Kennedy Featured in Higher Education Publication

Related Media

Dr. Joseph L. Kennedy (pictured) will be featured in the July issue of Education Executive magazine.

CANTON, NY (06/22/2011)(readMedia)-- SUNY Canton President Joseph L. Kennedy will be featured in an upcoming higher education publication designed to inform and educate industry experts and executives.

Kennedy was recently interviewed for an article in the July issue of Education Executive magazine that discusses the difficult task that laid ahead for the incoming president when he arrived in 1993. In the article, Kennedy explains why he said yes to the role when most people wouldn't have entertained taking on the challenge and illustrates the success of the programs he implemented over the past 18 years.

"I say yes all the time," Kennedy said in the article. "Want to know why? Because you have to be open to new ideas and willing to take risks if you want to keep moving forward. What we've achieved didn't come from my efforts alone. It came from the hard work of our faculty and staff to develop new programs and come up with new ideas. I just had to be willing to support them."

Kennedy is now the longest tenured active SUNY president. Read the full article here.

When Kennedy's tenure began, he quickly realized it was necessary to take the College in a different direction and add bachelor's degrees. With the support of former SUNY Chancellor Bruce Johnstone, eighteen years later, SUNY Canton has the same number of bachelor's degrees as associate degrees, all of which are in high-demand and geared towards providing students with a hands-on education that prepares them for careers following graduation. The College has also experienced exponential growth in enrollment and the physical campus itself has grown under his guidance. SUNY Canton most recently added a new athletic facility and will open a new residence hall in Fall 2011.

In his interview, Kennedy reiterated the reason why he continues to do what he does: to improve the learning experience for students. In addition to the growth in bachelor's degrees, he's encouraged faculty members to earn their doctorate degrees by having the College spend $1 million to help them do so. He's also added online degree programs, international study abroad and dual degree opportunities, successful summer and winter academic sessions, and other innovative programs.

Education Executive covers topics such as management, new technologies, marketing programs, security, facilities and operations, as well as financial and legal issues.

SUNY Canton offers a wide variety of career-driven bachelor's, associate, and certificate programs. Most of SUNY Canton's new four-year programs are designed so students can take them on-campus, online, or both. SUNY Canton OnLine features more than 150 courses online each semester. The College's athletic teams belong to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. SUNY Canton's 2011 Commencement was the first event held in the College's brand new Roos House athletic center. The facility will open later this summer. The new apartment-style residence hall, featuring 305 single-occupancy rooms, is nearing completion and will open in August 2011.

-www.canton.edu-