Jacob Robinson Presented the SUNY ACT Annual Award
Jacob Robinson receives his award from Alfred State College Council Chair Ron Nasca and President Dr. Steve Mauro.
10/03/2024
Student & Faculty Success
Alumni Magazine | Fall 2024
At Alfred State College, we believe in celebrating the remarkable accomplishments of our students and faculty. We want to highlight some of the standout achievements from the past school year, showcasing the dedication, creativity, and perseverance that define our community. We invite you to explore these inspiring stories and join us in recognizing the exceptional talents and hard work of those who make Alfred State a place where success thrives.
Alfred State junior health sciences major Jacob Robinson (Melville, NY) recently received the SUNY Association of Council Members and Trustees (ACT) annual award for Excellence and Student Initiative Scholarship.
Robinson currently holds a 3.81 GPA and is projected to graduate in 2026. He is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and engages in numerous community service projects weekly. He mentors school-age kids at Hornell Concern for Youth, volunteers at the local food pantry along with helping a local pastor with tasks, and assists a local youth flag football league.
The $1,000 scholarship also included a $250 donation that Robinson will be able to give to the charity of his choice. Robinson will use that donation along with a matching gift from his parent's employer to help buy new equipment, toys, and supplies for the Hornell Concern for Youth.
“I am extremely honored to receive this award,” stated Robinson. “Growing up I was always taught to be a good person and try to help others. Wanting to do good for yourself is great but wanting to do things for other people is what I truly feel is the definition of a decent person.”
Alfred State College Council Chair Ron Nasca accepted the scholarship for Robinson at a ceremony held in Saratoga Springs.
“It was an honor to accept this award for Jacob,” commented Nasca. “He is a role model for not only students at Alfred State but across the whole SUNY system.”
ACT seeks to promote increased Council effectiveness, constructive government relations, and advocacy for quality public higher education through meetings, an annual conference, newsletters, and web site.
Alfred State Staff to Present at Middle States Conference
Alfred State 2024 accreditation committee co-chairs Danielle Green, Dan Jardine, and Bridget Jacobs.
8/28/2024
As students return to campus for the fall semester, Alfred State College (ASC) Director of Assessment, Accreditation, and Program Planning, Dr. Bridget M. Jacobs, is preparing a presentation for the upcoming annual conference for Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) to share ideas and help schools going through the accreditation process.
In July, Alfred State's institutional accreditation by MSCHE was reaffirmed for another eight years following a multi-year self-study process and a formal review by representatives from peer institutions. After the success of ASC's accreditation process, Dr. Jacobs was invited to co-chair a pre-conference session in Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment 2.0: How Best to Drive Your Mission and Goals, at the Commission's annual conference in Philadelphia this December.
“Dr. Jacobs was instrumental in our campus-wide effort to present how Alfred State has a strong financial and strategic focus for educational and operational excellence,” stated ASC President Dr Steve Mauro. “Along with being financially solid, ASC is investing greatly in programs, faculty, staff, construction, and innovative initiatives that follow our strategic goals. By inviting her to present, I believe MSCHE recognizes how Bridget is one of our star players on the ASC team to show what the college does and how we do it. We are all working hard to deliver outstanding outcomes for students.”
According to Middle States, accreditation is an expression of confidence in an institution's mission and goals, its performance, and its resources. Through the critically important accreditation process, the evidence presented by Alfred State was evaluated against MSCHE's seven accreditation standards:
- Mission and Goals
- Ethics and Integrity
- Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience
- Support of the Student Experience
- Educational Effectiveness Assessment
- Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement
- Governance, Leadership, and Administration
Peer evaluators from MSCHE took great interest in the college's strategic plan, mission, vision, decision-making, and student learning experience. MSCHE Standards also included an evaluation of ethics and integrity, educational and leadership effectiveness, along with the process for planning, resource allocation, and institutional improvement.
With MSCHE accreditation reaffirmed, ASC will begin the next self-study process in 2031.
Pair of Pioneers place at SkillsUSA National Championships
The team that represented Alfred State at the 2024 SkillsUSA National Championships in Atlanta, GA.
7/09/2024
Alfred State students Tyler Hutcheson (Niagara Falls, NY) and Thomas Hnat (Buffalo, NY) earned medals at the National SkillsUSA Championship in Atlanta, GA. The pair were part of a group of seven students that represented the college.
Hutcheson won the National Championship in the commercial roofing competition while Hnat finished second in the electrical construction wiring category.
This was the first year that a commercial roofing competition was held after being a demonstration contest in 2023, and Alfred State connections helped make it a reality. Bob Morgan, '92, and his company Upstate Roofing & Painting pushed starting the competition at the state level and supported through training and materials. They also worked with the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) to make it a national competition.
Universal Builders General Contractors, Inc. from Canisteo, General Roofing of Wellsville, and Upstate Roofing & Painting helped train Hutcheson and other ASC students for competition and provided judges.
Five other Pioneers who had won a state championship earlier in the school year competed at Nationals, two of which scored in the top 10 with the others ranking strong in the national championship.
- Matthew Giardini
Allegany, NY | Carpentry
Finished 9th - Olivia Padula
New York City, NY | Masonry
Finished 9th - Elijah Clement
Cazenovia, NY | Automotive service - Jared George
Portville, NY | Welding - Landon Spoonhower
Berkshire, NY | Automotive Refinishing)
Dean of the School of Applied Technology Jeffrey Stevens was proud of the Alfred State team. “This group of students represented the college well. It is always amazing to be part of such a large competition with high school and college students competing and showing what they can do in such a wide variety of competitions and the students always shine as strong Pioneers. I look forward to this trip every year.”
Stevens joined the seven students along with Vice President for Economic Development and SkillsUSA New York State Director Dr. Craig Clark and Electrical Assistant Professor Todd McDowell.
6,500 students competed in 110 occupational and leadership skill areas.
Dr. Clark was also recognized at Nationals for his 25 years as New York State Postsecondary Director.