Dear Alumni and Friends,
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It is a fascinating time to be part of SUNY Fredonia. The campus is experiencing an exciting period of growth, both in terms of academic metrics and physical expansion, while operating in a tenuous financial environment that places a premium on prudent resource management. Fortunately, we have found the right balance between academic success and strong fiscal management to ensure the campus prospers.
We are especially excited about four bricks-and-mortar enhancements: the design for our new Science and Technology Center; Fredonia’s highly anticipated Business Technology Incubator that opened in December and welcomed its inaugural class of start-up companies; the Mason Hall addition that will greatly enhance our ensemble rehearsal space; and our new Campus and Community Children’s Center that opens its doors in early 2010.
Our academic progress is more than keeping pace with the physical improvements. We began Fall 2009 with our largest enrollment ever, highlighted by one of the top retention rates in the nation, to go along with the record applications that led to our most selective freshman class ever. Our students continue to thrive in classroom and research settings, and annually provide thousands of volunteer hours as they raise tens of thousands of dollars to benefit a variety of worthy organizations and initiatives.
SUNY Fredonia’s excellence was cited twice by U.S. News & World Report in 2009. Not only did we once again receive high marks in its annual ranking of universities (placing 14th among the top public universities in the North), but we were delighted in November to be found in a new set of rankings. SUNY Fredonia was rated the 15th best university in the entire U.S. for offering small class sizes (19 or fewer students) among high-quality universities whose tuition and fees were less than $10,000 per year.
As we witness success and growth throughout the campus, we are ever thankful for those who support public higher education in general and SUNY Fredonia in particular. The campus has been challenged by the fiscal realities of this difficult economy, but remains committed to providing access to students by maintaining a full range of course offerings taught in a small class setting. It’s what has set SUNY Fredonia apart for many years, and represents a tradition we are proud to continue.
Any support you can offer — whether it’s a conversation with your local lawmakers about the importance of SUNY, encouraging prospective students to visit Fredonia in their college search, or financially contributing to the Fredonia College Foundation — is appreciated now more than ever. It is only because of you that your alma mater has achieved all that is described in the pages of this Statement.
Best regards,
Dennis L. Hefner, Ph.D., President, SUNY Fredonia
Greg K. Gibbs, Ph.D. , President, Fredonia Alumni Association
