SUNY Oswego, three area community colleges partner on Central New York Transfer Collaboration

OSWEGO, N.Y. — SUNY Oswego and three regional community colleges are partnering on the Central New York Transfer Collaboration (CNYTC). The effort seeks to work on “improving the transfer experience,” SUNY Oswego said in its Thursday announcement. CNYTC also includes Onondaga Community College (OCC), Jefferson Community College (JCC), and Cayuga Community College (CCC). SUNY is supporting the effort with $85,000 for “yield activities to further strengthen relationships and the transfer pipeline” between the schools. An additional $12,000 in SUNY Transformational Funds over the next two years “will go beyond just these transfer activities to develop a more enduring partnership” among the institutions, the announcement contended. More than one-third of Oswego’s new baccalaureate students transfer to the university each year after completing coursework or associate degrees at other institutions, SUNY Oswego President Peter Nwosu said in announcing the collaboration. “We have the capacity to increase that number, and we are in the process of building a robust infrastructure to make that increase a reality,” Nwosu said. “We have always worked with our community college transfers to make the student experience as straightforward as possible, making us a leader for transfer students; these new efforts will help us continue improving in this space.” Nwosu went on to say that the SUNY dollars will help the schools involved to partner “to enhance seamless transfer pathways to Oswego for community college students.” Cory Bezek, SUNY Oswego’s VP for enrollment management, noted that the reality is that the relationship between Oswego and the community colleges involved continues to be more “collaboration than competition.” “When they do better, we do a lot better, so if we can find ways to support each school and their mission, it’s going to make us stronger,” Bezek said. Every year, between one-quarter and one-third of incoming SUNY Oswego students are transfers, with many coming from CCC, JCC and OCC, so making the process smoother and more effective helps a significant group, Bezek added. “The ultimate goals of this coalition are to create an environment where transfer students receive credit for all the classes they’ve taken and to ensure that all their credits count towards the degree they seek,” Nwosu added.