DAN QUAGLIANA
Staff Writer
Graphic By Ryan Ludu
For over 80 years, SUNY Fredonia’s official designation has been the “State University of New York College at Fredonia.” Soon, that’s going to change.
In January 2022, the New York State Board of Regents updated their criteria for what they consider a “university” to be: “an institution that offers three or more graduate programs in the fields of agriculture, biological sciences, business, education, engineering, fine arts, health professions, humanities, physical sciences or social sciences.” The board also provided guidelines for colleges that met this criteria to become universities.
Fredonia falls under that umbrella, and the administration has made the decision to switch the official name of the college to “State University of New York at Fredonia,” which has already been used for marketing purposes for decades.
“[This] also means that now we have the responsibility to continue to offer a wider range of programs, especially in the graduate area,” said Fredonia President Stephen H. Kolison.
Fredonia already offers 15 different graduate programs, but Kolison wants to “at some point, offer professional doctorates” as well. The new designation will help the school achieve this goal.
Kolison also noted that enrollment on campus is expected to increase as a result of this.
“Where we should see some significant changes in terms of enrollment is within graduate programs. … I think we need to be in the range of 4,000 to 4,500 [enrolled students].”
The university itself is not the only entity on campus that is undergoing an identity crisis. The College of Education is also changing its official name to the “College of Education, Health Sciences and Human Services.”
“[We wanted to] bring most of the professional licensure programs under one roof,” said Dr. Janeil Rey, the Interim Dean of the College of Education.
When the College of Education was first established, teachers were one of the only professions that needed a state license to do their job. Now, there’s many more jobs that fit that description, such as nurses and mental health counselors.
“Part of the reason [for the name revision] was to take some of the departments that might fit under this umbrella, and allow them to get more concentrated attention than what was [previously] possible,” Rey specified.
The name revision was also well received by students within the College of Education.
“It makes sense to put all the majors that need a license under the same umbrella,” said an education student who requested to remain anonymous due to being enrolled in a course with Rey. “But I think it would be beneficial for the college to better assist students in preparing for their certification exams as well, especially since that’s the whole reason for this reorganization.”
Education services have been part of the backbone of Fredonia for its entire existence. In 1866, when the school was founded, the official designation was “Fredonia Normal School.” It was one of only four schools in the state to share this designation, which was reserved for schools that awarded New York state teaching licenses to graduates.
Since that time, however, teaching both inside and outside of New York has greatly evolved. It now includes so much more than just providing knowledge to students.
“Teachers go out into classrooms and see that students have needs [that require special services],” Rey said. “Unless all those needs are addressed, individual students can’t take advantage of the educational opportunity that’s in front of them.”
The reorganization of the College of Education better reflects the fact that students are now able to earn more than just education degrees — they can now learn everything they need to help their students.
Fredonia isn’t alone in this endeavor. According to President Kolison, “the majority” of SUNY schools that fit the new university criteria will be changing their names as well. Buffalo State University, for example, has already made the switch.
“[We have] a ticket to the next level,” Kolison said. “As a result of this, we will do a lot of things to advance us as a university. It’s a great opportunity for us to be recognized [for] things we’re [already] doing.”