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Ellenville U!
SUNY Ulster To Initiate Programs For Local Students

ELLENVILLE – SUNY Ulster President Dr. Al Roberts attended the Ellenville CSD Board of Education meeting on May 24 to share new initiatives the college has implemented this year, as well as those proposed to commence next September.

"We talk about the value that added to our student experience. One being the rigor of understanding what's expected at that next level, but also the cost-saving impact it has on families," said Ellenville high school principal Carl Pabon, referring to the school districts' participation with SUNY Ulster's Collegian Program initiated last fall."It offers a fantastic opportunity financially as well as educationally."

The Collegian program allows high school juniors and seniors to enroll in college level history and English courses, taught by high school faculty in Ellenville. With successful completion of the course, students receive college credit for a fraction of the cost that a traditional student would pay, or $55 per course versus $159.

"The collaboration we have with Ellenville is phenomenal," Dr. Roberts said, describing SUNY Ulster as a small college of only 3,000 students. "It's not huge and I think that's what I like best about it. It gives students such small classes, quality instruction and at such a reasonable price." Of the 1,400 community colleges throughout the country, Dr. Roberts said SUNY Ulster is the only one to be listed as one of the 100 most affordable in its state.

"Two weeks ago, we gave away $288,000 to students coming into SUNY Ulster next year," he added, noting that the top ten percent of each graduating high school class gets a free ticket to SUNY Ulster for two years.

Conscientious of the changing world, where the cost of higher education is now pushing many students $100,000 to $150,000 in debt by the time they graduate from top four year colleges, Roberts pointed out that SUNY Ulster is in the middle of a $1 million upgrade with a focus on STEM labs, as well as piloting a couple of initiatives at Rondout Valley CSD.

He added that other initiatives were ready for Ellenville next fall, if the district is interested. The first, an early college program, involves a selection of 15 to 30 high school seniors opting to spend a full day at the SUNY Ulster campus in Stone Ridge each week throughout the year. With flexible schedules and the ability to focus on any career they'd like, Roberts said, this would amount to getting one year of college at a third of what traditional students pay.

His second proposal is to enhance the Collegian program to include a second year of college credits within the high school environment.

"My goal is that a student should be able to graduate from college before they graduate from high school," he continued, explaining how students would have access to level 200 courses after school, taught in Ellenville by SUNY Ulster professors, to complement the first level courses to be taught by high school teachers.

Working with Rondout Valley, Richards said the college is piloting a new Presidents' Challenge Scholarship, which establishes a mentor relationship between a college student and eighth grader, with a requirement that the junior high student maintain a B average throughout high school, have good attendance and good behavior. Then they get a free ride to SUNY Ulster.

When he first promoted this idea to Rondout Valley families and students, Roberts said there was an overwhelming positive response.

ECSD trustee Phil Mattracion added that such a response could be expected from Ellenville, as well.

In other news, superintendent Lisa Wiles said the district is preparing its state-required APPR plan, due July 1. In addition, the board appointed Kermit Moyer to the newly created position of Director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics. Current athletic director Mary Borriello will retiring at the close of this school year.



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