i. data brief: student success...with national private institutions in six-year graduation....

I. Data Brief: Student Success

No student ever attains very eminent success by simply doing what is required of him: it

is the amount and excellence of what is over and above the required that determines the

greatness of ultimate distinction. - Charles Kendall Adams

Data Brief: Key Takeaways

SUNY Excels provides a targeted framework through which SUNY can focus its commitment to access, completion, success, inquiry and engagement.

SUNY continues to show slight year-to-year improvement in its four-, five-, and six-year graduation rates for first-time, full-time baccalaureate students. The Fall 2007 cohort surpasses those of national public institutions overall and by sector. SUNY’s comprehensive colleges perform on par with national private institutions in six-year graduation.

Four-year graduation rates at the associate level have been essentially flat (from 28.5% to 28.6%). When considering transfers out as part of student success, performance improves.

Over the past ten years, the retention rate at SUNY Technology Colleges has increased from 60.5% to 70.4%, a 9.9 percentage point improvement. In just the past five years, the retention rate has increased 7.9 percentage points.

For both the baccalaureate and associate degree cohorts, for every time period examined, Pell recipient students graduate at a markedly lower rate than their non-Pell recipient peers. SUNY is participating in a new nation-wide initiative to effect progress here.

There is currently a significant difference between the percent of native students who graduate within four years and incoming transfer students with an associate’s degree who graduate within two years. SUNY’s Seamless Transfer policy (effective fall 2015) will provide the opportunity for transfer students to achieve on-time graduation rates comparable to those of native students.

Students who transfer from a SUNY community college having earned an Associate in Arts (AA) or Associate in Sciences (AS) have the highest graduation rates, followed by students with an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) or an Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS), and then by those transferring with no degree.

Many campuses have not tracked student data for online students apart from their traditional face-to-face cohorts, so available data around success in the online setting is not as robust as we would like it to be at this time.

Overall, students in hybrid or blended classrooms (where 50% of the instruction is online) perform similarly to those in the traditional classroom. There is a slight drop in credit earned (~3%) at the state-operated campuses and a larger decrease (~10%) at the community college level for students taking coursework 100% online. The student and faculty supports of Open SUNY+ are designed to address these gaps.

Applied learning and multi-cultural experiences can significantly contribute to student success. Both will be featured in future reports to the Board of Trustees.

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/charlesken197461.html




Office of the Provost of 52 January 2015

A. The Many Measures of Student Success

Through SUNY Excels, SUNY has clarified its commitment to student success to both hold itself

accountable for continuous improvement and to better highlight where additional resources would have

the most impact. In so doing, SUNY has identified multiple supports that contribute positively to success

(access to courses, alignment of degree programs with market need, applied learning opportunities,

international experiences, etc.). Also part of SUNY Excels is recognition that the definition of success

itself varies to include not just completion but also transfer and persistence; to not just obtaining a job

with a livable wage but also job satisfaction. On the eve of the formal adoption of SUNY Excels, this data

brief will:

Provide an update to the September 2013 “SUNY Graduation Rates and Student

Success” data brief;

Provide baseline data about the performance of transfer students (from a SUNY two-

year institution to a SUNY four-year institution) as compared to native students who

start at a SUNY four-year institution;

Provide requested information on Open SUNY and student success;

Preview upcoming reports on Applied Learning and Student Success and on Global

Affairs and Student Success; and

Highlight successful campus initiatives in several categories identified by SUNY Excels

as meaningful to student success.

B. Updating the September 2013 “SUNY Graduation Rates and Student

Success” Data Brief

The September 2013 data brief examined in detail SUNY’s graduation and retention rates in the context

of campus mission and select student demographics. The report included data through Fall 2012. This

current brief provides an update to many of the topics presented in the September 2013 one as well as a

few new, related topics (i.e. retention rate trends, transfer out rates for associate degree students,

graduation rates for Pell recipients vs. non-Pell recipients, and Access to Success (A2S) data at the

associate level).

Due to the timing of the reports, updated data for two years is able to be shared here. Note, however,

that the latest year’s data for graduation rates is preliminary pending receipt of outstanding summer

degree submissions from six campuses. The preliminary “as of Fall 2014” graduation rates will, if

anything, increase slightly when finalized.

For purposes of this data brief, you will see “SUNYIT (SUNY Poly)” among the listed campuses. This

recognizes this year’s merger between SUNYIT and the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering,

but reflects the fact that for all of the cohorts we look at in this report, the students were enrolled in

only programs that were offered through SUNYIT.


Figure 1: Four-, Five-, and Six-Year Graduation Rates for First-Time, Full-Time Baccalaureate Students

Figure 1 shows graduation rate data for first-time, full-time baccalaureate students enrolled at SUNY.

For comparison purposes, the latest four years worth of data is shown (i.e. Fall 2005 through Fall 2008

cohorts) along with data for the Fall 2000 cohort to illustrate what the change has been over a longer

period of time.

Key Observations

SUNY continues to show slight year-to-year improvement in its four-, five-, and six-year graduation rates

for first-time, full-time baccalaureate students.

In less than ten years, SUNY’s average four-year graduation rate has increased 7.5 percentage points

(from 41.3% to 48.8%), the five-year rate has increased 6.5 percentage points (from 56.7% to 63.2%),

and the six-year rate has increased 5.9 percentage points (from 59.6% to 65.5%).

See Appendix A for a table displaying the latest three years’ worth of four-, five-, and six-year graduation

rates for first-time, full-time baccalaureate students by individual campus.

As mentioned, the latest graduation rate figures are preliminary and may show a further slight increase

as the remaining summer degrees are reported.

41.3%

56.7%59.6%

46.9%

61.9%64.7%

47.8%

62.3%64.9%

47.4%

61.9%64.4%

48.8%

63.2%65.5%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Four

Year

Five

Year

Six

Year

Four

Year

Five

Year

Six

Year

Four

Year

Five

Year

Six

Year

Four

Year

Five

Year

Six

Year

Four

Year

Five

Year

Six

Year

Fall 2000 Cohort

as of Fall 2006Fall 2008 Cohort as of Fall 2014*

Fall 2007 Cohort

as of Fall 2013

Fall 2006 Cohort

as of Fall 2012

Fall 2005 Cohort

as of Fall 2011

* preliminary

SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: December 18, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Warehouse


Figure 2: National Benchmarks at the Baccalaureate Level

Figure 2 compares SUNY’s graduation rates for first-time, full-time baccalaureate students to national

benchmarks as reported to IPEDS, for the Fall 2007 cohort as of Fall 2013 (the latest available). SUNY’s

four-, five-, and six-year rates are compared to national public institutions and national private not-for-

profit institutions overall and by sector.

Key Observations

SUNY’s four-, five-, and six-year graduation rates for the Fall 2007 entering cohort of first-time, full-time

baccalaureate students all surpass those of National Public Institutions overall and by sector.

System-wide, SUNY’s four year graduation rate is 14.4 percentage points higher than the National

Publics. At six years out, while the difference has narrowed, it still remains quite significant at 6.9

percentage points.

The rather significant differences between SUNY’s graduation rates and the National Publics’ graduation

rates extend to each individual sector as well. The Doctoral sector sees four- and six-year percentage

point differences of 15.2 and 6.2, respectively. The Comprehensive sector sees percentage point

differences of 18.9 and 12.7, respectively. And the Technology sector sees differences of 8.6 and 8.2,

respectively.

Conversely, SUNY’s four-, five-, and six-year graduation rates are below those of national private

institutions. However, by six years out, the overall rates are quite comparable – 64.4% for SUNY and

65.8% for the privates.

Of special note is the comparability of graduation rates in SUNY’s comprehensive sector with those of

the private sector peers. Looking at the six-year rates, there is only a 0.6 percentage point difference,

with SUNY’s Comprehensive rate being 60.1% whereas the National Privates rate is 60.7%.

SUNY National Publics National Privates

Four-Year Five-Year Six-Year Four-Year Five-Year Six-Year Four-Year Five-Year Six-Year

All Institutions 47.4% 61.9% 64.4% 33.0% 52.1% 57.5% 53.4% 63.7% 65.8%

Research/Doctoral 55.0% 68.2% 70.6% 39.8% 59.4% 64.4% 64.7% 76.7% 79.2%

Comprehensive Colleges 41.9% 57.7% 60.1% 23.0% 41.2% 47.4% 49.0% 58.7% 60.7%

Technology Colleges 25.5% 40.5% 44.1% 16.9% 31.6% 35.9% 28.1% 33.1% 35.0%

Sources: SUNY Data Warehouse and IPEDS Graduation Rate Survey 2013-14

SUNY System Administration, Office of Institutional Research, December 22, 2014

Six-Year Graduation Rate Benchmarks for the

Fall 2007 Baccalaureate Entering Cohort as of Fall 2013

National Benchmark Groups Determined by Carnegie Class


Figure 3: Six-Year Graduation Rates by Campus, Fall 2006 and Fall 2008 Cohorts

Figure 3 is comprised of two separate graphs to be considered in conjunction with one another. The

graph at left reflects the six-year graduation rates of first-time, full-time baccalaureate students at

SUNY’s state-operated institutions, Fall 2006 cohort as of Fall 2012, as reported in the September 2013

data brief. The graph at right provides the update, reflecting the same information but updated for the

Fall 2008 cohort as of Fall 2014.

The data is displayed by sector and by individual campus and, for each year, is arrayed from the highest

to lowest six-year graduation rate. For additional informational purposes, the size of the initial cohort is

listed by each campus’s name on the vertical axis. This is particularly important when looking at SUNY’s

technology colleges, who have quite small cohorts at the baccalaureate level.

94.2%

77.7%

72.7%

71.5%

70.9%

69.5%

69.0%

68.9%

67.3%

66.5%

66.2%

65.7%

64.9%

64.2%

64.1%

60.4%

60.3%

59.1%

58.6%

57.9%

57.1%

52.9%

50.7%

47.7%

47.1%

44.4%

43.9%

41.6%

34.6%

33.1%

32.1%

16.1%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Cornell, 1091

Binghamton, 2319

New Paltz, 989

Geneseo, 1080

DOCTORAL, 12389

Ceramics, 154

Stony Brook, 2709

Cortland, 1089

Brockport, 1015

ESF, 242

Oneonta, 1117

Buffalo Univ, 3460

STATE-OPERATED, 25509

Fredonia, 1019

Albany, 2414

Plattsburgh, 1104

COMPREHENSIVE, 12238

Morrisville, 44

Purchase, 678

Oswego, 1342

Delhi, 35

Alfred, 85

Potsdam, 743

Cobleskill, 65

Buffalo College, 1400

Farmingdale, 252

TECHNOLOGY, 882

Maritime, 243

Old Westbury, 413

SUNYIT/POLY, 130

Canton, 28

Empire State, 249

Six-Year Graduation Rates for First-Time, Full-Time Baccalaureate Students, Fall 2006 Cohort as of Fall 2012

SUNY System Office of IR :: Dec 22, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Warehouse

94.4%

78.6%

73.6%

73.3%

73.1%

70.9%

68.1%

67.6%

67.3%

66.8%

66.7%

66.6%

66.3%

66.0%

65.5%

64.9%

63.3%

62.2%

61.1%

53.4%

53.2%

52.7%

47.1%

46.7%

45.1%

44.6%

44.3%

43.0%

39.8%

37.2%

30.7%

13.4%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Cornell, 1060

Binghamton, 2438

New Paltz, 1287

Geneseo, 1079

Oneonta, 1018

DOCTORAL, 12608

Brockport, 991

Stony Brook, 2880

Purchase, 709

ESF, 310

Ceramics, 144

Cortland, 1172

Fredonia, 1184

Albany, 2398

STATE-OPERATED, 26730

Buffalo Univ, 3378

Oswego, 1468

COMPREHENSIVE, 12884

Plattsburgh, 1025

Alfred, 103

Delhi, 62

Potsdam, 805

Morrisville, 34

Maritime, 396

Cobleskill, 82

Buffalo College, 1507

TECHNOLOGY, 1238

SUNYIT/POLY, 207

Farmingdale, 279

Old Westbury, 341

Canton, 75

Empire State, 298

Six-Year Graduation Rates for First-Time, Full-Time Baccalaureate Students, Fall 2008 Cohort as of Fall 2014



Key Observations

There continues to be a wide variance of graduation rates across the system. For the Fall 2008 cohort,

the rate ranges from a low of 13.4% (at perhaps SUNY’s most non-traditional four-year institution,

Empire State College) to a high of 94.4% (at SUNY’s statutory colleges at Cornell), a spread of 81

percentage points. While the variance in graduation rates is to a certain extent reflective of the differing

missions of the campuses that comprise SUNY, there continues to be room for improvement.

Removing the two outlying endpoints of Empire and Cornell, the spread decreases to 47.9 percentage

points.

For state-operated campuses overall, a negligible increase in six-year graduation rates of 0.6% (from

64.9% to 65.5%) has been realized between the two-year period.

The Doctoral sector has seen no change in the six-year graduation rate between the two years but

maintains the highest rate (approximately 71%) of any sector.

The Comprehensive and Technology sectors have seen increases of 1.9 percentage points (from 60.3%

to 62.2%) and 0.4 percentage points (from 43.9% to 44.3%), respectively.

At the campus level, while there has been some shifting, most have remained relatively consistent

regarding their position on the spectrum. Notable exceptions to this are Oneonta, Purchase, Oswego,

and SUNYIT (SUNY Poly), all of whom have seen particularly large increases. SUNY New Paltz and

Geneseo continue to be the highest performing comprehensive colleges on this measure, and Cornell

and Binghamton lead the doctoral campuses.

Again, see Appendix A for a table displaying the latest three years’ worth of four-, five-, and six-year

graduation rates for first-time, full-time baccalaureate students by individual campus.


Figure 4: Two-, Three-, and Four-Year Graduation Rates for First-Time, Full-Time Associate Degree

Students

Figure 4 shows graduation rate data for first-time, full-time associate degree students enrolled at SUNY.

For comparison purposes, the latest four years worth of data is shown (i.e. Fall 2007 through Fall 2010

cohorts) along with data for the Fall 2002 cohort to illustrate what the change has been over a longer

period of time.

Key Observations

SUNY’s two-, three-, and four-year graduation rates for first-time, full-time associate degree students

are all generally steady, fluctuating only a percentage point or less over the four year period of entering

cohorts Fall 2007 to Fall 2010.

All three graduation rates (i.e. two-, three-, and four-year) lag the rates of the cohort which entered in

Fall 2002. In comparing the eight year period, the two-year rate is down 1.1 percentage points (from

13.0% to 11.9%), the three year rate is down 1.7 percentage points (from 25.6% to 23.9%), and the four

year rate is down 1.9 percentage points (from 30.5% to 28.6%).

See Appendix B for a table displaying the latest three years’ worth of two-, three-, and four-year

graduation rates for first-time, full-time associate degree students by individual campus.

As mentioned at the beginning of the report, the latest graduation rate figures are preliminary and may

show a slight increase as the remainder of summer degrees are reported.

13.0%

25.6%

30.5%

11.5%

22.8%

28.1%

11.6%

23.7%

28.5%

11.5%

23.5%

28.2%

11.9%

23.9%

28.6%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Two

Year

Three

Year

Four

Year

Two

Year

Three

Year

Four

Year

Two

Year

Three

Year

Four

Year

Two

Year

Three

Year

Four

Year

Two

Year

Three

Year

Four

Year

Fall 2002 Cohort

as of Fall 2006Fall 2010 Cohort as of Fall 2014*

Fall 2009 Cohort

as of Fall 2013

Fall 2008 Cohort

as of Fall 2012

Fall 2007 Cohort

as of Fall 2011

* preliminary



Figure 5: National Benchmarks at the Associate Level

Figure 5 compares SUNY’s graduation rates for first-time, full-time associate degree students to national

benchmarks, as reported to IPEDS, for the Fall 2010 cohort as of Fall 2013 (the latest available). SUNY’s

two- and three-year rates are compared to National Publics in the Community College sector.

Key Observations

SUNY’s two- and three-year graduation rates both exceed those of National Publics.

SUNY’s two-year graduation rate is 1.5 percentage points higher, whereas the three-year rate is 3.6

percentage points higher.

Note that the SUNY rates displayed in Figure 5 differ from those in Figure 4 because Figure 5 represents

strictly the SUNY community colleges and Figure 4 represents all associate degree students at SUNY,

which includes both the community colleges and some of the technology colleges.

SUNY

Two-Year Three-Year Two-Year Three-Year

10.9% 22.9% 9.4% 19.3%

Sources: SUNY Data Warehouse and IPEDS Graduation Rate Survey 2013-14

SUNY System Administration, Office of Institutional Research, December 22, 2014

Three-Year Graduation Rate Benchmarks for the

Fall 2010 Associate Entering Cohort as of Fall 2013

National Benchmark Groups Determined by Carnegie Class

National Publics

Community Colleges


Figure 6: Four-Year Graduation Rates by Campus, Fall 2008 and Fall 2010 Cohorts

Figure 6 is comprised of two separate graphs to be considered in conjunction with one another. The

graph at left reflects the four-year graduation rates of first-time, full-time associate degree students at

SUNY, Fall 2008 cohort as of Fall 2012, as reported in the September 2013 data brief. The graph at the

right reflects the same information, updated for the Fall 2010 cohort as of Fall 2014.

The data is displayed by sector and by individual campus and, for each year, is arrayed from the highest

to lowest six-year graduation rate. For additional informational purposes, the size of the initial cohort is

listed by each campus’s name on the vertical axis. You will see that the Technology Colleges have much

larger cohorts at the two-year level than they did at the baccalaureate level; however, taken together

they still comprise a comparatively small percentage of SUNY’s associate level students.

72.1%

46.0%

44.5%

39.0%

34.8%

33.8%

33.6%

33.1%

33.0%

32.9%

32.8%

32.5%

32.4%

31.9%

30.6%

29.6%

29.3%

28.9%

28.9%

28.5%

28.1%

27.9%

27.8%

27.7%

26.8%

26.8%

26.7%

25.8%

25.6%

25.3%

25.1%

24.8%

24.8%

23.0%

22.2%

20.7%

20.4%

20.3%

15.4%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Fashion Institute, 1104

Columbia-Greene, 274

Alfred, 1038

Delhi, 919

Jamestown, 959

Herkimer County, 930

Broome, 1173

Niagara County, 1262

Jefferson, 628

Finger Lakes, 1283

TECHNOLOGY, 5289

Fulton-Montgomery, 480

Corning, 812

Cayuga County, 699

Genesee, 975

Clinton, 395

Cobleskill, 884

Monroe, 3899

Hudson Valley, 2623

SUNY OVERALL, 47240

Rockland, 1279

COMMUNITY COLLEGES, 41951

Canton, 666

Suffolk County, 4269

Tompkins-Cortland, 879

Morrisville, 1069

Schenectady County, 574

Farmingdale, 713

Mohawk Valley, 1382

Erie, 2671

Adirondack, 760

North Country, 290

Dutchess, 1568

Orange County, 1356

Ulster County, 508

Sullivan County, 459

Onondaga, 1630

Nassau, 4846

Westchester, 1984


Four-Year Graduation Rates for First-Time, Full-Time Associate Students, Fall 2008 Cohort as of Fall 2012

77.5%

49.3%

40.4%

36.8%

36.7%

36.4%

33.5%

31.8%

31.2%

31.1%

31.0%

30.7%

30.0%

29.5%

29.3%

29.1%

29.0%

28.6%

28.4%

27.8%

27.4%

27.3%

27.3%

27.3%

27.0%

26.9%

26.0%

24.6%

24.5%

24.1%

23.8%

23.4%

23.3%

23.1%

23.1%

22.8%

22.1%

21.0%

18.7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Fashion Institute, 1051

Alfred, 1068

Delhi, 888

TECHNOLOGY, 4707

Cobleskill, 646

Jamestown, 1122

Columbia-Greene, 355

Canton, 563

Rockland, 1490

Genesee, 1064

Broome, 1526

Niagara County, 1493

Fulton-Montgomery, 643

Herkimer County, 1066

Farmingdale, 515

Finger Lakes, 1462

Corning, 803

SUNY OVERALL, 50657

Jefferson, 761

COMMUNITY COLLEGES, 45950

Hudson Valley, 2619

Dutchess, 1940

Morrisville, 1027

Ulster County, 587

Suffolk County, 4779

Nassau, 4882

Monroe, 4019

Tompkins-Cortland, 1075

Mohawk Valley, 1554

Sullivan County, 468

Erie, 2648

Cayuga County, 705

Onondaga, 2228

Orange County, 1271

Adirondack, 785

North Country, 325

Schenectady County, 679

Clinton, 404

Westchester, 2146


Four-Year Graduation Rates for First-Time, Full-Time Associate Students, Fall 2010 Cohort as of Fall 2014


Key Observations

Similar to the baccalaureate cohorts, there is a wide variance of graduation rates at the associate level.

For the Fall 2010 cohort, the rate ranges from a low of 18.7% (at one of SUNY’s largest and most urban

community colleges) to a high of 77.5% (at SUNY’s selective and highly-specialized Fashion Institute of

Technology which requires students to earn an associate degree before continuing on to its

baccalaureate programs). This equates to a spread of 58.8 percentage points. If one were to remove

FIT’s atypically high rate for this sector, the spread decreases to 30.6 percentage points.

Four-year graduation rates at the associate level have been essentially flat (from 28.5% to 28.6%). While

we do not see forward movement here overall, there are a number of completion efforts targeted at the

associate level that will first take effect in Fall 2015, such as enhancements to the non-credit remedial

program and the cumulative impact of SUNY’s reverse transfer effort (to award the associate degree to

students who transferred before completion but at a baccalaureate institution earn sufficient credits to

meet the two-year degree requirements).

In addition, as will be discussed in greater detail below, transfer and persistence can also be considered

hallmarks of student success.

Nearly nine out of every ten associate degree seeking students at SUNY attend one of the University’s

community colleges (with the other one percent attending a technology college). Therefore, the four-

year graduation rates for the community college sector heavily influences SUNY’s overall rate.

When one looks specifically at the Technology College sector, however, four-year graduation rates have

increased by 4 percentage points (from 32.8% to 36.8%) during this two-year period.

Again, see Appendix B for a table displaying the latest three years’ worth of two-, three-, and four-year

graduation rates for first-time, full-time associate degree students by individual campus.

Beyond Graduation Rates at the Associate Level

A very large number of students enroll at SUNY two-year institutions and/or in two-year (associate)

programs not intent on full-time, continuously enrolled study toward an associate's degree. Many are

balancing family and job responsibilities, and many face financial constraints. As such, it is not

uncommon for these students to fluctuate between full-time and part-time status or to stop out as

necessary, both of which increase the length of time it takes to earn a degree. Furthermore, many

students enrolled in two-year programs have as a plan to transfer into a four-year program at another

institution, with or without actually receiving the two-year degree. SUNY has long been aware of this

and developed a series of Educational Outcomes reports over ten years ago to better understand the

movement of associate degree students through the SUNY system and through their academic careers.

This information, in overview and summary fashion, has been shared in the past with the board and is

also part of SUNY’s Report Card.

At the national level initiatives such as SAM (Student Achievement Measure) and a new IPEDS survey on

Outcomes Measures have been developed to better capture the outcomes and success of students

enrolled in two-year programs (and those in four-year programs as well). While the new IPEDS survey is


mandatory, SAM is a voluntary endeavor, and in response to the Chancellor’s strong interest in this

topic, SUNY was the first higher education system in the country to have all of its institutions agree to

participate. Moreover, it has recently been announced that this type of expanded educational

outcomes measure is being considered as part of the President’s forthcoming Postsecondary Institution

Ratings System (PIRS). While it is beyond the scope of this document to go into detail about these new

nation-wide initiatives and efforts, we will take a brief look at how, at the associate degree level,

transferring out comes into play.

Figure 7: Two-, Three-, and Four-Year Graduation and Transfer Out Rates for First-time, Full-time

Associate Degree Students, Fall 2009 Cohort as of Fall 2013

Figure 7 provides a snapshot of graduation and transfer-out rates for the Fall 2009 cohort of first-time,

full-time associate degree students. The graduation rate and transfer-out rates are shown at two-,

three-, and four-years out.

The first portion of each bar represents the percent of students who received any degree at the initial

institution. Note this also includes students who may have continued on at the initial institution to

obtain a bachelor’s degree without obtaining the associate’s degree they were initially reported as

seeking. The second portion represents the percent of students who transferred to another SUNY

institution without earning a degree. And the third portion represents the percent of students who

transferred to a non-SUNY institution without earning a degree. At the end of each bar is the sum of the

graduation and transfer-out rates.

11.7%

23.9%

28.9%

20.5%

32.6%

37.2%

10.8%

22.9%

28.0%

10.7%

12.3%

12.9%

19.7%

21.2%

21.8%

9.7%

11.3%

11.9%

6.8%

8.8%

9.6%

8.0%

10.0%

10.7%

6.6%

8.6%

9.5%

29.2%

45.0%

51.4%

48.2%

63.8%

69.7%

27.1%

42.8%

49.4%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

2-Year

3-Year

4-Year

2-Year

3-Year

4-Year

2-Year

3-Year

4-Year

SUN

Y To

tal

Tech

nolo

gy C

olle

ges

Co

mm

un

ity

Co

lleg

es

Graduating with any degree from initial institution

Transferring to another SUNY insitution without a degree

Transferring to a non-SUNY institution without a degree

SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: Dec 26, 2014 Sources: SUNY Data Warehouse and National Student Clearinghouse


Key Observations

By looking at the chart above, it is clear how big of a role transferring out plays for our first-time, full-

time associate degree students. In fact, in several instances, the percentage of students who have

transferred out for a given time frame is greater than the percentage of students who have graduated

during the same time frame.

For SUNY overall, after two years, this particular cohort saw 11.7% of its members graduating and 17.5%

transferring out to a different institution (10.7% to a SUNY and 6.8% to a non-SUNY), making for a

combined graduation/transfer-out rate of 29.2%. After four years, those rates increase to 28.9% and

22.5%, respectively, for a combined rate of 51.4%.

At the technology colleges, after four years, while 37.2% of this cohort earned a degree, another 32.5%

transferred out to another institution, for a combined rate of 69.7% either graduating or transferring.

And at the community colleges, after four years, while 28.0% of this cohort earned a degree, another

21.4% transferred out to another institution, for a combined rate of 49.4% either graduating or

transferring.

This data will inform ongoing work on seamless transfer and reverse transfer and will also inform related

goals for SUNY Excels.

Figure 8: Graduation Rates of Pell Recipients vs. Non-Pell Recipients

* Due to limitations in obtaining the requisite data for this analysis at the time of this writing, Stony Brook,

Maritime, and FIT are not included.

37.6%

51.2%53.5%

65.2%

56.6%

67.2%

7.8%12.2%

18.6%

25.7%23.2%

30.9%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

First-Time, Full-Time Baccalaureate Students First-Time, Full-Time Associate Degree Students

SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: December 26, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Repository Tables

Graduation Rates of Pell Recipients vs. Non-Pell Recipients *, Fall 2008 Cohort of First-Time, Full-Time Baccalaureate Students

and Fall 2010 Cohort of First-Time, Full-Time Associate Degree Students

* Note that Stony Brook, Maritime, and FIT are excluded from this chart.


Figure 8 illustrates the completion rates of Pell recipients vs. non-Pell recipients for a cohort of first-

time, full-time baccalaureate students and for a cohort of first-time, full-time associate degree students.

Key Observations

For both the baccalaureate and associate degree cohorts, for every time period examined, Pell recipient

students graduated at a markedly lower rate than their non-Pell recipient peers.

At the baccalaureate level, the 4-year gap is 13.6 percentage points, and that gap decreases slightly to

10.6 percentage points by the 6-year mark.

At the associate level, the 2-year gap is 4.4 percentage points, and that gap increases to 7.7 percentage

points by the 4-year mark.

SUNY is addressing this challenge, in part, through the Access to Success and Taking Student Success to

Scale initiatives, discussed below.

Access to Success Initiative

Access to Success (A2S) is a partnership initiative between the Education Trust and the National

Association of System Heads (NASH). SUNY has been one of twenty-two public higher education

systems participating in the initiative, all of whom had pledged to cut the college-going and graduation

gaps for low-income and minority students in half by 2015.

Generally speaking, the A2S initiative saw notable improvements in its “access” component, thereby

seeing more Pell recipient and under-represented minority (URM) enrollments and graduates, but fell

short in regards to its “success” component, especially in reducing the gap between Pell and non-Pell

graduation rates and between URM and non-URM graduation rates.

Building on what was learned from the A2S effort, NASH is set to embark on a new initiative, Taking

Student Success to Scale, in which fourteen higher education systems have already signed on for and in

which SUNY will be playing a leadership role. The new effort calls for “following evidence based

interventions that will contribute to the completion goals [of 350,000 more college graduates by 2025]”.

(NASH Press Release “National Association of System Heads Calls For At Least 350,000 More College

Graduates in 10 Years,” December 4, 2014). The initial strategies to be employed include Guided

Pathways Using Predictive Analytics, Redesigning the Math Pathway, and High Impact Practices for All

Students.

In the September 2013 data brief, we shared the A2S six-year graduation rates for first-time

baccalaureate students for SUNY versus the aggregate of the other participants, up through the Fall

2005 cohort. SUNY recently received a portion of the latest, and final, round of data for this initiative,

and a select summary of this information will be illustrated and discussed below.


Figure 9: Access to Success: Six-Year Graduation Rates for First-time Baccalaureate Students, URM

Students Compared to Non-URM Students

Figure 9 compares SUNY’s six-year graduation rates for first-time baccalaureate students, broken down

by under-represented minority (URM) and non-URM status, to the aggregate rates for all systems

participating in Access to Success (A2S).

Note that the cohorts include both full-time and part-time students, and the graduation rates include

graduation from any college in each system, not just at the initial institution of enrollment. While this

reflects two years’ worth of updated data for SUNY, only one year of updated data was available at the

time of this writing for the A2S Systems Aggregate.

Key Observations

SUNY’s six-year graduation rates for first-time baccalaureate students, for the entering cohorts Fall 2002

through Fall 2006, exceed the rates for the aggregate of all A2S participating public higher education

systems for both URM and non-URM students.

In reviewing the Fall 2002 entering cohort through the Fall 2007 entering cohort, one notes that the six-

year graduation gap between URM and non-URM students persists between 10% and 12%. This gap is

an improvement over the base year of the 1999 entering cohort (15%) and also runs 4 to 5 percentage

points narrower than the gap for the aggregate of all A2S participating public higher education systems.

49

55 55 54

58 5957

43 44 44 45 4547

1510 10 11

12 11 12

14 14 15 15 16 15

64 65 65 65

70 70 69

57 58 59 60 61 62

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1999 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 1999 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

6-y

ear

gra

du

atio

n r

ate

(%

)

Fall Cohort

Six-Year Graduation Rates for First-Time Baccalaureate StudentsUnder-Represented Minority (URM) Students Compared to Non-URMSUNY Compared to All Access-to-Success (A2S) Participating Systems

State University of New York A2S Systems Aggregate

Upper bar =

Non-URM rate

Lower bar = URM rate

difference

(achievement gap) shown in red

numbers

n/av

SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: December 23, 2014 Source: Education Trust


Figure 10: Access to Success: Four-Year Graduation Rates for First-time Associate Degree Students,

URM Students Compared to Non-URM Students

Figure 10 compares SUNY’s four-year graduation rates for first-time associate degree students, broken

down by under-represented minority (URM) and non-URM status, to the aggregate rates for all systems

participating in Access to Success (A2S).

Note that the cohorts include both full-time and part-time students, and the graduation rates include

graduation from any college in each system, not just at the initial institution of enrollment. While this

reflects two years’ worth of updated data for SUNY, only one year of updated data was available at the

time of this writing for the Systems Aggregate.

Key Observations

With the exception of one cohort (2006), SUNY's four-year graduation rates of both first-time associate

degree URM students and non-URM students entering between 2001and 2008 exceeded the rates for

the aggregate of all public higher education systems participating in A2S.

However, unlike the baccalaureate cohorts (Figure 9), the gaps between the URM and non-URM

completion rates for the associate degree cohorts are slightly wider than the A2S Systems Aggregate

gaps, consistently running 1 to 2 percentage points wider.

SUNY is absolutely committed to improvement here and as noted above is taking a leadership role in

NASH’s Taking Student Success to Scale initiative. The NASH collaboration will involve:

27

2224

22

30 3028

2421 22 22 22

24

16

16 14 15

16 1616

1515 13 13 15

15

43

38 38 37

46 4644

3936 35 35

3739

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2001 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2001 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

4-y

ear

gra

du

atio

n r

ate

(%

)

Fall Cohort

Four-Year Graduation and Transfer Out Rates for First-Time Associate Degree StudentsUnder-Represented Minority (URM) Students Compared to Non-URMSUNY Compared to All Access-to-Success (A2S) Participating Systems

State University of New York A2S Systems Aggregate

Upper bar = Non-URM rate

Lower bar = URM rate

difference(achievement gap)

shown in red numbers n/av

SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: December 23, 2014 Source: Education Trust


Common definitions of success, built on existing metrics;

Flexibility in implementation approaches, to accommodate the diversity of campuses and student populations;

Networked communities of both system and campus representatives;

Discussions informed by data, which focus on sharing best practices and collectively identifying and overcoming barriers;

Significant system leadership support; and

Strong interest from a substantive number of campuses in each system, accounting for variability in system size and institutional diversity.

The collaboration has already identified three evidence-based interventions currently being scaled up in

at least one NASH system:

1) Guided Pathways Using Predictive Analytics (Tennessee Board of Regents) - to provide the ability

to map interventions to specific student needs.

2) Redesigning the Math Pathway (State University of New York) – this is the Quantway/Statway

method of mathematics instruction that have been previously presented to the Board.

3) High Impact Practices for All Students (California State University) - which makes high

engagement learning experiences such as undergraduate research and community-based

learning part of every student’s pathway—another element in the “playbook” of interventions.

Figure 11: First-Year Retention Rates for First-time, Full-time Students in a Program, Ten-Year Trend

Fall

2004

to Fall

2005

Fall

2005

to Fall

2006

Fall

2006

to Fall

2007

Fall

2007

to Fall

2008

Fall

2008

to Fall

2009

Fall

2009

to Fall

2010

Fall

2010

to Fall

2011

Fall

2011

to Fall

2012

Fall

2012

to Fall

2013

Fall

2013

to Fall

2014

SUNY Total 69.6% 69.6% 69.7% 69.1% 70.9% 69.1% 68.3% 68.4% 69.7% 70.4%

State Operated

Institutions 78.3% 78.9% 79.2% 78.7% 80.1% 80.2% 80.9% 80.4% 81.1% 81.8%

Doctoral Degree

Granting 87.8% 87.4% 87.7% 87.2% 88.4% 88.4% 88.8% 88.1% 88.0% 87.4%

Comprehensive

Colleges 78.7% 79.4% 79.4% 79.3% 80.8% 81.3% 81.3% 80.1% 81.0% 81.4%

Technology

Colleges 60.5% 60.4% 60.5% 61.0% 62.8% 62.5% 64.2% 64.8% 66.3% 70.4%

Community

Colleges 62.8% 62.2% 62.1% 61.7% 63.9% 61.7% 59.9% 60.0% 61.4% 61.9%


Typically speaking, an improvement in graduation rates is preceded by an improvement in retention

rates. When new initiatives are introduced that are focused on improving the completion aspect of

student success, one could expect to see the success of the initiatives and efforts to be first reflected in

higher retention rates. This, then, is an important early stage indicator that ultimately may have a

subsequent influence and effect on graduation rates and one that will be watched closely as SUNY

continues to implement student success initiatives.

Figure 11 presents the first-year retention rates for first-time, full-time matriculated students entering in

Fall 2004 through Fall 2013 for SUNY overall and by sector.

Key Observations

At the system level, for all first-time, full-time students enrolled in a degree program, retention rates for

the past ten years have hovered between 68% and 70%, displaying little year-to-year variability.

The Doctoral sector has seen the highest retention rates with very little variability, consistently hovering

around 88%.

At the comprehensive colleges, retention rates have shown slight, steady improvement from 78.7% for

the Fall 2004 cohort to 81.4% for the Fall 2013 cohort.

While for the first half of the time period being examined, the technology colleges saw a sector-level

retention rate consistently between 60% and 61%, significant increases have been realized the past

several years. During the ten-year period, the retention rate has increased from 60.5% to 70.4%, a 9.9

percentage point improvement. In just the past five years, the retention rate has increased 7.9

percentage points.

Campuses that have seen a notable increase over the past three years include Canton (10.0 percentage

points), Morrisville (9.4 percentage points), and Empire (9.2 percentage points).

The community colleges, as a sector, have retention rates that hover consistently around 62% to 63%.

To put these numbers into perspective in a national context, the latest readily available first-year

retention figures for first-time, full-time students in a program are for the Fall 2011 entering cohort as of

Fall 2012 and are as follows: 79.2% for four-year National Publics and 80.3% for four-year National

Privates (vs. SUNY’s 80.4%) and 58.2% for two-year National Publics (vs. SUNY’s 60.0%). (Source: NCES

Digest of Education Statistics, Figure 326.30, “Retention of first-time degree-seeking undergraduates at

degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by attendance status, level and control of institution, and

percentage of applications accepted: 2006 to 2012,” published January 2014)

See Appendix C for detailed first-year retention information for each individual campus for the past

three years.


C. Completions of First-time Students vs. Incoming Transfer Students

SUNY has made an unprecedented commitment to the success of transfer students with its Seamless

Transfer policy, to be fully implemented for Fall 2015. As we monitor the implementation of that policy,

it is important to understand the current progress of intra-SUNY transfer students.

Figure 12: Graduation Rates for Full-Time Incoming Transfer Students from a SUNY Community

College Into a SUNY Baccalaureate Program in Fall 2010, Status as of Fall 2014

* Note that due to limitations with obtaining Cornell’s complete data necessary for this analysis, the campus has

been excluded.

Figure 12 illustrates the two-, three-, and four-year graduation rates for full-time students transferring

into a SUNY baccalaureate program in Fall 2010 from a SUNY community college, as of Fall 2014. The

data is displayed overall and broken down by the type of degree that had been earned at the time of

transfer (AA/AS, AAS/AOS, or no degree).

For comparative purposes, the corresponding graduation rates for first-time, full-time students are

displayed in a text box at the top of the chart.

26.9%

34.9%

31.1%

22.1%

55.6%

63.7%

55.3%

51.3%

64.0%

69.8%

61.8% 61.2%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Total AA or AS AAS or AOS

No Degree


No Degree


No Degree

Graduating within 4 years, post-transfer




4-Year Native rate: 47.1% 5-Year Native rate: 62.0% 6-Year Native rate: 64.3%


Key Observations

Overall, for transfers from a SUNY community college into a SUNY baccalaureate program, the three-

year graduation rate is nearly double the two-year graduation rate (55.6% from 26.9%). This is followed

by an additional 8.4 percentage point increase in the four-year graduation rate (64.0%).

Students who transfer from a SUNY community college having earned an Associate in Arts (AA) or

Associate in Sciences (AS) have the highest graduation rates, followed by students with an Associate in

Applied Science (AAS) or an Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS), and then by those transferring with

no degree.

By four years out, the graduation rates for transfer students with an AAS/AOS degree and with no

degree are nearly identical (61.8% and 61.2%), whereas the graduation rate for transfer students with

an AA/AS is notably higher at 69.8%.

While the data show that SUNY transfer students perform well after four years relative to native

students, significant efforts are underway to support and improve their success and foster timely

completion—particularly via policy and advising tools.

Notably, the State University’s Board of Trustees Resolution 2012-089, Seamless Transfer Requirements,

adopted on December 17, 2012, is currently being implemented for students entering Fall, 2015. The

goal of seamless transfer is to enable students to complete their intended program of study on time,

without unnecessary costs or duplication of effort. The policy will ensure completion of the general

education requirement of the first two years of most associate programs; sets credit caps for all

associate and baccalaureate programs, and require programs to clearly define foundational courses in

the major that when taken in the first two years facilitate transfer. In addition, SUNY continues to make

significant progress with full implementation of its online degree planning and auditing software, Degree

Works.

See Appendix D for individual receiving campus data.


Figure 13: Graduation Rates for Full-Time Incoming Transfer Students from a SUNY Community College Into a SUNY Baccalaureate Program in Fall 2010, Status as of Fall 2014

Figure 13 displays the two-, three-, and four-year graduation rates for students transferring into a SUNY

baccalaureate program in Fall 2010 from a SUNY community college, as of Fall 2014, by sector.

Key Observations

Overall, students transferring into a SUNY baccalaureate program at a doctoral institution have the

highest two-, three-, and four-year graduation rates. This also holds true for the two-year rates for each

prior/incoming degree type (i.e. AA/AS, AAS/AOS, and no degree).

Taking an extended look at four years out, the comprehensive colleges have the highest graduation rate

for transfer students coming in with an AA/AS degree (71.8% vs. 68.2% and 60.0% at the doctoral and

technology colleges, respectively). The technology colleges have the highest graduation rate for transfer

students coming in with an AAS/AOS degree (70.9% vs. 65.1% and 58.6% at the doctoral and

comprehensive colleges, respectively). At four years out, the doctoral institutions retain the highest

graduation rates for transfer students coming in with no degree (64.7% vs. 60.4% and 58.3% at the

comprehensive and technology colleges, respectively).

Again, see Appendix D for individual receiving campus data.

Post Transfer, Graduating Within

Prior Degree Cohort Size 2 Years 3 Years 4 Years

Total 8,356 26.9% 55.6% 64.0%

AA or AS Degree 2,688 34.9% 63.7% 69.8%

AAS or AOS Degree 620 31.1% 55.3% 61.8%

No Degree 5,048 22.1% 51.3% 61.2%

Total 2,447 31.8% 58.9% 66.2%

AA or AS Degree 1,001 37.7% 62.1% 68.2%

AAS or AOS Degree 152 36.2% 59.2% 65.1%

No Degree 1,294 26.8% 56.3% 64.7%

Total 5,094 25.0% 55.0% 63.6%

AA or AS Degree 1,527 34.6% 66.2% 71.8%

AAS or AOS Degree 389 28.3% 53.0% 58.6%

No Degree 3,178 20.0% 49.8% 60.4%

Total 815 23.3% 49.6% 59.9%

AA or AS Degree 160 19.4% 50.0% 60.0%

AAS or AOS Degree 79 35.4% 59.5% 70.9%

No Degree 576 22.7% 48.1% 58.3%

* In this comparison table, Cornell is excluded due to limitations in obtaining the appropriate completion data for the full time

transfer-in cohort.


Technology Sector

Comprehensive Sector

Doctoral Sector *

Total SUNY *


Figure 14: Graduation Rates for Full-time Incoming Transfer Students from a SUNY Community

College Into a Baccalaureate Program (Fall 2010 Cohort) compared to Graduation Rates of First-time,

Full-time Students in a Baccalaureate Program (Fall 2008 Cohort), Status as of Fall 2014

Particular interest has been expressed by the SUNY Board of Trustees in seeing how students from our

community colleges do upon transfer to one of our four-year institutions in regards to completion as

opposed to students who start at one of our four-year institutions (i.e. “native” students).

Figure 14 lines up corresponding transfer and native cohorts by the time periods typically examined,

limiting the comparisons to those transfer students coming in with a two-year degree so that the

completion timeframes are comparable with those of the first-time full-time matriculated students. For

example, one would ideally expect a full-time transfer student possessing an associate’s degree to go on

to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in two years, and one would ideally expect a first-time, full-time

baccalaureate student to graduate in four years. In Figure 14, those groups have been lined up

accordingly, and so on for three and five years out for transfer and native students, respectively, as well

as four and six years out, respectively.

Key Observations

System-wide, there is a significant difference between the percent of native students who graduate

within four years and incoming transfer students with an associate’s degree who graduate within two

years (47.1% for the natives compared to 34.9% for transfers with an AA/AS and 31.1% for transfers with

Post-Transfer, Graduating Within

Transfer-In Fall 2010 Cohort Cohort Size 2 Years 3 Years 4 Years

Full Time Transfers with AA/AS Degree 2,688 34.9% 63.7% 69.8%

Full Time Transfers with AAS/AOS Degree 620 31.1% 55.3% 61.8%

First Time Fall 2008 Cohort Cohort Size 4 Years 5 Years 6 Years

Full Time First Time (i.e. native) 25,670 47.1% 62.0% 64.3%












Full Time Transfers with AA/AS Degree 160 19.4% 50.0% 60.0%




* In this comparison table, Cornell is excluded due to limitations in obtaining the appropriate completions data for the full time transfer-in cohort.

SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: December 26, 2014

Source: SUNY Data Repository Tables and Data Warehouse

Total SUNY *

Doctoral Sector *

Comprehensive Sector

Technology Sector


an AAS/AOS). As previously discussed, the new Seamless Transfer initiative is expected to make the

intra-SUNY transfer process simpler and more efficient from the student perspective. This should have

the effect of providing the opportunity for transfer students to achieve graduation rates comparable to

those of native students for this ideal timeframe.

Looking at one additional year out, the difference in graduation rates all but disappears (and in fact

reverses itself) between the native and transfer students with an AA/AS, with the native rate increasing

to 62.0% and the transfers with an AA/AS rate increasing to 63.7%. However, the graduation rate for

transfers with an AAS/AOS degree lags behind at 55.3%.

At two additional years out, the graduation rate for transfer students with an AAS/AOS approaches that

of the other two groups (61.8% compared to 64.3% for the natives and 69.8% for the transfers with an

AA/AS).

D. Open SUNY and Student Success

In June 2013, the Provost’s Open SUNY Advisory Committee (POSAC) was established as a multi-campus,

cross-sector, advisory entity that would support the Open SUNY team in launching SUNY’s expansion of

online programs and associated student and faculty supports. In consultation with POSAC and through

regional conversations with campus leaders, faculty, staff and students, a more robust vision of how

Open SUNY could benefit campuses and students began to take shape. This, of course, is critical given

SUNY’s initiative to continue aggressively expanding its online programs, courses, and student

enrollments.

Importantly, students and faculty indicated a number of support services and best practices that they

believed would help advance student access, completion, and success. Before delving into the specifics

of these recommendations, some context in the form of baseline data is presented below.

The Baseline Data

SUNY has a long history of delivering high-quality educational opportunities to students at a distance.

One challenge, however, is that some campuses have not consistently and accurately reported data in a

way that distinguishes online students from their traditional face-to-face counterparts, so available data

around success in the online setting is not as robust as we would like it to be.

Recognizing the importance of the need for more robust data around student success in the online

environment, the SUNY Office of Institutional Research is continually working with campuses to improve

available data, definitions, and analytics in this area.

For the purposes of this analysis, we provide a snapshot of Fall 2013.


Figure 15: Online Activity at SUNY State-Operated Institutions

Figure 15 illustrates the extent of online activity taking place at SUNY’s state-operated institutions, in

regards to section offerings. The data is sorted from the highest percentage of online sections to the

lowest. Also shown is the percent of “hybrid” sections offered that, while are not exclusively taking

place online, include an online component (i.e. instruction takes place both in the classroom and online

for all students enrolled).

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

SUNYIT

Empire State

Delhi *

Canton

Alfred State

Technology Colleges

SUNY Total

Comprehensive Colleges

Plattsburgh

Stony Brook

State Operated Total

Maritime *

Buffalo State

Farmingdale

Oswego

Morrisville

Brockport

Doctoral Degree Granting

Binghamton

Old Westbury

Albany

Downstate Medical

Buffalo Univ

New Paltz

Cobleskill *

Cortland

Fredonia

Envir Sci & Forestry

Potsdam

Geneseo

Oneonta

Optometry

Purchase

Upstate Medical

Exclusively Online Hybrid (class and online)

Percent of Sections by Online Status and Campus SUNY State-Operated Institutions, Fall 2013

* Section breakdowns were not reported in SIRIS and were provided by the campuses for manual input into this table.

SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: Dec 20, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Warehouse


Key Observations

At SUNY’s state-operated institutions, roughly 4% of the sections offered in Fall 2013 were reported to

be exclusively online. Another 10% were reported as being hybrid (i.e. having some degree of an online

component).

SUNYIT (Poly), Empire, Delhi, and Canton all report that over 10% of their sections are exclusively online.

SUNYIT (Poly), Empire, and Delhi also report varying degrees of significant hybrid activity. Not

surprisingly, when Empire’s online and hybrid numbers are combined, over 90% of their sections have at

least some online component.

Another campus of note is Maritime, which has incorporated some type of online component into over

30% of its sections.

As a whole, the technology colleges offer the greatest percentage of exclusively online sections, 7%.

When the hybrid sections are also considered, the percent of sections having at least some portion of

online instructions nearly doubles to approximately 14%.

Apart from Empire State College, the comprehensive colleges offer few online sections, consistent with

their historical residential traditions. Similarly, the doctoral institutions report few online (or hybrid)

sections. As of Fall 2013, Stony Brook is the only doctoral institution reporting any appreciable activity

in this area (with 5% online and none hybrid). Recently approved online programs, along with SUNY’s

extensive faculty development efforts, are expected to generate growth in online sections across

sectors.


Figure 16: Online Activity at SUNY Community Colleges

Figure 16 illustrates the extent of online activity taking place at SUNY’s community colleges, in regards

to section offerings. The data is sorted from the highest percentage of online sections to the lowest.

Also shown is the percent of “hybrid” sections offered that, while are not exclusively taking place online,

include an online component (i.e. instruction takes place both in the classroom and online for all

students enrolled).

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Cayuga County

Herkimer County

Jefferson

Broome

Finger Lakes

Tompkins Cortland

Ulster County

Hudson Valley

Genesee

Suffolk County

Corning

Onondaga

Community Colleges

Mohawk Valley

Erie

Monroe

Niagara County

Schenectady County

Rockland

Adirondack

Sullivan County

SUNY Total

Westchester

Fashion Institute

Clinton

Jamestown

North Country

Nassau

Columbia-Greene

Dutchess

Fulton-Montgomery

Orange County

Exclusively Online Hybrid (class and online)

Percent of Sections by Online Status and Campus SUNY Community Colleges, Fall 2013

SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: Dec 20, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Warehouse


Key Observations

As a sector, the community colleges lead the system in online offerings with many more exclusively

online sections reported compared to state-operated campuses. Community colleges indicate that they

have 8% of their course sections available fully online (as compared to 4% at the state-operated

campuses).

While Figure 15 showed that a large number of state-operated institutions are not actively engaged in

online offerings, Figure 16 shows that, to some degree, nearly all community colleges are. However,

community colleges are reporting relatively few hybrid sections; their sections seem to be either

exclusively online or exclusively classroom.

A number of community colleges report that at least 10% of their Fall 2013 sections were exclusively

online: Cayuga, Herkimer, Jefferson, Broome, Finger Lakes, Tompkins-Cortland, Ulster, Hudson Valley,

Genesee, Suffolk, and Corning. Cayuga reports 20%, and Herkimer reports nearly of 20%.

Figure 17: Attempted vs. Earned Credit Hours at SUNY by Online Section Indicator, Fall 2013

Figure 17 highlights the number of credits attempted by students compared to the number of credits

successfully completed (i.e. earned).

Key Observations

When looking system-wide at the number of credit hours earned as compared to those attempted,

students in traditional courses (non-online) earn the highest percentage of credits (84.1%), followed

closely by those in hybrid classes (82.2%), and then online courses (75.2%).

At the state-operated campuses, the successful completion of online sections is only slightly lower than

that of classroom sections (84.2% credits attempted earned for online and 87.9% for classroom) and

nearly identical to that of hybrid sections (84.7%).

The community colleges report a significant difference between the credits earned ratio of online

Section Online Instruction Type Total Credits Attempted Total Credits Earned Earned/Attempted

5,243,266 4,377,216 83.5%

Online 349,936 263,214 75.2%

Not Online 4,817,222 4,051,418 84.1%

Hybrid 76,108 62,585 82.2%

2,835,896 2,485,831 87.7%

Online 140,896 118,627 84.2%

Not Online 2,645,071 2,324,905 87.9%

Hybrid 49,929 42,299 84.7%

2,407,370 1,891,386 78.6%

Online 209,041 144,587 69.2%

Not Online 2,172,151 1,726,513 79.5%

Hybrid 26,179 20,286 77.5%

SUNY System Administrat ion Off ice of Inst itut ional Research :: December 17, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Warehouse (Term Section)

SUNY Total

State Operated Total

Community Colleges Total


sections and other sections, with 69.2% of credits attempted in the online sections being earned

whereas 79.5% are earned in the classroom sections and 77.5% are earned in the hybrid sections.

In the future, we intend to explore further the demographics of those pursuing purely online instruction.

Anecdotally, we envision that they have work and family commitments that may impact completion in

the absence of enhanced student supports.

Figure 18: Attempted vs. Earned Credit Hours of Online Sections vs. Classroom and Hybrid Sections at

SUNY by Academic Discipline, Fall 2013

This figure shows credits attempted and credits earned in sections grouped be academic discipline,

showing the top ten based on total online credits attempted, organized by highest to lowest. For

comparison purposes, the same credits attempted and credits earned data is shown for classroom and

hybrid sections. Note that the grand total line includes all sections reported by campuses, not just the

ten CIPs whose detail is shown here.

Key Observations

By far, when considering individual CIPs (Classification of Instructional Programs), more online learning

is taking place in Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services sections than in any

other area. In Fall 2013, the number of online credits attempted in this discipline area was 62,462, over

twice as many than the next highest area of English Language and Literature/Letters.


For all online sections reported by SUNY campuses, 75.2% of the credits attempted in Fall 2013 were

successfully completed. For all classroom and hybrid sections reported, 84.1% of the credits attempted

were successfully completed. This equates to a difference of 8.9 percentage points.

In regards to the successful completion of attempted credits for these ten disciplines, online sections in

the following CIP areas have the highest earned/attempted ratios: Health Professions and Related

Clinical Studies at 89.0%, Education at 86.7%, and Business, Management, Marketing, and Related

Support Services at 77.4%.

Of the discipline areas shown in this figure, Mathematics and Statistics has the lowest online

earned/attempted ratio, 59.9%. This CIP area has the lowest earned/attempted ratio for classroom and

hybrid sections as well, 75.4%.

Notably, students in Health Professions and Related Clinical Studies have a higher rate of completion in

the online environment (89.0%) than in the classroom or hybrid setting (86.7%).

See Appendix E for a table of complete academic discipline area listings.

Supports and Services Specific to the Online Environment

As introduced in the beginning of this section, the following critical supports and services were

developed in consultation with campuses and the Provost’s Open SUNY Advisory Committee (POSAC)

and are now signature elements of Open SUNY+.

Personal Concierge: One point of contact students can turn to for any questions they may have

about their degree program or campus services. The concierge resides on campus and is an on-

site resource to advocate for students attending from a distance. The amount of interaction

between student and concierge will vary by each student’s need/desire, but the concierge is

always there to help.

24/7 HelpDesk: Many students taking online courses are completing their coursework outside

of typical business hours. This is why Open SUNY+ is proud to offer live technical support to

students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Tutoring: On-campus tutoring services may have limited hours, but Open SUNY+ students have

access to online academic tutoring day and night. If a student is working on a project at 2am

and has a question, an answer is only a few clicks away. Below is an example of what a student

might see when using online tutoring services.


Experiential Learning: Access to real-life experiences to position students for employment,

providing opportunities with a wealth of New York State employers at a scale no other

university can provide. In a competitive job market, these hands-on experiences provide SUNY

students with a distinct advantage.

High-Need Areas: Students can earn a degree in a field recognized as "high need" in New York

State and beyond, meaning high employer demand and attractive employment opportunities

after graduation.

Institutional Readiness: Offering high-quality online academic experiences can seem like a large

undertaking for campuses that have not previously done much in the online space. The Open

SUNY Institutional Readiness process is free of charge for all SUNY campuses and offers

consulting services to help align and operationalize around their online aspirations.

The Open SUNY Center for Online Teaching Excellence (COTE): A faculty-centric center that

brings faculty and staff interested in online education together in a community of practice to

share best practices and gain new skills. Whether individuals have 20 years of experience online

or are just getting started, the Center for Online Teaching Excellence is a place to learn and

share excellence throughout the SUNY system.

These supports represent one of the primary ways in which Open SUNY is meeting the challenge of

increasing student success in the online environment. Many of these elements have been in practice in

some form at SUNY for years, but with Open SUNY there is now opportunity to scale these practices


across the SUNY system thereby ensuring that all students have access to these academically sound

support services and opportunities.

Online Student Satisfaction

Open SUNY (formerly SLN) has a commitment to continuous improvement in online education. Since

the 1990’s, SUNY has been conducting surveys of students taking online courses. SUNY has possibly the

largest longitudinal data set of online student satisfaction in the world. The data below is a sampling

taken from the Fall 2013 Student Satisfaction Survey, which ran from November 15, 2013 to February

27, 2014 and was completed by 2,047 students.

Figure 19: Q. Based on your experience, would you consider taking other online courses in the future?

Approximately 67% of respondents reported that they would take additional online classes. Perhaps not

coincidentally, this percentage mirrors the 68% of students who indicated that they were working either

part- or full-time.

Figure 20: Q. The instructor provided clarifying explanations or other feedback that allowed me to

better understand the content of the course.

The chart below depicts the response to one of 16 questions on the survey that asked questions about

course design and faculty engagement. Of those responding, 75.1% agreed or strongly agreed that their

instructor provided feedback that helped the student better understand course content. Removing the

“neutral” and “chose not to answer” categories, 9.7% of students disagreed or strongly disagreed, which

suggests an opportunity for improvement.


Figure 21: Q. I learned a great deal in this course.

Of the students surveyed in Fall 2013, less than 9% indicated that they disagreed with the statement “I

learned a great deal in this course.”

Expanding Student Supports

As SUNY continues to expand its online learning offerings through campus efforts and Open SUNY, a

robust menu of academically sound student support services will be required to ensure students in

online programs have the same opportunities as students attending in a traditional classroom setting.

The campus-system partnership model developed through Open SUNY has helped to highlight many

innovative practices that could benefit the entire SUNY system. As the Open SUNY team continues to

foster and develop collaborative relationships between system administration and campuses along with


campus-to-campus partnerships, there are multiple areas that have the potential for growth in coming

years.

Early Alert Tools

Students taking online courses interact with their course materials through a Learning

Management System (LMS) that displays course features and content in one location. As

students make progress in their course through the LMS, there are multiple data points that

can be noted based on student activity, test scores, and other areas. Through the use of early

alert tools, faculty and academic counselors can be automatically notified when a student is

demonstrating activity that may raise concern for their ability to complete a course

successfully. Through early understanding of what challenges students may be facing in their

coursework, campuses can begin to implement strategies to ensure student success in a more

targeted and data driven manner. The Open SUNY team is investigating a number of early

alert options that campus partners will be able to utilize in the coming year.

Competency Based Education (CBE)

Competency Based Education (CBE) is a developing practice of evaluating student learning

outcomes for academic credit. While students are traditionally awarded academic credit

based on a combination of competency and seat-time, students are increasingly interested in

opportunities to reduce time to degree by awarding academic credit based on student

proficiency rather than as strict an adherence to seat time requirements. Both FACT2 and the

Provost’s Open SUNY Advisory Committee have task groups working on definitions and

potential models for CBE.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)

Many students interested in online education are adult learners and/or working professionals

looking to advance their education and career in as timely a manner as is reasonable. Prior

Learning Assessment (PLA) is a practice that awards academic credit for knowledge/skills from

their life experience that students may already possess before beginning their coursework.

Assessing these competencies for credit can allow students to reduce costs and time to

degree. This type of opportunity may make continuing education more appealing to adult

learners with busy work and home lives. A PLA sub-committee of the Provost’s Open SUNY

Advisory Committee explored PLA models. Additionally, Empire State College and other

campuses have offered PLA opportunities to students for years. To scale this innovation more

broadly, many campuses have requested a quality assurance mechanism to ensure that

credits awarded for prior learning meet individual campus-based requirements.

SUNY Complete

While supports and services for existing students are critical, SUNY is also exploring

partnership models to help students who may have stopped out of degree programs to

complete their program and receive their degree. SUNY Complete, currently housed at


Empire State College, is an outreach program that connects students a few credits short of

graduation with SUNY campuses that will accept their completed coursework and offer the

credits they need to graduate, even in cases where a number of years may have passed since

the student stopped out. This type of opportunity makes additional credentialing a less

daunting undertaking for adults and working professionals who may be hesitant to pursue

additional higher education opportunities for fear of having to repeat coursework they have

already completed.

Open Educational Resources (OER)

Student debt and costs are a major concern. One way that SUNY is working to reduce costs

for students is by developing and increasing the availability of Open Educational Resources

(OER). OER are developed by faculty for use in their courses and can be protected by the

Creative Commons License. This approach allows faculty to make available necessary course-

related materials to their students at no, or a greatly reduced, cost. If a typical textbook costs

$100 or more, a student using OERs for one or more courses per semester could reduce their

costs by thousands of dollars over the course of their academic career.

Student Identification and Verification

A campus concern that Open SUNY hopes to address in the coming year is that of student

identity verification for online students. When proctoring exams in person, it is relatively easy

to ensure that the student taking the test is the same student enrolled in the class. This kind

of verification becomes more difficult in online courses. To meet this request from campuses,

the Open SUNY team and campus partners will explore tools and methods for student identity

verification that could be scaled across the system. This type of tool will help ensure that the

registered student is truly the one that is successfully completing exams and other course

evaluations.

While SUNY already has a significant online student population and plans to see that population grow,

there is opportunity for improvement in offering comprehensive student supports and services to this

group at large. Through the Open SUNY effort, SUNY will continue to enhance online student

experiences and opportunities in the coming years to close gaps in student success between the online

and face-to-face environments.


E. Multiple Approaches to Supporting Student Success

SUNY and its constituent campuses engage in an array of programs designed to promote active learning

and student success. As SUNY has increased its efforts to support students across the continuum of

access, completion, and success, we have been working toward implementing a range of efforts that are

collectively intended to make sure that more students have access to higher education, have the

supports they need to complete a college degree, and are capable of long term success after they

graduate.

In fact, many of these practices (e.g., applied learning, study abroad, undergraduate research, freshman

seminars, learning communities, etc.) are considered to be “high impact” practices as they have been

broadly found to increase student engagement and retention (Kuh, 2008).

The intention of this section is to provide a broad overview of some key system-level initiatives designed

to support campuses in engaging their students in active learning as well as examples of the excellent

work SUNY campuses are doing in this area. These high impact activities require significant time and

effort on behalf of the students, facilitate co-curricular learning opportunities, facilitate meaningful

interactions among faculty and students, encourage students to collaborate in diverse teams, and

provide frequent feedback (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Kuh, 2008).

SUNY has been actively developing a series of system-wide initiatives that support campus efforts in

these areas that support and extend the work of our campuses, but we know that more can be done. In

this section of the data brief, we seek to highlight the important work ongoing at the campus and

system levels as well as provide a foundation from which we can create a holistic and robust

environment for ensuring that more and more students can find success at our SUNY campuses.

Applied Learning and Student Success

Applied learning is a featured initiative in SUNY Excels because its contributions to student success are

well documented.1 High Impact Practices like internships, undergraduate research, service-learning and

other forms of Applied Learning are associated with increased student success and engagement,

including increased student retention and completion, increased enrollment in graduate school, and

increased employment.

Students who engage in cooperative education have increased analytical thinking, classroom

performance, scholarly persistence, and GPA, and decreased student debt and time to degree

completion. For employers, internships and cooperative education opportunities reduce recruitment

and hiring costs, increase productivity and employee retention, and allow an opportunity to engage with

highly motivated students.

Although the setting and context may vary for each applied learning opportunity, these traditionally

include planning, training, monitoring, reflection, and evaluation, and can be credit bearing or not, at

home or abroad.

1 See Appendix F for an Applied Learning bibliography.


Applied learning opportunities at SUNY include:

SUNY Works – paid and unpaid internships (21,702 students participated in 2012-13); clinical

placements (more than 20,000 SUNY students are enrolled); and co-operative education

programs, in which SUNY faculty and area employers have jointly developed curricula that

integrate classroom instruction and on-the-job experience. Approximately 1,740 students are

currently enrolled in co-ops across SUNY.

SUNY Serves – service-learning, community service, and volunteerism. More than 30,000 SUNY

students are currently engaged in formal service-learning programs for which students earn

college credit, while tens of thousands more participate in community service and volunteer

locally, nationally, and around the globe.

SUNY Discovers – student research, entrepreneurial ventures, and field study. While SUNY

research has historically resulted in breakthrough discoveries, inventions, and startups,

increased focus on applied learning has led to an unprecedented level of collaboration between

SUNY students, faculty, and industry experts to enable commercialization of the best ideas and

innovations born on SUNY campuses.

Developed in response to Chancellor Zimpher’s goal for every SUNY student to have an Applied Learning

opportunity, this initiative is deeply collaborative and has been shaped primarily by faculty and staff

input.

A two-day SUNY Applied Learning Workshop focused on alliance building on a campus, development

and sustainability of off-campus partnerships, best practices, and faculty engagement was held in

Syracuse in September 2014. Feedback from all stakeholders at the event helped to set the agenda for

the initiative moving forward, including the launch of a System-wide Applied Learning Advisory Council.

The Council, advisory to the Provost, will be comprised of a lead contact from every campus who will

serve as the liaison to system-wide discussions and also be charged with developing and sustaining an

Applied Learning Team at their institution (in cases where one does not already exist). The goal is to

build on the tremendous work done to date at the system and campus levels by creating an

infrastructure that allows campuses to work together to share best practices, collectively address

challenges, and strategize about bringing existing efforts to scale.

Applied learning and student success will be the subject of a future presentation to the SUNY Trustees’

Academic Affairs Committee.

Multicultural Experiences and Student Success

While study abroad is only one of many efforts underway across SUNY to ensure that students are

prepared for success in today’s global economy, it is noted here because of SUNY’s recent commitment

to increase the number of students studying internationally by 25 percent.

The SUNY Study Abroad Consortium serves all SUNY students, offering study abroad and exchange

programs administered by many of SUNY’s 64 campuses. Several programs are also open to students

from non-SUNY institutions throughout the United States. SUNY currently offers:


more than 600 overseas academic programs in more than 50 countries and all 7 continents;

a variety of programs: undergraduate and graduate, ranging from 2-3 week intensive

courses to a semester or academic year abroad;

courses in more than 100 subjects, ranging from aboriginal studies and aerospace

engineering to western philosophy and women's studies;

many programs in the language of the host country; and

internships, volunteer, and service learning opportunities.

On October 29, 2014, Chancellor Zimpher announced that a new partnership with the Institute of

International Education (IIE) will support a 25 percent increase in study abroad participation by students

across SUNY between now and 2020. SUNY is the first comprehensive system of higher education to join

IIE’s Generation Study Abroad initiative, which aims to double the number of college students in the U.S.

who study abroad.

In making the announcement, Chancellor Zimpher said study abroad gives students an opportunity to

experience higher education, research, and job training in an international environment – highly

valuable commodities in today’s globally-driven, competitive economy.

SUNY’s commitment here is designed to bolster student success and help SUNY meet its goals for

educating career-ready graduates who are prepared to take on the challenges of today’s economy and

meet the needs of a global workforce.

Currently, fewer than 10 percent of all college students nationally study abroad during the course of

earning their degree. According to the Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange

released by IIE last November with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational

and Cultural Affairs, 295,000 students studied abroad in 2011-12 in credit-bearing and non-credit

programs.

Currently, approximately 5,000 students from SUNY campuses participate in study abroad programs

each year. As SUNY works to increase system-wide participation by at least 25 percent, campuses will

expand their study abroad networks to include more programs, partners, and destinations, offering on-

the-job training through international internships at overseas locations and increasing awareness of the

opportunities that exist, particularly for students who are traditionally underrepresented in study

abroad.


Figure 22: SUNY Students Studying Abroad

Figure 23: SUNY Students Studying Abroad by Sector

Multicultural experiences and student success will be the subject of a future presentation to the SUNY

Trustees’ Academic Affairs Committee.

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000

5,500

SUNY Students Abroad on Home Campus and NON-SUNY program

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

SUNY Students Abroad by Sector

Total U Centers Total U Colleges Total Tech Colleges Total CC


F. Conclusion and Next Steps

The SUNY Excels performance framework intentionally serves as a guide for focused student success

interventions that will allow SUNY to continuously improve going forward—both for System

Administration and each campus. This critical performance framework assures that we continue to

provide access to excellence.

Proposed under the umbrella of the SUNY Advantage, key student success indicators in SUNY Excels will

focus on Applied Learning (internships, cooperative education, undergraduate/graduate hands-on

research); Multi-cultural Experiences (language studies, education abroad, international student

enrollment); and Student Supports (e.g., career advising, veteran supports, job placement, graduate

advising, etc). However, this is in addition to a critically important focus on access, completion, and

inquiry. Graduation, transfer, retention, and diversity all require ongoing attention. SUNY’s policies on

seamless transfer, online learning, and cross-registration will all contribute to our ability to meet goals.

The data in this brief provides a frame of reference, identifying both areas of strength and areas slated

for improvement as we move forward. The Office of the Provost will also use this information to guide

its work in implementing SUNY Excels.


Appendix A

Graduation Rates of First-time Full-time Students in a Baccalaureate Program

Entering Cohorts, Fall 2006, Fall 2007, Fall 2008

Fall 2006 as of Fall 2012 Fall 2007 as of Fall 2013 Fall 2008 as of Fall 2014

Four Year Five Year Six Year Four Year Five Year Six Year Four Year Five Year Six Year

Grad Rate Grad Rate Grad Rate Grad Rate Grad Rate Grad Rate Grad Rate Grad Rate Grad RateSUNY Total 47.8% 62.3% 64.9% 47.4% 61.9% 64.4% 48.8% 63.2% 65.5%

Doctoral Sector 55.1% 68.4% 70.9% 55.0% 68.2% 70.6% 55.7% 68.7% 70.9%

Albany 53.0% 62.3% 64.1% 55.4% 64.1% 66.1% 54.4% 64.6% 66.0%

Binghamton 66.1% 76.2% 77.7% 66.2% 76.3% 77.8% 66.6% 76.9% 78.6%

Buffa lo Univ 45.8% 62.1% 65.7% 45.3% 62.2% 65.6% 46.8% 62.3% 64.9%

Stony Brook 47.2% 65.6% 69.0% 45.0% 62.8% 65.9% 47.5% 64.5% 67.6% (*)

Ceramics 50.0% 67.5% 69.5% 43.1% 66.5% 67.7% 43.8% 64.6% 66.7%

Cornel l 89.4% 93.1% 94.2% 89.3% 93.5% 94.4% 88.5% 93.0% 94.4%

ESF 43.8% 64.0% 66.5% 50.8% 68.8% 71.2% 46.8% 65.2% 66.8%

Comprehensive Sector 41.8% 57.7% 60.3% 41.9% 57.7% 60.1% 44.1% 59.9% 62.2%

Brockport 44.2% 63.3% 67.3% 48.0% 63.7% 66.8% 49.7% 65.8% 68.1%

Buffa lo Col lege 21.9% 43.0% 47.1% 24.7% 44.9% 48.4% 22.4% 39.7% 44.6%

Cortland 47.7% 66.7% 68.9% 46.7% 66.9% 69.5% 44.5% 64.2% 66.6%

Empire State 11.6% 14.1% 16.1% 7.0% 11.5% 14.6% 6.7% 11.4% 13.4%

Fredonia 48.5% 62.9% 64.2% 44.1% 61.1% 63.0% 47.9% 64.4% 66.3%

Geneseo 61.0% 70.8% 71.5% 62.0% 72.1% 73.1% 61.8% 72.2% 73.3%

New Paltz 52.2% 69.7% 72.7% 48.1% 65.9% 68.0% 54.9% 71.6% 73.6%

Old Westbury 19.6% 30.5% 34.6% 19.8% 31.6% 36.5% 17.6% 31.1% 37.2%

Oneonta 52.2% 64.9% 66.2% 52.3% 67.3% 68.6% 55.6% 72.3% 73.1% (*)

Oswego 37.6% 54.8% 57.9% 39.6% 55.7% 57.8% 44.2% 61.2% 63.3%

Plattsburgh 37.3% 57.5% 60.4% 40.1% 57.1% 59.8% 39.8% 58.2% 61.1%

Potsdam 31.8% 48.5% 50.7% 29.7% 48.6% 51.3% 35.4% 50.9% 52.7% (*)

Purchase 47.6% 56.5% 58.6% 48.8% 56.3% 58.1% 57.4% 66.1% 67.3%

Technology Sector 27.0% 40.4% 43.9% 25.5% 40.5% 44.1% 26.5% 41.4% 44.3%

Al fred 44.7% 51.8% 52.9% 39.1% 46.7% 48.9% 41.7% 50.5% 53.4%

Canton 25.0% 32.1% 32.1% 23.4% 28.6% 28.6% 18.7% 26.7% 30.7%

Cobleski l l 38.5% 47.7% 47.7% 28.8% 40.0% 43.8% 31.7% 43.9% 45.1%

Delhi 37.1% 51.4% 57.1% 17.5% 32.5% 35.0% 32.3% 53.2% 53.2% (*)

Farmingdale 20.6% 38.9% 44.4% 20.9% 40.6% 42.2% 24.0% 36.6% 39.8%

Mari time 23.0% 36.6% 41.6% 22.3% 40.9% 47.7% 24.7% 42.4% 46.7%

Morrisvi l le 45.5% 59.1% 59.1% 20.8% 25.0% 25.0% 29.4% 47.1% 47.1%

Utica/Rome 20.8% 31.5% 33.1% 32.0% 44.8% 47.8% 24.2% 41.1% 43.0%

(*) Preliminary for as of Fall 2014



Appendix B

Graduation Rates of First-time Full-time Students in an Associate Degree Program,

Entering Cohorts Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2010

Fall 2008 as of Fall 2012 Fall 2009 as of Fall 2013 Fall 2010 as of Fall 2014

Two Year Three Year Four Year Two Year Three Year Four Year Two Year Three Year Four Year

Grad Rate Grad Rate Grad Rate Grad Rate Grad Rate Grad Rate Grad Rate Grad Rate Grad Rate

SUNY System * 11.6% 23.7% 28.5% 11.5% 23.5% 28.2% 11.9% 23.9% 28.6%

Technology Sector 17.7% 29.6% 32.8% 20.3% 32.2% 35.0% 22.0% 33.9% 36.8%

Al fred 30.1% 40.2% 44.5% 33.8% 44.2% 46.7% 36.2% 46.8% 49.3%

Canton 11.4% 26.3% 27.8% 14.4% 26.1% 29.7% 17.9% 29.1% 31.8%

Cobleski l l 16.2% 27.0% 29.3% 16.2% 25.9% 28.1% 21.5% 33.0% 36.7%

Delhi 22.7% 34.5% 39.0% 25.0% 39.6% 42.7% 22.4% 36.8% 40.4%

Farmingdale 8.1% 22.7% 25.8% 16.2% 30.4% 33.2% 15.1% 27.6% 29.3%

Morrisvi l le 13.1% 24.0% 26.8% 11.7% 23.5% 26.3% 13.0% 24.2% 27.3%

Community College Sector 10.9% 22.9% 27.9% 10.5% 22.6% 27.5% 10.9% 22.9% 27.8%

Adirondack 8.7% 20.4% 25.1% 8.8% 18.9% 25.6% 8.9% 19.4% 23.1%

Broome 15.7% 29.3% 33.6% 12.3% 24.0% 28.6% 11.6% 25.8% 31.0%

Cayuga County 16.6% 28.0% 31.9% 13.6% 25.3% 27.7% 9.8% 21.7% 23.4%

Cl inton 11.4% 27.3% 29.6% 10.0% 19.7% 24.9% 6.9% 17.1% 21.0%

Columbia-Greene 27.0% 40.9% 46.0% 13.6% 26.9% 32.6% 16.1% 30.1% 33.5%

Corning 14.0% 27.8% 32.4% 12.9% 25.4% 29.7% 13.7% 25.0% 29.0%

Dutchess 9.1% 20.5% 24.8% 9.1% 21.7% 25.5% 10.6% 23.2% 27.3% (*)

Erie 7.9% 20.1% 25.3% 7.3% 18.4% 23.2% 7.5% 19.4% 23.8%

Fashion Insti tute 50.2% 67.4% 72.1% 54.9% 71.8% 75.2% 59.0% 73.3% 77.5%

Finger Lakes 15.5% 29.0% 32.9% 14.4% 26.9% 30.3% 14.8% 26.3% 29.1%

Ful ton-Montgomery 15.2% 28.8% 32.5% 14.4% 28.1% 31.0% 17.3% 26.6% 30.0%

Genesee 17.6% 27.2% 30.6% 15.3% 26.3% 30.2% 15.4% 26.3% 31.1%

Herkimer County 19.6% 31.7% 33.8% 19.1% 30.0% 31.8% 17.5% 27.0% 29.5%

Hudson Val ley 14.9% 24.7% 28.9% 13.0% 24.3% 28.0% 13.1% 23.3% 27.4%

Jamestown 19.0% 31.9% 34.8% 19.0% 30.0% 33.0% 21.7% 32.4% 36.4%

Jefferson 13.7% 28.0% 33.0% 14.1% 26.8% 30.4% 13.1% 24.0% 28.4%

Mohawk Val ley 12.0% 21.1% 25.6% 10.4% 20.7% 26.1% 10.7% 20.3% 24.5%

Monroe 10.7% 23.5% 28.9% 9.6% 22.1% 26.9% 9.8% 21.6% 26.0%

Nassau 3.6% 14.3% 20.3% 5.2% 18.3% 25.0% 5.8% 19.4% 26.9%

Niagara County 13.9% 28.8% 33.1% 13.1% 26.0% 32.2% 11.5% 26.1% 30.7%

North Country 15.2% 22.4% 24.8% 9.7% 20.6% 22.0% 12.0% 20.9% 22.8%

Onondaga 5.8% 16.0% 20.4% 8.1% 17.8% 21.9% 8.8% 18.8% 23.3%

Orange County 6.8% 17.9% 23.0% 5.8% 16.4% 21.8% 5.5% 17.5% 23.1%

Rockland 9.2% 21.7% 28.1% 11.5% 24.7% 30.6% 10.5% 24.3% 31.2%

Schenectady County 9.1% 20.9% 26.7% 6.6% 18.3% 23.6% 7.1% 16.9% 22.1%

Suffolk County 4.2% 19.4% 27.7% 4.9% 19.1% 26.0% 5.3% 20.2% 27.0%

Sul l ivan County 10.0% 18.3% 20.7% 6.9% 16.6% 18.5% 11.1% 22.0% 24.1%

Tompkins-Cortland 12.1% 23.2% 26.8% 11.1% 21.3% 25.2% 13.0% 21.8% 24.6%

Uls ter County 8.3% 18.9% 22.2% 9.5% 24.2% 29.9% 11.1% 23.7% 27.3%

Westchester 3.0% 11.4% 15.4% 2.6% 11.3% 17.4% 3.3% 13.8% 18.7% (*)

(*) Prel iminary for as of Fa l l 2014



Appendix C – First Year Retention Rates

Entering

Cohort

# of

Students

Returning

%

Returning

Entering

Cohort

# of

Students

Returning

%

Returning

Entering

Cohort

# of

Students

Returning

%

Returning

74,102 50,676 68.4 73,120 50,989 69.7 73,112 51,507 70.4 2.0 0.7

State Operated Total 30,486 24,504 80.4 31,009 25,147 81.1 31,332 25,635 81.8 1.4 0.7

12,162 10,719 88.1 12,981 11,424 88.0 13,015 11,372 87.4 -0.7 -0.6

Albany 2,419 2,017 83.4 2,562 2,088 81.5 2,564 2,072 80.8 -2.6 -0.7

Binghamton 2,435 2,209 90.7 2,569 2,331 90.7 2,585 2,295 88.8 -1.9 -1.9

Buffalo Univ 3,230 2,819 87.3 3,614 3,163 87.5 3,636 3,203 88.1 0.8 0.6

Stony Brook 2,516 2,261 89.9 2,674 2,409 90.1 2,708 2,419 89.3 -0.6 -0.8

Alfred-Ceramics 146 103 70.5 137 114 83.2 131 96 73.3 2.8 -9.9

Cornell Stat 1,129 1,062 94.1 1,101 1,041 94.6 1,103 1,045 94.7 0.6 0.1

Envir Sci & Forestry 287 248 86.4 324 278 85.8 288 242 84.0 -2.4 -1.8

12,477 9,996 80.1 12,079 9,781 81.0 12,478 10,151 81.4 1.3 0.4

Brockport 1,050 849 80.9 1,083 875 80.8 1,079 886 82.1 1.2 1.3

Buffalo State 1,391 1,039 74.7 1,329 1,001 75.3 1,320 968 73.3 -1.4 -2.0

Cortland 1,201 959 79.9 1,210 1,003 82.9 1,207 974 80.7 0.8 -2.2

Empire State 144 58 40.3 158 73 46.2 188 93 49.5 9.2 3.3

Fredonia 1,122 869 77.5 1,003 778 77.6 1,096 866 79.0 1.5 1.4

Geneseo 819 748 91.3 826 749 90.7 902 810 89.8 -1.5 -0.9

New Paltz 1,162 1,015 87.3 1,119 976 87.2 1,104 987 89.4 2.1 2.2

Old Westbury 399 320 80.2 394 298 75.6 415 347 83.6 3.4 8.0

Oneonta 1,172 991 84.6 1,144 1,000 87.4 1,119 970 86.7 2.1 -0.7

Oswego 1,334 1,054 79.0 1,270 991 78.0 1,504 1,208 80.3 1.3 2.3

Plattsburgh 959 748 78.0 967 810 83.8 953 776 81.4 3.4 -2.4

Potsdam 897 672 74.9 883 656 74.3 818 656 80.2 5.3 5.9

Purchase 827 674 81.5 693 571 82.4 773 610 78.9 -2.6 -3.5

5,847 3,789 64.8 5,949 3,942 66.3 5,839 4,112 70.4 5.6 4.1

Alfred State 1,076 734 68.2 1,093 758 69.4 1,093 810 74.1 5.9 4.7

Canton 684 386 56.4 639 409 64.0 550 365 66.4 10.0 2.4

Cobleskil l 749 472 63.0 751 418 55.7 754 482 63.9 0.9 8.2

Delhi 879 551 62.7 913 561 61.4 915 589 64.4 1.7 3.0

Farmingdale 894 685 76.6 1,141 868 76.1 1,083 857 79.1 2.5 3.0

Maritime 367 294 80.1 329 261 79.3 330 280 84.8 4.7 5.5

Morrisvil le 1,000 529 52.9 885 501 56.6 839 523 62.3 9.4 5.7

SUNYIT 198 138 69.7 198 166 83.8 275 206 74.9 5.2 -8.9

43,616 26,172 60.0 42,111 25,842 61.4 41,780 25,872 61.9 1.9 0.5

Adirondack 606 355 58.6 730 460 63.0 971 544 56.0 -2.6 -7.0

Broome 1,455 840 57.7 1,347 796 59.1 1,413 825 58.4 0.7 -0.7

Cayuga County 653 359 55.0 645 359 55.7 608 338 55.6 0.6 -0.1

Clinton 429 232 54.1 374 204 54.5 279 161 57.7 3.6 3.2

Columbia-Greene 339 224 66.1 343 213 62.1 338 216 63.9 -2.2 1.8

Corning 772 439 56.9 777 450 57.9 906 522 57.6 0.7 -0.3

Dutchess 1,897 1,201 63.3 2,007 1,189 59.2 1,921 1,204 62.7 -0.6 3.5

Erie 2,456 1,285 52.3 2,404 1,299 54.0 2,517 1,347 53.5 1.2 -0.5

Fashion Institute 1,123 958 85.3 1,210 1,070 88.4 1,279 1,139 89.1 3.8 0.7

Finger Lakes 1,492 783 52.5 1,297 638 49.2 1,331 740 55.6 3.1 6.4

Fulton-Montgomery 613 334 54.5 676 384 56.8 606 323 53.3 -1.2 -3.5

Genesee 996 533 53.5 895 464 51.8 907 510 56.2 2.7 4.4

Herkimer County 956 519 54.3 815 479 58.8 671 382 56.9 2.6 -1.9

Hudson Valley 2,575 1,414 54.9 2,354 1,343 57.1 2,042 1,154 56.5 1.6 -0.6

Jamestown 1,031 605 58.7 979 588 60.1 943 548 58.1 -0.6 -2.0

Jefferson 758 424 55.9 758 426 56.2 682 379 55.6 -0.3 -0.6

Mohawk Valley 1,566 849 54.2 1,440 818 56.8 1,354 790 58.3 4.1 1.5

Monroe 3,648 2,215 60.7 3,463 2,028 58.6 3,310 2,008 60.7 0.0 2.1

Nassau 4,282 3,083 72.0 4,184 3,072 73.4 4,087 2,870 70.2 -1.8 -3.2

Niagara County 1,326 775 58.4 1,260 824 65.4 1,315 833 63.3 4.9 -2.1

North Country 330 168 50.9 142 87 61.3 337 172 51.0 0.1 -10.3

Onondaga 2,243 1,199 53.5 2,149 1,174 54.6 2,196 1,254 57.1 3.6 2.5

Orange County 1,267 762 60.1 1,208 774 64.1 1,189 761 64.0 3.9 -0.1

Rockland 1,466 1,037 70.7 1,415 1,011 71.4 1,428 1,004 70.3 -0.4 -1.1

Schenectady County 689 387 56.2 676 391 57.8 772 442 57.3 1.1 -0.5

Suffolk County 4,426 2,864 64.7 4,515 2,886 63.9 4,584 3,080 67.2 2.5 3.3

Sullivan County 423 208 49.2 374 188 50.3 368 185 50.3 1.1 0.0

Tompkins Cortland 1,053 497 47.2 952 497 52.2 840 443 52.7 5.5 0.5

Ulster County 581 332 57.1 541 335 61.9 555 358 64.5 7.4 2.6

Westchester 2,165 1,291 59.6 2,181 1,395 64.0 2,031 1,340 66.0 6.4 2.0


SUNY Total

Doctoral Degree Granting

Institutions Total

Community Colleges Total

2 Year

Percentage

Point

Change

1 Year

Percentage

Point

Change

Comprehensive Colleges Total

Technology Colleges Total

Fall 2011 to Fall 2012 Fall 2012 to Fall 2013 Fall 2013 to Fall 2014


Appendix D

Two, Three, and Four Year Graduation Rates

Into a SUNY Baccalaureate Program In Fall 2010, Status as of Fall 2014

Two Years Three Years Four Years

Cohort

SizeNumber Percent Number Percent Number Percent

SUNY Total 8,356 2,244 26.9% 4,645 55.6% 5,349 64.0%

Doctoral Sector 2,447 779 31.8% 1,441 58.9% 1,619 66.2%

Albany 761 268 35.2% 466 61.2% 505 66.4%

Binghamton 452 195 43.1% 331 73.2% 356 78.8%

Buffalo Univ 551 150 27.2% 279 50.6% 338 61.3%

Stony Brook 593 142 23.9% 318 53.6% 361 60.9%

ESF 90 24 26.7% 47 52.2% 59 65.6%

Comprehensive Sector 5,094 1,275 25.0% 2,800 55.0% 3,242 63.6%

Brockport 717 199 27.8% 411 57.3% 470 65.6%

Buffalo College 762 176 23.1% 386 50.7% 452 59.3%

Cortland 375 91 24.3% 247 65.9% 274 73.1%

Empire 284 61 21.5% 102 35.9% 119 41.9%

Fredonia 353 80 22.7% 190 53.8% 217 61.5%

Geneseo 229 34 14.8% 123 53.7% 144 62.9%

New Paltz 378 126 33.3% 261 69.0% 290 76.7%

Old Westbury 370 79 21.4% 162 43.8% 204 55.1%

Oneonta 322 87 27.0% 201 62.4% 231 71.7%

Oswego 555 136 24.5% 311 56.0% 369 66.5%

Plattsburgh 414 132 31.9% 227 54.8% 263 63.5%

Potsdam 182 37 20.3% 91 50.0% 110 60.4%

Purchase 153 37 24.2% 88 57.5% 99 64.7%

Technology Sector 815 190 23.3% 404 49.6% 488 59.9%

Alfred 39 7 17.9% 27 69.2% 33 84.6%

Canton 62 19 30.6% 33 53.2% 37 59.7%

Cobleskill 77 15 19.5% 42 54.5% 51 66.2%

Delhi 63 10 15.9% 34 54.0% 40 63.5%

Farmingdale 273 54 19.8% 121 44.3% 156 57.1%

Maritime 21 3 14.3% 6 28.6% 11 52.4%

Morrisvil le 32 6 18.8% 14 43.8% 21 65.6%

SUNYIT 248 76 30.6% 127 51.2% 139 56.0%


Graduating Within

for Full-Time Incoming Transfer Students from a SUNY Community College


Appendix E

Attempted vs. Earned Credit Hours of Online Sections vs. Classroom and Hybrid Sections

at SUNY by Academic Discipline, Fall 2013

Section CIP2 Description

Total

Credits

Attempted

Total

Credits

Earned

Earned /

Attempted

Total

Credits

Attempted

Total

Credits

Earned

Earned /

Attempted

Grand Total 349,936 263,214 75.2% 4,893,330 4,114,003 84.1%

Business, Mgmt, Marketing, And Related Support Services 62,462 48,348 77.4% 385,161 337,968 87.7%

English Language And Literature/Letters 29,891 20,896 69.9% 412,981 333,972 80.9%

Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences 26,997 24,029 89.0% 315,025 272,970 86.7%

Social Sciences 26,548 18,994 71.5% 416,604 360,190 86.5%

Psychology 26,126 19,986 76.5% 261,983 220,446 84.1%

Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services 21,774 15,845 72.8% 132,004 109,070 82.6%

Education 18,296 15,857 86.7% 205,523 190,194 92.5%

Mathematics And Statistics 18,031 10,799 59.9% 384,601 289,829 75.4%

Physical Sciences 13,948 9,995 71.7% 264,735 224,942 85.0%

History 12,483 8,429 67.5% 165,524 137,534 83.1%

Public Administration And Social Service Professions 11,999 9,398 78.3% 62,730 52,640 83.9%

Security And Protective Services 10,565 7,748 73.3% 93,611 81,594 87.2%

Visual And Performing Arts 9,290 6,746 72.6% 323,691 268,148 82.8%

Biological And Biomedical Sciences 8,664 6,468 74.7% 292,060 239,325 81.9%

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies 5,820 4,411 75.8% 58,136 49,458 85.1%

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies 5,656 4,406 77.9% 78,720 67,710 86.0%

Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics 5,318 3,823 71.9% 183,487 153,141 83.5%

Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs 5,202 4,135 79.5% 117,354 105,055 89.5%

Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities 4,487 3,170 70.6% 88,615 70,418 79.5%

Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences 3,955 2,931 74.1% 32,903 29,775 90.5%

Philosophy And Religious Studies 3,300 2,331 70.6% 65,441 54,908 83.9%

Engineering 3,019 2,544 84.3% 111,750 101,935 91.2%

Legal Professions And Studies 2,873 2,245 78.1% 31,530 28,208 89.5%

Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies 1,674 1,203 71.9% 46,984 41,105 87.5%

Transportation And Materials Moving 1,621 1,473 90.9% 6,081 5,577 91.7%

Basic Skills 1,620 1,003 61.9% 37,970 27,525 72.5%

Health-Related Knowledge And Skills 1,436 1,143 79.6% 8,813 7,242 82.2%

Library Science 1,200 977 81.5% 2,969 2,697 90.8%

Remedial Education 978 250 25.6% 48,126 24,650 51.2%

Engineering Technologies/Technicians 882 711 80.6% 57,025 50,033 87.7%

Leisure And Recreational Activities 858 681 79.4% 19,222 16,764 87.2%

Personal And Culinary Services 764 605 79.2% 18,688 15,942 85.3%

Communications Technologies/Technicians & Support Services 495 311 62.8% 11,707 9,854 84.2%

Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences 448 391 87.3% 15,221 13,740 90.3%

Personal Awareness And Self-Improvement 404 237 58.7% 6,055 4,584 75.7%

Natural Resources And Conservation 262 210 80.2% 18,394 16,104 87.6%

Mechanic And Repair Technologies/Technicians 146 135 92.5% 26,693 23,390 87.6%

High School/Secondary Diplomas And Certificates 128 77 60.0% 9,104 7,687 84.4%

Interpersonal And Social Skills 92 69 75.4% 1,403 1,257 89.6%

Reserve Officer Training Corps (Jrotc, Rotc) 78 75 96.2% 433 407 94.0%

Science Technologies/Technicians 71 69 97.2% 4,391 3,476 79.2%

Unknown 43 29 67.4% 33,838 29,747 87.9%

Construction Trades 36 33 91.7% 10,785 9,333 86.5%

Architecture And Related Services 13,695 12,580 91.9%

Citizenship Activities 514 444 86.4%

Military Technologies 175 173 98.9%

Precision Production 6,769 6,203 91.6%

Residency Programs 4,042 4,002 99.0%

Theology And Religious Vocations 69 63 91.3%

SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: December 17, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Warehouse (Term Section)

Fall 2013

Online Sections

Fall 2013

Classroom and Hybrid Sections


Appendix F

A Sampling of Campus Highlights – Student Success Programs and Initiatives

University Centers

University at Albany – Emerging Student Leaders Program

The Emerging Leaders program prepares students for effective leadership in multicultural environments;

provides participants with opportunities to develop their individual leadership styles; and helps students

build skills in communication, group management, and understanding of group dynamics. Since the

program’s inception, 143 students have completed it. Students in the program attend workshops and

events, assist campus administrators with outreach and other projects, and are mentored by campus

leaders. Surveys of participants indicate that the program improves their ability to work with individuals

from cultural backgrounds different from their own and become better self-marketers when

communicating with future employers. Program graduates have gone on to hold leadership positions in

campus and community organizations.

Binghamton University – Binghamton Advantage Program

This program enables qualified students—not initially granted admission to Binghamton—the

opportunity to transfer in without reapplying, provided they 1) complete one or two years at Broome

Community College (BCC) and 2) meet specific Binghamton course and GPA requirements. Binghamton

Advantage Program students can live on the BU campus while attending classes at BCC. This affords

them access to services and the opportunity to participate in campus life at both institutions. Results

indicate an 83% success rate in the pilot year: 41 admitted. 33 transferred into BU after one year; 1

continued at BCC for year 2. The average cumulative GPA for the 33 students completing the program in

year one was 3.5/4.0. Since its inception, the program size has doubled in size to 90 students.

Stony Brook University - Academic Success and Tutoring Center

The Academic Success and Tutoring Center (ASTC) helps students get the extra guidance they need to

excel. The ASTC maximizes student success by offering support to the existing tutoring centers on

campus, and by developing additional tutorial services in areas not already covered. The ASTC also

collaborates with individuals and departments from across campus in offering specialized student

success programs and workshops, covering topics such as time management, study skills, test-taking

skills, and stress management. ASTC provides a centralized location, where students can reach out for

assistance. Faculty can refer students who need support and recommend exceptional students as

potential tutors. The ASTC has set a goal of recruiting, hiring, and training about 20 tutors this fall, and

expects that number to grow in the spring semester. One new program the ASTC is planning is an

internationally recognized tutor certification program. Once developed, the certification will be offered

to tutors hired directly through the ASTC and, soon after, will be available to tutors working in all of the

existing centers. The goal of tutor certification is to create a standard of training and skills for all tutors

on campus. Another ASTC program, called “Practicing Engaging Presentations,” runs for six-weeks,

during which students learn and practice effective public speaking and presentation techniques.

University at Buffalo – Life and Learning Workshops

The Life & Learning Workshops are UB's central resource for supporting student success in the


classroom and beyond. UB’s Division of Student Affairs partners with several units around the campus,

including Student Advising Services, the College of Arts & Sciences, and International Student & Scholar

Services, to offer workshops relating to: adjusting to college; success in the sophomore year;

approaching graduation; creating a community of good neighbors; academics and study skills; wellness

and recreation; diversity; leadership; and career preparation. UB’s Wellness Education Workshops, for

example, aim to teach students how to manage their health and wellness, while they are in college, as

well as how to develop life-long healthy behaviors. Wellness Education Workshops, open to all UB

students (undergraduate, graduate and professional), address topics such as stress management,

smoking cessation, nutrition, exercise, alcohol, drugs, and rape, sexual assault, and violence prevention.

Additional wellness services at UB include: peer education internships, late-night activities, classroom

lectures, residence hall programs, outdoor adventures, media campaigns, and a health & wellness

resource suite located in the Student Union. Whether students are looking for helpful how-to

information on managing their time or the chance to develop a fun, new interest, the Life & Learning

Workshops can be a beneficial place to go at UB. Most workshops are free to UB students, and they are

offered at a variety of convenient times and locations.

Comprehensive Colleges

SUNY Geneseo – Geneseo Opportunities for Leadership Development (GOLD)

The Geneseo Opportunities for Leadership Development (GOLD) program seeks to prepare students for

leadership roles and responsibilities in service to the college and the global community. In educating and

training students, GOLD utilizes an extensive series of personal development programs, institutes,

leadership certificate programs, service learning, volunteer work, and active engagement in college and

community life. In Geneseo’s College Union, Gold operates a Leadership Center and a Leadership

Library that holds more than 400 books, papers, and learning resources. GOLD’s Emerging Leaders

Institute (ELI) provides students--who are involved with student organizations and campus activities--the

knowledge and skills they will need to thrive in future leadership positions on campus. Students selected

as GOLD mentors teach teambuilding workshops, develop community engagement projects, and serve

as guides for other students in the program. The GOLD Volunteer Center provides opportunities for

student community service programs, promotes service learning throughout the campus, fosters

relationships between SUNY Geneseo and the broader Livingston County community, and increases

awareness of societal needs. In addition to its numerous programs to train future leaders, GOLD makes

it possible for Geneseo students to compile a co-curricular involvement transcript

SUNY Brockport-Select Respect Program

Brockport’s Select Respect Program employs the Social Ecological Model of Prevention to address

relationship violence, stalking, and sexual violence. The developers of the program patterned it after

CDC and ACHA national norms data and best practices. Program efforts have included orientation

programs, peer theater dramatizations, prevention efforts, courses, bystander intervention programs, a

speaker series, social media campaigns, and drug and alcohol abuse prevention. Community agencies

have partnered with the Brockport campus on many activities. Attendance at Select Respect Program

events is very high, including strong participation by male students (51%). Student feedback has been

consistently positive, as exemplified by increasing requests by student organizations for additional

programs. Faculty and staff continue to build aspects of the program into research projects and plans


for future courses. Due to the program’s success, it has hired dedicated staff, sought grant funding, and

collaborated with over 17 campus and community organizations.

Buffalo State College – Refugee Awareness Project: The World at Our Doorstep

This program was developed to provide opportunities to Buffalo State students to engage in educational

initiatives that include volunteer and service-learning activities. The goal was to increase understanding

and appreciation for the diversity of Buffalo’s refugee and immigrant communities and prepare students

to work and live in a diverse global community. Throughout Refugee Awareness Week, faculty, staff,

and students participate in forums where refugees tell personal stories that often include tales of

struggle in their home countries, trials in refugee camps, and challenging steps toward resettlement in

the U.S. Buffalo State faculty have developed curricular projects and expressed plans to explore future

opportunities with their students and city of Buffalo partners to identify connections between

community needs and academic curricula. For example, a service learning class has connected over 150

students to refugee communities. Students involved in these projects report a positive experience, with

69% indicating a strong interest in pursuing other service-type engagements with refugee communities.

SUNY Fredonia – Keeper of the Dream Scholarship and Leadership Program

This program was established in 2002 to increase Fredonia’s recruitment, retention and graduation rates

for students in general, and particularly in underrepresented groups. To date, over 50 students have

been selected to participate in this highly selective and individualized program. Students received

scholarship monies that are renewed as participants meet program requirements. The program’s results

and reputation have garnered donations and additional funding. The program is structured to nurture

students with strong academic records during the transition to college. There is also a focus on the

development of leadership and career related skills. The program emphasizes scholarship, student

leadership, commitment to pluralism and community service. The program is modeled after other

national programs. Students engage in public speaking, career development activities, and community

service. Upper classmen mentor younger classmen as part of their program commitment. This program

has achieved a 4- and 6-year graduation rate of 69% and 81% respectively. All graduates are gainfully

employed.

SUNY Oswego – Global Laboratory

The Global Laboratory is an innovative undergraduate research experience offering students hands-on,

immersive problem-solving opportunities in international laboratories in the most promising fields of

study—science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Qualifying undergraduates from any

SUNY campus spend two to ten weeks on any of the world's seven continents, conducting community-

based research with leading scientists on projects designed to discover solutions to pressing global

problems while promoting international understanding. Summer 2015 sites will include Brazil, Taiwan,

India and Costa Rica. Scholarships of $1,500 or more are available for these six- to eight-week

experiences, held between June and August. The participation of students at the laboratory sites in

Brazil is supported by a grant from Santander Bank.

SUNY New Paltz – Study Abroad Academic Success and EOP Collaboration

New Paltz has been recognized nationally for their efforts to increase the participation of

underrepresented students in study abroad, an effort jointly administered by the Center for

International Programs and the EOP. The collaboration has resulted in support mechanisms ranging


from academic advising and curriculum integration efforts to revised financial processes, scholarship

tutoring, first-year orientation workshops and targeted communication to students and offices across

the campus. As a result, 140 EOP students have participated in study abroad since 2007 and the number

of students receiving federally-funded, national-level scholarships for study abroad (Boren and Gilman

scholarships) has increased, with more than $300K received over the past five years. To assess the

impact of a study abroad experience on student success, New Paltz conducted a ten-year comparison of

the four- to eight-year graduation rates of New Paltz students who studied abroad and those who did

not. The results demonstrated consistently higher rates of graduation by students who studied abroad,

both for students admitted by standard admission and by EOP admission. The six-year graduation rate

for EOP study abroad participants (96%) is significantly higher than their non-study abroad counterparts

(63%). In fact, the six-year graduation rate for EOP study abroad students is higher than general

admission study abroad students (89%). While we know that the success rates are likely influenced by a

self-selection effect, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests there is something innate to a

study aboard experience that supports overall student completion and long term success (Redden,

2010).

Tech Colleges

SUNY Cobleskill – Student Success Center

At SUNY Cobleskill, the academic experience is complemented by a wide range of opportunities for

students to challenge themselves outside the classroom. Cobleskill offers a hands-on learning

environment that features extensive experiential opportunities through internships and field

experiences. Students live and learn on a 782-acre campus that features a contiguous farm with a new

equestrian center and 200-cow dairy facility, a fish hatchery, a student-run restaurant, and nationally

accredited child development and child care centers. Two recently-completed state-of-the-art facilities

provide research opportunities in environmental and energy technology, plant sciences, fisheries, and

wildlife, and animal sciences. Applied learning is central to the Cobleskill experience. Nearly every

baccalaureate degree program requires students to complete a 15-week capstone, credit bearing

internship. The Student Success Center at SUNY Cobleskill assists students and alumni in achieving their

educational, career and personal goals. Cobleskill’s Student Success Center (SSC) has resources for

students seeking summer internships, exploring transfer options, investigating job opportunities, or

preparing for admission to graduate school. Utilizing the innovative Focus 2 online tool, the SSC enables

students to engage in a self-paced exploration of career education and planning.

SUNY Canton – Gateway to Success

At SUNY Canton, all academic programs are designed in a ladder curriculum, meaning students who

start in a certificate or associate program can apply their first years of study toward their associate or

bachelor’s degree. Gateway to Success is designed to assist students who need some preparatory

coursework in order to be admitted to their academic program of choice. Gateway to Success helps

students adapt to college level work within a supportive structure that is available to students from

matriculation to graduation. Through the program, students get a mentor, develop an academic success

plan, and participate in Smart Steps workshops focused on topics such as time management, note

taking, and test preparation strategies.


Alfred State College – Student Leadership Center

Leadership training at Alfred State is an interactive process that develops students who are committed

to lifelong learning, community engagement, and having a positive impact on the Alfred State campus

and in the greater community and beyond. Alfred State believes that every student has the potential

and the capacity to serve their community through civic engagement. The Student Leadership Center

(SLC) serves as a comprehensive connection point for students, staff, and faculty to access leadership

and civic engagement opportunities on the campus, in the greater Alfred community, and beyond. The

aim of SLC is to develop student leaders committed to life-long learning, community engagement, and

active citizenship. The Student Leadership Center, located in the center of campus, is the premier place

for students to gather throughout the day in a “one-of-a-kind” space dubbed the “Commons” corridor.

Entrants into the Commons corridor find themselves in the middle of a hub of activity, where students

from different majors, ages, and depth of community involvement are in direct contact with each other,

providing an “in your face” flavor of student engagement. The Student Leadership Center is the home

base for the Emerging Pioneers Leadership Program (EPLP) that administers certificate programs based

on the Social Change Model of Leadership Development. Students begin the program with the Blue

Certificate and work their way up to the Pioneer/Capstone experience. Students in the program have

their understanding of leadership enhanced through workshops, campus and community events,

community service projects, and an assigned mentor. At the final level of the EPLP, students (in

consultation with the leadership mentor) formulate their own learning outcomes and strive to attain

them through a civic engagement capstone project. Students present their capstone project to key

members of the Alfred State faculty and through a poster session in the Student Leadership Center. As a

result of the program, students are able to identify and assess community needs, participate in ongoing

civic engagement, define various attributes and behaviors associated with citizenship, be able to define

what citizenship means to them, examine their role as a citizen in their community, and discuss and

analyze local, national, and global issues.

Community Colleges

Monroe Community College – Academy for Veterans’ Success

Monroe Community College’s Academy for Veterans’ Success provides veterans the support they need

to make the transition from military to civilian life and helps them navigate their collegiate journey.

MCC is dedicated to providing guidance to its military students in order to empower them to make the

best educational choices and help them build a solid foundation for their future. Funded by a federal

grant, the Academy for Veterans’ Success (AVS) aims to enhance student success by providing outreach

programs and services and community networking opportunities. Open to veteran students and the

families, the services offered by AVS include: veteran-specific academic advising; veteran-specific

personal counseling; veteran-specific college orientation sessions; a regional veteran conference;

military transcript auditing; military-friendly webinar training for students, staff, administration, faculty,

and community members; a veteran advisory board; a summer camp for children of veterans;

emergency deployment readiness assistance; a military mentor program; a student club for military

veterans; and the STARS (Support for Transitioning and Returning Service members) program.

Dutchess Community College – Smart Start Program

Smart Start is a summer transition program that improves students’ academic skills and accelerates their

http://www.alfredstate.edu/node/19725


progress towards graduation through retesting. Held during the month of July, Smart Start welcomes

qualifying freshmen. Students are invited to participate based on placement test results that indicate

the need to enroll in two or more pre-college level courses. After a rigorous four-week program,

students are given the opportunity to retake their placement tests. Smart Start participants often score

higher on those placement tests, thereby improving their course placement, resulting in accelerated

progress towards graduation. The three-year graduation rate for Smart Start students exceeds local and

national rates for entering community college freshmen. Ongoing support services, such as academic

advisement, tutoring in the Student Academic Success Center, and enrichment workshops, continue the

support given to Smart Start students beyond the summer program. Students do not pay any fees to

participate in Smart Start.

Hudson Valley Community College – Center for Academic Engagement

HVCC’s Center for Academic Engagement (CAE) facilitates collaboration between academic and

instructional support units and encourages faculty and staff to intervene on student retention issues in a

timely manner. The CAE employs active outreach in proactively connecting students to services that can

enhance their opportunity to be successful at HVCC. The CAE focuses on encouraging students to access

academic support services, connect with offices throughout the campus, and develop a connection with

center staff who can help them navigate the college process. The philosophy and practice of this

retention initiative is to identify students, facilitate early academic engagement, offer appropriate

services, and create a solid connection to the college with one goal: increased student retention and

persistence. The CAE’s "Engage-n-Go" mini-workshops--designed for small groups of students—are 15-

to 30-minute sessions on topics related to retention issues. The mini workshops complement the full-

length instructional sessions offered by HVCC’s Learning Centers on topics such as math study skills,

procrastination, note taking, test anxiety, writing a research paper, and plagiarism. The CAE also hosts

the Veteran Mentor program. Veteran Mentors are peers who understand the unique situation of

transitioning from the service to being a student. They are here to speak with you about your military

service, help build camaraderie among veterans on campus and share information about the services

available to students.

Jamestown Community College – Student Success Seminar

To enhance the success of its students, JCC requires all first time, full-time students attending classes on

campus to participate in the Student Success Seminar, a one-credit course taken during the first

semester. The seminar helps students establish connections with other students and faculty, orients

students to the college, and helps students develop the essential academic and personal skills required

of successful students. Part-time students are also welcome to enroll in the Student Success Seminar.

Rockland Community College – Mentor Talented Honors Program

Rockland Community College offers a nationally-recognized honors program for highly motivated

students. Students in the honors program have transferred to Harvard, Berkeley, Stanford, Yale, Cornell,

Amherst, Brown, Columbia, Duke, University of Pennsylvania, Vassar, Wellesley, Wesleyan, Swarthmore,

Chicago, UCLA, and other outstanding colleges. Based on the student’s expressed interests and

academic talents, each entering student is paired with a carefully-selected faculty mentor. The student

and mentor meet regularly to assess the student’s goals and progress, plan the student’s courses and

curriculum activities, and converse informally. The requirements of the MTS Honors Program include: a

https://www.hvcc.edu/learningcenters/workshops/index.html

https://www.hvcc.edu/learningcenters/workshops/index.html


minimum of seven honors courses; participation in a non-credit Transfer Procedures Seminar; an

independent study project or study abroad; a two-semester sequence in a laboratory science; two-

semesters in a foreign language for liberal arts students whose academic emphasis is not science;

extracurricular activities (on-campus or off-campus) relating to the student’s academic program.


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Weisz, M. "Developing a Measure of Student Attributes." Journal of Cooperative Education and Internships 35 (2000): 33-40. Accessed December 29, 2014. http://www.ceiainc.org.

Worley, Deborah. “The Benefits of Preparation: Examining the relationship between Integrated Work Experiences and Post-Graduation Pursuits for Baccalaureate Completers.” Journal of Cooperative Education & Internships, 44(1), 23-33 (2010).

Young, J. “Comparative international study of cooperative education employers: The value of employing co-op students.” Boston, MA: World Association for Cooperative Education, 1997.



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