SUNY Oswego is among 17 institutions nationwide taking part in the new Rural Student Success Network, recently announced by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) in collaboration with Ithaka S+R.
This new initiative is designed to strengthen student success and economic mobility at rural-serving colleges and universities.
“The areas emphasized by the Rural Student Success Network — supporting rural students, re-engaging adult learners, strengthening transfer pathways and meeting workforce needs — are all central to the work we are already advancing at SUNY Oswego,” said project lead Murat Yasar, deputy to the president for strategy, planning and special projects. “These priorities align closely with Vision 4040 and SUNY Oswego's strategic plan.”
Developed by President Peter O. Nwosu, Vision 4040 envisions SUNY Oswego doubling the number of degrees and credentials awarded by the year 2040 to meet the needs of the Central New York region. That involves both enabling more students from local communities to pursue educational opportunities and attracting graduates who want to stay to help CNY thrive.
At SUNY Oswego, 31 percent of students come from rural counties, with 28 percent of those first-generation students and 41 percent of them Pell Grant eligible due to income.
“Having a mission and a mindset of serving rural communities is very important to an institution like ours,” Yasar said. “The grant and network help us continue and build upon what has been a priority for us for a long time.”
Supported by a two-year grant from ECMC Foundation’s Rural Impact Initiative, the Rural Student Success Network brings together bachelor’s degree-granting, rural-serving institutions committed to improving outcomes for community college transfer students and adult learners, while aligning academic programs with local and regional workforce needs.
“Rural-serving institutions are engines of opportunity for students and communities alike,” Lisa Hunter, AASCU’s associate vice president for academic innovation and transformation, said in the May 21 announcement. “Through this network, AASCU and Ithaka S+R are creating a structured space for institutions to learn from one another, strengthen student success strategies and build capacity to meet the evolving needs of rural learners and regional economies.”
Over the course of two years, participating institutions across a dozen states will engage in peer learning, data-informed self-assessment and targeted technical assistance. Each will receive a $15,000 subgrant from Ithaka S+R to support participation in convenings, data sharing and continuous improvement activities. Institutions will also receive customized insights based on institutional, state and federal data to help guide decision-making and program alignment.
Supporting student opportunities
SUNY Oswego Direct and the upcoming Laker Scholars Summer Bridge Program, which support more students from the mostly rural Oswego County coming to their hometown university, are also relevant to the university’s work within this network.
SUNY Oswego Direct is a new partnership with all nine Oswego County school districts and the Syracuse City School District to remove barriers that might otherwise prevent talented local youth from earning degrees and benefiting from the college experience. The inaugural Direct Day earlier this year enjoyed a large and enthusiastic turnout and many commitments from future Lakers, with school districts providing transportation for students.
“SUNY Oswego Direct has started successfully and will be a game changer going forward, an effort that we have developed with the superintendents,” Yasar said. “They came to campus, listened to President Nwosu and his vision and all agreed to work with us to bring students to their hometown university.”
The Laker Scholars summer bridge program supports some local students who might not necessarily receive admission to SUNY Oswego otherwise but show potential. The four-week program starts in late July and allows students an opportunity to learn and earn four credits with full admission to SUNY Oswego if successful.
“It provides an opportunity to attain a college education they might not have otherwise,” Yasar said. “It’s free of charge to students and allows them to learn and live on campus and begin building a strong foundation for success at Oswego.”
Opening doors
The Rural Student Success Network also aligns with SUNY Oswego’s ongoing work to strengthen transfer pathways, support adult learners and respond to regional workforce needs.
Yasar added that Oswego has increased its transfer articulation agreements to become an increasingly attractive destination by students in community colleges, with an expected hub developing at SUNY Oswego at Syracuse for Onondaga Community College students.
SUNY Oswego at Syracuse also will increasingly support adult learners, with the integrative professional studies degree –- a highly flexible program that can translate earned experience into academic credits –- approved for that downtown Syracuse location.
Those efforts all tie into efforts to create a more educated region, with a higher number of degrees to CNY residents increasing overall health and economic stability while reducing impacts on social support programs. This dovetails with the large opportunity that is Micron Technology initiating the biggest economic development project in regional history by constructing a microchip fabrication plant nearby Clay.
“Meeting workforce needs is a key part of Vision 4040, especially with Micron coming,” Yasar said. We are the most mission-critical and only comprehensive public university in our region and have always been an institution that supports workforce needs. Our graduates stay in Central New York at a good rate that helps stabilize the population, as especially those educated here are more likely to build their lives in Central New York."
The impact is appearing already as the city of Oswego increased its population for the first time in decades, Yasar said, and the development of Micron and other related industries and companies –- as well as the university’s initiatives supported by this grant –- can continue that trend.
About the Rural Student Success Network
The Rural Student Success Network will culminate in a public case study report and summative brief authored by Ithaka S+R, offering actionable lessons and a roadmap for other rural-serving institutions nationwide.
Through this collaboration, AASCU and Ithaka S+R aim to amplify effective practices, strengthen institutional capacity and expand postsecondary opportunities for rural learners across the country.
AASCU is a Washington, D.C.-based higher education association that represents the sector of over 500 regional public colleges, universities and systems whose members share a learning- and teaching-centered culture, a historic commitment to student populations and a dedication to research and creativity that advances their regions’ economic progress and cultural development. These are institutions delivering America’s promise, the association said.
Ithaka S+R provides research and strategic guidance to help the academic and cultural communities serve the public good and navigate economic, demographic and technological change. A part of Ithaka, a nonprofit with a mission to improve access to knowledge and education for people around the world, the company believes education is key to the wellbeing of individuals and society, and works to make it more effective and affordable.
About SUNY Oswego
SUNY Oswego is a dynamic public university on the shores of Lake Ontario, committed to providing a transformative, affordable education. Guided by Vision 4040, the university is focused on expanding access, advancing innovation and preparing students for success in a rapidly changing world.
With more than 110 undergraduate and graduate programs and growing strength in STEAM, SUNY Oswego combines rigorous academics with hands-on learning to prepare students to lead, contribute and make an impact.