Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the expansion of transfer pathways at 19 campuses across the State University of New York that will help more community college students continue their higher education and complete their bachelor’s degree. As a result of New York State investment through the SUNY Transformation Fund, which was enacted in this year’s budget, SUNY will strengthen transfer opportunities between campuses and offer more students early advisement.
“Our unprecedented budget investments in SUNY are helping transform the lives of students and build a bright future for themselves and for New York, “Governor Hochul said. “We’re working hard to remove barriers for students and ensuring they have the resources they need to earn degrees and enter the workforce ready and prepared for their chosen careers. Businesses in New York can rest assured when they hire these graduates, they’ll be arming their staff with the best of the best.”
Nationally, 80 percent of first-year community college students plan to further their education by obtaining a bachelor’s degree, however, only 17 percent of those students receive one within six years, according to the Community College Research Center. The investment from the Transformation Fund will help SUNY campuses partner further to expand transfer opportunities for more SUNY students.
Examples of programs supported through the SUNY Transformation Fund investment – described in the fact sheet found HERE – include:
- SUNY Oneonta will partner with its sister community colleges to provide early personalized advisement to future transfer students on the campuses of Broome, Dutchess, Hudson Valley, Mohawk Valley, and Schenectady;
- SUNY New Paltz will build in programming and communication support, including the hiring of an additional advisor to assist students with the transition from their community college to New Paltz;
- Farmingdale State College also received a grant to work with Nassau and Suffolk Community Colleges to strengthen transfer opportunities;
- Empire State University will use its funding to assist in the creation of additional multiple-award nursing programs with community colleges leading to a bachelor of science degree with a major in nursing. SUNY Empire currently has a multiple-award nursing program with Nassau Community College that has served several hundred students since its inception in 2018;
- SUNY Brockport will use its funding to add a Coordinator of Transfer Programs, who will work to improve and streamline the transfer advisement and credit evaluation process and enhance transfer student-focused orientation for all transfer students, especially students from Monroe Community College, Finger Lakes Community College, and Genesee Community College; and,
- University at Albany will establish dual-admission agreements with key community college partners – starting with Hudson Valley Community College, UAlbany’s largest transfer partner, with plans to expand to others with strong alignment with emerging academic programs at UAlbany.
Other campuses receiving funding to support transfer pathways include Brockport, Broome, University at Buffalo, Buffalo State, SUNY’s statutory campus at Cornell, Corning, ESF, Erie, Fredonia, Herkimer, Jefferson, Plattsburgh, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, and Westchester.
In addition to the campus-specific programs, SUNY is also continuing SUNY Transfer Match – an initiative launched last year to provide automatic admission into SUNY baccalaureate degree programs to students who complete their degrees at a SUNY community college – and launched a new Transfer Task Force to strengthen transfer policies, increase transparency, and leverage technology to support students in achieving their degree goals.
