The Big Tree Inn (pictured above) hosted President Denise Battles biannual College/Community Breakfast Meeting on Sept. 5. The meeting serves to bridge the gap between the Village of Geneseo townspeople and the college (Jenna Smolinski/ staff photographer).
President Denise Battles hosted the biannual College/Community Breakfast Meeting at the Big Tree Inn on Sept. 5. The meeting serves as a communication tool between the college and the town of Geneseo, providing town residents with relevant updates and announcements from the school. More than 50 people attended, including local business owners and members of the pPresident’s cabinet.
Battles began the meeting by introducing new additions to her leadership team. Interim Vice President for Student and Campus Life, David Braverman, took over the position on Aug. 8 from Robert Bonfiglio, who previously served the college for over 20 years. The search for a permanent VP for Student and Campus Life will take place throughout this academic year with a planned start date of July 2020.
Other new additions to the leadership team include Julie Buehler ‘89, who started July 25 as the Vice President for Finance and Administration, and Costas Solomou, who began his role as the Vice President for Enrollment Management on Aug. 8.
In terms of roles that still need to be filled, Battles announced that the school is currently searching for an Assistant Vice President for Facilities, an Executive Director for Campus Auxiliary Services and a Vice President for College Advancement.
The presentation then moved to updates regarding Geneseo’s Strategic Plan 2021, which is a set of standards and goals Geneseo is looking to meet in order to become a widely recognized institution known for “demonstrating the enduring power of a public liberal arts education,” according to the Geneseo website. The plan was first unveiled in 2016 but was refreshed for fall 2019 to acknowledge that “a lot has changed in the college and New York State,” Battles said.
Three years into the plan, the strategic planning group went through the plan to assess what initiatives have been completed and which are still in the works. The plan also moved to the Geneseo Wiki platform to be more accessible to students and faculty.
An imminent piece in the plan that will most directly affect students is the renovation of Sturges Hall beginning in spring 2020. This will be the building’s first renovation since it was first constructed in 1938, according to Battles. In the queue to be renovated is Milne Library, Fraser Hall and College Circle.
For announcements geared more toward village residents, Battles shared that the next Community Chat is scheduled for Nov. 13. These chats are meant to be a community engagement opportunity, bringing together Battles and Geneseo Mmayor Margaret Duffy. Other college events open to the public include the Wadsworth Lecture on Sept. 18 and the Harding Lecture and Sustainability Lecture later in the semester.
To wrap up her presentation, Battles noted some recent accolades Geneseo has received, both regionally and nationally. Geneseo was ranked 14th in north regional universities by U.S. News Best Colleges, 2nd in master’s universities for contributions to public good by Washington Monthly and a recipient of the Learfield Director’s Cup, awarded to schools for excellence in collegiate athletics. Of these accolades, Battles said “Geneseo occupies a really particular niche to be good at both academics and athletics.”
The keynote speaker for the meeting was robbie routenberg who serves as the college’s chief diversity officer. They presented on updates on diversity and equity, including a revised Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion statement. Revisions were made to the declaration to “acknowledge that everyone comes from different life experiences,” routenberg said.
routenberg also announced new and returning programs from the Office of Diversity and Equity. The Cultivating Community series returned on Monday Sept. 9 with its first dialogue “How to Propel Activism Forward” and two more dialogues are scheduled for the fall 2019 semester; Diversity and Inclusion Community Educators are hosting “wokeshops” for students and organizations interested in having conversations surrounding diversity and equity; and the Advancing Cultural Competency Certificate program is launching this semester “to help staff, faculty and administrators contribute meaningfully to our campus climate where all of our members thrive,” according to the Geneseo website.
The meeting reserved time at the end for the community members to share updates as well. As Battles emphasized throughout, gatherings like these are essential to maintaining the close relationship between the college and town.
The next College/Community Breakfast Meeting will be held in spring 2020.