SUNY is a system founded in shared governance, with students, faculty, and administration partnering to make decisions key to the college experience. As students graduate, and new leaders emerge, they often step into their positions with a handful of questions. How does shared governance work? What can administration and students do to make their shared governance as efficient and smooth as possible? The Student Assembly, Faculty Council of Community Colleges, and University Faculty Senate heard these questions and implemented a yearly two-day conference, called SUNY Voices, to help answer them.
On June 4th and 5th, the three shared governance organizations hosted their annual SUNY Voices Campus Governance Leader (CGL) Conference where newly elected student government presidents from all over the SUNY system, new faculty senate members, and SUNY administrative members come together to learn from each other, meet new and seasoned CGLs, and gain a better understanding of their roles in relation to shared governance.
The first presentation was titled “Shared Governance 101,” presented by President of the SUNY University Faculty Senate Gwen Kay, President of the Faculty Council of Community Colleges Nina Tamrowski, and President of the SUNY Student Assembly Austin Ostro. Other notable presentations included “How to Run a Meeting,” “10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started as a Campus Governance Leader,” “Difficult Conversations,” and “Advocacy Basics.”
The student government presidents in attendance with the Student Assembly were
Bridget Boland representing SUNY Polytechnic Institute CNSE graduate students
Timothy Nolan representing SUNY Oneonta
Christine Sylvester representing SUNY Binghamton graduate students
Xiaoqing Zhang representing Stony Brook graduate students
Emma Chilson-Cline representing SUNY Brockport
Taijah Pink representing SUNY New Paltz
Cheyanne Matulewich representing SUNY Cobleskill
Shelley Jain representing SUNY Downstate
Zion Sherin representing Hudson Valley Community College
Dylan Guilfoyle representing Adirondack Community College
Emma Vanderwerken representing SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica
Chief of Staff Amy Zhang representing University at Albany President Dee Carty
Student leader Andrew Hutchinson representing Jamestown Community College
Yousouf Amolegbe representing University at Buffalo
Kalis Nunes representing SUNY Potsdam
Kupr Kuprian representing Mohawk Valley Community College
Shaheer Kahn representing Stony Brook University
Christopher Thomas representing SUNY ESF graduate students
Andy Graham representing SUNY ESF undergraduate students
Akshay Patel representing SUNY Upstate
Kalief Mettelus representing SUNY Old Westbury
Erin Winn representing Suffolk Community College’s Ammerman campus
Gaelle Jean-Baptiste representing Buffalo State
Student leader James Hunt representing Schenectady Community College.
The program was finished by Dr. John Graham as he enlightened the student government presidents with a quote: “The two most important days are when you are born, and when you find out why you were born.”
Written by Eric Rooney, University at Buffalo Student Association Chief of Staff