SUNY Canton News

Patrick Massaro, veteran and alumnus of both institutions is set to serve two campuses.

SUNY Canton and SUNY Potsdam are pleased to announce the appointment of the first employee who will serve both institutions. Patrick Massaro is a unique fit for the newly created position of veterans and military services coordinator, a joint position that will serve students on both campuses.

Massaro will be the primary point of contact for the military families and serve as an advisor to the veteran’s organizations on each campus.

“This is a great opportunity for me to give back to both colleges and to those that have served and to the families of those that have served,” he said.

The veterans affairs position will enhance the student experience for veterans at both institutions and is the first joint hire to result from the ongoing shared services discussions between SUNY Potsdam’s and SUNY Canton’s Campus Alliance Network.

“Filling this position was a significant step in the goal of greater shared services for our colleges. We learned a lot about the search process and what we need to do in the next years to more efficiently use our resources,” SUNY Canton President Dr. Joseph L. Kennedy said.

“First and foremost, this hiring will positively impact the lives of service members and veterans working toward their higher education goals at the two colleges,” said SUNY Potsdam President Dr. John F. Schwaller. “Both SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Canton will benefit and learn from the experience of filling our first joint position, as Patrick navigates the unique learning environments at both campuses.”

Patrick Massaro is uniquely qualified to tackle the job, given his military background and the fact that he is an alumnus of both colleges. In 2003, he graduated from SUNY Canton and in 2005 from SUNY Potsdam. The Massena Central High School graduate then served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2006 to 2010, including one tour of duty in Iraq. He now holds the rank of Captain in the U.S. Marine Reserves. Most recently, Massaro completed his Master of Science degree in sports administration while working as the director of hockey operations at Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y.

A member of the search committee, SUNY Canton Associate Professor William Fassinger, a retired Military Police First Sergeant, said, “If we could have built a person for this job, it would look like Patrick. He is a graduate of both institutions, with recent military service, and in the past two years having dealt with the Veteran’s Administration for his own education.”

“He will inherit the work done by others at Canton and bring those ideas to Potsdam, and then in turn assess how the things we do well at SUNY Potsdam might benefit Canton,” said SUNY Potsdam Director of Extended Education Thomas Fuhr, who co-chaired the search with SUNY Canton Professor Robert Edwards.

Both SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Canton have been named military-friendly colleges for their dedication to serving service members, veterans and their families.

About SUNY Canton:

The State University of New York at Canton offers 22 career-driven bachelor’s degrees in addition to its associate and certificate programs. SUNY Canton OnLine features more than 190 courses online each semester. The College’s athletic teams belong to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. The College is home to a brand-new athletic facility, nicknamed Roos House, and the Grasse River Suites, offering students single rooms in apartment-style settings while they live on campus.

About SUNY Potsdam:

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 4,350 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.

Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Manager, or call 315/386-7527.

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Taskforce created to initiate SUNY’s shared services efforts

Responding to a Nov. 22 State University of New York Board of Trustees resolution, SUNY Canton President Joseph L. Kennedy has initiated a proactive plan attempting to create new ways to share services with SUNY Potsdam and potentially other SUNY schools.

The resolution establishes a timeline and directs the presidents of SUNY Canton and SUNY Potsdam to submit results of a joint report on shared services by July 15, 2012. To initiate these efforts, Kennedy has created a special taskforce and assigned his senior leadership team to investigate possibilities for the two colleges to share services and create a sustainable plan for continued growth and prosperity.

“It’s an opportunity, not a challenge,” Kennedy said. “Our goal is to ultimately improve the students’ experience, reduce costs, and direct an even higher percentage of our budget toward academics. There are opportunities for innovation and efficiency, and those are two traits our College takes great pride in.”

Members of the taskforce include two faculty members, two students, one community member, one College Council member, one Alumni Association representative, and one representative from each of the College’s labor unions (United University Professions and the Civil Service Employees Association). Kennedy said he expects many new concepts for shared services to emerge from the discussions. He has even suggested the possibility of sharing some services with other additional SUNY colleges and universities.

“We share in SUNY’s vision to provide the absolute best educational and career opportunities for our students, and we will continue to do everything we can to maximize their experience and our budget,” the president said. “Through an open environment and community input, we will establish clear guidelines and fiscally measurable outcomes for as many shared services as feasibly possible. We want constructive input toward our efforts college- and SUNY-wide. I’m confident by working together we can achieve significant cost reduction, and I’m hopeful some of our ideas may also be helpful to other colleges and universities within the system.”

The SUNY Board of Trustees resolved to maintain the presidencies at both SUNY Canton and Potsdam respectively while each of the campuses work together promptly, diligently, and cooperatively to explore and implement shared services where appropriate. Savings from the efforts will be redirected to academics and student support services, in accordance with SUNY’s ongoing directives.

Current plans include creating new revenue-generating opportunities – similar to the way the College has capitalized upon its online programming and supplementary semester offerings. Kennedy wants to see both colleges increase enrollments and work to strengthen each other’s academic offerings. “We can start by offering common start dates and expanding cross-registration opportunities,” the president suggested. “We can offer each other support for new degree programs and offer joint minor options. These are simple ways to further our collaborative efforts and add academic options for our collective student bodies.”

“We’ve already begun the process of sharing services with SUNY Potsdam,” noted SUNY Canton Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Carli C. Schiffner. “We currently have two joint searches underway for a Chief Financial Officer and a Military and Veteran Student Services Coordinator. These two positions will oversee their respective areas at both colleges.”

The searches came about following a series of discussions between Kennedy and SUNY Potsdam President John F. Schwaller and ongoing planning between the two college’s leadership teams to combine some administrative operations. The colleges are studying shared services within the purchasing, accounts payable, human resources, information technology, institutional research, continuing education, and research programs, among others. SUNY Canton officials have also reached out to SUNY Plattsburgh to discuss possible shared services.

SUNY Canton officials recently calculated that more than 52 percent of its expenditures are currently spent on academics. To view the expenditure breakdown, visit www.canton.edu/shared. The College will be updating the page with the latest news and resources about shared services. “Even though we’ve already exceed the Board of Trustees goal of 52 percent of expenditures geared toward academics, we are going to work hard toward increasing that percentage even more,” Kennedy said. “Our newly created Shared Services Taskforce will have the opportunity to assist in guiding those efforts and executing the directives of the Trustees and Chancellor.”

SUNY Provost David K. Lavallee has reassured both colleges and the Board of Trustees that shared or jointly appointed positions between the colleges would happen through attrition rather than the elimination of current faculty and staff members. “I’m truly proud that Provost Lavallee and Chancellor (Nancy L.) Zimpher have taken this stance and reaffirmed a commitment to maintaining jobs in St. Lawrence County,” said David F. Butler, SUNY Canton’s UUP President. “If our plans are effective, it will enable both colleges to hire more faculty members and further enhance our service to students.”

The concept for shared services was created to benefit students, according to SUNY Administration. “Our students are the very core of SUNY Canton,” Kennedy said. “We have been and will remain committed to providing them with every opportunity possible to ensure their success both academically and in their future careers. They deserve to be included in whatever decisions we make while moving forward with our plans.”

Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Manager, or call 315/386-7527.

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