Chancellor King Announces SUNY Participation in the National Student Success Project
November 2, 2026
Project Brings Together Higher Education Institutions Around Shared Commitment to Student Success
SUNY is One of a Growing Number of Higher Education Institutions Joining the Project
Albany, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today announced that SUNY is joining the National Student Success Project, which brings together higher education institutions around a shared commitment to student success and taking action to help students achieve their full potential. SUNY has emerged as a leader in advancing student success and upward mobility, including through the nation-leading retention and on-time completion programs ASAP and ACE, SUNY's Educational Opportunity Program, SUNY Reconnect, and SUNY's goal that every undergraduate will complete an internship or other experiential learning opportunity by the time they earn their degree.
"Student success drives everything we do at SUNY, and we remain committed to ensuring our students can thrive throughout their academic journey and achieve upward mobility after graduation," said SUNY Chancellor King. "We are proud to join the National Student Success Project, and to continue our work to ensure our students have the resources they need to move forward on a path to upward mobility and complete their degrees on time."
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "SUNY is a national leader in supporting students thanks to our robust student success initiatives and our commitment to uplifting all students to achieve their full potential. Through strong support from Governor Kathy Hochul and state leaders, SUNY has been able to remove barriers to higher education and help our students achieve their dreams. By joining the National Student Success Project, SUNY will continue to build on these initiatives and ensure our students stay on track to complete their degrees."
The National Student Success Project is a collaborative call to action organized by the American Council on Education (ACE), American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), and Association of American Universities (AAU). SUNY is one of a growing number of higher education institutions joining the project, focused around shared commitments to educational value, affordable degree completion pathways, academic excellence and innovation, career readiness, and civil dialogue. In addition to SUNY System Administration, the State University of New York at Albany, State University of New York at Binghamton, the State University of New York at Buffalo, SUNY Brockport, Monroe Community College, SUNY Niagara, and SUNY Oneonta are also participating in the National Student Success Project.
State University of New York at Albany President Havidán Rodríguez said, "Giving students the resources, support, and opportunities they need to find success is at the heart of everything we do at the University at Albany. Programs like Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE) and the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) are aimed at making sure every student can navigate the academic, social, and financial challenges they might confront in college. Dedicated academic advising, access to internships and career development, and undergraduate research opportunities ensure that UAlbany students are positioned to find success after graduation. Initiatives like the Great Dane Dialogue give students an opportunity to experience and practice civil dialogue and civic engagement. UAlbany is proud to be a part of the National Student Success Project, joining our fellow higher education institutions in a commitment to give students a clear path through college and onward to career success."
State University of New York at Binghamton President Anne D'Alleva said, "Binghamton is committed to holistic student success, which means truly supporting them in all aspects of their lives. Academic excellence is often the result of providing students with the resources they need to thrive emotionally, socially, financially, and physically. I look forward to SUNY's partnership with the National Student Success Project both in sharing with others what has worked well at Binghamton, and in learning how we can further improve our efforts in helping students flourish."
State University of New York at Buffalo President Caroline Attardo Genco said, "Helping our students thrive academically, personally and professionally is at the heart of the University at Buffalo's mission. As a leading public research university, UB is proud to join SUNY and colleagues across the country in the National Student Success Project, which gives us a valuable opportunity to share innovative approaches, learn from our peers and strengthen our collective impact on student achievement and social mobility."
SUNY Brockport President Dawn Meza Soufleris said, "At SUNY Brockport, we believe student success begins with belonging. Our caring campus community empowers students to discover their purpose, achieve their goals, and prepare for meaningful lives and careers. We are proud to join the National Student Success Project and contribute to this important national effort.
SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum said, "This academic year has included several new initiatives on our campus to promote student success and build academic momentum. We joined SUNY's Advancing Completion through Engagement program — reaching capacity in short time — and we're now pleased to join the National Student Success Project to highlight its five core commitments. Student success relies on extraordinary work taking place across our campus and the larger SUNY system, and we are proud to contribute to these efforts."
Monroe Community College President DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna said, "Student success does not happen by chance. It is the result of intentionally aligning people, resources, and support systems around students' goals. At Monroe Community College, our holistic approach has strengthened graduation outcomes, increased student engagement, and improved opportunities for students facing the greatest barriers to success. We are proud to join institutions across the country in the National Student Success Project to advance proven strategies that help students complete their credentials and realize the full value of their educational investment."
SUNY Niagara President Lloyd Holmes said, "The National Student Success Project is a natural complement to SUNY's Reconnect and ACE | ASAP programs. This effort aligns perfectly with SUNY Niagara's passion to create an ever more holistic approach to meeting students where they are, responding to their changing needs as they progress through college, and positioning them for success on their terms, whether that means transferring to another institution, developing skills for a new career or finishing a degree they began some time ago."
SUNY Oneonta President Alberto Cardelle said, "SUNY Oneonta is proud to join SUNY System Administration, University at Albany, Binghamton University, University at Buffalo, SUNY Brockport, SUNY Cortland, Monroe Community College, and SUNY Niagara in announcing our shared commitment to helping all students reach their full potential. Joining the National Student Success Project alongside our like-minded peers is a strong message that higher education is transformational for the lives of our students. Addressing the day-to-day challenges facing our students and families is already making a meaningful difference on our campus through personalized support programs like SUNY ACE. Since its introduction in 2025, we have doubled participation in the ACE program, which will serve 300 Pell-eligible students during the 2026-27 academic year. Student success is about more than getting students through the door. It's about ensuring they have the resources, relationships and opportunities to grow intellectually, thrive socially and live purposefully throughout their time at Oneonta and beyond."
American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) President and CEO Charles L. Welch said, "SUNY's commitment to expanding access, improving degree completion, and preparing students for success beyond graduation exemplifies the goals of the National Student Success Project. By bringing together institutions to share effective practices and build on proven approaches, this initiative will help strengthen the value of higher education and create more opportunities for students to succeed. We applaud Chancellor King and the SUNY system for their leadership and commitment to this important work."
American Council on Education (ACE) President Ted Mitchell said, "SUNY is a national model for how to put students and their success at the center of the enterprise. We are thrilled that one of the country s largest and most effective university systems is joining the National Student Success Project. This is what NSSP is all about—institutions sharing innovations, best practices, and demonstrating that what drives our work is ensuring that all of our students are equipped with the tools they need to succeed in higher education and throughout their lives."
Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) President Waded Cruzado said, "We're delighted to have SUNY join the National Student Success Project. SUNY is widely recognized as a national leader in innovative approaches to advancing student success, and we're excited that SUNY is building on its longstanding reputation as a leader in supporting student success through participation in this important nationwide project."
SUNY joining the National Student Success Project aligns with SUNY's initiatives to support student success and advance evidence-based student retention initiatives to support all SUNY students. SUNY's Academic Momentum Campaign has provided campuses with financial support and technical assistance to strengthen student retention and completion rates, In addition, SUNY's Advancing Success in Associate Pathways (ASAP) and Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE) programs, the nation's leading college retention and completion models, provide students access to a wide variety of resources and support to help them overcome barriers that can prevent them from obtaining a degree, including comprehensive personalized advisement, academic support, career development activities, as well as funding to cover textbooks, groceries, transportation, and other costs of attendance. Through an additional $8 million allocated in the 2026-27 Enacted State Budget, ASAP (for students pursuing associate degrees) and ACE (for students pursuing bachelor's degrees) have expanded to serve 10,000 students at 44 SUNY campuses.
SUNY's membership in the National Student Success Project also aligns with Governor Hochul's SUNY Reconnect program, which is focused on helping more adult learners earn their associate degree in high-demand fields, as well as SUNY's Seamless Transfer Initiative, which is focused on improving the rates and experiences of students who transfer between SUNY's community college and state-operated campuses, and SUNY's commitment to ensure every undergraduate student participates in a paid internship or other experiential learning opportunity before they graduate.
While SUNY's current completion rates exceed the national averages for public institutions awarding on time bachelor's and associate degrees, SUNY seeks to help all students who start their degrees have the supports they need to finish. Chancellor King's 2026 State of the University Agenda includes additional initiatives to continue strengthening academic momentum so more students make it to, and through the SUNY campus of their choice.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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