The following are some major highlights, in no particular order, from this past year:
- Accreditations: The five-year Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) program obtained full accreditation status from the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). Also, the Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology (ABET) reaccredited 10 of the college’s technology-related majors.
- New programs: Several new programs launched in the fall of 2019, including mechatronics technology (AAS and BS), agricultural automation and robotics (AAS), game and interactive design (AS and BS), and the first four-year agriculture program in the school’s history, agricultural entrepreneurship (BTech).
- Grants: Alfred State received several grants in 2019, including a $2.1 million grant from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation in support of the mechatronics technology and agricultural automation and robotics associate degree programs. The college was also awarded a $2.25 million grant from the US Department of Education as part of the Title III Strengthening Institutions Program, and a $100,000 grant from The John R. Oishei Foundation to help grow Alfred State’s HVAC program.
- Visits from officials: SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson delivered a keynote address at the STEM Summer Institute at Alfred State. The college also welcomed SUNY Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Merryl H. Tisch and SUNY Senior Vice Chancellor Johanna Duncan-Poitier to campus for a visit. Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul visited the electrical construction lab at the Northland Workforce Training Center in Buffalo to speak with instructors and students there.
- ASC continues to excel in US News & World Report’s Best Colleges list. Among all Northern Colleges in an 11-state region, Alfred State is ranked No. 10 overall, No. 6 for public schools, and No. 1 among all SUNY institutions in the category. US News also ranks Alfred State the No. 3 Best College for Veterans when listing public colleges in the North.
- Alfred State launched a new Esports team that affords students the opportunity to go head-to-head against other colleges in many competitive games. The team complements Alfred State’s new game and interactive design AS and BS programs.
- For the 10th straight year, the employment and continuing education rate among Alfred State graduates reached 99 percent.
- Students began working on a “reuse/repurpose/recycle” project that will showcase how shipping containers can be repurposed into high-efficiency housing or office units.
- The Alfred State Police Academy officially launched this year, serving as a regional training center that offers high-quality training to current and future law enforcement professionals.
- ASC launched a new virtual tour that is custom-built based on feedback from students. With the upgraded experience, users can now virtually navigate through Alfred State’s campuses and buildings in several different ways by choosing an aerial tour, a road tour, or a walking tour.
