State of the College address

New Paltz faculty, staff, and administrators gathered in LC 100 on Friday, Aug. 22, to hear President Donald P. Christian’s State of the College address.

After welcoming new members of the New Paltz community and introducing new administrators—Dr. Laura Barrett, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Lucy Walker, assistant vice president for institutional research; Linda Eaton, associate vice president for student affairs; Dr. Kris Backhaus, interim dean of the School of Business; Robin Cohen-LaValle, interim dean of students; and Jason Gilliland, the College’s first-ever coordinator of veteran services – Christian expressed his gratitude for the dedication and commitment of all those present.

“I want to express how grateful I am to each of you for your dedicated work that makes New Paltz an exceptional institution … for our students, the region, and beyond,” Christian said. “Throughout the year, I hear from so many people whose lives were touched by a special effort you made that reflects your pride in New Paltz and your commitment to our mission. Know how much I appreciate what a difference you make.”

In addition to outlining the College’s major accomplishments over the past year and discussing plans for the future, Christian reinforced New Paltz’s need to “think innovatively, adaptively, and collectively about how we approach our challenges” and the need to “create an ever-greater mark of distinction for New Paltz by responding innovatively and directly to the challenges that higher education faces.”

He added, “From what I have seen in my first five years at New Paltz, I have every confidence that we have the conviction and the wherewithal to excel in this new climate.”

The strategic planning process, enrollment and graduation rates, fund-raising goals, improvements to campus climate, construction, the budget, 3D printing, and more were detailed in the address, which can be accessed, in its entirety, here.