Alfred State College is proud to announce that two of its
students, Brianna Swartz and Cassandra Robbers, have each been named a
recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence (CASE).
While recipients are typically recognized in person at
Albany each year, SUNY has decided to transition some of its annual in-person
ceremonies to remote celebrations this year because of the coronavirus. This includes
the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence ceremony originally scheduled for
April 22, which was planned to recognize the 214 outstanding students
throughout the SUNY system who would be receiving the award.
To celebrate the recipients this year, the Chancellor’s
Office will be producing a compilation video that highlights their
accomplishments during their time as a SUNY student.
In a letter to the award winners, SUNY Chancellor Dr.
Kristina M. Johnson said, “You should know that this is my favorite event of
the year – along with the distinguished faculty recognition. And though I am
deeply disappointed that I won’t see you here in Albany on April 22, your
accomplishments as a CASE awardee are not going unnoticed. You have been
honored by your university leadership and peers for academic excellence,
upstanding character, and positive contributions to campus life. Indeed, you
stand out among the more than 415,500 students pursuing degrees at SUNY, a
reflection of your hard work and dedication, as well as being a testament to
the support of your family, friends, and faculty members.”
Robbers, a business administration major from Almond, has been recognized as an outstanding adult student both locally and regionally (Rochester Area Colleges of Continuing Education) for her commitment to Alfred State and the local community. While at Alfred State, Robbers has earned recognition for her environmental campaign and her support of the Career Development Center. In the community, she volunteered at a local hospital and served as a resource for art and poetry for adults and children alike.
Swartz, an architectural technology major from Fort Plain,
has been recognized for her leadership roles on campus in residence life, study
abroad, and student government. As a student leader, she’s been an advocate for
student development throughout her time at Alfred State. She’s been lauded for
her investment in the local community through field-based research within the
Appalachian region, as well as providing architectural design and assistance to
communities in need through the college’s Southern Tier Architectural Resource
Center (STAR).
The Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence was created in
1997 to recognize students who have best demonstrated, and have been recognized
for, the integration of academic excellence with accomplishments in the areas
of leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts,
campus involvement, or career achievement.
Each year, SUNY campus presidents establish a selection
committee, which reviews the accomplishments of exemplary students. Nominees
are then forwarded to the Chancellor’s Office for a second round of review.
Finalists are then recommended to the chancellor to become recipients of the
award.