Have You Considered These 5 Reliable Degrees?

figure of male walking among library stacks

Reliable degrees at SUNY Ulster Community College.

When you begin exploring potential reliable degrees, it is important to consider a field that you are interested in working in, as well as one that is experiencing growth within its own respective industry!

There are many beneficial degrees offered here at SUNY Ulster, but in this particular article we will explore in more detail five of the most reliable degrees offered at SUNY Ulster.

(SUNY Ulster rated 5 out of 25 of the top New York State Community Colleges.)

Public Safety and Criminal Justice:

Photo of two SUNY Ulster Campus Safety officers.

The Criminal Justice program at SUNY Ulster is designed to offer an educational experience for criminal justice practitioners, individuals seeking employment in the field, and concerned citizens wishing to become better informed about the administration of justice. Various job positions in the criminal justice field consistently have openings, making it one of the most reliable degrees offered at SUNY Ulster! 

SUNY Ulster Offers: Criminal Justice (AS), Criminal Justice (AAS), and Police Basic Training (Certificate)

Paralegal:

Young sophisticated woman smiling while studying in the library.

The Individual Studies Paralegal degree at SUNY Ulster is a jointly registered program with Marist College. Here you can study in a program that is designed to prepare students for employment and transfer into a bachelor’s degree program. Graduates of this program at SUNY Ulster earn an Associate in Science in Individual Studies and a Paralegal Certificate from Marist.

SUNY Ulster Offers: Individual Studies/Paralegal (AS).

Technology:

Young man and professor work together on a desktop computer.

Technology is something we use every day, so it should come as no surprise that the technology field is rapidly growing! If you decide to study technology at SUNY Ulster you will have the opportunity to potentially strengthen your computer science, programming, designing skills set, and beyond. Specific programs require various curriculum levels of mathematics, manufacturing processes, computers, drafting/blueprint reading, communication skills, and liberal arts!

SUNY Ulster Offers: Computer Game Design (Credential),Computer Science AS,Computer Science Online AS,Green Building Maintenance & Management AAS,Industrial Technology: Drafting & Design AS,Industrial Technology: Drafting & Design AAS,Manufacturing Technology (Certificate),Mobile Application Developer (Credential),Network Administrator AAS,Network Administrator (Certificate),Web Application Developer (Credential).

Engineering:

Engineering student stands smiling near large machine.

Engineering at SUNY Ulster provides the basic preparation for students who plan to continue studying engineering at a four-year college. If you plan to attend you should keep in mind that applicants should have above-average grades in high school mathematics and chemistry. High school physics is also recommended for incoming students.

SUNY Ulster Offers: Engineering Science AS, Aeronautical, Civil, Industrial, Mechanical & Nuclear, Chemical, Computer, Electrical.

Technology and Engineering students can enjoy learning in state of the art classrooms as a part of the Pfeiffer Technology and Innovation Lab expansion.

You Can Learn More Here: http://blog.sunyulster.edu/the-pfeiffer-technology-lab-at-suny-ulster/

Nursing:

The Nursing program at SUNY Ulster has a long history of graduating some of the best nurses in the area! The Nursing program can be completed in two academic years or extended and pursued on a part-time basis. Nursing courses, however, must be taken consecutively and it is recommended that they are taken without interruption. Recently, SUNY Ulster and Empire State College announced that they would be partnering up to help allow Registered Nurses (R.N.) to secure their Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in the Hudson Valley. A reliable degree with many growing opportunities locally and nationally.

You Can Learn More Here: http://www.sunyulster.edu/academics/credit_programs/nursing-rn-bsn.php

SUNY Ulster Offers:  Nursing (AS), Nursing (R.N. to B.S.).

 

 

 

Why You Absolutely Should Attend Campus Connect! 

two smiling students with SUNY Ulster folder

Welcome to SUNY Ulster!

Image of SUNY Ulster Campus stairs with fall foliage on the trees.

If you’ve been accepted to SUNY Ulster and are now enrolled, you may be thinking “Whats next?” By now you have probably received your checklist of things the college requires from you before you start classes. As the first day of the semester approaches you probably have a lot more questions about what you need to fill out, submit, and when you should do so.  That’s where Campus Connect comes in!

Five students standing with cheerleader pom-poms smiling.

 

What is Campus Connect?

Campus Connect is an opportunity for students to meet our faculty and soon-to-be classmates, learn more about your major, pick up your class schedule, and explore our beautiful campus! The purpose of this event is to help answer students’ questions, give them insight about campus life, and allow students to establish themselves for academic success!  As a mandatory event,  Campus Connect holds great importance in launching your college career.Photo of students having a conversation while sitting in a class room.

 

What Kind of Opportunities are at Camps Connect?

Campus Connect is the perfect opportunity for you as a student to get a guided tour of your campus, take part in an in-person orientation, as well as a chance for you to learn more in-depth about internships, academic travel, the potential of your major, and how advisement will help YOU succeed.

Four athletic young men standing together smiling.

Who Will You Meet?

This event allows you to meet and mingle with other students, student leaders, and faculty. The connections you may make during this event may even lead to internships, employment opportunities, and valuable mentorships. College is a lot of learning, and expanding your social circle, and forming lifelong friendships!

Three young woman standing in a hallway together with bright smiles.

 

To register for upcoming Campus Connect dates click here: https://www.sunyulster.edu/admissions/info/campus_connect
Have Any Questions?

campusconnect@sunyulster.edu

845-688-6042

Professor Iain Machell’s Art is on Display this Summer!

open sketchbooks and watercolor sets

Our Fine Arts Program Coordinator and Professor, Iain Machell, has artwork on display at several galleries this summer!

Quarries, artwork by Iain MachellMachell’s stone sculpture, “Quarries,” is currently on display at the Unison Arts Center for the “What’s Next?” outdoor sculpture garden. “What’s Next?” features sculptures and events by thirty-five artists living in the Northeast who represent an emerging art movement known as Eco Materialism. This outdoor exhibition has several connections to SUNY Ulster; it is the initiative of Michael Asbill, a former SUNY Ulster adjunct, and three of the students working on the project are Ulster Fine Arts alums! For more information on the showing, visit https://www.unisonarts.org/event/sculpture-garden-opening/.

Machell will have several art showings in Saugerties over the next month, including an open studio in the Saugerties Artists Studio Tour. His studio in Malden-on-Hudson will be open to the public on August 11th and 12th from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. There will be an exhibition of tour artists at Kiersted House Barn in Saugerties on July 28th and 29th from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., as well as one at Opus 40 in Saugerties from August 11th to September 10th, with an opening reception on August 10th at 5:00 p.m. For more information about the Saugerties Artists Tour, visit http://saugertiesarttour.org.Iain Machell working on art piece

Machell has a drawing included in “The River Flows Both Ways” at the Hastings Village Hall Gallery, sponsored by the Hastings Village Arts Commission and Newington-Cropsey Foundation in Hastings-on-Hudson from September 1st to November 3rd, with an opening reception on September 6th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/hastingsartscommission/.

Be sure to check out Iain Machell’s artwork when you’re in these areas over the summer! Check out his website at www.iainmachell.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/iainmachellstudio/ for more of his art and gallery news.

Iain Machell teaching students in a gallery

Go to SUNY Ulster Tuition-Free with the Excelsior Scholarship!

Text composition saying Free SUNY tuition

You may have heard of the Excelsior Scholarship, but what exactly is it? Do you qualify? What does it cover? Read on to find the answers to these questions, and visit www.sunyulster.edu/excelsior to learn even more!

What is the Excelsior Scholarship?

The Excelsior Scholarship is a scholarship that, combined with other financial aid programs, allows New York students in families making less than $125,000 a year the opportunity to go to SUNY colleges for free.

What is covered by the Excelsior Scholarship?

The Excelsior Scholarship covers the tuition fee for a college education. It does not cover textbooks, housing, or any other expenses associated with being a college student.

How do I know if I qualify?

New York residents (defined as having resided in New York State for 1 year or longer) who are U.S. citizens in a family making less than $125,000 a year in their combined family household adjusted gross income and who hold a U.S. high school diploma or high school equivalency are eligible. Current college students are also eligible depending on their situation; see links at the bottom for specific details.

So what’s the catch?

Recipients of the Excelsior Scholarship must fulfill certain requirements during their time in and immediately following college. They must attend college full-time (30 or more credits a year) for each academic year they receive the scholarship. They must pass all classes each academic year, as well as maintain GPA requirements for any other financial aid they receive in addition to Excelsior. After graduating, recipients are required to live in New York for the same number of years they received the scholarship (for example, an Ulster student who graduates in May 2020 and received the Excelsior Scholarship in 2018-19 and 2019-20 must live in New York until 2022).  If the student does not live in New York for the duration following graduation that they received the scholarship for, the scholarship becomes a no-interest loan that must be repaid.

Where can I learn more and apply?

More information is available at www.sunyulster.edu/excelsior and www.suny.edu/excelsior. You can apply online at www.hesc.ny.gov/excelsior.

An Excelsior Scholarship recipient tells his story:

Experiencing Korea’s Gwangjang Market (광장시장) Through Studying Abroad

Flags flying on the ceiling of Gwangjang Market

☆ On the second day after my arrival, I visited Gwangjang Market, Korea’s first permanent market. Gwangjang Market is a very popular tourist attraction located in Seoul. You can find clothes, blankets, handmade crafts, and a large variety of food options. Shown in the picture is the entrance to the market, and it’s a rather pleasant and welcoming one with all of the different countries’ flags dispersed across the ceiling. There were also staff members in red shirts who spoke different languages and were ready to assist tourists from different countries. I found this to be a really cool foreign experience, and I would recommend it to any traveler/tourist! Be warned that if the weather is hot outside, the market will feel a bit confined. ☆

You can learn more about Gwangjang Market by visiting http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu.

Nikki Gould, an Advertising & Graphic Design major at SUNY Ulster, is spending the summer semester studying abroad at the International Summer Campus program at Korea University. 

Expanded Scholarships Now Available for New Paltz Residents!

Scholarship recipient at the ceremony

The Ulster Community College Foundation, Inc. is now offering expanded scholarships for New Paltz residents attending SUNY Ulster for the fall 2018 semester.  We encourage recent high school graduates and adult learners from New Paltz to apply! Scholarships range from $2,000 annually to a fully paid tuition based on academic merit and/or financial need.

One of the scholarships available for fall enrollment for all New Paltz residents is the Frank G. Elliot Scholarship. This scholarship is available for eligible residents of the Town of New Paltz. There is $30,000 in scholarship funding available for the upcoming academic year, and there is a chance to renew for multiple years of study at SUNY Ulster.

The other expanded scholarship available is the George Devine Future of New Paltz Scholarship. This awards $2,000 annually to residents of the Town of New Paltz. Any student who graduated from New Paltz High School is also eligible.

The deadline for priority consideration for these scholarships is July 18, 2018, but scholarship applications are accepted all year on a rolling basis. New Paltz residents still have time to enroll at SUNY Ulster for the fall 2018 semester and apply for these scholarships. All majors and courses of study are eligible. Students can be day, evening, or online students.

To learn more and get started, contact the Enrollment Center by phone at 845-687-5022 or by email at admissions@sunyulster.edu.

Graduating High School Soon? Apply to Community College!

Graduates throwing hats into the air on a field

If you’re about to graduate from high school, you probably have a lot of questions about what the future holds. Many graduates find that heading to college immediately after high school is a great option when life and finances allow. Even if you haven’t decided for sure what you want to do after graduation, it doesn’t hurt to apply to SUNY Ulster! There are a number of reasons to go ahead and apply, and to consider getting a degree from Ulster after you graduate high school rather than waiting until later in life.

You Can Make the Transition Easier

Many students find it difficult to go from high school work to entering the workforce, then going to college later in life. Not only does going into college after high school keep you in the academic mindset, it also increases the likelihood that you will be able to graduate in a 2-4 year time frame. By waiting, you may find that you have other commitments that make attending college more difficult, such as a family or a full-time job. Going to a community college like Ulster makes it all the easier when you start at any stage of life, as you can stay in your community and save money while navigating college life.

You Can Start Your Dream Career Sooner

Don’t know what that is yet? Don’t worry! College will help you figure it out (and teach you valuable skills that can be applied to your career, regardless of major). By earning your degree early on, you can build skills and get started making money doing what you love all the sooner. Additionally, if you’re in a career path that typically requires moving up the ranks to better positions, starting earlier can get you through the more grueling work while you’re younger, leaving more of your later life to do what you enjoy and potentially have more quality time at work and at home with loved ones.

College Can Open New Doors

Most people think going to college is just about getting a degree and entering the workforce. In reality, though, it’s much more than that. You can find a career you never would have thought of before, sure, but you can also meet friends and professors that will stick with you for years to come. You can develop skills that will help you in all aspects of life as you navigate your 20s and beyond. You can find new passions, hobbies, and interests that bring you joy and fulfillment. Most of all, college will push you to be a better version of yourself, and you can find new ways of thinking about yourself and the world by experiencing different classes and expanding your skills, confidence, and abilities.

Try SUNY Ulster!

SUNY Ulster can help you start your adult life with all of the above! You can try college and find the right path for you here, for less money and closer to home. We offer the Excelsior scholarship, as well as many other forms of financial aid. If you qualify, you can go to Ulster tuition-free and save thousands. Check out http://www.sunyulster.edu/admissions/ to learn more about the SUNY Ulster experience of Starting Here and Going Far!

SUNY Ulster Fashion Design Program Stuns in Runway Show!

A procession of models make their way down the fashion runway.

On Saturday May 12th,2018 SUNY Ulster Fashion Design Program first and second year students showcased their garments in the programs 2nd Annual Spring Fashion Show. The show was presented under the exceptional direction of Fashion Program Coordinator Kristin Flynn.

Kristin Flynn stands at the end of the fashion shows runway as the crowd looks on!
Photo Credit: John Halpern

Glitz and Glamour.

Both the afternoon and evening shows were filled with glitz and glamour. Attendees of the 7 p.m. evening show were given an extended presentation as two student who had gone above and beyond the design programs requirements were recognized for their dedication and passion to Fashion Design during an award presentation.

Ms. Kia Ward was selected for the Outstanding Fashion Student of the Year Award.

Photo Credit: John Halpern

While Ms. Patricia Bowers won the Karina Dress Challenge in collaboration with Uptown Kingston designer Karina Cousineau  –also known as “Karina Dresses”

Patricia Bowers the winner of the "Karinas Dress Challenge" hold her award and smiles as Professor Kristen Flynn looks at her smiling.
Photo Credit: John Halpern

Giving Thanks.

The students and faculty of the SUNY Ulster Fashion Program want to thank everyone who as supported the program since its inceptions and as it continues to grow each year! Below are more stunning photos from the 2018 Spring Fashion Show.

We invite you all to  learn more about the Fashion Design Program at SUNY Ulster here: https://www.sunyulster.edu/academics/credit_programs/fashion_design

The president of the college and a student pose at the end of the fashion runway!
Photo Credit: John Halpern
A model with a flowing cape walks down the fashion runway!
Photo Credit: John Halpern
A student poses arms crossed behind his model on the runway.
Photo Credit: John Halpern
Student designer poses at the end of the fashion runway with her two models.
Photo Credit: John Halpern
A model poses at the end of the fashion runway as the crowd looks on.
Photo Credit: John Halpern
A model walks down the fashion runway head held high.
Photo Credit: John Halpern
A model in 1970's inspired disco wear poses at the end of the runway while holding a small dog in matching outfit.
Photo Credit: John Halpern
A model poses at the end of the runway with a small grin on her face.
Photo Credit: John Halpern
A male model poses at the end of the fashion runway looking in the distance with a moody expression.
Photo Credit: John Halpern

 

 

 

 

Tips and Encouragement for Graduates From Faculty

Graduation caps in midair

Congratulations to all our upcoming graduates! To help you Go Far, here’s some helpful quotes and tips from the faculty that have helped get you here:

Professor Mindy Kole:

“Be excited about your future, be optimistic.  Work hard, be passionate, engaged, and grateful.  The world is in your good hands.”

Professor Linda Farina:

 “ALWAYS follow your passion!”

Professor Vicky Burgh-Harris:

“Obtaining your Associate’s Degree is a major accomplishment. You should be as proud of yourselves as your family members, friends, and I are proud of you. This is the beginning of a new chapter in your lives, and it’s very exciting. It can also be scary and overwhelming, but it’s nothing you can’t handle. I want to wish you all the best with your future endeavors. Good luck, Graduates!”

Professor Dina Pearlman:

“The highlight of my year as an instructor at SUNY Ulster is to attend graduation and watch the students walk back from the podium with elation and delight written all over their faces.  Knowing some of the challenges many of them faced as they pursued their studies here, I am moved by their perseverance and accomplishments. That degree they are holding doesn’t just say ‘I’ve completed 63 credits of course work.’ That degree says: ‘I’ve overcome the challenges of work, family, discrimination, health and mental health issues, transportation, finances, or all of the above  PLUS I’ve completed 63 credits of course work.’  That degree says you can do anything you set your mind to. Congratulations, felicidades!”

Epic Diversity Web Page Launch!

hoto of 5 students in their graduation cap and gowns with smiles on their faces with their left hands in the air.

Did you know SUNY Ulster has its very own Diversity Web Page now? Check it out today!

Cultural Diversity Day promotional poster of the Statue of Liberty's glowing torch.

Explore the Diversity Web Page at: http://www.sunyulster.edu/campus_and_culture/diversity.php

Our Mission.

The launch of this web page for the college is highly anticipated and includes the official SUNY Ulster statement on diversity that in part reads: “Our mission is to encourage diversity, equity, and inclusion through on-campus programs and activities, and to welcome a variety of voices, viewpoints, and backgrounds on campus.”

Photo of the main campus, and "Ulster County Community College" sign during the autumn.

Diversity Video Series.

Featured on the diversity web page are SUNY Ulster students’ own stories and experiences of diversity on campus in our “Voices on Diversity” videos series. We are proud to have SUNY Ulster students of various backgrounds speaking about the importance of culture on the college campus. Everyone has a story to tell, and you will surely be inspired by the stories of the individuals who you pass by in the hall and sit next to in class everyday!

You can share your SUNY Ulster Pride on Facebook by using our specially designed “We Are One. SUNY Ulster” Facebook page overlay! 

Photo of 5 students in their graduation cap and gowns with smiles on their faces with their left hands in the air. Join us in adding this frame to your Facebook profile picture as we learn and grow together as one campus community.

Official Campus Resources:

Chief Diversity Officer: Lorraine Lopez-Janove at lopezjal@sunyulster.edu or 845-687-5131, VAN 212.

Affirmative Action Coordinator: Jennifer Mullan at mullanj@sunyulster.edu or 845-687-5101, CLI 213.

Director of Accessibility: Eric Fortune-Reader at disability_services@ sunyulster.edu  or 845-687-5121, VAN128E.

Office of Public Safety and Security: publicsafety@sunyulster.edu or 845-687-5023, HAS 134.

TRIO Offices: TRIO@sunyulster.edu or 845-688-6054, VAN 101.