Blue & Gold Today

Check out the latest news from Alfred State!

Performing Arts spring concert set for Saturday

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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!

Alfred State is a leader among US public schools. We’re honored to be recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for both “Applied and Career Studies” and “Opportunity Colleges and Universities: Higher Access & Higher Earnings.”

An analysis of qualifying colleges and universities found that ASC ranked number one in access, graduate earnings, and support for low-income students, while offering a choice of both bachelor’s and associate degrees.

Alfred State Performing Arts are presenting their annual Spring Concert on Saturday, May 3rd at 11:00 a.m. in the Cappadonia Auditorium in the Orvis Activities Building. Come support the students in Instrumental Music and Voices. We hope to see you there!

Donations to the Mary Cariola Center will be gladly accepted after the concert. The Mary Cariola Center is a regional leader in education and life skills solutions. They serve hundreds of children and young adults with complex disabilities each year through academic, residential, and community outreach programs. 

For more information, please contact Sarabeth Matteson at mattesse@alfredstate.edu

The Office of Mental Health offers all employees an opportunity to practice various coping skills and strengthen their resilience through OMH Wellness Groups, which aligns with OMH’s vision of supporting a healthy workplace environment. The groups include deep breathing and simulation exercises to allow employees to practice rather than have group discussions. Group sessions offer a warm, inviting space that fosters relaxation virtually and provides examples of calming techniques and basic coping skills. Remember that the mind and body are one, and psychological health is just as important as physical health to your overall well-being.

The group sessions are free, confidential, anonymous, and virtual employees can call in from any phone. Group sessions include Monday Meditation, Mindful Mondays, Taking Care of Mind & Body, Tending to Self, and Wellness Break. 

Of important note – there is a new group, Wellness Break, on Thursday evenings from 8 to 8:15 p.m.!  For more information, go to OMH May Calendar of Events.

Questions? Please reach out to omh.wellnessgroups@omh.ny.gov

Everyone is invited to attend a presentation of final projects by 17 students from both Alfred University and Alfred State College. The projects are focused on innovative uses of terra cotta. Inspired by Alfred’s terra cotta history, the students have spent the semester learning about it as a material and interacting with many who work with it professionally. The projects range from artistic, to conceptual, to practical. The event is free, and the students look forward to sharing their work with the community. Alfred State Students focused on designing and crafting Terra Cotta tiles.

Instructors: Alan Vlakancic & Laurie Lounsberry-Meehan – Alfred State Town Hall – Monday May 5th – 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

You're warmly invited to a meaningful milestone—the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Truck and Diesel Building Expansion!

Join us as we take this exciting next step forward on Monday, May 5 at 2:00 PM, on the lawn just outside the Truck and Diesel Building on our Wellsville campus.

This special event marks the beginning of a new chapter, and we’d love for you to be part of the celebration. Light refreshments will be served as we gather to honor the growth, progress, and bright future ahead!

Commencement will be held on May 10, 2025 at 1:00 pm at Pioneer Stadium.  All faculty and staff are invited to attend and march in the procession.  Academic regalia is required for those that choose to march.  

To ensure we have enough seating, please RSVP with John Garippa: garippj@alfredstate.edu or Joann Bloxsom: bloxsojf@alfredstate.edu by Friday, May 9.  

Open Educational Resource (OER) Project 

Join the OER movement and participate in the workshop to develop free or low-cost openly licensed learning materials for one of your courses or on a specific topic of interest.

• The OER Intensive will be held in-person on the Alfred campus from June 9-12, 2025. 
• Funding for each project is $1,000. 
• Maximum number of seats: 5
• Click here to apply.

Summer Course Refresh Institute (CRI)

To participate in the Course Refresh Institute this Summer, please submit a proposal to re-design or re-imagine one or more aspects of your course. 

• The Course refresh intensive will be held in-person on the Alfred campus from June 16-19, 2025. 
• Funding for each project is $1,000. 
• Maximum number of seats: 5
• Click here to apply.

For both projects, please submit applications by May 14 at 11:59 p.m. Decisions will be announced by May 16, 2025. 

Email CITE@alfredstate.edu with questions.  

Faculty, have your students engaged in activities that benefited community members or organizations as part of a class this year?  If so, we would encourage you to complete the Civic and Sustainability Survey we emailed you for any relevant class you teach.

Civic engagement through class activities is a primary avenue in which students engage and benefit the larger community here at Alfred State and can be defined in numerous ways.  Civic and sustainability learning involves experiences where there is an intentional tie to a wider community benefit.  For example, class members might present ideas to a group to improve their town or business. Students might be providing care through fundraising, or perhaps they are involved in fixing or building something designed to benefit others. Alternatively, research may be conducted designed for public benefit, or students are providing service through internships, clinicals, etc.

In short, how we define civic and sustainability efforts in the classroom is broad and this survey is meant to capture the big and little efforts connected to your classroom experience.  That said, if you feel your course consistently weaves in Civic Engagement, we invite you not only to complete this survey but also encourage you to apply for it to hold a Civic Engagement Intensive Course (CEI) designation.

The data collected will:
•    Help us understand the scope and impact of Alfred State’s involvement in our communities.;
•    Highlight and celebrate faculty members utilizing this high impact practice;
•    Support an upcoming application to the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification;
•    Identify on-campus “experts” related to a community cause or organization.

To complete the survey, click on the link in the email you received about the survey.

Staff members who want to tell us about co-curricular civic engagement and sustainability activities can do so here: Alfred State Portal Civic Engagement Sustainability Form

If you have any questions, please reach out to Cyan Corwine in the Center for Civic Leadership at corwincy@alfredstate.edu.  We look forward to learning about and celebrating the creative and substantial ways you all work with students as well as the community.

Thanks, Bridget Jacobs (on behalf of Cyan Corwine and the Center for Civic Leadership)

Planning to take summer courses? If you’re interested in using financial aid to pay for summer classes, complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA and the Summer Aid Application. Once your application is reviewed, your eligibility details will be sent to your ASC email.

How to Apply for Summer Aid:

Step 1: Complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA at StudentAid.gov.

Step 2: Go to my.AlfredState.edu/finances and select “Submit Financial Aid Forms (Verification)” to access Alfred State Student Forms.

• First-time user? You may need to set up your account before proceeding.
• Once your account is set up, click “Manage Request” at the top of the page and select “Summer Aid Application.”
• Important: The Summer Aid Application will not be an available option unless you have completed the 2025-2026 FAFSA. 

Need more details? View the Summer Aid Application Instructions 

Check your summer bill at my.AlfredState.edu/finances and ensure your balance is paid by the due date to avoid any issues. 

For questions, contact the Student Records and Financial Services Office.

Please stop in for a self-guided tour of completed student projects in room 252 SET!  Students in MECH 4134 - Introduction to Renewable Energy have been working hard to complete simulated smart homes this semester, and we welcome you to check them out.  We have 16 examples - each is a poster board full of sensors and actuators demonstrating how a central microcontroller can be used to control things we use every day in different areas of a home.  A single controller allows us to conserve energy through system optimization.   Nerd stuff, but we are proud of it.  The project and the components were purchased with a donation from the Linde Corporation and an applied learning grant from the VPAA's office.  You can also check out the original assignment, the project grading rubric, and a lab partner contribution rubric used for project assessment.  The rooms will be open today (30Apr) through Friday (02May) from 8am - 3pm.  Thank you!

The Canisteo-Greenwood Boys Basketball Program will be hosting the Crazee Days 5K/10K Race on Saturday, June 7th, starting at 9am at the Canisteo Elementary School.  Register by 5/30 to receive a race shirt!  https://events.elitefeats.com/25canisteocrazee 

Dear Faculty and Staff,

We’re currently in the process of building a strong and dynamic team of student ambassadors for the Alfred State Admissions Office—and we’d love your input.

If you know any students who stand out as charismatic, hardworking, loyal, and passionate about Alfred State, please consider sending their names my way. We’re looking for individuals who not only represent the spirit of A-State but who can also confidently and authentically share that enthusiasm with prospective students and their families. As part of the Student Ambassador Program, students can serve as either Student Tour Guides or Student Callers.

Ideal candidates should be dependable, personable, and proud to be part of the Alfred State community. Your insight and recommendations will be incredibly valuable in helping us identify students who embody these qualities.

Please feel free to email me directly with your suggestions (padlom@alfredstate.edu). Thank you in advance for your support in helping us build an exceptional team!

Best regards,
Mike Padlo

ACES 2025 Spring Finals Dining Hours can be found on our social media platforms and on our website.

ACES Facebook

ACES Instagram

ACES Website

Get ready to celebrate YOU at our annual Employee Recognition Luncheon in the Orvis Gym starting at noon on Thursday, May 15.

Join us as we honor the incredible dedication, hard work, and accomplishments of our amazing team. Enjoy a delicious lunch and great company! We'll be recognizing milestone years of service, retirements, and presenting special awards to some truly outstanding colleagues. 

Let’s come together to celebrate our campus community — we can’t wait to see you there!

Reminder! Program Exit (PSLO) Surveys have been sent to students who are expected to graduate from those departments/programs that participate in this college-wide assessment activity*. These surveys ask students how well they think their programs prepared them to succeed in each of the expected student learning outcomes.  These surveys are the main indirect assessment activity that most programs use and they are very important to our academic assessment plan.

Surveys opened on April 15 and will run through mid-May to give graduating students ample time to complete the survey.  Students received an email to their Alfred State email address from Bridget Jacobs, Alfred State College-Surveys at Surveys@alfredstate.edu, and many of them will also see a pop-up box in myLearning encouraging them to "Please Complete Your Course Evaluations and Surveys".  Students graduating from multiple programs, or those in programs administering more than one version of the exit survey received multiple surveys based on their program(s).

To maintain high response rates, please encourage students to access and complete the survey. Students should look for an email from Bridget Jacobs, Alfred State College - Surveys. Most of the surveys can be accessed from MyLearning as well. It only takes a minute to complete and will help us assess and improve student learning! Responses are anonymous and student names will not appear anywhere on the survey. 

If you have any questions or your students have any difficulty accessing the survey, contact Bridget Jacobs, Director of Assessment, Accreditation and Program Planning at jacobsbm@alfredstate.edu. Thank you very much for your participation and for helping ensure that Alfred State graduates "hit the ground running!"

*IACBE-accredited programs in the Business Department do not participate in this survey.

Student parking lots 20, 20A & 22 (near Pioneer Stadium/Orvis) and Faculty & Staff parking lots 21, 23 & 26 (near Orvis) will be closed Friday May 2nd from 4pm through the completion of the Honor Convocation late Sunday afternoon. Lots 23 & 26 will be designated for accessibility parking. If you are traveling and leaving a vehicle on campus for the weekend, please make sure that it is moved out of the closed lots before you leave. Students may park in any other open lots over the weekend but must be back in the appropriate student parking before Monday morning at 7am. 

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 owner's expense.

Purchase Order Submissions (Paper or Pioneer Purchasing) – due Monday, May 12
     Example: I have quotes and want to place an order.

•    Submit Purchase Order Requests to Procurement or submit requisition in Pioneer Purchasing.
•    When an order is placed near year end, it may not be received until the new fiscal year and will be paid from your 2025-26 budget. 
•    Contact Cindy x3918 with questions.

Payment Submissions for Merchandise Received (Paper or Pioneer Purchasing) – due Monday, June 16
     Example: I have an invoice for something we have already received and need it paid.

•    Submit Payment Requests (Merchandise Received) to Accounts Payable or submit requisition in Pioneer Purchasing.
•    Merchandise received after June 30 from 2024-25 Purchase Orders - will be paid from 2025-26 funds.
•    Contact Kate x3919 with questions.

Outstanding Travel Reimbursements – due Monday, May 12
     Example: I traveled and am due reimbursement but haven’t submitted a travel voucher yet.

•    Submit Vouchers, supporting documentation and all receipts (taped to blank sheets of paper) to Travel.
•    The college is not required to reimburse vouchers submitted 30 days or more after the trip concludes.
•    All travel vouchers and net card logs must be completed within 30 days of your return and submitted to Travel if a state travel/net card is used. This pertains to zero reimbursement vouchers as well.
•    You may be personally liable for any charges on your travel or net card if you have not submitted vouchers/net card logs after travel along with all receipts within 30 days of your last day of travel. 
•    Contact Denise x3921 with questions, trip updates, changes, or cancellations.  

Procurement Cards

Due at the end of the billing statement (no more than two weeks from the end of the billing cycle, firm)
•     You are responsible for reconciling your statement (even if you are leaving for the summer). 
•    Contact Cindy x3918 to make accommodations for certifying your May statement (which will be available in June)
•    NOTE: cards will NOT be turned off. All June statement transactions will fall to the current year, while anything on the July statement will be charged against the new fiscal year. We suggest avoiding credit card transactions from the end of June through July 6, if possible.

Do you know a faculty member who should be recognized for their dedication to Alfred State College?  The SUNY Chancellor’s Award committee is soliciting nominations in the following three categories for the 2025-26 award cycle:

• Faculty Service – consistently superior service to the college and/or students
• Scholarship and Creative Activity – excellence in scholarship/research and/or creative performance
• Teaching – consistently superior classroom/laboratory/studio teaching

These awards are based on student, faculty, and staff nominations.  Please take a moment to submit a nomination by completing the brief survey available at: https://forms.office.com/r/GJJsWGZF1B

Anyone wishing more information may contact Wayne Bensley at benslewd@alfredstate.edu. Submit nominations by June 1. A complete listing of the awards and criteria is available at  The Chancellor's Awards for Excellence

Help our students kick off finals week by serving them Midnight Breakfast and sending them well wishes on Sunday, May 4 from 10PM-12AM in the Terrace, CDH. 

Our continued revival of Midnight Breakfast has been a huge success, with over 300 students in attendance each semester! In order to keep that energy and make it special for the students, ACES & Student Engagement need YOUR help. This is also a perfect opportunity to connect with our students outside of the classroom and office. Volunteer to serve breakfast and mingle by submitting this form by Friday, May 2. This breakfast is meant to help our students relax from the stress of their finals!

Please join the English & Humanities department and the Debate Club for a brief student debate followed by an open public forum at 2-3:30 pm Thurs, May 1 in the SLC small events space.   

Resolved: ASC should require all full-time students to participate in a varsity sport or other extracurricular activity of equivalent rigor.

Pizza will be served. We hope to see you there!

Made It to May – Employee Happy Hour 
Let’s raise a glass to YOU!

Faculty and staff are invited to celebrate the end of another incredible academic year. You’ve worked hard, supported students, and made a real impact — now it’s time to take a moment to reflect, relax, and enjoy each other’s company.

Date: Friday, May 2nd
Time: 3:00pm
Location: Courtyard in front of EJ Brown 

Come enjoy:
Two complimentary drinks (beer & wine)
Light snacks
Live music to set the vibe
Great conversation with amazing colleagues

You made it to May — and that’s worth celebrating!