Power of SUNY

SUNY Oswego Recognized for Community Involvement

When the Carnegie Foundation awarded SUNY Oswego its prestigious Community Engagement Classification in January 2011, it recognized that the college has deeply intertwined community engagement in its leadership, curriculum, outreach programs, strategic planning and community partnerships.

For instance, two art students doing student teaching in Oswego City Schools learned that some high school students had been arrested for graffiti in the park. The college students proposed a public mural project for “at risk” teenagers. The project was carried out in partnership with schools and county agencies.

In another example, three communications faculty designed a two-hour workshop on and facilitated communication training for a local bank’s managerial staff.

Last year, more than 1,500 student volunteers and 700 interns were actively involved in the community. More than 81 percent of seniors at Oswego have reported contributing to the welfare of the community during their college career and feeling strongly that these experiences had, in turn, enhanced their own educational and personal growth.

College programs responding to community needs include degree programs like engineering, certificate programs like gerontology, and donor-funded scholarship programs. Possibility Scholarships help students from the Oswego and Syracuse school districts who otherwise would not be able to afford college to pursue degrees in science and technology. Festa Graduate Fellowships support students to work with businesses, on public policy issues with legislators or on projects for a non-profit organization.