President Wheeler’s April 2025 Faculty Report

Dear Colleagues,

As we enter the busy month of April on campus, I write to share some thoughts and updates on our strategic priorities and other campus news.

Campus Climate and Culture
The continuous barrage of news and actions out of Washington, D.C., especially related to higher education, is disheartening, to say the least. I know these external bombardments have evoked uncertainty for many on campus. I hear those concerns and I empathize. While I cannot allay those fears or the uncertainty because they are out of my control, I can reassure you that our leadership team and I continue to monitor closely what is happening and make our decisions based on what we believe is best for the institution, our students and our employees. As I’ve pondered how best to lead in this adverse time, I continue to focus on what is within my control and encourage each of you to do the same: I come to work each day focused on leading this institution forward in fulfillment of its mission. Each of us plays a specific role in service to that mission—whether it be teaching, advising, housing, assisting our students or making the physical plant and all of our systems work well to serve those students. I commend you all for continuing this sacred work in the midst of the world’s uncertainty.

I have heard the concerns about external law enforcement showing up on campus and what many imagined could happen has happened on some campuses. While our guidance to date has not satisfied everyone, it has not changed. I share it again here: If approached by external law enforcement, immediately contact our University Police Department at x2222. Our campus leadership team and University Police are familiar with processes in dealing with external authorities.

As I told the SUNY New Paltz Council (formerly College Council), in light of the U.S. Department of Education’s directive to dismantle all DEI programs in higher ed, we at New Paltz and other SUNY campuses in the SUNY System are not making any pre-emptive changes as some institutions have done. We will continue to follow the law and review new federal policies that may impact our campus community as they arise. As SUNY Chancellor John King has said many times in recent weeks: “From our founding, SUNY’s mission has been ‘to provide to the people of New York educational services of the highest quality, with the broadest possible access, fully representative of all segments of the population.’” Access to high-quality education is part of the DNA of the SUNY System and of SUNY New Paltz. We are here to serve all students.

We’re monitoring the cuts to federal funding closely. Our campus operating budget does not directly receive any federal funding to support our activities. However, some campus-affiliated entities do receive federal funds through grants (most notably, the Research Foundation of SUNY). This is a small part of our overall revenue, consistent with many regional public master’s degree-granting institutions. While we can’t predict how the actions of the federal government will play out for higher education in general, we anticipate no immediate, direct impact on the normal operations of our campus at this time. This too we will continue to monitor.

Fiscal Sustainability
We are still awaiting the outcome of the state budget process and are closely monitoring the evolving federal landscape. While these processes play out, we must continue to address our ongoing structural deficit and our fiscal sustainability plan to bring our budget into balance by 2028. As we head further into the 2025-26 budget season, we must all make efforts to reduce current and future spending, where appropriate. Departments that were previously awarded new funding items for the current fiscal year should begin preparing follow-up assessments of the effectiveness of the funding. Evidence of this effectiveness should be shared with the divisional vice presidents for discussion at the leadership table and maintained for the next visit from Middle States.

Strategic Planning
Thank you to those of you who completed the survey on the draft mission, vision, values and strategies that have emerged during the process begun last fall. These will serve as the backbone of our Strategic Plan for 2025-28. Thanks, also, to the Strategic Planning Committee members who have put in countless hours to create a compelling and achievable roadmap for the University.

Please mark your calendars for the virtual launch of the SUNY New Paltz Strategic Plan, scheduled for Wednesday, May 7. This event marks a significant milestone in our journey toward shaping the future of our institution. Please join us for a 30-minute presentation where we will unveil elements of the strategic plan that reflect our collective vision, values, and objectives. All campus stakeholders – students, faculty, staff and community groups – as well as planning participants are welcome. Click here to join. At the start of the 2025-26 academic year, we will celebrate the official launch of the plan and further advance how we can collectively bring this plan to life.

Enrollment Management
New Paltz hosted the first of two major yield activities, Accepted Students’ Day on Saturday, March 29. More than 1,300 visitors were hosted by 110 faculty and staff. Each of the 500+ accepted students learned why New Paltz is their university. Families commented that they were impressed by our warm, friendly and clean campus. Deposits were up significantly from last year. I wish to thank everyone who participated in making this day such a great success, including all of our facilities staff, who helped us show off the beauty of the campus. If you missed Accepted Students’ Day, we get to do it all over again on Saturday, April 5.

Our Office of Veteran and Military Services (OVMS) has been informed that SUNY New Paltz has received the Silver Status designation for 2025-2026 as a Military Friendly School. The silver status was determined based upon measures of support and retention, graduation and career outcomes, culture and commitment, among others. This is particularly impressive since OVMS has been short-staffed this year while we search for a new director. Please join me in congratulating Donnie Martin, assistant director of OVMS, for continuing to provide excellent support to our veteran and military-affiliated students.

The Office of Records & Registration will lead the effort to implement a new (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) module this spring to help offices maintain student confidentiality while also allowing students to easily designate and control who has access to their educational records.

Construction Update
The Student Union Building renovations to the third floor and the Multi-Purpose Room (MPR) are nearing completion. Furniture/fixtures and AV equipment still need to be installed, but the space is looking spectacular. These renovations are sure to transform the student club activity experience and the new “ballroom” (formerly known as the MPR) will serve as a beautiful showcase space for a multitude of campus events. A ribbon cutting is planned for fall 2025. We are also on track to re-open Mohonk Hall after a gut renovation and the addition of a fourth floor of rooms to offset the loss of beds when Shango/College Hall comes offline.

The Student Union Building and Mohonk Hall renovations are part of a comprehensive, thoughtful and planned approach by New York State, SUNY and SUNY New Paltz to make significant, long-term investments in our campus infrastructure, with the express purpose of enhancing the student experience for generations to come. Last month, I reported on three major upcoming renovations to Elting Gymnasium, Shango/College Hall and Peregrine Dining Hall.

We received news that the start date for the Peregrine Dining Hall renovation has been pushed back and is now estimated to start in December rather than August 2025. Campus Auxiliary Services (CAS), Sodexo and the Office of Design & Construction continue to work on updating current dining facilities to prepare for the eventual project to make dining services for our students fresh, wholesome and fun during the next few years when Peregrine is offline. The campus successfully hosted “Food for Thought,” a community engagement event, on March 24. Several local hospitality and food vendors joined us for great conversation and collaboration on how they can be a part of the campus community’s food service alternatives while we undergo this major renovation.

Outstanding Graduates Reception
The Offices of the President and Provost will host a re-envisioned event on Friday, May 16, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Science Hall Lobby (both 1st and 2nd floors). The event will honor both December 2024 and May 2025 Outstanding Graduates during one joint event.  This will be a catered reception where Outstanding Graduates receive their certificates, take photos and mingle with faculty, staff, students, their guests, and each other. The event will kick off at 2:15 p.m. Designated tables will be set up for each academic school at which faculty and staff from each school will distribute certificates.

Deans, Directors or designees (department chairs/faculty/school or program reps) will be responsible for staffing their school’s table and distributing certificates at the event. Units with awardees outside of schools (EOP, AC2, Honors) are jointly responsible for staffing one table for distribution of certificates. Winners of the President’s Awards for Student Excellence will also receive their medallions at the event. The valedictorian, salutatorian, and winners of the Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence will pick up their certificates from their schools.

We hope this new format for honoring our Outstanding Graduates will be a memorable experience for our students. We encourage you to invite your faculty to join this end-of-year celebration and support our students. For questions about this event, please contact Janine Palludan (X3288; palludaj@newpaltz.edu).

Development & Alumni Relations
The Development team is pleased to announce the first major gift to the Prison Education Program (PEP). Dan Leader and Julie Bohan have made a gift to establish two new named funds, one for general support and one directly for student scholarships.

Development & Alumni Relations will host events for alumni, students, donors, and friends on April 5 in New Orleans (with School of Business students attending the American Marketing Association International Collegiate Conference), April 10 in Boston, and June 3 in Rochester. Please save the date for the New York City Alumni Student Reception (in collaboration with the Career Resource Center) on June 18. Members from the campus community who may be in these cities on these dates are encouraged to register via the links above and attend.

Alumni Reunion 2025 is set for October 17-19, 2025, and all departments, affinity groups, and programs are invited to participate. If you would like to host an activity—such as a workshop, lecture, panel discussion, performance, mixer, exhibit, or any other event—please submit your proposal (and/or intention to submit a proposal) by Monday, April 7. The team asks that Friday events focus on student/alumni panels and mixers and Saturday activities focus on alumni events. Approved submissions will be featured on the 2025 Alumni Reunion Weekend website and included in our marketing efforts. Please contact Jennifer D’Andrea with questions or ideas.

The 3rd annual Disability Resource Center Art Exhibition
The opening reception takes place April 7 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the McKenna Theatre lobby. The art will reflect interpretations of the theme: “Past, Present, Future Disability Perspectives: How has your relationship with disability evolved over time?” The show will feature artwork from students, staff and a collection of aspirational pieces created through the “Inclusive Architecture” project from ARE305: Disability Studies in Art Education.  We are excited to showcase the unique talents and perspectives inspired by disabled members of the campus community.

Teacher Recruitment Day
The Career Resource Center facilitated over 800 interviews with 41 school districts and 216 candidates on March 19, 2025.

Spring Distinguished Speaker Series
Damali Peterman, trailblazing conflict resolution expert, award-winning author and CEO of BreakthroughADR, will speak on Tuesday, April 22, about “How to Be Who You Are to Get What You Want.” All are encouraged to register and attend, with students able to attend for free with support from the Fund for New Paltz.

Annual Golf Tournament
If you are a golfer or just wish to support students through our signature fundraiser, please consider signing up for our 26th Annual SUNY New Paltz Golf Tournament, which will be held on June 9 at the Powelton Club in Newburgh. All funds raised support the Fund for New Paltz.

Commencement
It’s only a few weeks away, May 16-18. Students enjoy seeing their professors cheer them on. Please plan to register and be part of the celebration. Watch your e-mail for reminders. Students are reaching out to faculty and staff to invite you directly and you may have received a commencement invitation from one or more of your students. A very special thanks to the members of the commencement committee who have given their time, effort, creativity and energy in so many ways. Finally, we also have 20 free faculty regalia units available. These will be distributed by the campus bookstore on a first-come, first-serve basis after April 1. Please watch out for the email announcement.

I will be happy to answer questions about my report or any other questions you may have during the Wednesday, April 2, Faculty Senate meeting.

Darrell P. Wheeler
President