President’s Council

Monday, February 23, 2026

Sheldon Hall

9 AM–12 PM

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Agenda

1. President’s Welcome & Updates
1. Micron Update
1. Groundbreaking Ceremony and Celebration
2. Academic Roundtable Meeting
3. Funding Approval: Micron and Empire State Development’s (ESD) Green CHIPS Community Investment Fund in support of the SUNY Oswego Teacher Boot Camp Program
2. Building a Sustainable Financial Future for the University
3. SUNY Oswego at Syracuse
2. Enrollment and Retention Update
• Spring and Fall 2026 Enrollment - Rick Buck
• Direct Admit and Laker Scholars Program – Kristi Eck and Kathleen Kerr
• ACE - Murat Yaşar
3. Budget Update – Victoria Furlong
4. Academic Momentum Implementation Update – Kristen Eichhorn
5. 2025 – 2030 Strategic Plan Implementation Update – Murat Yaşar
6. Next Meeting Date – TBA

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Micron Update: Breaks Ground in Clay (1)

Micron breaks ground, WSYR video

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Pictured left to right: Kristi Eck, President Nwosu, NYS Governor Kathy Hochul

Pictured left to right: MACNY President Randy Wolken, Minority Leader Will Barclay

Pictured: U.S. Commerce Secretary �Howard Lutnick

Pictured: Kristi Eck, President Nwosu, �U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik

Government officials along with Micron's CEO break ground on the site in Clay

Pictured left to right: Kristi Eck, President Nwosu, Congressman John Mannion (District NY-22)

Pictured left to right: Kristi Eck, President Nwosu, April Arnzen (Micron), Congresswomen Claudia Tenney (District NY-24)

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Micron Update: Breaks Ground in Clay (2)

Economic Impact and Projected Timeline

• $100B massive semiconductor factory complex, expected to alter the economic landscape of Central New York
• Estimated 50,000 direct and indirect jobs
• Four fabs in the town of Clay
• January 2026: Tree-clearing and site preparation begins on the main campus and rail spur
• Summer 2026: Rail spur opens and work crews start pouring concrete for fab 1 foundation
• 2027: Onondaga county starts work on the industrial wastewater plant that will be designed to remove the toxic chemicals widely used in chipmaking
• 2028: Construction work begins on fab 2 and an employees’ childcare center just up Caughdenoy Road. Hiring ramps up. OCWA starts work on the second line from Lake Ontario.
• 2029: County completes work on the first phase of the industrial wastewater plant

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Micron Update: Breaks Ground in Clay (3)

Economic Impact and Projected Timeline, cont’

• Four fabs in the town of Clay, Cont’d
• 2030: Fab 1 opens operations and construction begins on fab 2 both late in the year
• 2033: Fab 2 begins operations
• 2035: Construction begins on Fab 3. Micron reaches the 4,500-employee threshold, half of what the company says it will ultimately employ
• 2037: Third fab opens
• 2039: Construction begins on the fourth and final fab
• 2041: Final fab is completed
• 2045: The complex reaches full production
• Source: Syracuse.com, 2026

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Micron Update (1)

University Partners Roundtable - 2/19/26

• Highlights and key outcomes resulting from the 2024 Request for Proposal (RFP) grant award
• Specific examples of expanded collaboration and strengthened partnerships through the NE Network group, including joint grant awards and submissions (e.g., NSF, Tech Hubs, NY State grants)
• Perspectives and recommendations for the next phase of partnerships, leveraging network momentum to maximize opportunities, enhance competitiveness, and address potential challenges

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Micron Update (2)

Funding Approval

• Approved funding of $1 million for Teacher Preparation

Value of Strong University-Industry Partnerships

• Improve Student Outcomes
• Strengthen Workforce Relevance
• Diversity Revenue Streams
• Enhance Institutional Reputation
• Support long-term Financial Stability

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Building a Sustainable Financial Future for the University

Goal: Preserve our Core Mission and Ensure Long-Term Fiscal Health

• Guiding Principles
• Protect the academic core
• Maintain access and affordability
• Align resource allocation with enrollment trends
• Ensure transparency in financial decisions
• Promote shared governance participation
• Invest strategically for long-term growth

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True Picture of our Fiscal Condition

• Current Structural Deficit : $6.7M
• Recurring expenses consistently exceeding recurring revenues
• Revenues from COVID-era stimulus funding temporarily covered these expenses, and once funding ended, the underlying impact became more apparent
• Primary drivers of the deficit are enrollment decline and permanent, unfunded mandatory personnel costs
• Contributing factors include a lack of sufficient curricular innovation, constrained revenue models, and increasing operational expenses, all of which have compounded the financial pressures we are experiencing
• Working on a clear pathway to eliminate the structural deficit over the next three to five years in consultation with the SUNY system to ensure that our financial stability plan is aligned, responsible, and sustainable

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SUNY Oswego�Enrollment Versus Employment

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Personnel Costs

• Total operating budget: $115M
• Total attributed to personnel: ~$86M+ (75% of total budget)
• Increased salary costs from collective bargaining agreements, 2023-2026: $15.9M
• State tax dollar support for increased salary costs: 6.5M
• Unfunded salary gap: $9.4M

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Actions Underway (1)

• Centralized position control – all requests for positions (new and backfill) are brought to senior leadership for consideration, with final approval by President. Priority given to those that are health/safety related, critical operational need, directly related to recruitment/retention and/or are revenue generating
• Vacancies held for 90 days to centralize frictional savings
• Implement reductions to non-personnel spending – 10% reduction for 2025/26
• Expanded tuition and fee collection efforts to avoid external collection efforts

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Actions Underway (2)

• Continue efforts to review academic programs for optimization and relevance; specifically related to industry drivers such as Micron
• Implementing key enrollment initiatives for Fall 2026 including Direct Admit, Summer Laker Scholars, and Transfer Initiative
• Investing in key positions to expand capacity in academic programs with demand – Mental Health Counseling, Computer Science, Curriculum & Instruction
• Leveraging opportunities provided by International Recruitment, Online Programming, and SUNY Oswego at Syracuse
• Advocacy for additional State Support

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Academic & Enrollment Management Strategies (1)

• Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs (VPAA/Provost) & Enrollment Management (VPEM) Search
• Leadership Profile Completed
• Search Committee Formed
• Search Firm Identified
• Timeline Finalized
• Strategic Plan
• Enrollment Strategy Audit (ESA)
• Strategic Enrollment Management Plan

• SUNY Oswego at Syracuse
• Undergrad Completion Programs
• Graduate Programs
• Adult and Continuing Education
• Microcredentials
• Freshman Admissions
• Direct Admit Launched (14 high schools)
• Laker Scholar Program

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Academic & Enrollment Management Strategies (2)

• Seamless Transfer
• CNYTC (4 community colleges)
• Transfer Summit
• Transfer Council
• Curricular Innovation
• Academic Portfolio Optimization (APO)
• Degree Productivity Analysis and Framework
• Meetings with Dept. Faculty (25/32 departments visited)

• Retention and Completion
• Academic Momentum Campaign
• New Advising Structure Launched
• Strengthening Opportunity Programs (ACE, EOP, C-STEP, DC-Cap, Trio)
• National Institute for Student Success (NISS) Study
• Federal Title III Grant
• Federal Trio Grant

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Academic & Enrollment Management Strategies (3)

• Process Improvement and Engagement
• Slate System Integration & Dashboard (Application Tracking)
• Additional Personnel from Marcomm
• Website Improvement
• Online Growth
• 7 undergrad and 11 grad
• MBA Ranked #1 in NYS last 11 years
• International Enrollment

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SUNY Oswego at Syracuse

• Established in 2008
• Various Names (Metro Center, SUNY Oswego Syracuse)
• Few Programs, Few Students Enrolled (138 - Fall 2025)

• Identity Challenge
• New Opportunity - Reimagining the Campus
• Micron Arrives
• Strong SUNY Oswego Presence

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Activation: Future-Ready Hub @ Syracuse (1)

Key Elements & Goals

Functional Brand Architecture

• Professional & Continuing Education
• Undergraduate Completion Programs
• Graduate Programs
• Microcredentials
• Workforce Development

Program Optimization & Growth

• Reliable course rotations
• Fortify successful existing programs
• Launch high-demand new programs

Operational Vibrancy

• Diversify Leadership & Employee Presence
• Enhance Physical Space
• Host Inclusive & Impactful Events

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Activation: Future-Ready Hub @ Syracuse (2)

Programs & Enrollment Targets Fall 2026 (200)

* program pending approval

Undergraduate (Completion Programs)

• Business Administration: 15
• Human Development (Human Services)*: 10
• Integrative Professional Studies*: 10

Graduate

• CAS Educational Leadership: 50
• Mental Health Counseling: 35
• Master Science Teaching (Ado + Child): 30
• Biomedical Health Informatics: 15
• Accelerated-style MBA Cohort*: 15

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Activation: Future-Ready Hub @ Syracuse (3)

Programs & Enrollment Targets Fall 2026 (200)

* program pending approval

Microcredentials & Workforce Development

• Special Education*: 10
• Supporting Students with Disabilities in School Settings*: 10

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Branding and Marketing

• Branding = Identity (Who We Are)
• Marketing = Promotion (How We Attract Students and Partners)
• Naming: SUNY Oswego at Syracuse
• Exterior Building and Street Signage
• SUNY Oswego at Syracuse
• Undergrad Completion Programs
• Graduate Programs
• Adult and Continuing Education
• Microcredentials
• Website Development
• Promotion & Advertising

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Space Allocation

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Leadership Structure

• Strategic Roadmap Being Finalized
• Organizational Structure Being Finalized
• Will Announce to Campus in the Coming Weeks
• Two Campuses, One Institutional Culture

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Spring and Fall 2026 Enrollment Updates (1)

Total Spring 2026 Enrollment

• Enrollment Target: 420
• Achieved: 396 (94.2% of target)
• Undergrad First Time 55
• Undergrad Transfer 183
• New Graduate 158

Total: 396

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Spring and Fall 2026 Enrollment Updates (2)

Fall 2026 Progress To Date

• Enrollment Target: 6,715
• Achieved: Registration does not open until April 6
• First-Year
• 1,400 New Students
• 1,660-1,700 Deposits
• Transfer
• 520 New Students
• 600-640 Deposits

• Graduate
• 365 New Students
• 400-450 Deposits
• Returning Undergraduates: 3,500
• Returning Graduate Students: 930
• Currently have 310 deposits towards our goal of �2,790 total deposits (11%)

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Fall 2026 Dashboard as of 2/20/26

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SUNY Oswego - Main Campus: �SUNY Oswego Direct Launched for Fall 2026

Direct Admit provides: 

• Proactive, early, and personalized information on college admissions to help mitigate long standing informational barriers at a critical decision point for students
• A guaranteed place in college that reduces uncertainty and risk since students have already been admitted
• Structural simplification of the application itself, reducing the negative impacts of unevenly distributed social and cultural capital and the time costs of applying to college
• Modest financial support though automatic application fee waivers, further reducing the direct financial costs associated with applying to college

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SUNY Oswego Direct

• Fall 2025, SUNY Oswego launched SUNY Oswego Direct, a simplified application and expedited application review process for Oswego County (9 high schools) and the Syracuse City School District (5 high schools) seniors applying for Fall 2026
• SUNY Oswego Direct website

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SUNY Oswego Laker Scholars Program �(July 26 - August 20, 2026)

Benefits:

• Helps increase our fall 2026 first-year class by providing a cohort of 50 carefully selected students a conditional admission offer for fall 2026
• Selected students get the opportunity to demonstrate their academic readiness for SUNY Oswego
• Upon successful completion of the program, students will be invited to enroll in SUNY Oswego’s fall 2026 first-year student class
• Program is expected to occur each summer
• Students who are not successful are referred to our Community College Partners to continue their studies and reapply to SUNY Oswego

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Lakers Scholars Program

Program details:

• No cost to Laker Scholars Program students
• Students will earn up to 4 elective credits
• Students will live together in a Living Learning Community for the first year of college
• Students will receive individualized support from a variety of university resources and offices, including instructors, peer mentors, program facilitators, and academic and financial advisors
• Students will be offered on-campus employment
• Laker Scholars Program website

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SUNY Oswego Direct + Laker Scholar Enrollment Targets

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2025-2026 Operational Budget Summary/Financial Plan – Revenue Offset

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2026 - 2027 Budget Development (1)

NYS Executive Budget Highlights

New Funding Opportunities Proposed:

• $54M in Direct State Tax Support increases again for State-Operated campuses
• $8M for SUNY to sustain and expand ACE to 10,000 students by Fall 2026
• $595M for Critical Capital Maintenance
• $8.5M to expand SUNY Reconnect to provide free Community College to eligible adult learners
• Investing in additional paid, career-connected internships as SUNY works to meet its ambitious goal of an internship or other experiential learning opportunity for every undergraduate student

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2026 - 2027 Budget Development (2)

NYS Executive Budget Highlights (continued)

Continued Funding Proposed:

• Maintained $53M for the salary and benefit costs of new full-time faculty in 22/23 - Oswego has 4 faculty
• Continued support for the “TAP Gap” costs and maintaining excelsior recipient tuition rate at the 22/23 level
• Maintained $163M in Direct State Tax Support, first provided in 23/24
• Maintained $114M in Direct State Tax Support, first provided in 24/25
• Maintained full support for State-Operated Campus employee benefits and debt service

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2026-2027 Budget Development

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NYS Budget Timeline

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SUNY Oswego Budget Development

• Divisional Target Efficiencies by Academic Enterprise and Dormitory Income Fund Reimbursable (DIFR) based on 6425 fall headcount, no additional state tax support, and collective bargaining for FY 26/27.

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Focus on Retention: Academic Momentum Campaign

SUNY Oswego Targets:

Timeline:

Fall 2025

• Planning Team Formed
• Regional Summit Participation in December

Spring 2026

• Awarded 15k Course Redesign Funds 
• Two Oswego Faculty Awarded as Fellows
• Action Plan Due February 5, 2026
• Advisement Re-structure Implemented: Every student was notified of their professional advisor

Fall 2026

• Full implementation of Action Plan

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2025 – 2030 Strategic Plan Implementation (1)

• Strategic Plan Implementation Committee (SPC) identified priority actions out of the 714 actions in progress.
• The committee members are proactively reaching out to the owners of such actions.
• Strategic Plan Tiles and Dashboards are fully ready.
• Implementation & Progress Tracking workshops are being scheduled for March and April.
• Implementation drop-in hours
• Implementation town halls

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2025 – 2030 Strategic Plan Implementation (2)

• Dashboards, such as midterm grades or credit completion rates, are valuable tools for addressing current issues before they escalate into major problems

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2025 – 2030 Strategic Plan Implementation (3)

The Strategic Plan Implementation framework, operationalizing Vision 4040, has now been connected to:

• SUNY Academic Momentum Campaign
• SUNY Seamless Transfer Initiative
• SUNY Oswego Transfer Summit and Central New York Transfer Coalition
• AASCU-Ithaka Rural Student Success Network

Next steps:

• Complete the data infrastructure, such as tiles and dashboards
• Monitor and measure implementation progress
• Offer workshops, drop-in hours, and town hall meetings to ensure campus engagement
• Promote success stories

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Questions/Comments

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