectively in their schools as well as about educational leadership and curriculum development. Delegations from China and India attended our International Professional Achievement Academy in 2015. Our education faculty members also frequently travel abroad to deliver professional development programs.

The Shanghai Normal University-SUNY Oswego International Business Research Forum brought scholars from the two sponsoring institutions as well as Suleyman Sah University of Turkey, Weber State University in Utah and Zhejiang University of Science and Technology in China to our campus in 2015 to share research findings and approaches.

Children’s scholarships

Every summer, hundreds of pupils in grades 2 to 10 come to SUNY Oswego to explore topics ranging from music and art to science and history during the two-week Sheldon Institute. Since 2015 these programs are more accessible to lower income families, because of an endowed scholarship fund established by the Tarandi Foundation.

Writing for all

The School of Education offers a free two-day Writing Institute that brings acclaimed authors of young adult and children’s books to campus to teach their craft and spread passion for reading and writing. Geared toward educators from pre-K through college from around the state, the institute is open to all.

Arts, athletics and recreation

Town-gown relations grew even closer in 2014-15 as arts and entertainment events mingled people from the campus and local communities more than ever.

More Cruisin’

The phenomenal success of our first Cruisin’ the Campus at the Holidays, which opened college facilities to the public during winter recess, led us to extend campus cultural and recreational opportunities for the public to Thanksgiving break and area schools’ spring break in 2014-15.

’80s campus art

The Art Association of Oswego put together an art show devoted to the work of former SUNY Oswego students and faculty. Opening in town during the college’s Reunion Weekend in June, “Tyler Hall Wayback Machine” featured old and new artwork by students from the 1980s.

Landmark theater

SUNY Oswego’s Artswego Performing Arts Series collaborated with Third Rail Projects of Brooklyn to create an innovative, site-specific theater project at Oswego’s Fort Ontario Historic Site and present it free for the community.

Wednesday Walk

The SUNY Oswego Metro Center collaborated with a host of Syracuse community organizations to organize a series of themed group strolls through the city’s downtown. Designed for people of all abilities, the walks were led by Oswego student interns as well as fitness, history and art experts.

YMCA on campus

The college stepped up to help the Oswego YMCA when the not-for-profit experienced logistical difficulties for its pool-based activities. Our pools in Lee and Laker halls welcomed the YMCA’s members of many ages for a variety of aquatic activities.

Ozfest

Moving an overwhelming number of jubilant students off city streets and back to campus on the last day of classes was the mission accomplished by Ozfest. Debuting in 2015, it lasted much of the day and culminated in a concert that featured chart-topping bands.

Fourth of July

President Stanley was one of three grand marshals for the city of Oswego’s 2015 Independence Day parade and marched the length of the city with students, faculty and staff including Team Mini with our mini-Zamboni.

The student effect

Making a positive difference for others stood out as a goal — and an achievement — for many of Oswego’s more than 200 student organizations in 2014-15. Whether their missions were predominantly academic, career-oriented or recreational, they also served their neighbors.

Business aid

Among its many projects, Enactus, a group of mainly business students, worked with small businesses like Mom & Pop’s Soda Shop and Taste the World Specialty Foods, setting them up with software and hardware that helped them cut costs and track sales and inventory.

Athletes give back

For the third year in a row, Oswego’s athletics department earned a top community service award from the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators, thanks to the work of 450 student-athletes participating in 58 events. They helped support 31 organizations, from the United Way to schools to St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

Community Champions

The organization Recognizing Oswego County named two groups of our student volunteers as Community Champions in 2014-15: Adopt-a-Grandparent, serving senior citizens in seven local nursing homes, and our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, which our honor society for accounting and finance students runs. And the Internal Revenue Service gave our VITA site at a low-income housing complex a perfect site review.

Running for those who can’t

The Pre-Health Care Club organized events, including a 5K fundraiser, that collected more than $15,000 for research to fight the neurodegenerative disease Friedreich’s ataxia.