More than 100 visitors bustled in the lobby and hallways of Cayuga Community College Wednesday, Sept. 30, as students looked on - some chatting and offering tours of the campus to passers-by.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Deborah J. Goodrich, associate vice president for enrollment management at Alfred State College, speaks about the strengths of the different SUNY university centers and technical colleges during the SUNY Opinform event at Cayuga Community College.
Deborah J. Goodrich, associate vice president for enrollment management at Alfred State College, speaks about the strengths of the different SUNY university centers and technical colleges during the SUNY Opinform event at Cayuga Community College.
SUNY's Operation Inform was underway, with college admissions representatives and high school guidance counselors exchanging greetings, hugs and professional advice on college admissions.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the excellence of SUNY to counselors who can attend from across New York state,” said CCC admissions representative Danielle McMahan. “It gives Cayuga a chance to show off our beautiful campus and talk about some of the great programs we have here.”
Operation Inform, known commonly as Opinform by event participants, is a day of presentations, panel discussions and workshops put on by SUNY schools' admissions departments. Tim Piche, associate director for enrollment programs for SUNY systems, said the goal of Opinform is to communicate changes and updates in SUNY school admissions to New York state high school guidance counselors. There are seven Opinform days scheduled around New York state this fall. Other SUNY colleges that will host this event include Brockport and Plattsburgh.
“The academics and student life (at SUNY schools) combined with the cost makes SUNY compare very favorably to lots of private options,” said Kitty McCarthy, SUNY's assistant vice chancellor for enrollment marketing. “The quality of the programs for their cost equals the value of SUNY.”
Bruce Blodgett, director of admissions at CCC, said that 125 high school counselors from schools such as Skaneateles High School and Oswego High School showed up for Wednesday's event. Thirty-five SUNY admissions representatives from Binghamton, Geneseo and other schools also attended. “Over 120 school counselors on your campus is a fantastic thing,” Blodgett said. “It allows Cayuga the opportunity to present itself.”
Blodgett said that many of the high school counselors who attended Opinform told him they were impressed by CCC's campus.
To streamline Wednesday's event at CCC, Blodgett said, 40 volunteers (students and college employees) manned the check-in tables and directed visitors to program event locations. The day included a general SUNY update presentation; workshops by various SUNY schools on the SUNY application process, financing education in the current economic climate and the future of media education; a panel discussion with SUNY admissions professionals; a professional exchange opportunity between high school counselors and SUNY representatives; and campus tours. Breakfast and lunch were also on the agenda.
“Every year, we want to keep updates of what's going on with SUNY,” said Lisa Gaudreau, high school guidance counselor at John C. Birdlebough High School in Phoenix, NY. “Lots of our kids go to SUNY.”
Gaudreau spoke of the importance of networking between high school counselors and college admissions staff. She said Opinform allows her to stay connected.
“We can call them. We know them. They know us,” Gaudreau said.
Another high school counselor, Christine Hoskins-Tardibone, of Auburn High School, said: “It's really important, as we assist our students making career decisions, that we have the most recent information.”
“We need to keep up with technology, the changing times, the global economy ... the process of applying (to colleges) has become more technologically advanced.”
There are 64 SUNY campuses in New York state. Ryan Clarke, admissions advisor at Morrisville State College, stressed the need for unity between them.
“We need to spread the SUNY word on a united front,” he said. “We're all family.”
Dan Griffin, associate director of admissions at SUNY Oswego, said of Opinform, “High school counselors need to tell us what's on their minds, if there's some service we can provide that we're not. They need to know who we're admitting and who we're not so they can send their students to the right schools.”
According to SUNY's Web site, SUNY's total enrollment is about 439,523 students, including undergraduate and graduate students on either a full- or part-time basis.
“It's not just about the cost,” McCarthy said of SUNY. “People want to know that their son or daughter is getting the best education possible.”
Staff writer Kelly Voll can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or kelly.voll@lee.net
“This is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the excellence of SUNY to counselors who can attend from across New York state,” said CCC admissions representative Danielle McMahan. “It gives Cayuga a chance to show off our beautiful campus and talk about some of the great programs we have here.”
Operation Inform, known commonly as Opinform by event participants, is a day of presentations, panel discussions and workshops put on by SUNY schools' admissions departments. Tim Piche, associate director for enrollment programs for SUNY systems, said the goal of Opinform is to communicate changes and updates in SUNY school admissions to New York state high school guidance counselors. There are seven Opinform days scheduled around New York state this fall. Other SUNY colleges that will host this event include Brockport and Plattsburgh.
“The academics and student life (at SUNY schools) combined with the cost makes SUNY compare very favorably to lots of private options,” said Kitty McCarthy, SUNY's assistant vice chancellor for enrollment marketing. “The quality of the programs for their cost equals the value of SUNY.”
Bruce Blodgett, director of admissions at CCC, said that 125 high school counselors from schools such as Skaneateles High School and Oswego High School showed up for Wednesday's event. Thirty-five SUNY admissions representatives from Binghamton, Geneseo and other schools also attended. “Over 120 school counselors on your campus is a fantastic thing,” Blodgett said. “It allows Cayuga the opportunity to present itself.”
Blodgett said that many of the high school counselors who attended Opinform told him they were impressed by CCC's campus.
To streamline Wednesday's event at CCC, Blodgett said, 40 volunteers (students and college employees) manned the check-in tables and directed visitors to program event locations. The day included a general SUNY update presentation; workshops by various SUNY schools on the SUNY application process, financing education in the current economic climate and the future of media education; a panel discussion with SUNY admissions professionals; a professional exchange opportunity between high school counselors and SUNY representatives; and campus tours. Breakfast and lunch were also on the agenda.
“Every year, we want to keep updates of what's going on with SUNY,” said Lisa Gaudreau, high school guidance counselor at John C. Birdlebough High School in Phoenix, NY. “Lots of our kids go to SUNY.”
Gaudreau spoke of the importance of networking between high school counselors and college admissions staff. She said Opinform allows her to stay connected.
“We can call them. We know them. They know us,” Gaudreau said.
Another high school counselor, Christine Hoskins-Tardibone, of Auburn High School, said: “It's really important, as we assist our students making career decisions, that we have the most recent information.”
“We need to keep up with technology, the changing times, the global economy ... the process of applying (to colleges) has become more technologically advanced.”
There are 64 SUNY campuses in New York state. Ryan Clarke, admissions advisor at Morrisville State College, stressed the need for unity between them.
“We need to spread the SUNY word on a united front,” he said. “We're all family.”
Dan Griffin, associate director of admissions at SUNY Oswego, said of Opinform, “High school counselors need to tell us what's on their minds, if there's some service we can provide that we're not. They need to know who we're admitting and who we're not so they can send their students to the right schools.”
According to SUNY's Web site, SUNY's total enrollment is about 439,523 students, including undergraduate and graduate students on either a full- or part-time basis.
“It's not just about the cost,” McCarthy said of SUNY. “People want to know that their son or daughter is getting the best education possible.”
Staff writer Kelly Voll can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or kelly.voll@lee.net
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