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Dear Alumni and Friends,
Welcome to the start of another exciting academic year at SUNY Fredonia, as well as another issue of the Statement – which earned “Best of Show” honors at the 2010 Excalibur Awards from the Buffalo Niagara Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America!
We begin the fall semester with a great deal of excitement, as many initiatives are underway designed to make a real difference in the lives of Fredonia’s students.
Our Mason Hall ensemble rehearsal room expansion is nearly complete, which will allow music groups to practice in a well-engineered, optimal environment.
The new Campus and Community Children’s Center opened its doors on July 27, giving students, employees and community members a more complete option for high-quality, convenient child care, including infant care. Best of all, architectural planning continues in preparation for construction of our new, $60 million Science Center, which goes out to bid in December.
New programs have begun as well, such as the expanded international teaching opportunities available within our College of Education, university partnerships with academic institutions in India and South Korea, and our new Fredonia Academic Community Engagement (FACE) Center, which ties student learning to community enhancement in new and profound ways.
There is also the collaboration we have recently begun with the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care here in Western New York, led by alumnus Bill Finn, ’83, the subject of this issue’s cover story. We continuously look for ways to expand the breadth of learning environments we can offer students, as well as hands-on, real-world experiences at every opportunity.
Initiatives like these are what keep SUNY Fredonia in high demand. We once again received record freshmen applications this past spring, as well as record minority applications, from those seeking to become a part of the Class of 2014. We also received record applications from transfer students who continue to see Fredonia as an excellent choice to complete their undergraduate education.
In terms of on-campus events happening this fall, our annual Convocation series kicks off Sept. 15 with an appearance by Harvard University’s world renowned creativity expert, Dr. Howard Gardner.
We will welcome SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher to campus Oct. 23 as she takes part in our annual Scholars Breakfast. If you have established a scholarship endowment, this program provides an excellent opportunity to see your investment dollars at work. Our athletics teams are set to begin their seasons with great anticipation for successful campaigns.
And of course, what autumn would be complete without Homecoming, Oct. 1 - 2? You’ll find an abundance of events planned for this can’t-miss weekend in this magazine.
We hope you continue to find this publication useful and inspiring, and we welcome your input and feedback. If you have something worthy of inclusion, or if you just want to drop us a note, please don’t hesitate to contact our Office of Alumni Affairs at 716-673-3553 or alumni.office@fredonia.edu.
Best regards,
Dennis L. Hefner, Ph.D., President of SUNY Fredonia
Greg K. Gibbs, Ph.D., President of Fredonia Alumni Association
