University Celebrates Program that Provides Pathway to Four-Year Degree Completion

SUNY Plattsburgh celebrated the more than 300 students on campus who are receiving wrap-around services aimed at helping them succeed and complete their bachelor’s degree in four years during a reception Sept. 24 in the Memorial Hall lobby.

Students in the Advancing Completion through Engagement program are first-generation or Pell-eligible and who are not part of other student support programs such as the Educational Opportunity Program or Accessibility Resource Office.

Initiated by Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature, ACE replicates a successful program modeled by the City University of New York. In 2023, SUNY Plattsburgh received more than $900,000 from the state’s $75 million Transformation Fund to be used over three years for its own ACE program.

The inaugural spring 2024 semester saw a program cohort of 33 students enrolled. By fall 2024, the number had increased to 50.

Goals Were Clear

Sara Welch became the inaugural director in February 2024, at which time two goals were clear: To deliver all components of the ACE program to the first cohort; and to recruit an additional 100 students for the first full cohort for fall 2024.

“Our original target was 150 students, but with the support of the Robin Hood Foundation, we expanded to 185. And then, thanks to additional funding secured with the help of SUNY Senior Vice Chancellor for Student Success Donna Linderman, we grew to 210 students,” Welch said. “Since then, the program has continued to grow in both numbers and impact.”

The Sept. 24 event was also to call attention to the governor and legislature’s creation of a $12 million recurring funding to help support SUNY’s expansion of the program.

“With permanent funding from the state of New York, “we were asked to expand to 300 students for fall 2025, a target we proudly met,” Welch said. “Through continued support from the Robin Hood Foundation, we were able to bring (on) an additional 35 students (for a total of) 335 students this fall.”

Welch said the university is committed “to ensuring each ACE student is challenged and supported to realize their potential, their goals and to create an amazing future.”

Immediate, Tangible Benefits

Karen McGrath, vice president for enrollment and student success, had said that since its launch at SUNY Plattsburgh, ACE students have felt immediate tangible benefits, with positive impacts on academic momentum, including higher credit completion, increased retention rates and high levels of student engagement.

This was achieved by providing academic assistance, personalized advisement, career development activities and funding to cover books, groceries, transportation and other costs borne by college students.

Kevin Li, a junior robotics major from Plattsburgh, said signed up for the ACE program because, simply put, it offered what he needed.

“I believed ACE could help provide the information I needed to succeed,” he said. “ACE is one of my primary resources at SUNY Plattsburgh. Monthly meetings help me recollect my thoughts. It’s been smooth sailing, and I’m incredibly thankful to ACE for its part in that.”

Students enrolled in the program are provided with:

• A dedicated ACE adviser and peer mentor, who assist with navigating college
• Cost of attendance award
• Up to $150 per semester in textbook assistance
• $200 per semester stipend to be used for expenses
• Career counseling and graduate school preparation assistance
• Personal, academic and financial counseling

For their part, students must:

• Meet with ACE advisers at least twice a month
• Participate in all academic support activities such as workshops, tutoring, academic coaching and peer mentoring appointments as prescribed by their ACE adviser
• Maintain full-time status with at least 15 credit hours per semester
• Respond to all ACE staff communications
• Complete all career development activities as per ACE advisers
• Enroll in courses during winter and summer months if 30 credits are not earned by the end of the academic year
• Commit to graduating within four years by following a four-year academic advisement plan approved by ACE academic advisers

“ACE embodies the mission, vision and values of access and opportunity programs at SUNY Plattsburgh,” said Shatawndra Lister, director, access and opportunity programs. “ACE is committed to fairness, access and persistence for first-generation college students, low-income backgrounds, and students with disabilities.

Resources Needed to Graduate

“ACE supports this goal by providing students with academic, financial and personal resources they need to graduate. The impact extends beyond the program itself. What began as a single initiative has influenced how access and opportunity programs supports students across all our departments,” she said.

“We’ve increased shared programming offerings, expanded academic support services and developed new living-learning communities.”

Lister said that ACE students also benefit from shared tutoring services, which include professional math and writing tutors as well as academic coaching.

“Coupled with open tutoring available in our Learning Center, students have the tools necessary to succeed at every stage,” she said. “Equally important, they form strong connections with ACE staff and peers, fostering a community that makes the campus feel smaller and more supportive.”

To boost that feeling of support, the Office of Campus Housing and Community Living has launched a second-year living-learning community space that “provides a dedicated housing setting during a critical year, Lister said.

“Students live and learn together, participate in programs that enhance academic skills and foster stronger connections with faculty, staff and peers,” she said. “The purpose is clear: To boost persistence, foster a sense of belonging and help students stay on track for graduation.”

McGrath applauded SUNY for replicating the ACE program across the statewide system.

“Removing financial barriers, providing structured pathways for success and creating connected communities through support and engagement activities — that is what ACE is all about,” she said. “We are proud to be an ACE institution and even more proud of our students for being committed to academic excellence, personal development and an on-time graduation.”

For more information on the ACE program at SUNY Plattsburgh, contact Welch at 518-564-2810, email [email protected] or visit https://www.plattsburgh.edu/plattslife/student-support/advancing-completion-through-engagement/index.html.

— Story, Photos by Associate Director of Communications Gerianne Downs