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Welcome Back from President Stefanco

Dear Students,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the start of a new academic year.
I am excited about the energy and spirit students bring to the Saint Rose campus every fall, and the faculty, staff, administrators and I are here to support your success in any way we can. Whether you are a returning student or just starting your Saint Rose journey, each day represents an opportunity to learn about yourself and connect with those around you through the ideas and experiences you bring. Take advantage of the services we offer, and don’t hesitate to ask for help – we are happy to help in any way we can.
Again this year, I will be holding office hours on campus to chat with you and listen to your ideas, suggestions, and concerns. Know that your success is my first priority!You may have heard or read about the College’s financial challenges, the milestones we have met, and the steps Saint Rose is taking to make our budgets even more responsive to our students’ areas of interest. Saint Rose is just beginning the conversation with faculty on our academic program review, which we expect to complete this fall. This practice is common at colleges and universities nationwide.
The process will mean identifying our areas of growth, putting more resources into programs that are in high demand by students and employers, identifying programs that the College does not yet offer but students have indicated they want us to consider, and reducing resources to those in low demand.
My goal is to make sure we, as a center of learning, meet your needs and the needs of all current and future students. Processes like these are vital for all colleges in order to plan for their long-term health and stability.
What is occurring at Saint Rose is not unique to us. Colleges nationwide are going through the same process.
As the President of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, which represents private colleges in New York, noted recently: “Just like families, colleges and universities across the nation were affected by the Great Recession. In recent years, colleges have taken the opportunity to restructure existing strategic plans and to reevaluate existing academic programs to effectively serve their students. That means evaluating what is and what is not working and determining which academic programs need revision, which need to be considered for inclusion and which need to be retired. Ultimately, we all have one main priority: our students.”
Let me assure you of this: you will be able to complete your educational program. Any student who is in an undergraduate or graduate degree program today will be able to earn his or her degree.
News reports have termed our review as a “retrenchment.” The administration and I are not using this term, because it does not reflect what we are working to accomplish. It is my responsibility to ensure we use our financial and human resources carefully to provide you with the highest-quality academic programs possible. We are talking about making sure our academic and campus offerings better match what you and other students are interested in studying and experiencing during your college years.
I have some joint successes to report. With the intensive efforts of the faculty and Provost Salavitabar, last year New York State approved new majors in environmental science, entrepreneurship, management, marketing, and public health. We increased scholarships, expanded the College’s geographic footprint and ramped up our efforts to attract international students and veterans. The College also established a new Center for Student Success, which is focused on moving more students through to graduation, including this year’s 650 first-year students, the largest class in the College’s history.
And that is just the beginning.
Earlier this summer, the College received an enormous vote of confidence in its future plans: every member of our Board of Trustees stepped forward to make a gift or a pledge in support of Saint Rose, raising a total of $2 million. This represents a resounding affirmation by the College’s Board of the mission, the vision, and the course we have charted to realize more fully the enormous potential of this great institution.
In my inaugural address in April, I outlined my vision for Saint Rose, which rests on four pillars: making our campus a center of global connection; becoming known as a comprehensive university; supporting first-generation college student success; and fostering innovation in teaching and learning for a 21st-century education. To build them, we must invest in our future.
That will take more than vision. It will take courage – courage to have new ideas, to embrace change, to re-imagine, to re-invent, and to re-found. As the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet showed many generations ago when they founded Saint Rose, a vision is just a dream unless we find the courage to implement it.
You have chosen to study at a great institution. We are determined to make the College stronger so it stays that way.
Again, a special welcome to the new academic year at The College of Saint Rose. I look forward to seeing you around campus, and I wish you an outstanding year!

Sincerely,

Dr. Carolyn J. Stefanco
President

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