The following is the text of a news release from the State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College:
(THROGGS NECK, N.Y.) — The State University of New York yesterday awarded $750,000 from its Investment and Performance Fund to the Maritime College to boost student success and completion rates. The grant was among the largest paid for with money from the fund.
“Academic success and student centeredness are at the heart of our core values,” said Rear Adm. Michael Alfultis, president of the college. “This money will help us develop and expand our efforts to ensure students get the academic support they need to succeed.”
An academic success center will be created with a portion of the money from the SUNY fund. It will be home to expanded tutoring services, a new writing center and associated academic skills and coaching programs, and be available to all students.
Funding will also be used to develop the Sophomore Program for Academic Skills and Success, which aims to help struggling students.
“The center will also house an academic adviser and coach to improve support services to students who are struggling,” Alfultis said.
“The Sophomore PASS program will allow at-risk students who had trouble their freshman year to retake failed courses over the summer, while receiving intensive counseling and participating in workshops geared toward student success,” he said.
The money is a portion of the $18 million the SUNY system announced in Chancellor Nancy L. ZImpher’s Jan. 11 State of the University speech. Universities from across the state submitted proposals; 32 proposals involving 22 campuses were funded.
