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President’s Council

Monday, April 27, 2026

Sheldon Hall

9 AM–12 PM

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Agenda

  1. President’s Welcome & Updates
  2. May 2026 Commencement Update – Steve McAfee
    1. Safety and Security – Chief Scott Swayze
  3. Auxiliary Services Update – Steve McAfee
  4. Enrollment and Retention Update
    • Fall 2026 Enrollment Targets – Rick Buck
    • Direct Admit and Laker Scholars Program – Kristi Eck and Kathleen Kerr
    • International Student Enrollment – Josh Mckeown
    • Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE) – Murat Yaşar
  5. Budget Update – Victoria Furlong
  6. Academic Momentum Implementation Update – Kristen Eichhorn
  7. SUNY Oswego at Syracuse – Kristen Eichhorn
  8. 2025 – 2030 Strategic Plan Implementation Update – Murat Yaşar

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May 2026 Commencement Update (1)

Graduate Statistics

  • Total Eligible Graduates: 1,423
    • Undergraduate: 1,094
    • Graduate/CAS: 329
  • Latin Honors:
    • Summa Cum Laude: 112
    • Magna Cum Laude: 125
    • Cum Laude: 184

Ceremony Schedule

  • 9:00 AM – College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Engineering
    • Breakdown: 433 UG / 26 GR
    • Keynote Speaker: William Precht
  • 12:30 PM – College of Business and Entrepreneurship
    • Breakdown: 270 UG / 90 GR
    • Keynote Speaker: Indie Lee
  • 4:00 PM – College of Communication, Media and the Arts and the College of Education, Health and Human Services
    • Breakdown: 391 UG / 204 GR
    • Keynote Speaker: Steven Messina

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May 2026 Commencement Update (2)

Key Updates & Action Items

Participation Trends

  • 43 December 2026 graduates (and counting) have requested to walk in May — a significant increase from prior years
  • Several international students (from May 2024 and May 2025) have asked to participate in this May's ceremony
  • Many of these students have deferred multiple times already

Action Needed

  • Volunteers needed to support commencement day operations
  • New — Staff needed to take tickets at doors; reduced facilities staff available that day
  • A second volunteer request will be sent out — please encourage your teams to sign up if they have not already

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Auxiliary Services Update (1)

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Navigating Macroeconomic Realities

-$1.5M Projected Revenue Shortfall 

  • Driven by shifting enrollment patterns and reduced state budgets.

-$615,000 Projected Operating Deficit 

  • Calculated before pension and bond prepayments.
    • Soaring Food CPI (+4.1%)
    • Rising Student & Employer Health Insurance Costs
    • Global Energy Cost volatility
    • Supply Chain Tariffs

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Auxiliary Services Update (2)

Securing the Future

Capital Optimization

  • Prepaying the remaining 6 years of the Lakeside bond to fund Residence Life and Housing (RLH) improvements, alongside prepaying $270K in 26-27 rent and utilities.

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Strategic Reinvestment & Protecting Student Value

Shielding Costs

Institutional Reserves

$615,000 Strategic Infusion

Neutralizes price increases by covering $315K in Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and offsetting $300K to maintain the current Inclusive Access pricing model. Protects academic necessities.

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Auxiliary Services Update (3)

Unmatched Dining Value

  • Oswego operates 80 additional days, serving continuously through academic breaks unlike peer institutions.

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Period

Oswego

Peers

Current

$25.98

$30.36 - $34.76

26-27 Projected

$27.20

$30.96 - $35.80

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Fall 2026 Enrollment Update (1)

As of 4/22/26: 4,725 Students (70% of Goal: 6,715)

Point in time last year: 4,601

Returning Student Registration

  • 3,834 registered (+46 / +1.2% vs. 2025)
  • Undergraduate: 3,268 (-15 / -0.5%)
  • Graduate: 566 (+61 / 12.1%)

New Student Registration

  • 327 registered (+189 / +137%)
  • New First-Year: 206 (+189 / +1111%)
  • New Transfer: 121 (Even with last year)�

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Deposits (Current)

  • 1,048 total (39.4% to goal)
  • First-Year: 746 (45%)
  • Transfer: 207 (34.5%)
  • Graduate: 95 (28%)

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Fall 2026 Enrollment Update (2)

Year-over-Year Context (Domestic Performance)

  • Fall 2025 included 100+ international deposits with high melt
    • Inflated due to a process change in Fall 2025
  • Domestic deposits (adjusted)
    • Fall 2026: 953
    • Fall 2025: 879 (-8.4% vs F26)
    • Fall 2024: 853 (-11.7% vs F26)
  • Takeaway: +8% domestic growth vs. last year; topline differences driven by international decline.

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Fall 2026 Enrollment Update (2)

Year-over-Year Context (Domestic Performance)

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Fall 2026 Enrollment Update (3)

On Track:

  • Mental Health Counseling
    • 114 applications / 36 admits / 21 deposits
    • Syracuse Target: 11 students
  • HCI (Graduate)
    • 64 applications / 13 admits / 4 deposits
    • Target: 8 students
  • C&I Master’s Programs
    • 42 applications / 15 admits / 13 deposits
    • Target: 22 students
  • School Psychology
    • 111 applications / 26 admits / 13 deposits
    • Target: 12 students

Early / Developing:

  • Human Development (Syracuse UG)
    • very low volume (single-digit apps, ~1 deposit)
    • Target: 15 students
  • IPS Online Programs
    • ~minimal activity (low apps, near-zero deposits)
    • Target: 25 students

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SUNY Oswego Direct Enrollment Targets

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Semester

SUNY Oswego Direct Goals

Progress on Goals �(as of 4-27-26)

Fall 2022 (Base Comparison) Total Enrolled/Applied (from 9 Oswego County public high schools + 5 SCSD high schools) – prior to launch of SUNY Oswego Direct

66 enrolled/254 applications (26%)

NA

Fall 2026 Total Enrollment and Application Goals (total for 9 Oswego County + 5 SCSD high schools) for pilot year of SUNY Oswego Direct

95 enrolled/342 applications (28%)

72 deposits (65% of goal of 110 deposits to yield 95 enrolled students in Fall 2026) /353 applications (11 above goal). Preferred deposit deadline: May 1, 2026

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Laker Scholars 2026

Enrolled Numbers (as of 4/21/26)

    • 300 Offers, ~120 going out this week
    • 42 Agreements
    • 39 Deposits
    • All students who received initial invitations (~182) have been called at least once
    • Second group (~120 ) called this weekend
    • Two virtual info sessions have taken place already (~12 participants at each)
    • Final virtual info session held yesterday on 4/26/26

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International Student Enrollment (1)

Fall 2025–Fall 2026 applications down over 50%

  • Fall 2025: 1,034–Fall 2026: 483 apps

Undergraduate degree seeking:

  • Applications and admits to date
  • Apps 2025: 894–2026: 385
  • Admits 2025: 431–2026: 138

Graduate degree seeking:

  • Applications and admits to date
  • Apps 2025: 140–2026: 98
  • Admits 2025: 36–2026: 34

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Fall 2026 estimates based on “new normal” conditions

  • Fall 2025 international enrollment: 197
  • Estimated fall 2026: 160*

This includes:

  • 115 returning students (same as last year)
  • 40 new exchange visitor students (same)
  • *15 new degree seeking students (same %)

Global conditions are still stifling:

  • Visa interview wait times still bad in key markets
  • Visa refusals show no sign of improvement
  • Fewer applications due to negative US perception

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International Student Enrollment (2)

What Are We Doing, New And Different

Still almost 500 potential students despite these terrible conditions

  • Focusing more on markets closer and “visa friendlier” like Bahamas, Canada 
  • Enhancing productive exchange/visitor partnerships like Japan and France 
  • Structured “official” relationships like:
    • Scholarships for Bahamians with Ministry of Education
    • Turkey Dual Diploma Program under existing SUNY framework
    • 1-2-1 in China partnering with AASCU
    • Online degree cohort pilot like TGM in Nigeria
    • Identifying other well-structured transfer pipelines wherever feasible 
  • Offering international students free, well-referred visa interview advising service (AIRC pilot)
  • More aggressive Slate communications campaigns and I-20 issuances

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Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE)

  • Current Students in SUNY Oswego’s ACE program: 407
    • The largest ACE cohort within SUNY
  • Fall 2026 quota provided by SUNY: 450
  • SUNY Oswego ACE has a director and three dedicated professional advisors

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Budget Update (1)

  • Current status – Negotiations are still underway
  • Emergency Spending bill has been passed through Monday, April 27th
  • Does not affect SUNY – SUNY and State of New York operate on different fiscal years

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Budget Update (2)

Update on Unpaid Student Accounts, as of 4/10/2026

Class

Number of Students

Sprig 2026 Balance Due

Freshmen

92

$243,095.66

Sophmore

150

$428,713.48

Junior

155

$294,396.76

Senior

277

$443,963.09

Grad

99

$213,427.46

TOTALS

773

$1,623,596.45

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Budget Update (3)

Update on Unpaid Student Accounts, as of 4/17/2026

Class

Number of Students

Sprig 2026 Balance Due

Freshmen

92

$223,540.58

Sophmore

153

$430,389.48

Junior

168

$252,392.69

Senior

313

$386,620.70

Grad

91

$193,848.89

TOTALS

817

$1,486,792.34

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SUNY Academic Momentum (1)

  1. Academic Momentum Supplemental Funding Proposal Approved:
    • $12k to use towards embedded tutoring for Math
  2. Math Gateway Progress:
    • Met with the Math Department 3/30; 4/6, and 4/9 to advance conversation around appropriate placement and redesign
    • Two additional General Education Courses were approved, including, MAT 104 and MAT 120 - (*this changed increased our Mathway Gateway completion from 54% to 64% for the 2024 cohort)
    • SUNY Community of Practice Course Redesign Underway-Four synchronous sessions scheduled from April 17 – May 22
  3. Registration:
    • Moved Registration Date for Spring 2026 earlier/Planning underway to move Fall Registration earlier
    • Campaign ran first week of Registration
    • Moved Freshman Registration Earlier in the process - Approx 250 freshman already started to register
    • Professional Advisor for all students

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SUNY Academic Momentum (2)

  1. Degree Maps: Drive course scheduling, integrate them into advising technology, support momentum campaigns, part of retention and re‑engagement campaigns, rebuild a plan, visualize a comeback path, reduce anxiety about “starting over”
  2. Early Alert Enhancements Underway: Starfish integration with FAFSA, 30+Credit, Chatbot Retention Data, Transcript Requests
  3. Modernization of Registration and Course Scheduling Tools Underway: Smart Plan &RFP-Course Scheduling-Committee Formed
  4. Living and Learning Communities: 8 new are formed and communication plans/registration are underway to impact 185 students
  5. Student Success Summit planning underway: Preliminary Scheduled for August 18 with 8 specific learning outcomes identified
  6. Two Fall 2026 Reading groups formed: AI-Aware Teaching and A Practical Guide to Teaching Neurodivergent College Students

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SUNY Oswego at Syracuse

Key Updates:

  • President’s Cabinet and University Council approved name change to SUNY Oswego at Syracuse
  • Construction will be completed by July 15th, 2026
  • Syracuse signage is seeking appropriate approvals
  • SUNY App and Common App were updated for academic UG programs
  • The NYS Board of Regents approved adding the BA and BS in Integrative Professional Studies at its April 14, 2026, meeting.  The information will now be forwarded to Governor Hochul for approval
  • Communication Campaign: Digital Marketing/Bus Wraps and Shelters/ Digital Billboards on 81 & Airport/Websites and one sheets are in progress
  • Met with Transfer Advisor about targeted fall recruitment activities
  • Met CNY Transfer Council and Advisement Guides were shared for Main Campus  & Syracuse
  • Syracuse Grand Re-Opening is being planned for Early Fall 2026

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2025 – 2030 Strategic Plan Implementation

  • “Dashboards & Data-Informed Decision-Making” workshop was held on April 2.
  • 2025-26 Strategic Action and Progress Report, an important part of the six-step assessment process, has been opened on Heliocampus
    • Timeline:
      • April 17: Report Open
      • May 31 (Level 1): Program/unit completes report by addressing progress on each action identified in the fall and providing highlights aligned with the strategic plan
      • May 31 - June 16 (Level 2): Supervisor reviews submissions and provides feedback
      • June 20 (Level 3): Final reviews and feedback due
      • July 8 - Reports Close: IRA complies submissions and provides a comprehensive report to the President
    • IRA staff will host Zoom drop-in hours at the times listed below:
      • Monday, May 4th, 1:00 - 2:30 pm
      • Wednesday, May 13th, 2:00 - 3:30 pm
      • Friday, May 22nd, 2:00 - 3:30 pm
      • Tuesday, May 26th, 10:00 - 11:30 pm
  • Strategic Plan Implementation Committee outreach regarding collaborative actions is happening

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Questions/Comments

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