5. Create and fill a new honors assistant coordinator position :: PIP System (SUNY Orange)

5. Create and fill a new honors assistant coordinator position Print All

Initiative Title	5. Create and fill a new honors assistant coordinator position
Submitted in Previous Year(s)	2022
Critical Information, Notes, Justification, Rationale	Current coordinator /chair of honors cannot advise all student (or even the 55 with whom she is left), run the program, teach several of the HON courses, plan student events, work on articulation agreements, community outreach and planning, assist with meeting diverse needs of our ever more diverse students, provide enrichment opportunities (including conferences), etc. PLUS be in Middletown and Newburgh. An assistant coordinator (faculty/staff person) would be able to assist with recruiting and advising, oversee student activities, assist with preparing and taking students to conferences, take on some HON courses, and perhaps be assigned to Newburgh part-time. The person would allow for more personalized academic, career and personal needs counseling and assistance, which could improve retention and success rates. Depending on the person, he or she could do outreach to other colleges and organizations to improve program offerings and meet student needs. What other programs function with 1 faculty person and more than 75 students? We also are not providing opportunities for succession planning.
Consequences of this initiative not being funded	We will continue to not serve the students as effectively as possible and not provide any offerings/presence in Newburgh. We will continue to wear out the current Chair/Coordinator. We will continue to ask too much of the dedicated members of the Honors Advisory Board. We will not be able to expand the program in the ways in which it should be developed. We are not doing anything about succession planning.
Department Goals	Acquire/secure appropriate space and facilities as part of the infrastructure and personnel plan based on program assessments, Improve recruitment of quality and committed traditional, non-traditional, and under-represented student populations by offering more program-specific scholarships
Programs
Locations	Main Campus, Newburgh Campus
Estimated Completion Date
Will this initiative span multiple budget years?	No
Importance	Low
Funding Source	Request for Prioritization
Created	11/04/2025 10:30 am
Updated	11/06/2025 3:16 pm

Institutional Goals

Goal	How will the initiative support this institutional goal?
STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2025 Empower Student Success: Equitably link students with their aspirations Goal #1: Identify and reduce the barriers to academic and personal success	This initiative recognizes what is actually occurring in the position. It should improve retention, programming, advising and the marketability of the program. it will also help the coordinator remain sane and avoid burnout.
STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2025 Empower Student Success: Equitably link students with their aspirations Goal #3: Increase flexibility for the students of today and tomorrow	This initiative recognizes what is actually occurring in the position. It should improve retention, programming, advising and the marketability of the program. it will also help the coordinator remain sane and avoid burnout.
STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2025 Strengthen our Region’s Economic Future: Teach and Train for a Brighter Tomorrow Goal #2: Identify and address the needs of an increasingly diverse regional population and workforce	This initiative recognizes what is actually occurring in the position. It should improve retention, programming, advising and the marketability of the program. it will also help the coordinator remain sane and avoid burnout.
STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2025 Sustain and Invigorate Our Planned Future: Reimagine Human, Financial and Physical Resources Goal #2: Collaborate with community partners and other educational institutions to expand funding and educational opportunities in pursuit of student-centered outcomes	This initiative recognizes what is actually occurring in the position. It should improve retention, programming, advising and the marketability of the program. it will also help the coordinator remain sane and avoid burnout.
STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2025 Sustain and Invigorate Our Planned Future: Reimagine Human, Financial and Physical Resources Goal #3: Maximize and more efficiently use technologies and physical resources to enhance the student experience	This initiative recognizes what is actually occurring in the position. It should improve retention, programming, advising and the marketability of the program. it will also help the coordinator remain sane and avoid burnout.
MIDDLESTATES STANDARDS 3 Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience	This initiative recognizes what is actually occurring in the position. It should improve retention, programming, advising and the marketability of the program. This means increased opportunities for and support of current and potential students as well as expanded programming and community outreach. It also will help the coordinator remain sane and avoid burnout and reduce the load on the current HAB members who are all volunteers but work very hard to support the program and its students.
MIDDLESTATES STANDARDS 4 Support of the Student Experience	This initiative recognizes what is actually occurring in the position. It should improve retention, programming, advising and the marketability of the program. This means increased opportunities for and support of current and potential students as well as expanded programming and community outreach. It also will help the coordinator remain sane and avoid burnout and reduce the load on the current HAB members who are all volunteers but work very hard to support the program and its students.
STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2025 Empower Student Success: Equitably link students with their aspirations Goal #2: Provide individualized resources and guidance to ensure student readiness to succeed at SUNY Orange	This initiative recognizes what is actually occurring in the position. It should improve retention, programming, advising and the marketability of the program. it will also help the coordinator remain sane and avoid burnout.
STRATEGIC PLAN 2025-2028 Priority 1: Student Support & Success Objective #1: Refine curriculum design, instructional practices, and learning environments to maximize academic excellence, intellectual curiosity and student success.	This initiative recognizes what is actually occurring in the position. It should improve retention, programming, advising and the marketability of the program. This means increased opportunities for and support of current and potential students as well as expanded programming and community outreach. It also will help the coordinator remain sane and avoid burnout and reduce the load on the current HAB members who are all volunteers but work very hard to support the program and its students.
STRATEGIC PLAN 2025-2028 Priority 1: Student Support & Success Objective #2: Enhance student support services to provide inclusive and equitable campus experiences that promote success, connection, well-being and personal growth.	This initiative recognizes what is actually occurring in the position. It should improve retention, programming, advising and the marketability of the program. This means increased opportunities for and support of current and potential students as well as expanded programming and community outreach. It also will help the coordinator remain sane and avoid burnout and reduce the load on the current HAB members who are all volunteers but work very hard to support the program and its students. Having multiple people available to students speaks for itself.
STRATEGIC PLAN 2025-2028 Priority 1: Student Support & Success Objective #4: Advance comprehensive career services that connect students to internships, industry-aligned credentials and continuous career development.	This initiative recognizes what is actually occurring in the position. It should improve retention, programming, advising and the marketability of the program. This means increased opportunities for and support of current and potential students as well as expanded programming and community outreach. It also will help the coordinator remain sane and avoid burnout and reduce the load on the current HAB members who are all volunteers but work very hard to support the program and its students.
STRATEGIC PLAN 2025-2028 Priority 2: Pathways & Partnerships Objective #2: Expand partnerships with employers, educational institutions, and community organizations.	This initiative recognizes what is actually occurring in the position. It should improve retention, programming, advising and the marketability of the program. This means increased opportunities for and support of current and potential students as well as expanded programming and community outreach. We could expand more into the community and expand the opportunities for articulation agreements and programming with other schools.
STRATEGIC PLAN 2025-2028 Priority 2: Pathways & Partnerships Objective #4: Redefine Newburgh campus offerings to align with institutional priories and available resources, while clarifying and communicating pathways and coursework with transparency and purpose.	This initiative recognizes what is actually occurring in the position. It should improve retention, programming, advising and the marketability of the program. This means increased opportunities for and support of current and potential students as well as expanded programming and community outreach. An additional person could mean expansion back to the Newburgh campus rather than requiring students to come to Middletown to experience honors..
STRATEGIC PLAN 2025-2028 Priority 3: Academic & Professional Excellence Objective #2: Foster a positive and inclusive campus culture by strengthening internal communication, collaboration, and a shared purpose and belonging.	This initiative recognizes what is actually occurring in the position. It should improve retention, programming, advising and the marketability of the program. This means increased opportunities for and support of current and potential students as well as expanded programming and community outreach. It also will help the coordinator remain sane and avoid burnout and reduce the load on the current HAB members who are all volunteers but work very hard to support the program and its students.
STRATEGIC PLAN 2025-2028 Priority 3: Academic & Professional Excellence Objective #3: Promote faculty and staff engagement in professional growth and institutional initiatives, with recognition for contributions to student support and success as well as institutional improvement and innovation.	This initiative recognizes what is actually occurring in the position. It should improve retention, programming, advising and the marketability of the program. This means increased opportunities for and support of current and potential students as well as expanded programming and community outreach. It also will help the coordinator remain sane and avoid burnout and reduce the load on the current HAB members who are all volunteers but work very hard to support the program and its students.

Action Steps

Action Step	Responsible Party	Order
Create an appropriate job description	Honors Program Coordinator / HAB /	1
Meet with Union and AVP to determine appropriate load redefinition	Honors Program Coordinator	2
Search and fill the position	HAB / Coordinator	3
Train the new person	Honors Program Coordinator / HAB	4

Expected Outcomes

Outcome	Order
Less stress on current coordinator and members of the HAB	1
Improved programming and planning	2
Improved ability to provide academic advising	3
Potentially improved retention of students	4

Assessment Methods

Method	Description	Other Method	Responsible Party
Focus Groups	A series of structured discussions with students who are asked a series of open-ended questions designed to collect data about beliefs, attitudes, and experiences.		Honors Advisory Board: Student members

Resources

INITIAL YEAR COST:	$6,000.00
RECURRING COST:	$6,000.00

Equipment

Need	Cost (Initial/Recurring)	Supporting Departments
TOTAL:	$0.00 / $0.00

Facility

Need	Cost (Initial/Recurring)	Supporting Departments
TOTAL:	$0.00 / $0.00

Supply

Need	Cost (Initial/Recurring)	Supporting Departments
TOTAL:	$0.00 / $0.00

Staffing

Need	Cost (Initial/Recurring)	Supporting Departments
TOTAL:	$0.00 / $0.00

Training

Need	Cost (Initial/Recurring)	Supporting Departments
TOTAL:	$0.00 / $0.00

Marketing

Need	Cost (Initial/Recurring)	Supporting Departments
TOTAL:	$0.00 / $0.00

Other

Need	Cost (Initial/Recurring)	Supporting Departments
Increased load redefinition	$6000.00 / 6000.00 (1st year)	Academic Affairs and Student Services, Provost, VP Office
TOTAL:	$6,000.00 / $6,000.00

Prioritization

This is initiative is ready for prioritization.

Assessment

Date	Department Name	Status	Cost to Date	Funding Source
No results found.