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Dear Alumni and Friends,
As a new era begins at SUNY Fredonia, we are honored and thrilled to be leading our respective organizations in an attempt to further advance the college and its impact upon the students, alumni and communities we all serve.
The campus is in the midst of a building boom not seen since its signature I.M. Pei buildings of the 1960s. We watch eagerly at the progress of the new Science Center. When its doors open in 2014, it will help redefine not only how science is learned and lived on campus, but also the way many people think of SUNY Fredonia.
Not far behind is the Rockefeller Arts Center addition, which is in its design phase and will add muchneeded dance and art studio space for our students. We are also improving the quality of our students’ lives outside of the classroom.
As you read this, the Williams Center renovation has just concluded. Now, our students and guests will enjoy a brighter, more welcoming student union that improves the quality of the extracurricular learning and social experiences our students receive.
The former Dods Hall pool area has been gutted and is being transformed into a long-awaited, state-of-the-art fitness center which will open in Spring 2013.
We are seeing many changes in campus leadership as well. In addition to the presidential change, we are in the midst of searches for both a new Vice President for Finance and Administration and a Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Also, the new College of Visual and Performing Arts will be founded in Summer 2013, with a new dean to lead the departments of Visual Arts and New Media, Theatre and Dance, the School of Music, and Rockefeller Arts Center.
SUNY Fredonia is also embarking upon a new, five-year strategic plan – The Power of Fredonia – a campus blueprint and a link to SUNY’s own new mission. It focuses on Fredonia’s core strengths as it aspires to show its leadership as a Community of Learning, an Engaged Community, a Global Community and a Sustainable Community. When coupled with the university’s new Baccalaureate Goals, these changes should encourage greater interdisciplinary collaboration and further enhance our teaching and learning outcomes.
We welcome your involvement at every stage of the Fredonia experience. We invite you to join us in the classroom as guest presenters, just as several recent journalism alumni did this past spring (see page 12). You can also join us in the community as caring volunteers, in the business world as economic generators, or at networking events designed to help new graduates get jobs or experienced alumni advance their careers.
Lastly, we hope you’ll keep your Fredonia memories alive by joining us Sept. 28-30 for Homecoming weekend, and at our reunions, performances and athletic events all across the U.S. We look forward to working with you as we continue to advance the Fredonia name and enhance the reputation of your degrees and capabilities around the globe.
Sincerely,
Virginia S. Horvath, Ph.D.; President, SUNY Fredonia
Gregg K. Gibbs; President, Fredonia Alumni Association
