Learning

SUNY Ulster PR – National Science Foundation Grant – Environmental Studies

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SUNY Ulster Press Release

The grant will help satisfy the growing need for environmental STEM workers in the Hudson Valley region

December 5, 2022 – Stone Ridge, NY – SUNY Ulster announces it has been awarded a three-year $349,838 National Science Foundation Grant to Support Applied Learning in its Environmental Studies program. The goal of the project is to improve student retention and career readiness in environmental STEM students to fill a growing industry need for qualified workers in the Hudson Valley.

SUNY Ulster offers one of the most affordable Environmental Studies degrees in the region, serving many nontraditional students who may be working, and have limited funds for college, or first-generation students as well as traditional graduating high school students. This grant will offer these students the opportunity to conduct field research during class time, giving them the skills to work for the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and in other environmental careers.

SUNY Ulster is augmenting its General BIO II lab with in-class and in-the-field research activities that mirror industry settings and standards. To accomplish this, faculty will work with industry partners, including the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Ulster County Executive’s Office. This collaboration will result in students learning technical skills such as GIS, water quality, and safety as well as soft skills such as problem-solving, effective communication, and collaboration.

Environmental Studies program coordinator and professor, Dr. Jennifer Guiher, states, “We are looking for students who see a career in Environmental Studies as a calling. As these students progress through the program, they will be gaining specific hands-on skills needed by the environmental industry. These skills will make these students desirable to many potential employers. Whether students further their education at a four-year college or university or decide to move directly into a job upon attaining their Associate’s degree, they will be in a position to earn a liveable wage.”

Chris Marx, Vice President for Workforce, Economic Development, and Community Partnerships believes, “This program is exactly what community colleges were designed to do. Working with our partners at the NYCDEP, our faculty can build modern, real-world skills into their curriculum. Our students complete the program ready to move into competitive jobs in this field. Our local employers are able to hire talent right from the community. It is a win-win for our students and the community.

Former Ulster County Executive Patrick Ryan, now U.S. Congressman, and his Ulster County team, further fostered the connection between NYCDEP and SUNY Ulster in Environmental Studies and water quality programs.

National, state, and local employment projections indicate a growing demand for skilled workers for those with Associate degrees and higher. A recent article for science.org  by practicing scientist and author Adam Ruben, Ph.D. reveals, “We often looked for fresh-out-of-college candidates who had worked in a lab for at least a year and finding them wasn’t easy.

To help support interested students with financial needs, the Ulster Community College Foundation will award $1 million in scholarships this year. Students fill out one application to be considered for over one hundred scholarships.

The NYCDEP, one of the largest employers in the region and charged with the important role of maintaining the quality of New York City’s drinking water, and SUNY Ulster have had a longstanding relationship. For over 20 years each summer, the DEP has taken on about eight SUNY Ulster students for paid internships, some of which have resulted in permanent positions with them.

To learn more about SUNY Ulster’s Environmental Studies program visit sunyulster.edu/enviro_studies.

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Photo caption: SUNY Ulster students conducting fieldwork at Tivoli Bay Marsh on the east side of the Hudson River.

SUNY Ulster Alumni Add Innovative New Classes to Art Department Curriculum             

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Alumni Arts students pose by their artwork and instruments

June 23, 2022 – Stone Ridge, NY – Curatorial Studies and Music of the World are two new classes being introduced at SUNY Ulster for fall 2022. Taught by arts department alumni Allison Constant ‘09 and Paul Chambers ‘11, both courses provide an introduction to their topics with hands-on experience.

Curatorial Studies address all aspects of curating a contemporary art exhibition using the College’s Muroff-Kotler Visual Arts Gallery as the classroom. Local artists together with students will research, discuss, reflect, and analyze information and works of art. Students will participate in artist studio visits, image collection and management, exhibition planning and layout, promotion and social media, and the organization of an exhibiting arts lecture and educational programming for students and community members. Students will also visit local galleries, museums, and art events and engage with the local art community. The culmination of this class will be an exhibition in the Muroff-Kotler Visual Arts Gallery.

Allison Constant graduated from SUNY Ulster with an Associate’s degree in Fine Arts/Visual Arts in 2009 and continued her studies at SUNY New Paltz where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Art degree in both Painting and Drawing and Photography. She is the owner and founder of ARTBAR Gallery in Kingston where she has curated over 100 exhibitions. Allison loves the challenge of creating exhibits that are visually thoughtful with the viewers’ perspective in mind and is excited to share her skills and experiences as a curator and gallerist in the upcoming Curatorial Studies class.

Music of the World is an introduction to the concepts of ethnomusicology. It encompasses a range of musical styles from nonwestern regions of the world including Africa, East Asia, and the Middle East. An emphasis is placed on learning to perform and listen to various genres that will lead to an understanding of how music reflects influences from culture and society. Traditional instruments will be incorporated into the class as students learn to understand the cultural significance of music and how geography and historical events contribute to musical development.

Paul Chambers graduated from SUNY Ulster in 2011 with an Associate’s degree in Music. He then attained his Bachelor’s degree in music education and Master’s degree in percussion performance from SUNY Fredonia. In addition to his role as an adjunct instructor at SUNY Ulster, he is ensemble director of the championship-winning Arlington High School Marching Band and Winter Percussion Ensemble. He is in demand as a performer throughout the Hudson Valley in a variety of professional orchestras, musical theater organizations, and jazz ensembles, including principal positions with the Woodstock Symphony Orchestra and Woodstock Playhouse.

Other performance highlights include being selected as a member of the International Marimba Orchestra for the 2021 Percussive Arts Society International Convention. He won a position in the inaugural World Percussion Group of 2016, which is an ensemble, conceived to give wide-reaching exposure and experience to the most promising up-and-coming percussionists around the world. He is an avid performer, researcher, and clinician of traditional African music. He studied abroad in Ghana on three separate occasions and, in 2016, was awarded a Fulbright grant to document and study traditional music in South Africa. The resulting research is published in the academic journal, African Music.

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Study Tips for Finals: 10 Ways to Ace your Exams

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student studying
  1. Avoid the Urge to Procrastinate
    This Natural tendency seems to define the college experience with some students even boasting about their ability to survive all-nighters. In reality, however, procrastination is not cause for celebration or even lighthearted joking. This harmful practice stresses students out and almost always leads to worse scores.
  2. Get Plenty of Sleep
    At first glance, sleep might not seem like the most important of the many study tips for finals. In reality, however, all that prep work will do little good if it’s not accompanied by plenty of rest. The need for sleep underscores the importance of avoiding procrastination.
  3. Create a Study-Oriented Space
    Environment matters. You might find it difficult to focus if your space is cluttered or chock full of distracting devices. If possible, set up a nook exclusively dedicated to studying. This area should include a desk, an ergonomic chair, quality lighting, and any materials you might require during your study session.
  4. Level Up Your Playlist
    The right music can make your study session more enjoyable and more effective. Several studies highlight the value of classical music in particular.
  5. Ditch Distracting Devices
    In today’s digital world, it’s tough to go even a few minutes without glancing at our smartphones. Unfortunately, this dependence can cause big problems when it’s time to buckle down and study. For best results, commit to turning your phone off for at least an hour and placing it in a space as far from your desk as possible.
  6. Experiment with a Variety of Study Tactics
    No one study method works equally well for everyone. Some people learn best from reading notes out loud, while others benefit from flashcards or highlighters. Experiment with several approaches until you find a strategy that best addresses your unique needs.
  7. Create Sample Test Questions
    This method provides a variety of benefits. First, it forces you to boil down weeks of learning into a few basic takeaways. Writing sample questions also allows you to think like an instructor. This thought process may benefit you when the actual exam arrives.
  8. Get Involved in a Study Group
    It’s never too late to start a study group. While these gatherings are most beneficial if they take place throughout the entire course of the semester, they can provide plenty of value in the last few days before finals.
  9. Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help
    Don’t hesitate to seek help from your instructors. Office hours exist for a reason, and yet far too many students are too intimidated to chat up those in the best position to help. SUNY Ulster also has tutoring in almost all subjects. Call 845-687-5039 or email tutoring@sunyulster.edu to make an appointment.
  10. Keep the Big picture in Mind
    Final exams aren’t designed to torture stressed-out students. If you take exam prep seriously, you’ll come away with a richer understanding of key concepts, which in turn, will ensure that you retain the knowledge you’ve worked so hard to gain. As you move forward with upper-level courses, graduate school, or your eventual career, you’ll thank yourself for putting in the effort. 

SUNY Ulster Celebrates Pi Day!

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Professor Albertini at the blackboard

March 14 marks Pi Day, an annual celebration of the mathematical sign pi which was founded in 1988 by physicist Larry Shaw. March 14 was selected because the numeral date (3.14) represents the first three digits of pi and it also happens to be Albert Einstein’s birthday-the perfect pi-incidence.

One of the reasons Pi is special is because it’s involved in many common formulae, such as the area of a circle (Pi*r^3) and the value of a sphere (4/3 Pi*r^3). From an early age, we learn that for any circle with radius r and diameter d=2r, the circumference is Pi*d and the area is Pi*r^2.

Pi Day With Professor Jules Albertini

At SUNY Ulster, Pi Day is Professor Jules Albertini and his students’ favorite day. “All those that appreciate any level of mathematics and science love the number Pi. Even though, no matter how hard we try, we can only ‘taste’ a finite piece of it. I am so happy that our culture celebrates such a useful and mysterious number (even with the constant irrational behavior!), says Professor Albertini. Have fun watching Jules on Pi Day!

Fun Ways to Celebrate Pi Day

  • Eat Pi Foods: A celebration without food is not a celebration. On this day, have students eat foods that start with “Pi”. Pizza and pineapples, or pineapples on the top of the pizza are other examples of Pi foods.
  • Bake Pies: Have students bake pies in the shape of the pi symbol. If you are not much of a baker, don’t worry. An ugly pie can still be an edible pie. A few ideas include mini pi-shaped pies, pi-shaped turnovers, and baking a pizza pie with pepperoni in the shape of the pie symbol.
  • Classroom Pi Day Workout: After consuming all that Pi-shaped food, a workout to burn off some calories may not be a bad idea. So start with the number three and work your way through the digits of Pi.
  • Pi Day Scavenger Hunt: Have a scavenger hunt by hiding Pi-related clues around the school and allowing students to search for them. Clues can be 3 markers, 1 notebook, 4 folders.
  • The Form of Pi: Have the students line up outside in a field or oval. The students should form the Pi symbol. Take an overhead of it. This can be a great Pi day event.
  • Pi Contests: Hold a relay race that requires students to run from station to station. In order to proceed, they must answer a piece of Pi trivia. Another idea is to have a contest to see how many words can be made that start with ‘Pi’. The winner can take home an actual pie.
  • Hold a Pi Day Run: It’s a great way to get your community involved in the celebration. Be sure that the run is 3.14 miles in that there is a prize for the winner. Prizes can include a few pies and a medal of some sort that represents Pi day.

How Did We Come to Celebrate Pi Day?

In 1988, the earliest known or large-scale celebration of Pi Day was organized by Larry Shaw at the San Francisco Exploratorium where Shaw worked as a physicist, with staff and public marching around one of its circular spaces, then consuming fruit pies. And, the Exploratorium continues to hold Pi Day celebrations.

On March 12, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution (111 H. Res. 224), recognizing March 14, 2009, as National Pi Day.

The entire month of March 2014 (3/14) was observed by some as ‘Pi Month’. In 2015, March 14 was celebrated as “Super Pi Day”. It had special significance as the date is written as 3/14/15 in month/day/year format. At 9;26;53, the date and time together represented the first 10 digits of Pi, and later that second Pi instant represented all of Pi digits.

Go eat some Pi today!

 

 

 

SUNY Ulster Presents a Virtual Event with Author, Pam Houston

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Portrait of Reuner Library Writer Series, Author Pam Houston

October 21, 2021 – Stone Ridge, NY – Registration is now open for the Herbert H. & Sofia P. Reuner Library Writers Series event with author Pam Houston via Zoom on Thursday, November 4 from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m.

The event, moderated by Kim Wozencraft, adjunct professor of English at SUNY Ulster and SUNY New Paltz, will include a reading, interview, and question and answer period. Ms. Wozencraft is the author of the novel Rush, which was adapted into a film.

Pam Houston is the author of two collections of linked short stories Cowboys Are My Weakness (1994), which was the winner of the 1993 Western States Book Award and has been translated into nine languages, and Waltzing the Cat (1999, reissued 2013), which won the Willa Award for Contemporary Fiction. She also authored two novels, Contents May Have Shifted (2012) and Sight Hound (2006), all published by W.W. Norton & Co.; and three collections of autobiographical essays, Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country (2019), from which an essay will appear in the forthcoming Best American Travel Writing and another essay in the forthcoming Pushcart Prize anthology, A Rough Guide to the Heart (Virago, 2001), and A Little More About Me (Norton, 1999, reissued 2013).

Houston has also edited a collection of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry entitled Women on Hunting: Essays, Fiction, and Poetry (Ecco Press). She is the author of a stage play called “Tracking the Pleiades” and she has written the text for Men Before Ten A.M., a book of photographs by the French photographer Veronique Vialle.

Houston is a Professor of English at UC Davis, directs the literary nonprofit Writing By Writers, and teaches in The Pacific University low-residency MFA program and at writer’s conferences around the country and the world. She divides her time between Davis and southwestern Colorado at 9,000 feet above sea level near the headwaters of the Rio Grande.  Copies of Houston’s latest book, Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country will be available for purchase online at the SUNY Ulster bookstore.

The SUNY Ulster Herbert H. & Sofia P. Reuner Library Writers Series is a special program that began in 1998 to bring renowned writers to campus every fall. It provides a unique opportunity for SUNY Ulster students and community members to hear award-winning authors read from their work. The series is co-sponsored by the Ulster Community College Foundation, Inc. and the Macdonald DeWitt Library.

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Once your registration form has been submitted, participants will receive a Zoom link with instructions in their confirmation email. Visit the  SUNY Ulster Writer Series page to learn more, or contact Kari Mack by email.

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Registration Opens for Online Winter*net Courses at SUNY Ulster

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Students outside in snow with text overlay saying: Winternet, 3 credits, 3 weeks

October 14, 2021 – Stone Ridge, NY – SUNY Ulster’s Winter*net session, which begins December 27 and runs through January 18, offers three-week online courses that allow SUNY Ulster and visiting students the ability to earn credits quickly and affordably.

Winter offerings include popular general education required classes and electives in the sciences, business, history, humanities, languages, and more at a cost of $190 per credit in-state tuition.

The online format and accelerated class schedule can help students get a jump-start on their spring semester, complete a required course, or explore a new area of interest.

To learn more about Winter*net courses and register online, visit sunyulster.edu/winternet.

 

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Fall Information Sessions and Tours — Learn About Programs, Student Life, and Services

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Text banner: join us for an Info sesion

October 7, 2021 – Stone Ridge, NY – SUNY Ulster is offering prospective students and their families an array of opportunities to connect virtually and face-to-face to learn more about the admissions process, individual educational programs, student life, and support services.

Admissions Virtual Info Sessions: Held throughout the fall, these virtual info sessions are held from 4-5 p.m. via Zoom and covers a broad look at all SUNY Ulster has to offer.

One-on-One Admissions Virtual Appointments: Ideal for anyone who needs more personalized information and has specific questions to ask.

Campus Tour Tuesdays: Held on the Stone Ridge campus, these tours are scheduled from 3-4 p.m. Participants will visit academic buildings, student dining areas, library, bookstore, gymnasium, and more.

Nursing Program Virtual Information Sessions: Topics for these Zoom sessions include the application process, admission requirements, the curriculum, and the required pre-entrance exam.

Veterinary Technology Program Virtual Information Sessions: Topics for these Zoom sessions include the application process, vet tech requirements, curriculum, technical standards for admission, and the HESI Admission Assessment Exam.

For students who are weighing their options about where to begin their college education, SUNY Ulster is a great strategic choice. Voted the Best Community College in New York State in both 2020 and 2021, SUNY Ulster offers over 60 programs that lead to a seamless transfer to four-year SUNY colleges or to direct entry into the job market. SUNY Ulster also offers an affordable tuition, with 70% of students graduating with no debt.

To register for any of the sessions above, access sunyulster.edu/visit. For questions, call our Enrollment Success Center at (845) 687-5022.

 

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Claudette Colvin: The First Cry For Justice!

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Claudette Colvin with text overlay saying: "This is my constitutional right."

She cried for justice long before others.

As A Child…

Claudette Colvin was born on September 5, 1939, to parents that knew they could not financially care for her. She was given in adoption to the Great Aunt and Uncle of her biological mother. Claudette was raised in a very poor black community in Montgomery, Alabama.

As A Teenager…

segregated public bus 1955In 1955 Claudette Colvin was just 15 years old. She had to take the public bus to and from school each day. At this time in our nation’s scandalous history, there were many rules that Black Americans had to abide by. One such rule was that if all of the “white” seats were filled on the segregated busses, then Black passengers had to forfeit their seats and stand at the back of the bus to accommodate the White passengers.

The First Cries Of Injustice…

On March 2, 1955, Claudette was returning home from school. She was sitting in the “colored” seats as per the law. When the bus got too crowded the bus driver demanded that four “colored” seats be vacated to provide seating for the White passenger that was left standing. Claudette, who was pregnant, refused to get up. She had paid her fare, why should she have to? The bus driver got the police and Colvin was forcibly removed from the bus and arrested.

Disappointing Silence…

Oddly, the events of March 2, 1955, took place nine months BEFORE Rosa Parks was arrested for the same offense. Colvin’s mother told her to keep quiet about the injustice because “white people aren’t going to bother Rosa, they like her.”

Claudette Colvin 1955Colvin recalled from the day of her arrest that, “History kept me stuck to my seat. I felt the hand of Harriet Tubman pushing down on one shoulder and Sojourner Truth pushing down on the other.”

When Colvin was handcuffed, arrested, and forcibly removed from that bus she continued to shout out that her constitutional rights were being violated. She said, of that day, “But I made a personal statement too, one that she [Parks] didn’t make and probably couldn’t have made. Mine was the first cry for justice, and a loud one!”

Colvin was charged in juvenile court with disturbing the peace, violating segregation laws, and assault and battery of a police officer. Claudette was found guilty of all three charges. After an appeal, the charges of disturbing the peace and violating segregation laws were dropped. Sadly, the charge of assaulting a police officer was upheld.

Making Changes…

Colvin went on to be a plaintiff in the famous Bowder v. Gayle court case. After a run through the court system, the United States District Court for Middle District Atlanta declared that the State of Alabama and Montgomery’s laws mandating segregation on a public bus was unconstitutional. The State of Alabama tried to appeal the ruling but to no avail. On December 20, 1956, the court ordered Montgomery and the State of Alabama to end bus segregation permanently.

Claudette ColvinIn later years Colvin was recognized for her actions and contributions to the Civil Rights Movement but, for her, it was almost too little, too late. She has always maintained that she isn’t angry that she didn’t get more recognition at the time, only disappointed.

“I feel very proud of what I did, I do feel like what I did was a spark, and it caught on!”
-Claudette Colvin

To read more about other consequential Black people of history, visit SUNY Ulster’s Diversity page.

 

SUNY Ulster Opens Registration for Summer Session Courses

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Student sitting cross legged with laptop on lap. Text overlay saying: Summer Session 2021

February 9, 2021 – Stone Ridge, NY – Registration has begun at SUNY Ulster for Summer Session 2021. There are three summer sessions from which to choose with online, remote, and on-campus classes.

Summer Session Dates:

  • May 24 – July 5, 2021
  • May 24 – August 2, 2021
  • July 12 – August 19, 2021

The over 70 courses offered range from art, business, math, and the sciences to criminal justice, history, social sciences, languages, and more. Included are many of the general education courses needed by all SUNY students to complete their associate and bachelor degrees. Perennial favorites include Geology of the National Parks, Science Fiction Masterpieces, and Conversational Spanish.

Tuition for Summer Session is $190 per credit for in-state residents, one of the lowest tuition rates in New York State. Payment plans are available and students may be eligible for financial aid.

SUNY Ulster welcomes visiting students who may transfer credits back to their institution.

View course offerings and register early as classes fill up quickly.

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Meet FYE Instructor Sandra Wisor

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First Year Experience logo

Hi, my name is Professor Sandra Wisor and I am an adjunct college professor for several college campuses. In 2019, I applied to SUNY Ulster to teach technology for Hudson Link For Higher Education in Prisons. This decision has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Because of the connections I made there with other college professors, they, in turn, recommended me to teach other courses.

First Year Experience (FYE) is a course for new students to learn to transition to being a college student. Whether the student is a teenager or an older adult this course helps students build the necessary knowledge about Suny Ulster and its educational community. Some of the topics and tips covered are culture, diversity, inclusion, note-taking, planning, studying, time-management, technology, and other academic skills. This course helps students discover positive ways to successfully overcome the difficulties of college life.

I also teach FYE 101, in a distant learning format through the mail, so that Hudson Link’s students can learn how to get used to what educational expectations are required in order to gain an Associate’s degree. Hudson Link students are very dedicated creative writers and many are taking a full course load. Hudson Link’s college program helps to reduce the recidivism rate in NYS Correctional Facilities. This educational partnership gives Hudson Link’s students hope for a brighter future when released.

SUNY Ulster is a great place to start one’s education in order to go far. Their vision and mission shows their dedication to help students not to just survive college but to thrive and succeed in life. My motto is “Education Matters!” and everyone deserves the same opportunity to gain a college education. So, why not consider starting today?