SUNY Empire State College and SUNY Adirondack Community College have approved a phase-one agreement for five joint-admissions degrees in business and management at SUNY Empire’s Saratoga Springs campus.
Under the agreement, SUNY Adirondack students will benefit from increased access to SUNY Empire’s campus in Saratoga Springs, where they can matriculate in bachelor’s and eventually graduate programs in a convenient location upon completing their degree at SUNY Adirondack.
While SUNY Empire has shared space on other college campuses around New York state—including Alfred State College, Cayuga Community College, Fulton-Montgomery Community College, SUNY Adirondack, and SUNY Plattsburgh—this is the first time in its nearly 50-year history that SUNY Empire will host a fellow SUNY institution, creating greater opportunity for Saratoga residents to earn associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees close to home.
The agreement creates five new pathways guaranteeing admission to graduates of SUNY Adirondack’s associate degrees in business to SUNY Empire’s bachelor’s degree programs in business and management.
The focus on business pathways helps meet SUNY Adirondack’s students’ growing demand to up-skill or refocus their careers, as well as demand in the field of entrepreneurship and small business development, officials said.
The five pathway agreements include: A.S. in accounting to B.S. in accounting; A.S. in business administration to B.S. in business administration; A.S. in business administration to B.S. in human resource management; A.S. in business administration to B.S. in management, A.A.S. in management, marketing and entrepreneurship to B.S. in management.
Under the partnership, SUNY Empire will waive the registration fee for applicants and provide a $100 Presidential Scholarship to all transfer students. The agreement also extends to SUNY Adirondack employees, and helps lower the cost and time needed to complete a degree by awarding college credit for professional experience. Students also can complete their degrees entirely online, or at one of SUNY Empire’s 30-plus campuses and learning hubs around the state, including in Albany, Latham, Schenectady, Queensbury, and Johnstown.
The degrees can be completed from start to finish onsite at SUNY Empire’s campus at 111 and 113 West Ave. in Saratoga Springs, expanding access to a bachelor’s degree for SUNY Adirondack students in Saratoga County. Upon completing their studies at SUNY Adirondack, students will be able to take advantage of the services of SUNY Empire’s recently renovated Student Center, which opened in 2019 following an extensive $4.2 million overhaul.
The 52,000-square-foot student center is home to SUNY Empire’s financial aid offices, information center, student accounts, registrar, and bookstore. Students will be able to connect with staff, and easily begin the transfer process.
“This is an incredible opportunity for countless hardworking students in Saratoga to earn a business degree on their terms, while saving time and money, all in their community,” said SUNY Empire State College President Jim Malatras. “This is the model of the future and SUNY Empire is proud to collaborate with SUNY Adirondack to provide community-based opportunities for working students looking to earn their business degrees in Saratoga Springs. This is an exciting first step toward a larger partnership with SUNY Adirondack.”
“This joint admission 2+2 partnership with SUNY Empire is about more than ease of transfer, it is about a shared vision to remove barriers for students to achieve their associate and bachelor’s degrees. Through this agreement, we will remove the needless paperwork and bureaucracy and focus on guiding students to achieve their goals,” said SUNY Adirondack President Kristine Duffy. “Earning a degree while working is no easy task, and this partnership will make the path to a needed credential much easier through intentional advising, convenient course scheduling and offerings, and attention to the needs of the busy student of today. We are excited to work more closely with the faculty and staff at SUNY Empire.”
Officials said the joint-admission agreements allow students to seamlessly transfer all lower-division credits at SUNY Adirondack to SUNY Empire, more than half the 124 total credits required to complete a bachelor’s degree, meaning students can earn a bachelor’s degree in as little as one year after their associate degree.
SUNY Empire also offers the opportunity for students to transfer credits for work and life experience through its individualized Prior Learning Assessment (iPLA) evaluation. Examples of college-level learning could include military training, professional licenses and certifications, independent study, and internships or volunteer work.
“The easy academic transition this partnership between SUNY Empire and SUNY Adirondack creates will be a real benefit for business students in our region,” said state Sen.Betty Little. “This will be an attractive option for students coming right out of high school and for those who are older and looking for a new pathway.”
“The partnership will allow many students a pathway to achieving their goal of attaining a four-year degree without having to travel a great distance,” said Assemblyman Dan Stec. “Providing our business community with well-educated and qualified employees will also ensure an environment of professionals ready to strive for success.”