Top Ten Reasons to Choose SUNY Ulster

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SUNY Ulster in front of the fountain in fall

Affordable EducationTaraFitzgerald
The cost of attending a four-year college is high and going higher. You can greatly reduce the cost of gaining a bachelor’s degree by graduating from SUNY Ulster and transferring to finish to a four-year institution to finish your degree. At SUNY Ulster, 70% of our students graduate with no debt and more than 200 students per year receive scholarships. Discover how Tara Fitzgerald saved to reach her goals.


Flexible Scheduling
If you need to make college fit in with job and family obligations, SUNY AudreyPottingerUlster offers daytime, evening, weekend and online classes to help you accomplish your educational goals. Did you know, we also offer seven different start dates to help get you going. See how Audrey Pottinger used every scheduling option to get herself across the finish line.

The Power of SUNY
The SUNY System has a policy of seamless transfer for those graduating from a New York community college with an A.A. or A.S. degree. Our Transfer Office can help ensure the credits you earn at SUNY Ulster will earn you placement as a junior in the four-year SUNY college or university of your choice.

Faculty Focus on Teaching VincenzoAgostaroCapture
Our professors don’t just teach a course, they live it. Experts in their fields, they bring real life experiences to the classroom. Classes are small, so faculty have the ability to inspire and mentor.

Support Services for Success
We strive to address the needs of all learners. From academic advising and tutoring to counseling and career services, we help you develop to your fullest potential.

Internships & Real World Experience
From day one, you’ll have the opportunity to register for an internship or academic travel. In addition, many of our programs provide real world experiences such as creating graphics or developing drafting proVictorCuevaCapturejects for real clients.

College & Career Options
If you’re like most students, you may not yet know your career path. SUNY Ulster is ideal for exploring fields that interest you to find your passion. Choose from career-oriented programs if you want to enter the job market with your associate degree, certificate or diploma or from transfer programs if you’d like to transfer to a four-year college or university.

Vibrant Student Life
Join a club. Run for office. See a play. Visit the gallery. Play for one of our athletic teams. Join us for BBQs, workshops, lectures, demonstrations and more.

Caring Community
You can feel it the moment you step foot on campus. We’re a community of helpers and doers, cheerleaders and mentors. You’ll quickly discover that faculty, staff and your fellow students become family.

Global Opportunities
Experiencing the world and connecting with other students from around the globe is easy for SUNY Ulster students. In addition to international and domestic travel, we are a leader in COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning). COIL classes use Internet-based tools like Skype and Moodle to connect with students from other institutions around the globe, without ever leaving campus. Learn with students from Mexico, Beirut, and Italy, among others.

Final Exam Tips from your Professors

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Keep Calm and Pass Your Exams

It’s that time of the semester again! The sun is out; the Main Quad is beginning to buzz with activity; and you can almost envision your end of the school year Netflix binge. Before you can just sit back, relax and remain in your bed for the next 36 hours, you have to get through those dreaded final exams. Here are some tips from some of our Faculty and Staff on how to make it through those finals:

“Make sure you know what’s on the final exam so you know what you need to study. Then study all your resources: your class notes, your homework, the textbook, and any other resources you have.”

Mindy Kole
Assistant Professor of Business

“Make sure you read the directions for your final exam and projects. If you don’t read the instructions, how will you know what you need to do? Also, check and triple check, the date of your final exam.

Dr. Nichola Harris
Associate Professor of European History

“Don’t wait until the last minute to study. Do not cram!”

Jane Kithcart
Director of Academic Support Services & Placement Director of Learning Center

“Put in the effort, study hard, and just before the exam take a break and relax. You know everything you will know! In the end though, remember your final exam grade doesn’t define you.”

Nicholas Haines
Instructor of English

“Take care of yourself. Make sure you’re remembering to eat and sleep on a regular and healthy basis. Going into an over stressed and deprived of sleep is only going to make it harder for you to focus on the exam.”

Mary Ann Baruth
Associate Professor of Mathematics  

SUNY Ulster COIL Scholarship Trip to Mexico

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COIL partners group shot

Hello everybody! My name is Joan Mena, and I am a Graphic Design major here at SUNY Ulster. The design program had the opportunity to take five graphic design students to Mexico through a SUNY Ulster COIL scholarship to meet our COIL partners, and grow our knowledge about design in another country. Of course, qualifying wasn’t an easy process. Each graphic design student had to have a high GPA, write an essay, and create a portfolio with their best work. I was one of the lucky five who got picked for this great opportunity.

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Day 1

We left very early in the morning March 16th, 2016 and arrived at 1:00pm Mexico time. The first thing we did was take a cab to the La Salle University, which is the university where we are doing a COIL collaboration. We met Marguerite Pajot, who was the woman in charge of accommodating all international students with their host families, a La Salle ID, and in charge of giving us a tour of the school as well as some information about Mexican culture. La Salle University had a beautiful set of campuses; there were 5 in total. Every campus is divided by major, and they also share campus with the high school. After getting a quick tour of the school, we had lunch in a beautiful dining hall. Guess what we had for our first lunch in Mexico? Tacos, of course! They were delicious, as expected. Later we waited for our host family to arrive and take us home. Mrs. Rosa Maria Sotres Gutierrez, or as we called her, Rosita, was the host mom for Liz, Morgan, and me for the week. She was the nicest woman I have ever met. She spoke English perfectly, and we didn’t have any trouble communicating. Since I am fluent in Spanish, I was also able to talk to her in Spanish. After getting all settled in the house, we had our first Mexican dinner, which Rosita prepared for us: chicken and rice. Muy rico! (Delicious!)IMG_4910-Edit

Day 2

The next day was the big day. We finally got to meet our Mexican COIL partners. I was so happy to finally meet Chio Castañeda, my partner, that I couldn’t help but run and hug her. We had been talking through Facebook and Skype, and I instantly connected with her since our personalities are so much alike. We didn’t have a lot of time to spend with them that day, but we did make plans for the next day to have dinner together. After having some classes on an overview of Mexican History and Mexican culture, we met Roberto de Ulsar Alexander, the Design professor at La Salle, and went to El Tizoncito and had the most incredible tacos al pastor in the whole world. They were 14 pesos each, which is 80 cents in U.S dollars. After eating many tacos, we went to a private tour in Luis Barragan’s house, Casa Gilardi. This house was breathtaking; pictures can never show how beautiful the architecture of this house is. We found out that Louis Vuitton was going to have a photo shoot in the same house we were in!

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Day 3

Friday, March 18th, we came back to the university and had Graphic Design classes. Our professors, both American and Mexican, critiqued our work and gave us advice on how to improve it. It wasn’t a long class, and we then headed to the Mexican market. We bought a lot of cool souvenirs for our families and friends back home.

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Days 4 & 5

Saturday and Sunday were the busiest days; we visited the Aztec Pyramids in Teotihuacan, climbed the Pyramid of the Sun, and walked around the Pyramid of the Moon. Before moving to the next location, we stopped at a restaurant called Tlacaelel. Women were performing traditional Aztec dances, and we were serenaded by mariachis while we ate. Later, we went to the Basilica of Guadalupe and walked around the seven churches that were all close to each other. We went to the Museum of Anthropology and Chapultepec castle. We also went on a Turibus, which was a double decker bus that traveled along the city and explained a brief history of each building in Mexico City. We decided to walk around the city and take a look at stores and mini markets. We passed by Mexican Chinatown, which is the smallest chinatown in the whole world. We saw the Palacio Nacional, Palacio de Bellas Artes, the Cathedral, and many others.

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On our last full day, we visited Frida Kahlo’s house and three design firms. I was always a fan of Frida, and I couldn’t help but get tears in my eyes when I went inside her bedroom. It was so surreal that I was standing in the same house were Frida and Diego Rivera once shared memories in. Finally, we visited the design firms. They were all very different in terms of how big they were and what kind of designs they did for their clients. I really got a sense of what I want to do in the future and what kind of firm is the right one for me. For our last night in Mexico City, we decided to go have some street food with our Mexican friends. Again, it was delicious!

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This trip was a great opportunity to see a different perspective in design. Mexicans are not afraid of vibrant colors and shapes, and they are not afraid of combining indigenous designs with modern designs. Since the first day in Mexico the people were nothing but friendly, kind, helpful, and warm. I would like to visit again and travel to the rest of Mexico. It was such an amazing experience; I will never forget it. I want to thank SUNY Ulster, Professor Sean Nixon, Hope Windle, Roberto, my fellow classmates, and also La Salle’s Mexican students.

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Nursing Club

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Student and professor during nursing class

Here at SUNY Ulster, we have an active Nursing Club that’s always looking out for our health! These hardworking students do a great deal to help each other and the community, so we contacted them to learn a little more about what they do.

Previous Work: Last spring, the club teamed up with the LGBTQ Club to host a speaker on giving optimal health care to LGBTQ patients. They have worked with the College Health Services to run a health and wellness challenge. Some students may have seen their annual Angel Tree pop up in the Hardenbergh Breakfast Café, which helps provide a Christmas for struggling families in Ulster County. Every April, the club holds a cancer awareness campaign. In the past, they have raised funds for the American Cancer Society.

Plans for the Year: The club will be doing their annual cancer awareness campaign next month, during which they will hold an item and fund drive to help Ulster County Cancer Support. They are also hosting an all-day nursing symposium regarding career options for nurses on April 30th; this event is open to students and nurses from surrounding colleges and nursing facilities as well. The club hopes to take a trip to the Bodies Exhibit in New York City sometime this year.

See Them On Campus: Nursing Club makes an appearance at all campus events involving clubs and attends all SGO meetings. They also have a table during open houses.

As A Club Member: Members of the Nursing Club work hard and encourage each other to be the best nursing students they can be. Active members practice their nursing skills, seek to improve the health of the campus and community, and have the opportunity to become better leaders, all while being supported by their fellow nursing students.

Join In: Are you a nursing student or interested in becoming one? Attend a club meeting! Nursing Club meets on the first Monday of every month at 12:15, in HAS 101. You can also email club advisor Pam Pierce at piercep@sunyulster.edu for more information.

 

Cleaning Up Your Social Media for Graduation

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Person holding cell phone with two hands, sitting between two other people

According to the Pew Research Internet Project, approximately 74% of those with access to the internet use social media. Included in that 74% are recruiters, headhunters, and hiring managers looking to get a better view of who you are as a person. Companies are becoming more interested in the whole life of their employees, either to help create company culture fits or to weed out those that may not fit from the start.

The reality is that some of those Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram posts can land you in serious hot water. Let’s remember the young woman who was fired before her first day at a pizza place because she decided to complain about it on her Twitter account. It’s your choice to share, but keep in mind you could be risking your chances of getting a new job or even keeping the position you already have.

Your social pages are basically your personal advertisements. You’re building a brand here, people!

  • Be outgoing.
  • Be yourself.
  • But be conscious.

What’s your end goal? Are you on these channels to network with desired industry insiders? Socialize? Either way, people are looking, from friends to the public. Don’t let your social media channels hold you back.

Pay close attention to these tips on what to leave off the web – for good:

Complaints About Your Current Job or Internship

This is one of the worst offenses someone can make. If you’ve had a bad day, week, or month, the last place to vent is online. Your current employer may never see your comments, but there’s always the chance a future employer will. Or worse – a fellow employee with a chip on his or her shoulder. Also, recruiters and hiring managers will look at how you present yourself online during an internship or work you currently and form an opinion about how you may act online in the future.

Also, the way you interact with your school, professors, and administration online will be watched as well. To sum it up, how you interact with people is important as it does reflect on your personality and ability to blend into community culture.

Takeaway: Save yourself the drama, and address the situation head-on in person but not online. Even if you and your manager don’t end up seeing eye-to-eye, you’ve earned their respect in the workplace.

Passive Aggressive Comments

There’s a lyric to go with every mood, person, and situation. That doesn’t mean you need to put those cryptic words on blast to your 700+ Facebook friends when someone at work crosses you. Nine times out of ten you’ll delete this post later, making it seem like you can’t handle your emotions.

Takeaway: Leave the salt for your food. Grudges can only last so long, but your social-savvy friends and coworkers will always remember the time you called them out – not so discreetly.

Inappropriate Photos and Videos

While you may have already deleted all your Facebook albums after starting to read this article, don’t forget to look at your tagged photos as well. These are often overlooked – but not by employers or recruiters. If you have public accounts, employers can use these images as a benchmark of how you’ll perform on the job. Private accounts are not as private as you think. Photos and videos can be shared, and screenshots can be made. Some very popular memes were created from private photos.

Takeaway: Snap your best foot forward. What if your Instagram was filled with such great food shots, your manager hires you to be the official ‘grammer’ of the company? Leave your options open. Keep it clean, folks!

In The End, Do You.

If you’re thinking, filters be damned – I’m posting whatever I want, whenever i want, then make your page private. Most social media platforms allow for customized privacy settings.

Our tip? Use social media, but use it wisely. Put the same efforts into your posts as you do in choosing the right Instagram filter. And if you currently have a job – don’t use social on your shift.

Sports Make a Difference

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SUNY Ulster Senators with symbol

College is scary. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The teachers are intimidating and the students are scary and as you’re wandering around the campus looking at your schedule you’re wondering if it’s HAR for Hardenbergh Hall or if it was a mistype and had meant HAS for Hasbrouk Hall. For a two year college, it’s harder to meet people because there isn’t any housing on campus like four year colleges and the social life is mostly small circles of kids who already knew each other before entering college.

There is a way around that vicious cycle of “oh my gosh who are these people” and that is joining a sport. As said previously, SUNY Ulster is a two year college and since either you know some people or you know no one, the best bet to meet people and to be most comfortable in your four (or three, two, one) semesters here is to join one of the sports that are offered giving you a great opportunity.

In the fall there is the Men’s Soccer team, the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country team, and the Women’s Volleyball team who made the fourth spot on the Division III NJCAA standings. In the Winter Men’s Basketball is played and in the spring Baseball, Men’s Golf, Men’s Tennis, and Softball are all played. For each season, there is some way for girls and boys to get to know one another and for people to get connected with each other.

Your teammates are there to support you. College is a stressful and difficult time for anyone and to be able to socialize and have someone next to you to pat you on the back makes all the difference. Your teammates motivate you to do your best in your sport and in your studies and your team makes you want to be the best that you can be. It doesn’t matter if your team is one of the better ones in fact it doesn’t even matter if your team is one of the less successful ones. What matters is that the teammates and the athletes have the camaraderie that bind them together.

So, if you are feeling at a loss with this semester with meeting new people, the best idea that there is would be to join one of the four sports that are offered. You can get exercise and get motivated to have a fantastic semester here at SUNY Ulster.

Alumna Highlight: Leanna White, Graphic Design

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Close up photo of Leanna White, SUNY Ulster Alumni

Leanna White is a SUNY Ulster Alum, Class of 2012 with an A.S. degree in Advertising Design and Graphic Technology. Her career since graduation has been the very definition of “Start Here. Go Far.” Leanna has taken her classroom knowledge into the real world to excel in her chosen career as a professional Graphic Designer.

The SUNY Ulster Graphic Design program is not only instructional, it also prepares students to work with clients. While in the program, students work on professional projects to prepare them for a career in graphic design immediately after graduation.

Among other projects, Leanna worked on the design of the Ulster County Sheriff Patrol cars.

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Recently, we sat down with Leanna to discuss her accomplishments since graduating from SUNY Ulster.

What have you accomplished since graduating from SUNY Ulster?

Since graduating in 2012, I have had nothing short of a colorful career. Shortly after graduating, I was offered a job at Pictoura (start-up travel company) where I retouched over 30,000 beautiful images from locations around the world.

YTWT_Jan-2015-CatalogLater that year, I was offered an in-house position as a graphic designer for Naturtint, an international leader in natural hair dye. The advertisements I designed could be found around the U.S. and Canada in top publications like Women’s Health, Dr. Oz and The Good Life.

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After parting ways with Pictoura in 2013, and Naturtint in 2014, I was offered a position as creative director for We Are Triumphant (Records) in Fall 2014. My job was to manage all of the company’s creative material including artwork for individual artists and bands on the label.  Plus I had the great opportunity to work directly with Victory Records to have my work produced for their online store.

While I still work on-and-off with We Are Triumphant, most of my time is currently occupied with design work for Yankee Trails World Travel. Some of my many tasks include designing travel catalogs, printed advertisements, e-mail campaigns and more. All the while, I have maintained a bustling freelance career where I work with awesome people from around the world.

You can see Leanna’s portfolio online at: www.leannawhite.com

How has the SUNY Ulster graphic design program assisted you in your career? 

Even though I did some design work before attending SUNY Ulster, The ‘Real World Classroom’ with its controlled setting really helped prepare me for what to expect in the design world. The field is extremely competitive and this gave me a head start.  With the help of the program’s real-world projects and competitive student atmosphere, I quickly adopted a work ethic that has helped me produce some of my best work yet.

Do you have any advice for current Design students?

  • Always have a contract.

One thing that I think needs some serious mentioning is design contracts. If you are a freelance designer dealing with money of any kind, you must ALWAYS have a written agreement between both parties. I cannot stress this enough. More often than not, people will try to take advantage of  you if a contract is not set in place. If you cannot afford a lawyer to write a contract for you, do your research and alter an existing contract to suit your needs.

  • Be competitive.

To survive in the design world, you absolutely have to be driven and committed. Never stop learning, never stop improving. Keep up to date with current design trends and constantly perfect your skill and technique. Most clients are looking for a one-stop-shop, which means you need to be a multi-disciplined and multi-faceted individual with a lot to offer. If you’re not giving it your all, expect that someone else will. This career is not for the light of heart.

  • Take a break.

As with most creative professions, your brain needs a break from creative thinking. Working long hours on a project will leave you feeling blind and without direction.  That is never a good feeling, especially when someone is relying on you to make something great. Know when to close down Adobe for the night and try not to stress about your creative block – tomorrow’s fresh eyes are exactly what your design needs.

Interested in more information about the SUNY Ulster, Graphic Design Program?

Check out: https://www.sunyulster.edu/academics/credit_programs/advertising_design/

 

SUNY Ulster President Dr. Alan Roberts

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President Alan Roberts standing with Nick Carchidi

Occupation: SUNY Ulster President
Community College Attended: North Country Community College
First Generation Student

What made you decide to start at a Community College?
Convenience, Affordability, and Accessibility.

When did you figure out your career major?
I began as an accounting major in community college but once I furthered my education I found that I had a passion for more of the marketing and other fields involved with business.

What is the difference between Community College then vs. Community College now?
Technology, I just read that 70% of students need technology to study and 30% can’t leave their phone alone for 10 minutes. Now, with the Technology Revolution though, I can’t leave my phone alone either.

Describe your journey from Student to President.
I began studying Accounting at North Country Community College. Then I worked in the business field for years but wanted a more fulfilling job. I then started working as an Accounting professor at Indian River State College, moving up to a department head, a Dean and now as the President of SUNY Ulster.

What is your favorite thing about SUNY Ulster?
The Instructors: They are exactly what I was hoping faculty would be at every community college. They care about the students. The success of their students is number one in their mind and they go about & beyond in that they spend more time with students, they help, they mentor, they guide, and they love being here.

Pres15vertWhat are your Favorite Places on Campus?
I love the Music and Art Departments since I’m a musician.
The STEM Department interests me because of all the cool technology in the classrooms. And, of course, the Cafeteria because that’s where the students are and I love to interact with them.

What tips do you have for Students?
Start on day one: Get class scheduling, financial aid, book purchasing out of the way before the first day of class. Focus on your studies. Learn how to be a student: Figure out how to be independent and how the college system works while at community college.

Giving Thanks

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Apple on open book in front of blackboard with math equation

Apply on textbook
Now that we are towards the end of the semester, there’s time take a look at your grades, your efforts and your teachers. I looked and realized that there was one adjunct professor that I really felt grateful to. I decided that it would be nice to give her a professional recommendation for her personal file. If there’s a teacher who you feel has gone above and beyond, you may do the same. Don’t worry about whether it’s geeky or not. Yes, being grateful may not look cool to your friends but it’s good karma and you can use all of that you can get, especially when you’re the one looking for a job later.

Here’s my letter, and yes, you may use the format or any style ideas from it to thank the professors who are making a difference for you.

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this letter of recommendation for Heidi L. Ferry because I truly believe she needs some credit for being a terrific math teacher. She is currently teaching Basic Algebra 091 and is the only math teacher that I’ve ever had that could explain to me the “why’s” of the math operations clearly. She has a lot of patience and checks with us to make sure we are getting the concepts right. Before tests, she gives us reviews and for the first time in my life, I don’t feel like a hopeless dunce in math. I have an A average; me, the girl who in first grade was told nicely by my math/reading teacher that “It’s okay, not everybody’s a math person.” I thought she was being kind pointing out that it was just the way nature made me. My non-mathematic-English-artsy brain just couldn’t deal with all those number thingies.

Thirty some-odd years later, I’m happy to say she was wrong. It is with the help of Professor Ferry that I have this confidence. Most of my class and I wish she could stay our teacher throughout our college experience but know this cannot be the case. I hope my next algebra teachers will be as thorough and patient as her and I wish her all the best in her career.

A Very Thankful Student,

Jennifer Smith-Jamieson
SUNY-Ulster Community College

Thanks to Professor Heidi L. Ferry.

SUNY Ulster in the News! Article about SUNY Ulster Theater Production

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Screenshot of Spoon River at SUNY Ulster Almanac article

Masters remastered: Spoon River Anthology on stage at SUNY-Ulster

Posted by Debra Bresnan on November 12, 2015 in Stage for The Almanac Weekly

Edgar Lee Masters based his epic collection of poems, Spoon River Anthology, upon the lives of real people he knew, heard about or represented in his legal practice as a public defender. Many of Masters’ characters bore a striking resemblance to his former townspeople in Lewistown and Petersburg, Illinois, and when the collection was published in 1915, it created enormous community unrest and embarrassment.

In 1963, actor and playwright Charles Aidman chose 75 of Masters’ original Spoon River Anthology epitaphs and conceived and directed them, accompanied by musical interludes. The New York Times described this Broadway production as “a glowing theater experience…A brooding and loving American folk poem brought to life on a stage” and the New York Post called it “an evening of astonishingly stirring emotional satisfaction.”

Now celebrating its 100th anniversary, Spoon River Anthology will open at SUNY-Ulster’s Quimby Theater on Thursday, November 19. The play is directed by Richard Cattabiani, adjunct professor in the English Department under the Dean of Faculty Office at SUNY-Ulster.

READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE HERE