SUNY Oswego moved up in the most recent “public good” rankings from Washington Monthly that measure higher education’s contributions to bettering the world through service, research and improving the lives of its graduates.

Oswego jumped to #43 (from #52) on its Master’s University rankings, and to #37 (from #52) in the “Best Bang for the Buck” rankings among schools from the Northeast.

“Since 2005, the Washington Monthly has ranked colleges based on what they do for the country,” the publication explained in releasing these rankings. “Our rankings consist of three equally weighted portions: social mobility, research, and community and national service.”

This honor dovetails with SUNY Oswego’s recognition as a top-10 school for social mobility in the North from U.S. News and World Report. Oswego rose to #9 (from #18) in the fall 2024 listings.

Service has remained a priority at the university founded in 1861 by Edward Austin Sheldon to improve teacher training. SUNY Oswego is among the colleges and universities recognized with the prestigious Carnegie Community Engagement Classification for commitment to transforming knowledge into meaningful work supporting the public good.

These efforts are also part of SUNY Oswego’s new strategic plan, Transforming Lives, Igniting Possibilities. The plan’s strategic drivers include Grow, championing civic engagement by ensuring affordable access to superior public education and driving positive change; Connect, excelling in offering experiential and engaged learning and research, while supporting civic engagement across the region and the world; and Thrive, supporting student success while strengthening ecological, social and economic sustainability.

Supportive corps

One of the newest ways SUNY Oswego students contribute is via the SUNY Empire State Service Corps (ESSC). Oswego was among the first institutions to commit to this effort, with 13 students participating in the fall 2024 launch of the program. The university’s Experiential Learning office administers the program as part of SUNY Oswego’s larger mission to prepare students for success while contributing to the public good.

Students receive paid placements in high-need areas such as K-12 tutoring, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and basic needs outreach, peer mental health, sustainability, anti-hate and anti-bias prevention, nonpartisan civic engagement and Free Application for Federal Student Aid completion.

Through the ESSC, Izzy Ronacher. a childhood education major with a physics concentration, passionately worked on a food drive for the campus Students Helping Oz Peers (SHOP) pantry preparing Thanksgiving meals and baskets for those in need through a donation drive.

“I was interested in participating in the Empire State Service Corps because I am very passionate about community outreach,” Ronacher said. “Transferring to Oswego, I knew I wanted to be a part of the community here and participate in something that was bigger than myself and would positively impact our school community.” 

SUNY Oswego also launched the FAFSA (Financial Aid Free Student Application) Completion Corps, thanks to support from SUNY and AmeriCorps, to help fellow Lakers, high school students and families apply for financial aid that, in previous years, has gone unclaimed by too many people. 

Angela Aldatz, a biology major, saw this work as an opportunity to give back and support others who can benefit from the knowledge. “One of the reasons I wanted to come to college is to do better for myself, and I want to do that for others,” Aldatz said. “Teaching financial literacy is an important thing that I wanted to do because it helps other people be successful.”

These new programs join a number of recognized Oswego initiatives, such as Focus Forward, which provides mentors for middle-school and high-school students; the Oswego Children’s Project, providing child-centered play-based activities for elementary-school kids; and the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, packing food in support of Rise Against Hunger.

Most recently, SUNY Oswego students traveled for alternative spring breaks in March – helping clear trails for the American Hiking Association in the Philadelphia area, and a “staycation” service break supporting efforts around Oswego County.

Lakers leading

Oswego’s hundreds of student-athletes are known for shining in the community as well as in competition. The Lakers earned the ​​2024 NCAA Student-Athlete Community Service Award, which recognizes student-athletes' community engagement on campus, in their collegiate cities and in the surrounding areas.    

SUNY Oswego won the Division III challenge, with student-athletes volunteering 3,890 hours. The school had a 95 percent participation rate, which averaged 7.9 hours per student. Key community outreach events included a community leaf-raking event for senior citizens, visits to elementary school, and a holiday toy drive.

"Giving back is a core value of who we are as student-athletes, and we take pride in making an impact outside the playing field," said Anthony Cascen, a student-athlete on the wrestling team. "This recognition is an honor and shows the dedication, teamwork and passion we bring to serving our community. We're grateful for the opportunity to make a difference and inspired to continue to find ways to support our community." 

Within a few weeks of that recognition, Oswego also earned the Community Partnerships, Community Service Award from the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators. This nationwide honor underscores the university's leadership in community service and its role in developing responsible and engaged citizens.

Research tackles challenges

Much of the research taking place in Oswego laboratories involves solving problems facing humanity. This includes federally funded research to unlock a better way to maintain vaccines (including COVID-19 vaccines) against other current or future viruses. Arsalan Mirjafari, the university’s Dr. Richard S. Shineman Professor of Chemistry, leads the effort which also provides a lot of opportunities for students to learn and grow.

“We are doing research using some sugars with ionic liquids that we synthesize to be able to preserve the vaccine at room temperature to eliminate the cold chain, as vaccines currently need to be preserved in cold temperatures,” said student researcher Muhammad Musozoda, a chemistry graduate student who started working on the project as an Oswego undergraduate chemistry major. “We’re also trying to make the end result affordable.”

In 2024, SUNY Oswego also launched the Great Lakes Institute to foster a greater awareness and understanding of the Great Lakes through continued research efforts, academic programming and coursework for students at all levels, and public outreach.

“This will serve as a resource and place to discuss critical issues associated with the Great Lakes,” said Lisa Glidden, the institute’s founding director and a political science faculty member. “Lake Ontario has such a huge impact well beyond our region, and this represents a large opportunity to really support the public good.” 

In addition, many students presenting at the annual Quest celebration of scholarly and creative activities, this year on April 23, work on topics supporting the public good, including improving educational outcomes, promoting understanding of neurodiversity, exploring ecological topics and much more.

Sustainable success

Sustainability is another major focus, earning a number of honors and designations. SUNY Oswego regularly appears on the Princeton Review “Guide to Green Colleges” and earned a Gold Rating in a recent AASHE STARS Report.

“So many campus community members engage in and support so many projects large and small where we think about impacts that are short-term and long-term, local and global,” said Kate Spector, the university’s sustainability director. “Recognition is certainly icing on the cake, but putting in the work every day to make a difference is our primary focus.”

In addition, Oswego recently earned Tree Campus Higher Education recognition, from the Arbor Day Foundation for the university’s commitment to effective urban forest management, and from the Bee Campus USA program, designed to marshal the strengths of educational campuses for the benefit of pollinators.