Blue & Gold Today

Check out the latest news from Alfred State!

Western Equestrian wraps up regular season with a strong showing

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Contact Paul Welker - welkerpm@alfredstate.edu if you have a story idea!

If you are posting pictures on your social media make sure to tag @AlfredState or ask us to collaborate with your posts!

The Marketing Communications Office is excited to let the college community know about new videos that have been developed and are available to faculty and staff to help in recruitment of future Pioneers.

Check them out on our YouTube page - https://www.youtube.com/@AlfredStateCollege

Three of the latest video releases:
Living on Campus: Burdick Hall
Blue Chair Stories - Favorite Class 
Esports at Alfred State College

Any students who are planning to graduate this May from either an associate (or certificate) program who wish to continue their education at Alfred State College in a corresponding baccalaureate (or associate) degree program need to complete a SUNY Joint Admissions/Intent to Enroll Form.  This includes any graduates who wish to pursue the Technology Management or Interdisciplinary Studies baccalaureate degree!

This form should be submitted online by the end of March in order to sign-up for fall classes when course registration opens on April 7.  As a reminder, there is no application fee since students will be either associate degree (or certificate) recipients continuing in the corresponding program. 

The SUNY Joint Admissions/Intent to Enroll form is available at https://www.alfredstate.edu/stay-for-four.

The Alfred Montessori School Board of Directors is looking to hire a new Director to start as soon as possible. Please spread the word--the linked job description--to anyone you know who might be interested in applying for this role. 

If you have any questions about the position, you can reach out to Chloe Hansen (hansenc@alfred.edu). 

Thank you,
Alfred Montessori Board of Directors

It’s important to periodically review your retirement plan beneficiary designation. Life circumstances change, and the beneficiary you previously named may not be the one you would choose today. Keeping your beneficiary information up to date ensures your benefits are distributed according to your wishes. Additionally, please verify that your beneficiary’s contact information is current to prevent any delays in benefit processing.

How to Review and Update Your Beneficiary Information:

• NYSLRS Members: Sign in to Sign in to Retirement Online and click “View and Update My Beneficiaries.”
• NYSTRS Members: Review your beneficiary information via your annual benefit profile or log in to your MyNYSTRS account.
• SUNY ORP (Optional Retirement Program) & 403(b) Members: Update your beneficiaries directly online through your provider’s participant portal or call their service center for assistance:
  • Corebridge Financial: Website | 1-603-594-8340
  • Fidelity Investments: Website | 1-844-FOR-SUNY (844-367-7869)
  • TIAA: Website | 1-866-662-7945
  • Voya Financial: Website | 1-800-584-6001
• NYS Deferred Compensation Plan (457b) Members: Download the Beneficiary Designation Form.

Taking a few minutes to review your beneficiary information can provide peace of mind and help ensure your benefits are handled according to your wishes.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to your retirement plan provider directly.

🌟 We are excited to welcome 106 employers who will be attending the Alfred Spring Career Fair tomorrow, Wednesday, March 5, from 12 to 3 PM, Orvis.

🌧️ In preparation for rainy weather, ACES will be offering a shuttle bus 🚌 to transport students as needed to get to Orvis. The bus will be driving continuously around the campus loop at the various bus stops.

🙏 Thank you for allowing and encouraging your students to attend. This event is an excellent opportunity for our students to learn about full time positions/summer jobs/internships, explore their career path, and develop confidence in talking with employers. We welcome faculty and staff to stop in to interact with our employer partners, many of whom are returning alumni! 🎓

Questions?- Reach out to Maureen or Valerie-👉Career Development-x4060 

Take a look through Health & Wellness' monthly newsletter to gain some valuable insight!

Newsletter: https://new.express.adobe.com/publishedV2/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:aa40b10a-7281-4fec-9aa5-8bb27ea0810b?promoid=Y69SGM5H&mv=other

Survey: https://forms.office.com/r/CcY5d7vHzY

Below are the building hours for the Student Leadership Center and the Pioneer Center during Spring Break. 

Student Leadership Center:

Saturday, March 8 – Saturday, March 15: 6:30am-7pm

Sunday, March 16: 6:30am- 10pm

Monday, March 17: Resume to normal hours: 

• Monday-Thursday: 6:30am-11pm
• Friday-Sunday: 6:30am-12am

Pioneer Center:

Saturday, March 8 – Saturday, March 15: 7am-6pm

Sunday, March 16: 8am- 10pm

Monday, March 17: Resume to normal hours: 

• Monday-Sunday: 8am-11pm

Internal controls are processes built into our activities to ensure we accomplish our desired results efficiently and effectively. We use controls every day in much of what we do:

• Locking our homes/cars/offices
• Observing our car’s fuel gauge to determine if we need more gas
• Maintaining attendance sheets or time cards

Internal controls help us do the right things in the right way, which ensures that we comply with laws and regulations, as well as protect college assets. Remaining mindful and supportive of internal controls will decrease errors while reducing our exposure to fraud, audits, and litigation, which can have restrictive and detrimental effects on the college. It is the responsibility of everyone within the college to maintain strong internal controls.

Ombuds Services at Alfred State College

Our campus community provides faculty and staff the services of a campus ombuds to employees who may be having trouble in workplace relations and are seeking an independent, neutral, confidential, and informal avenue to address their issue or concern. If you have questions or would like to meet with the campus ombuds, David Ray, you can connect by selecting the campus ombuds tab in the Alfred State portal, or by calling 607-587-4287. 

A campus ombuds provides independent, informal and non-partisan counsel to faculty and staff within the Alfred State campus community.  Alfred State faculty and staff can seek the campus ombud’s assistance in dispute resolution or misunderstandings. The campus ombuds provides an opportunity for visitors to discuss matters of concern and may act as a listener, mediator, and factfinder. The campus ombuds answers questions and provides feedback regarding concerns or complaints.  The ombuds may also provide referrals to campus resources. Faculty and staff are not required to meet with the campus ombuds to access those resources. When appropriate, the campus ombuds can also speak generally with campus offices about concerns or assist with changes implemented to create a more supportive environment for faculty and staff.

On Tuesday, March 4, 2025, Alfred State will be hosting the 36th Annual Skills USA Region I Leadership Conference and Skills Olympics. Alfred State will welcome over 850 visitors. Alfred State faculty, staff, and students should be aware of the following and how it may impact you individually.

·         West Gate Road (above Facilities) will be coned off beginning at 7 a.m. so that buses can be parked there for the duration of the competition.

·         Buses will be entering campus and unloading passengers in the faculty parking lot of Orvis Activities Center beginning around 7:20 a.m. You will notice an increased amount of traffic in the morning so if possible avoid this area.

·         Buses will be parked on West Gate Road for the entire day. 

·         We will begin moving buses to the staging area around 2:15 p.m. This area includes lot #18, #19, and #20. These lots are also known as “Siberia” parking lots up by the track. 

·         If you are parked in any of these lots, you will not be able to exit until all the buses have loaded and departed. 

·         There will be an increased amount of traffic on Upper College Drive between 4 and 4:30 p.m. 

Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.

SUBMISSIONS WANTED FOR ERGO, ALFRED STATE’S LITERARY MAGAZINE

Take a break, sit quietly, and create a piece of artwork, poem, story, or whatever and send to Ergo, Alfred State’s literary magazine, at Ergo@alfredstate.edu. 

SUBMISSION DEADLINE:  Monday, March 31, 2025

ERGO COVER CONTEST DEADLINE:  Monday, March 31, 2025

Wondering what to submit?  Full wrap cover (front & back) 17.25" wide by 11.25" high or just the front cover 8.75" wide by 11.25" high, 300 dpi, jpeg.  All entries must fit these specifications for consideration.

 And better yet, there's a prize!  Winner and a runner-up will both get a $100 gift certificate for the ASC Campus Store, and boasting rights for being featured as the author of the cover on the Spring 2025 ERGO publication! 

If you are planning to leave your vehicle on campus during Spring Break, please park it in lot #20, the top tier located near Pioneer Stadium.

Join us in celebrating International Women's Week at Alfred State with a Women's Empowerment Mixer! Mark your calendars for Wednesday, March 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Student Leadership Center, room 310. This event promises an evening filled with inspiring conversations centered around inclusion, womanhood, and sisterhood. We invite you to attend and show your support for our students, helping us foster a strong and empowering community. We look forward to seeing you there!

Residential Services and the Cultural Life Center are diligently working on revitalizing the Interfaith Space located in Braddon Hall. Please excuse our mess while we work to make this a better space suitable for our students needs. Our project is anticipated to be completed by March 14. 

Alfred States Community Garden has partnered with The Center for Civic Leadership to revive Arbor Day celebrations!  Tree-themed Alfred State shirts will be sold for $15.00 at the Campus Store to help us fund our celebrations. Proceeds from shirt sales will support Arbor Day funding, helping us purchase fruit trees, which will be planted near Alfred States Community Garden for present and future generations to nurture and enjoy.  Help us plant roots for the future and support us through the purchase of these shirts and mark Arbor Day (April 25th) on your calendars so you can join us for our tree planting ceremony and garden party (more information to come). In addition, if you are looking for a way to volunteer in lead up to the event, our Community Garden Coordinator is looking for volunteers to help spruce up the garden in time for spring plantings throughout the month of April.   

Should you have any questions or want to get involved, please reach out to Tom Kacalski (KacalsTD@alfredstate.edu) or Cyan Corwine (corwincy@alfredstate.edu)

Join us Friday, March 7th from 11am-2pm for Cereal Day at The Terrace! General Mills will be dishing out some sweet prizes and giveaways! Build your own snack mix and join us for some fun Trivia!

SAVE THE DATE!

Honors Convocation will be held Sunday, May 4, 2025, at 4:00 pm in the Orvis Activities Center Gym.  Please mark your calendars now!

Questions can be directed to Lois Curran (3621) and Tiffany Donovan (4010), co-chairs of the Honors Convocation Committee.

It’s time to celebrate YOU! The Office of Human Resources would like to invite all employees to the Employee Appreciation Happy Hour on Friday, March 7th, at 3:00 PM in the Allegany Room! Enjoy drinks, snacks, and some well-earned relaxation—but that’s not all…

🔥 TRIVIA SHOWDOWN ALERT! 🔥
Think you’ve got the brains to claim the title? Grab your coworkers and form a team because we’re bringing the competition! From pop culture to company fun facts, this is your chance to prove who the real trivia champs are! 

Trivia teams can sign up here 

Be sure to have your team signed up before Thursday, March 6th. Let’s raise a glass, test our knowledge, and celebrate together. 

Questions about the event? Contact Kayla Cilvick at cilvickr@alfredstate.edu or x4023

Alfred State College has been awarded funding through NYS for the Aid for Part-Time Study (APTS) grant for the 2024-2025 academic year.  Students may be eligible to receive up to $1,000 for the Spring semester. 

Part-time students may obtain an application online at https://www.alfredstate.edu/financial-aid/forms or by emailing sfs@alfredstate.edu.  

Students who received APTS funding for the Fall 2024 semester DO NOT need to submit another application for spring 2025.

Eligibility criteria include:

Matriculated student consistently enrolled between three (3) and eleven (11) credit hours per semester.

Enrolled in at least one full term course this semester.

New York State resident

Completed 2024-2025 FAFSA application

Meet satisfactory academic progress

Not receiving TAP or Part-Time TAP this semester

Applicants are required to submit a signed 2022 New York State Income Tax return for student (or parent if applicable) along with the signed APTS application.  Applications will not be reviewed until all documentation has been submitted and signed.

Forward the completed application and required tax forms to sfs@alfredstate.edu.  The deadline for the Spring 2025 semester is Friday, April 11, 2025.

Submission of an APTS application does not guarantee receipt of an award.  Students who are not eligible will receive an email through their Alfred State email account indicating the reason for ineligibility.

Parking Lots 19, 20, 20A and 22 (near Pioneer Stadium/Orvis) will be CLOSED at 4pm on Tuesday March 4th. Students that are being required to move their vehicles from these parking lots may park in any open STUDENT lot between 4pm on the 4th and the conclusion of the Career Fair on Wednesday March 5th. Vehicles that remain in closed parking lots, or re-enter after the closing time are subject to enforcement up to and including towing at the owners expense.

Our UUP Alfred chapter is excited to host the second of several workshops this semester on Thursday, March 6, 2025 from 11:30 to 1pm in the Allegany Room.  A lunch ticket for the Terrace will be provided for attendees, you can eat before, during, or after the workshop!

Demystifying the Acronyms: A Guide to State, Federal and Contractual Leaves

As you navigate life, personal and family situations arise that you may need to handle.  Personal illness? Upcoming surgery? Family illness?  Birth, adoption or fostering of a child?  This workshop will provide valuable information regarding what leaves are available, how each one works, coordinating multiple leaves and other items to be aware of.  This will be applicable to UUP Academics AND Professionals. Our NYSUT Labor Relations Specialist, Jamie Guilian, will be sharing her expertise and insights at this workshop.

Registration helps us plan and closes at 4:00 PM on Tuesday March 4, 2025. Email Chapter Assistant Elaine (Burns) Ryan at BurnsEM@alfredstate.edu and reserve your spot.  Once registered, membership will be confirmed, and check-in done when arriving.  This workshop is open to UUP members only.  Check your pay stub; if you have not yet joined UUP, you can become a member by filling out the online membership form at http://www.uupinfo.org/join

Upcoming pre-retirement webinars have been assist employees in planning for one of the most challenging and exciting periods in life – retirement!  

The following link provides additional registration information including dates/times and subject matter(s) to be covered: https://oer.ny.gov/directions-pre-retirement-planning-webinar

• If you have questions, please contact benefits@suny.edu.
• Please do not contact OER.
• Please note that the SUNY ORP retirement plan is not specifically covered in these webinar sessions, but there are other sessions (i.e. NYSHIP retiree coverage) that are still beneficial to SUNY ORP members.

Click the link below to register.

Are You Interested in Attending a DIRECTIONS: Pre-Retirement Planning Webinar? | Office of Employee Relations

Students going home for Spring Break? 

Megabus is offering non-stop bus services to New York City and Alfred for Spring break. Dates and times of bus travel are listed below! 

To New York City: 

Friday, March 7th departing from Orvis Activities Center or West University St at 7:45 a.m. and  2:30 p.m. 

Sunday, March 9 departing from Orvis Activities Center or West University at 7:45 a.m.

To Alfred, NY 

Friday, March 14th departing from Port Authority at 10:15am

Sunday, March 16th departing from Port Authority at 10:15am 

Secure your ticket today at https://us.megabus.com 

Alternate bus options are available through https://trailways.com. Please note that Trailways bus leaves from Hornell, NY and you will need to find transportation to the bus station. 

Rochester Airport Shuttle 

Depart Alfred Saturday, March 8th at 6am 

Return trip departs Rochester Airport Sunday, March 16th at 5pm 

Requests for Airport Shuttle must be to the Rochester Airport and students will have to fill out the Online travel request form for both their trips to and from the airport. 

If you have any questions, please contact Residential Services at 607-587-4371 or email: reslife@alfredstate.edu.

Residence halls will close at 10:00 p.m. on Friday, March 7, 2025, for the Spring Break. The Residence halls will reopen at Noon on Sunday, March 16, 2025. Residential Services is aware that the final bus scheduled to leave Alfred leaves before 10:00 p.m. If you are here for an academic reason and cannot make travel arrangements for the evening of Friday, March 8, please respond to this email if you have not already reached out to remain on campus that night. However, you must plan travel arrangements for the morning of Saturday, March 9. 

Only students who have been approved to stay for the break will be allowed in the residence halls.

All others may be charged with trespassing.

Students will only be approved who:

• Live over 500 miles away (according to your home Banner Address)
• Have a Special Circumstance (ex. You do not have a place to go)
• Working for the college during the break (with Supervisors Approval)
• Athletics commitment during the break (must be on roster submitted from Athletics)

If you wish to apply to stay for the break, please complete the "Break Housing Request" form on eRezLife. To access this form, please sign in to my.alfredstate.edu, select "housing," and then select the "Break Housing Request" form.

Please note, that this form will close on Monday, March 3rd. 

Each Spring semester, the Office of College Housing begins the start of housing sign ups for the following academic year, beginning with the group process. 

Application open March 3 through March 7

March  - Group Leader will be notified of the decision via email

If placed through the group process

1. All members of the group need to complete their housing application (please see Housing Application - Opens March 1 for further instructions)
2. Select one student to represent your group
3. Log into your my.alfredstate.edu
4. Select the “Housing” icon
5. Under “Forms” locate and select the “Group Housing Sign-up” form
6. Complete the form, once done select “Submit for Review”

Group Housing Process and Information

Our group process allows a group to sign up for a MacKenzie Rowhouse, MacKenzie Commons Apartment, Townhouse, MacKenzie Rowhouse, or Main Gate Suite for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Group sizes can range from 1 - 12 people.

Groups can be COED (male/female/non-binary persons) living together. Those that wish to live in a COED area will need to agree to live in a COED area later in the form.

Areas that are single rooms: MacKenzie Commons Apartments and Townhouses. All other areas are double occupancy rooms.

If your group does not fill the space in which they are placed, another group may be added to fill the remaining space. The combined groups will be based on the group criteria (i.e. single gender or COED).

The Office of College Housing cannot guarantee that all groups will be placed, it all depends on the applicant pool and available space.

Groups that are placed through our group process do not need to sign up for rooms during individual sign-ups.

Those that leave the group placements are not guaranteed to be placed back into the previous placement.

Groups are scored and placed based on a matrix of the following information:

• Years in residence
• GPA
• Accrued credit hours
• Judicial history (negative score)

If you have any questions, please contact Residential Services at 607-587-4371 or email: reslife@alfredstate.edu.