New president appointed at SUNY Oneonta

ONEONTA, N.Y. — The SUNY board of trustees on Tuesday appointed Alberto Jose Cardelle as president of SUNY Oneonta.

SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras recommended Cardelle for the role, and his time as president begins Sept. 6, SUNY said.

Cardelle assumes the role that Barbara Jean Morris previously held. She departed the position last October “to pursue other opportunities,” SUNY said at the time. Dennis Craig has been serving as the school’s acting president.

Cardelle joins SUNY from Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts, where he most recently served as its provost and VP for academic affairs. This role involved providing leadership and strategic direction to faculty and staff spanning a number of schools at Fitchburg State, as well as overseeing admissions, student success services, international education, the library, and the registrar.

“Dr. Cardelle is an exceptional leader and we are lucky to have him join the SUNY community. Dr. Cardelle is a staunch advocate for students who has a distinguished record of not only providing more access and opportunities for students, but making sure students thrive academically,” Malatras said in a statement. “He joins SUNY Oneonta at a pivotal moment, and I have no doubt that he will bring the campus to new heights. Thanks to College Council President Patrick Brown for leading the search process and a special thanks to Acting President Dennis Craig for leading the campus through this leadership transition.”

Cardelle has worked in higher education since 1999, focusing on areas such as student development; diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; academic excellence; and community development, among other passions.

“Higher education provides us with the knowledge to succeed, and just as important a sense of community that is a vehicle for providing students with equity of opportunity,” Cardelle said. “Accessible higher education is transformational for the individual and society as whole. That is at the forefront of what drives me in my career, and I look forward to working with SUNY Oneonta’s faculty and staff to that end.”