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President Finley's Perspective

Real Insight, Real Possibilities

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President's Update

October 5 - 16, 2026

The past two weeks brought a major federal investment in our health care and advanced manufacturing pathways, a new transfer agreement with SUNY Delhi, and statewide attention for one of our EOP students and the CCC EOP program. Each one ties back to SERVE—our strategic priorities—especially student success, enrollment growth, and our value to the region.

AT A GLANCE

• $2.88 million grant to build career pathways in health care and advanced manufacturing, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, covered by regional TV and print.
• SUNY Delhi agreement signed on campus on October 6, opening a new transfer pathway for our graduates.
• EOP student Audra Abeel's op-ed ran in The Leader and ten other New York papers.
• Student Trustee Tyrell Rivers was named a SUNY EOP Ambassador
• Manufacturing Day on Friday, October 16 drew industry partners and K-12 students from across the region.
• New programs: We are narrowing Kennedy & Co.'s shortlist to ten potential programs for pro forma analysis.
• ACCT Leadership Congress: I will speak on a national panel in Chicago this Thursday, October 22.

STUDENT SUCCESS AND VISIBILITY

Audra Abeel's EOP story reaches readers across New York

On October 16, the USA TODAY Network published an op-ed by Audra Abeel, a student in our Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), titled "Educational Opportunity Program is essential for NY students." It ran in The Corning Leader and ten other New York papers.

Audra writes that arriving at º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ "helped me find" home. She describes EOP as "a place I can call home and people I can call family." She is balancing work, school, and family while working toward her associate degree. Her goal is a master's in social work so she can work with children in foster care. Read Audra's article.

Student Trustee Tyrel Rivers was announced as a member of the 6th class of SUNY EOP Ambassadors. 

Twenty students from 18 campuses will serve as mentors to other students and encourage high school seniors to enroll, help build on the established student support network for EOP students across the SUNY system, and advise SUNY on ways to keep strengthening the program. 

A quiet week on campus: October Break

Campus was quiet the week of October 12 to 16, as students were on October Break. For the students who stayed in our residence hall, Ken Roberts arranged daily lunch and dinner for about 20 people, delivered Tuesday through Friday by the CSEOP bistro.

REVENUE GROWTH AND WORKFORCE PATHWAYS

$2.88 million grant for health care and advanced manufacturing

The college received a $2.88 million Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) grant for a project called "Strengthening Career Pathways in Healthcare and Advanced Manufacturing." The Title III award is funded through the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The grant funds:

• The creation of our own (standalone) Surgical Tech AAS degree, with two full-time faculty and equipment for a Surgical Technology Skills Lab.
• Two student success coaches. One will serve Health Studies, Nursing, Addiction Studies, and Surgical Technology. The other will serve Machine Tool, Mechatronics, Mechanical Technology, and Electrical Technology.
• New CNC turning centers for the Machine Tool Lab.
• A math boot camp developed with regional employers and K -12 schools.
• Two staff roles: a SIP Career Pathways Project Director and a Work-Based Learning Coordinator.

The award got strong regional coverage from WETM, WENY, WYDC Big Fox, The Corning Leader and the Elmira Star-Gazette.  For more information, contact Matt Skerritt or Deb Beall.

For additional information about the grant details, please read the SIP grant story. 

Manufacturing Day: Friday, October 16

We held Manufacturing Day last Friday. The day had great energy and strong attendance from both industry partners and K-12 students from across the region. It showed what our advanced manufacturing programs offer and introduced young people to careers right here in the Southern Tier. It also supports our work toward a center of intelligence in advanced manufacturing (More to come on that concept).

PARTNERSHIPS AND TRANSFER PATHWAYS

SUNY Delhi articulation agreement signed

On October 6, SUNY Delhi President Mary Bonderoff, Provost David Brower, and a group from Delhi visited our campus for a signing ceremony. The memorandum of agreement creates a new transfer partnership between our two colleges. It runs for three years, from October 6, 2026, to October 6, 2029.

The memorandum of agreement focuses on our pathways in mechatronics, business, criminal justice, nursing, construction management, and applied technology.

Next, our faculty and program leaders will meet with Delhi's faculty and program leaders to align coursework and coordinate advising. The pathway supports a potential mechatronics bachelor's pathway. For more details, please read the SUNY Delhi story. 

Elmira College

I had a productive lunch with Dr. John Dolan, president of Elmira College, to discuss how we can work together to support student success. One possibility we discussed is a health care and health sciences pathway linking our college, Elmira College, and LECOM. That idea is still exploratory.

REPRESENTING THE COLLEGE NATIONALLY

ACCT Leadership Congress panel: Thursday, October 22

This week I will represent the college on a panel at the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Leadership Congress in Chicago.

• Panel title: "Lessons Learned from the New America-NSF Accelerator for Community Colleges in the Innovation Economy"

I will share how, with SUNY Broome, we are implementing the Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) model. Under BILT, employers help decide which skills our technical programs teach, and faculty keep responsibility for the curriculum. Our pilot is the Optical Systems Technology associate degree. SUNY Broome's pilot is its Manufacturing Technology degree.

ACADEMIC PROGRAM PLANNING

Our work with Kennedy & Co. on new academic programs has reached the shortlist stage. We are now narrowing that list to ten potential programs. For those ten, we will ask Kennedy & Co. to build pro formas (the financial projections that show what each program would cost and earn). Those projections will give us the evidence to decide which programs to further investigate for potential introduction as a new course of study.

BOARD AND GOVERNANCE

Welcoming Trustee Dr. J. Michael Scalzone

On October 14, Board Chair Judy McKinney-Cherry and I sent a welcome letter to our newest trustee, Dr. J. Michael (Mike) Scalzone, MD, MHCM. He also serves on the boards of the Guthrie Clinic and Corning Hospital. Chairperson McKinney-Cherry and I will meet with Dr. Scalzone on Tuesday, November 3, for lunch followed by a high-level orientation to the Board.

FINLEY'S FOCUS: THE PRESIDENT'S CURRENT WORK

Defining the college's AI policy

I am leading work to define the college's artificial intelligence (AI) policy. SUNY's Systemwide AI Policy requires every campus to have an AI policy, or AI updates to its existing policies, in place by December 31, 2026.

SUNY has asked each campus to report its progress in a survey due October 30. We want a policy that gives students and employees clear expectations and protects data, while still letting us use AI to improve teaching and operations.

Expanding sexual violence prevention training

I am also working to expand and refine the college's training and programs to prevent sexual violence on campus. On October 7, Chancellor King shared SUNY guidance on proven prevention and education programs and possible partners. Each campus can apply for up to $25,000 in SUNY funding for this work. We are using that guidance to expand and refine what we offer students and employees, and we are looking at how this funding could strengthen it.

SUNY system engagement

This month I joined Chancellor King and SUNY's other presidents for system meetings. Topics included systemwide guidance on preventing sexual violence, recommendations on Chancellor King's work group on faculty and staff professional well-being, the 2028 state budget, AI, and seamless transfers.

Happenings Across Campus

• Scholarship Recognition Ceremony, October 20, 2026, 5:00 PM
• Transfer Day Activities, October 22, 2026

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