Alfred State students honored with SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence

Alfred State College is proud to announce that two of its students, Brianna Swartz and Cassandra Robbers, have each been named a recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence (CASE).

While recipients are typically recognized in person at Albany each year, SUNY has decided to transition some of its annual in-person ceremonies to remote celebrations this year because of the coronavirus. This includes the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence ceremony originally scheduled for April 22, which was planned to recognize the 214 outstanding students throughout the SUNY system who would be receiving the award. 

To celebrate the recipients this year, the Chancellor’s Office will be producing a compilation video that highlights their accomplishments during their time as a SUNY student. 

In a letter to the award winners, SUNY Chancellor Dr. Kristina M. Johnson said, “You should know that this is my favorite event of the year – along with the distinguished faculty recognition. And though I am deeply disappointed that I won’t see you here in Albany on April 22, your accomplishments as a CASE awardee are not going unnoticed. You have been honored by your university leadership and peers for academic excellence, upstanding character, and positive contributions to campus life. Indeed, you stand out among the more than 415,500 students pursuing degrees at SUNY, a reflection of your hard work and dedication, as well as being a testament to the support of your family, friends, and faculty members.”

Swartz, an architectural technology major from Fort Plain, has been recognized for her leadership roles on campus in residence life, study abroad, and student government. As a student leader, she’s been an advocate for student development throughout her time at Alfred State. She’s been lauded for her investment in the local community through field-based research within the Appalachian region, as well as providing architectural design and assistance to communities in need through the college’s Southern Tier Architectural Resource Center (STAR).

Robbers, a business administration major from Almond, has been recognized as an outstanding adult student both locally and regionally (Rochester Area Colleges of Continuing Education) for her commitment to Alfred State and the local community.  While at Alfred State, Robbers has earned recognition for her environmental campaign and her support of the Career Development Center. In the community, she volunteered at a local hospital and served as a resource for art and poetry for adults and children alike. 

The Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence was created in 1997 to recognize students who have best demonstrated, and have been recognized for, the integration of academic excellence with accomplishments in the areas of leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, campus involvement, or career achievement.

Each year, SUNY campus presidents establish a selection committee, which reviews the accomplishments of exemplary students. Nominees are then forwarded to the Chancellor’s Office for a second round of review. Finalists are then recommended to the chancellor to become recipients of the award.