New students, faculty join the campus community
The new faculty members arrived on campus on Aug. 19 for an orientation session held at the College Terrace. The new group includes (from left to right): Mona Ali (Economics), Roberto Velez-Velez (Sociology), Amy Forestell (Physics), Jennifer Woodin (Art), Montserrat Gimeno (Music), Navin Viswanathan (Psychology), David Richardson (Biology), Kathleen Lord (Elementary Education), Edith Kuiper (Economics), Alexis Chestnut-Andrews (Elementary Education), Daniel Labbato (Communication and Media) and Jessica Poser (Art). Missing from the photo is Mary Ellen Bafumo (Elementary Education) and Linda Scheetz (Nursing).
There will be more than 1,800 new faces on campus when the 2009-2010 semester begins next week.
On Aug. 20, first-year students living on campus moved into the college’s 14 residence halls. Transfer and returning students arrive on campus over the weekend before classes start on Monday, Aug. 24.
The Class of 2013 is comprised of 1,100 first-year students selected from a record-breaking applicant pool of 15,426. They will be joined by 675 transfer students.
David Eaton, vice president for enrollment management, said the college continues to draw a large number of the very best applicants. This fall, the college accepted only 34 percent of its freshman applicants and 36 percent of its transfer applicants.
In addition, Eaton said that the quality of the students the college attracts continues to rise. One hundred percent of the accepted first-year students come from the top two of five State University of New York quality groups.
Offices related to student services have extended their hours and will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Aug. 20 to 27. They include the ID/Meal Plan Office, Financial Aid, Parking, Records and Registration and Telecommunications.
The campus also welcomed 14 faculty members to the community at an Aug. 19 orientation. The new cohort, which includes full- and part-time professors from eight disciplines, is made up of the following:
Mona Ali (Economics)
Mary Ellen Bafumo (Elementary Education)
Alexis Chestnut-Andrews (Elementary Education)
Amy Forestell (Physics)
Montserrat Gimeno (Music)
Edith Kuiper (Economics)
Daniel Labbato (Communication and Media)
Kathleen Lord (Elementary Education)
Jessica Poser (Art)
David Richardson (Biology)
Linda Scheetz (Nursing)
Roberto Velez-Velez (Sociology)
Navin Viswanathan (Psychology)
Jennifer Woodin (Art)
With the new students and faculty on campus, the college will officially kick off the new academic year with Fall Convocation, which takes place at noon on Friday, Aug. 21, in the Athletic and Wellness Center.
