SUNY Potsdam Asks Campus to 'Look to the Future,' Give Input on College's Next Century

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SUNY Potsdam is seeking input from campus and community through its Looking to the Future Project, the vital first step in crafting the College’s new strategic plan.

POTSDAM, NY (03/26/2015)(readMedia)-- SUNY Potsdam is asking stakeholders on campus and in the community to think about what the next century will hold for education at the College, as it approaches its bicentennial.

"As SUNY Potsdam prepares to celebrate the 200th anniversary of its founding, we must also consider what the College's third century of excellence will look like," said President Kristin G. Esterberg. "I invite all of our alumni, students, employees and neighbors -- past and present -- to tell us your hopes and dreams for our future, through this important first phase of our strategic planning process."

The Looking to the Future Project will seek input from students, faculty, staff, alumni, emeriti, parents and community members over the next three months. Led by the Faculty Senate Goals and Planning Committee, this project is designed to spark conversations and garner thoughtful, creative responses.

Dr. Esterberg asked the committee to gather feedback, as a vital first step in a strategic planning process for the College.

"We are working hard to reach each and every person connected to the College to collect ideas, thoughts, suggestions and visions for the future of SUNY Potsdam, as we prepare to enter our bicentennial year," said Goals and Planning Committee Chair Joshua LaFave '03, who is also the director of the Center for Graduate Studies.

All are welcome to help shape the future of Potsdam, by sharing your ideas about what's next. The Looking to the Future Project invites feedback online, through the anonymous survey at www.potsdam.edu/lookingforward.

Faculty and staff will also be invited to join in the conversation about the College's future through an online discussion board on Moodle.

Students have set up tables in the Barrington Student Union, Becky's Place and the Performing Arts Center, and will be offering cookies to classmates, professors and staff, in exchange for their thoughts, between now and April 13.

From April 13 to April 28, all are welcome to come and share their vision for the future of Potsdam by contributing to the SUNY Potsdam vision board in the union lobby. Campus and community are invited to write a poem, scribble a cartoon, write your ideas and more. The board will be a live reflection of the campus's vision for what the future has in store for SUNY Potsdam.

The project is also sponsoring a video contest, which will invite individuals or groups to create a video showcasing their thoughts on the exciting things in SUNY Potsdam's future. Submissions are due May 1, and a prize will be offered to the most creative entry. To enter, email lookingforward@potsdam.edu.

SUNY Potsdam will also solicit feedback through engagement on social media.

The Looking to the Future Project will continue after Commencement, with activities planned to encourage input from neighbors and community members, and with special sessions designed for alumni coinciding with Reunion Weekend 2015.

There will be many upcoming opportunities to engage with the project. To keep track, download the schedule of activities and fill out the survey, at www.potsdam.edu/lookingforward.

Founded in 1816, and located on the outskirts of the beautiful Adirondack Park, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges. SUNY Potsdam currently enrolls approximately 4,300 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its handcrafted education, challenging liberal arts and sciences core, excellence in teacher training and leadership in the performing and visual arts. Empowered by a culture of creativity, the campus community recently launched Take the Lead: The Campaign for Potsdam, which aims to raise $32 million by the College's bicentennial in 2016.

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