ACE at SUNY New Paltz: Celebrating a new student success model improving support, retention and completion
SUNY New Paltz students, campus leaders and state and local officials gathered on Sept. 25, 2024, to highlight the benefits and expansion of the Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE) Program, a transformative four-year model that has been widely demonstrated to increase college student completion rates and narrow opportunity gaps.
“The ACE program fits in so well with the primary pillars for the institution: the academic success of our students, and being a critical value to the state of New York and beyond,” said SUNY New Paltz President Darrell P. Wheeler. “Today we celebrate and acknowledge our team of partners—the SUNY system, SUNY New Paltz and our elected officials—who have created and supported these phenomenal efforts that build the strength of our students and move them along the pathway to academic completion and into careers and opportunities post-graduation.”
“Student success drives everything we do at SUNY, and we are committed to meeting students and their families where they are to ensure they thrive,” said SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. “SUNY takes pride in scaling ASAP and ACE as proven models for student success across our campuses and we look forward to continuing to invest in the next generation of SUNY graduates at SUNY New Paltz and across the system.”
“The role of the state government is to create a social infrastructure in which people can be stable, in which people can be healthy, in which people have the opportunity to do what they are capable of doing,” said New York State Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha. “There is an incredible amount of commitment and passion that’s driving people to be here at SUNY New Paltz, and that’s what we really want to support.”
“At the heart of SUNY’s mission is a deep commitment to student success, and programs like ASAP and ACE are helping us realize that commitment in life-changing ways,” said SUNY Senior Vice Chancellor for Student Success Donna Linderman. “I want to give a special thanks to our students – the ones here with us in the program today, and the ones who we hope to serve tomorrow as the program expands. We’re so proud to serve you and so committed to your limitless potential. You’re the reason we come to work every day.”
New Paltz is one of 25 campuses statewide that opted in to the SUNY ASAP|ACE Program. Already, 185 students have joined the program since it launched on our campus in spring 2024.
ACE provides wraparound support to ensure student academic success, retention, and on-time graduation. An array of resources and supports – including funding to cover textbooks, groceries, transportation, other costs of attendance, academic assistance, comprehensive personalized advisement, and career development activities – help Pell-eligible students overcome barriers that can prevent them from achieving their goals and obtaining a degree.
ACE expanded to the SUNY system in spring 2024, supported by an historic demonstration of state-level support championed by Governor Hochul in the $75 million SUNY Transformation Fund and supplemented by private grants. In fall 2024, SUNY ASAP|ACE will enroll 4,200 students across New York.
“The ACE program provides comprehensive support services including personalized academic advising, key financial resources, assistance with course scheduling, career development resources and a community of fellow learners,” said Vice President for Enrollment Management Stella Turk. “We started in spring 2024 with 45 students. It has now grown to 185 students, with more who want to join ACE and are now waitlisted. This program will continue to grow, and we are looking forward to expanding it in the future.”
Participating students represent a wide range of backgrounds, interests, and experience, but all share a recognition in the importance of higher education and achieving a degree to achieve their personal and professional goals.
“The assistance and advising from the ACE Program have greatly helped me achieve my academic goals,” said Keisy Calcagno ’25 (Sociology) of Poughkeepsie, New York. “I have a very special place in my heart for my advisors. They have done an outstanding job coaching us and, most importantly, serving as a support and motivation to stay focused and working hard. Scheduling a meeting with my advisors is like a relief to my academic anxiety and fears. As a transfer student, I went through a long process of adapting to life on a new campus and now I look back and think I would’ve not been able to make it through last semester without the ACE Program.”
“SUNY New Paltz has been one of the most supportive communities I’ve been a part of and a major factor of that has been the ACE Program,” said Ashley Reyes ’26 (Political Science; Adolescence Education) of Bronx, New York. “I get to focus on what I want to do next to be better, do better, and just prepare myself for the real world without having to worry about what I can and can’t afford. But aside from that, something I didn’t realize I would gain was an amazing support system that I can turn to when it comes to decisions regarding my academics, extracurriculars and life in general. I just want to say thank you to them and everyone involved for making this program possible and creating this safe space for me on campus.”
“The ACE Program has not only helped me stay on track academically, but has also provided support in overcoming challenges before they even arise,” said Morgan Stevens ’26 (Digital Media Production) of Whitehall, New York. “I am excited about what lies ahead and look forward to continuing my journey here, inspired by the resources and community that ACE has provided. Thank you!”
Since being initially launched at CUNY in 2007, ASAP|ACE have served more than 100,000 CUNY students and the programs have been replicated in seven states. The ASAP|ACE programs have been proven to significantly improve degree completion rates, particularly for underrepresented students. They have since been replicated at more than 20 colleges in seven states across the nation.
Learn more about ACE at SUNY New Paltz online.
Get more information about the statewide program from at this SUNY link.