SUNY Empire State College Humanities and Arts Associate Dean Megan Mullen writes:
Last October I had the pleasure of attending an open house and information session to herald the launch of a new Empire State College partnership with SUNY Broome in Binghamton. It was an enjoyable event, where I was able to meet or reconnect with people from both institutions. A recent article in the Exchange on January 18 brought this event back to mind, as it discussed a student, Trisha Glezen, who is an alumna of both SUNY Broome and Empire State College.
In addition to the ESC partnership, SUNY Broome has a partnership with the private, not-for-profit Excelsior College. Some unique attributes of the ESC partnership specifically include our individualized degree programs, faculty mentors, PLAoptions, and several of the content areas we offer students.
Terri Fadden, MSW, in the SUNY Broome Bachelor Partners Office stated that, “Although many SUNY Broome graduates have transferred to SUNY Empire over the years, the formation of a closer relationship between these two colleges could foster increased ESC visibility to non-traditional SUNY Broome students exploring transfer options and provide a smoother transition for those who choose ESC.”
Dr. Paul Miller, Assistant Professor in Historical Studies and the Faculty Academic Coordinator for the Binghamton location, has been ESC’s lead in this initiative. He credits great relationships with Fadden and others at SUNY Broome as key to the partnership’s success – along with the presence of ESC faculty on the community college campus to meet students and discuss what the transfer would entail.
Miller explains, “This is our third agreement with SUNY Broome. The other two were pathways agreements with the media and human services departments. The partnership program is a sort of ‘uber’ pathway agreement.” He further states that:
[T]hrough this partnership, students can take up to 79 credits at SUNY Broome before transferring to ESC. As students complete the program, they receive mentoring from ESC faculty, while completing credits at SUNY Broome. ESC faculty help students select foundation courses at Broome with eventual AOS requirements in mind.
Miller is not the only ESC faculty member involved in the partnership, either. As of late January, according to Fadden, 81 SUNY Broome students had made appointments to speak with one of the Binghamton location faculty: Miller, Barbara Rivera, or Roni O’Geen.
Several people I’ve communicated with believe that what has been accomplished in Binghamton would work with other community colleges as well. Perhaps too, Miller suggests, what works with the SUNY Broome partnership could “be applied to a major employer or government agency, anywhere with prospects.”
