In an e-mail last week, President Steven Poskanzer asked the campus community, alumni and parents to visit www.supportnewpaltz.com and send an e-mail to elected officials to let them know that the proposed budget cuts to the State University of New York – including an 80 percent tuition “sweep” by the state for undesignated “general purposes” – is wrong.

To date, the site, which is funded by the New Paltz Foundation, has had more than 1,000 visits, resulting in nearly 9,000 letters to elected officials.

The advocacy effort asks for the governor and legislators to allow campuses to keep 100 percent of students’ tuition dollars in fiscal year 2009-2010. It suggests that one possible way to ensure that SUNY keeps its tuition proceeds would be to direct a portion of the $2.5 billion in federal stimulus dollars that New York is slated to receive for education to the State University system.

“The hope is,” said Poskanzer, “our response to the legislators and governor is deafening and that our elected officials begin to understand that this unfair and ill-advised tuition sweep will reduce the quality of public higher education.”

An artist's rendering of the proposed Mohonk Walk, one of the Phase I elements of the SUNY New Paltz Site and Landscape Master Plan (Facilities Master Plan) that is heading into the design phase. Image submitted

The first phase of the SUNY New Paltz Site and Landscape Master Plan (Facilities Master Plan) is moving into the design phase.

A year after the plan was first presented to the campus community, the college has selected Sasaki Associates, a landscape architect firm based in Boston and San Francisco, to design Phase I.

“We’re off and running as promised,” said John Shupe, assistant vice president for facilities management and co-chair of the Campus Facilities Master Plan Task Force. “There are going to be a lot of major changes on campus in the next five years.”

The initial stage includes work on a portion of Mohonk Walk from Route 32 to van den Berg Hall; improvements to the Hasbrouck complex landscape; upgrading the Academic Concourse; renovation of the Campus Walk near Bouton Hall and the Faculty Office Building; and implementation of water improvements to the Campus Pond. Design work will also begin on expanding the Route 32 parking lot and creating a new science building on the corner of Route 32 and Plattekill Avenue.

Shupe anticipates that construction on many of these projects, which is funded by the college’s capital budget, will begin in spring 2010. Meanwhile, the design stage of Phase II should begin in 2011.

The master plan was developed in 2008 as a comprehensive set of guidelines for campus growth. The 15-year, three-phase plan was created by a faculty, staff and student task force who worked with Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut and Kuhn (EEK), an external architectural/planning firm. Feedback from the campus community was incorporated into the goal of each phase, which encompasses a five-year period.

“The very thoughtful and important work that the task force developed is being put into action,” said Shupe. “This is exciting for everyone on campus. We are thrilled.”

The Site and Landscape Master Plan (Facilities Master Plan) can be viewed at my.newpaltz.edu.

by Danielle Chery ‘09 (Journalism)

Public Affairs intern

In addition to participating in the 10-week RecycleMania competition, the college recently joined three environmentally friendly programs.

Brian Pine, director of Facilities Operations and Maintenance, said the college became a partner in voluntary programs with the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Energy Star and the State Electronics Challenge.

The U.S. EPA’s Waste Wise program offers advice and support to organizations looking to reduce municipal solid and industrial waste by raising awareness and expanding conservation efforts.

Energy Star, a government-backed environmental organization, is taking a fundamental approach to saving energy by helping institutions, such as New Paltz, to measure and track energy performance by installing meters on each building.

In its efforts to reduce its usage of electronics, the college has accepted the State Electronics Challenge (SEC). The program encourages public entities, such as schools, colleges and universities, to go electronically green by recycling computers and purchase recycled manufactured and electronic materials. As a partner, the college receives resources and technical assistance as how to safely and responsibly manage electronics.

“These are programs available for little or no cost,” said Pine. “They align with the SUNY directives and New Paltz commitment to build sustainability and raise awareness throughout our college. These programs are tested and are working in many other colleges.”

For more information on these and other environmental campus initiatives, visit www.newpaltz.edu/green.

Provost candidates visit campus this week

The final two candidates for the position of Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will visit the campus on Wednesday, Feb. 25, and Friday, Feb. 27. The first candidate visited campus on Feb. 18. For details and itineraries for each candidate, check the Faculty/Staff tab in my.newpaltz.edu.

Kathleen Bulman ’09 (Theatre Arts), left, and Andrew Barresi ’09 (Theatre Arts) star in the Mainstage production of “As Bees in Honey Drown,” which opens Feb. 26 in Parker Theatre.

The Theatre Arts Department presents “As Bees in Honey Drown” from Feb. 26 to March 8.

Nancy Saklad (Theatre Arts) directs the Mainstage production of Douglas Carter Beane’s award-winning play, which was first produced in New York City in 1997. Shari Griswold ‘10 (Theatre Arts – Technical) is the play’s stage manager.

The comedy chronicles a young writer’s rendezvous with fame and its downfalls.

“The play is very entertaining with a cautionary message about the allure of fame,” said Saklad.

The student cast is led by Andrew Barresi ‘09 (Theatre Arts) as Evan Wyler and Kathleen Bulman ‘09 (Theatre Arts) as Alexa Vere de Vere.

Rounding out the cast are Carley Colbert ‘09 (Theatre Arts), Jessica Malone ‘11 (Theatre Arts), Rich Powers ‘12 (Theatre Arts) and Adam Yellen ‘11 (Theatre Arts). Chelsea Scoggin ‘09 (Theatre Arts – Technical) designed the costumes, and Jake Ewonus ‘10 (Theatre Arts – Technical) designed the set.

“The cast and design team have been great fun to work with,” said Saklad.

Showtimes are 8 p.m., Thursday-Saturday, and 2 p.m., Sunday in Parker Theatre.

Tickets for “As Bees in Honey Drown” are $16 for general reserved seating, $14 for reserved seniors, faculty and student seating. Tickets are available for purchase at the Box Office, located in Parker Theatre, Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. or by calling x3880. To purchase tickets online, visit www.newpaltz.edu/theatre.

For additional information, call x3872.

Peace Corps visit coincides with organization’s anniversary

Representatives from the Peace Corps will visit the college on Feb. 24 to meet with interested students, faculty and community members.

A table will be set up in front of the Career Resource Center – room 105 in the Humanities Building – from 3 to 5 p.m. The information session will be followed by a panel discussion with Peace Corps volunteers at 6 p.m. in room 100 of the Student Union Building. The volunteers attending the discussion have served in such countries as Ecuador, Mauritania, Madagascar and Guatemala.

The college has had 124 alumni volunteers  serve with the organization in developing countries.

The events take place as part of Peace Corps Week, Feb. 23 to March 2, which celebrates the anniversary of the organization’s founding more that 40 years ago.

For more information about the Peace Corps visit, contact the Career Resource Center at x3265 or mccawd@newpaltz.edu.

Faculty selecting nominees for national graduate scholarship

The college is in the process of selecting nominees for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Graduate Scholarship. Accredited U.S. colleges, such as New Paltz, are permitted to nominate two applicants for the prestigious scholarship.

Faculty representatives Nancy Kassop (Political Science) and Jeff Miller (Honors Center) are working with qualified candidates in applying for the scholarship, which offers awards totaling as much as $300,000 (up to $50,000 per year for up to six years).

Seniors and alumni within the last five years may compete for the scholarships. The Graduate Scholarship Program provides funding for tuition, room and board, required fees and books.

Applicants must demonstrate financial need and meet the following eligibility requirements: be a college senior or recent graduate from an accredited college or university in the United States; have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or better; plan to begin first graduate degree program in the fall 2009 semester; and be nominated by undergraduate institution.

In order to be considered for the nominations, students and alumni must complete the online application at www.jkcf.org and provide supporting documentation to Kassop by March 5.

College receives grant for collaborative undergraduate biology and chemistry research

The Biology and Chemistry departments received a Merck/American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2009 Undergraduate Science Research Program Award.

The award provides $60,000 ($20,000 per year over three years) for joint use by the biology and chemistry departments in conducting undergraduate research projects. New Paltz was one of 14 institutions from across the country to receive the award this year.

Four New Paltz students will receive stipends to work on full-time interdisciplinary projects during the summer under the guidance of two faculty members (one in chemistry and one in biology). The students will present the results of their research projects at a fall symposium.

New Paltz students who are interested in participating can fill out an application available in the Biology and Chemistry offices.