Activation Plan

Below is an overview of some campus activities:

• The Triandiflou Institute successfully launched the Oswego Dialogue Project, supported by a five-year partnership with Syracuse-based The El Hindi Center for Dialogue and Action (CDA). This initiative aims to enhance campus engagement in challenging conversations across differences. To date, 30 faculty and staff have been trained as dialogue facilitators, and over a dozen facilitated dialogues have been held. The institute also established a Dialogue Steering Committee to develop infrastructure for political dialogues in the 2024-2025 academic year, focusing on communication across political differences. These dialogues were piloted with students in a spring 2024 section of POL 204: American Government and Politics, Resident Hall Assistants in two residence halls, and School of Business faculty and staff during their spring 2024 retreat.
• The Vote Oswego Project is a curricular initiative preparing students to participate in national and local elections. It includes National Voter Education Week, National Voter Registration Week, faculty panel discussions, and targeted outreach to students.
• SUNY Oswego signed the Higher Education Presidents’ Commitment for the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, sponsored by Civic Nations, and is participating in the All-In-Campus Democracy Challenge, an initiative by the SUNY System Chancellor providing mini-grants to support student engagement.
• RecycleMania, an annual community service event primarily involving fraternity and sorority organizations, collects recyclables and donates proceeds to local nonprofits and community partners.

• The Annual MLK Day of Service will return in winter 2025. In 2024, 204 students participated, preparing 20,080 meals for Rise Against Hunger to support those facing food insecurity.
• Spring Break Alternative Break Service Projects help students broaden their perspectives and reflect on their impact on communities. A Spring Semester Day of Service, in collaboration with the Office of Sustainability, will again be offered this year.
• The Students Helping Oz Peers (SHOP) food pantry collaborates with campus organizations, departments, and community partners to run events, gather donations, and engage students in addressing food insecurity.
• Student-athletes and Intercollegiate Athletics staff contributed 2,865 hours of community service with 33 organizations in 2023-2024, aiming to surpass this in 2024-2025.
• The ALANA Multicultural Conference occurs each fall, and planning is underway for a Constitution Day event.
• All policies related to free expression were reviewed and edited in spring 2024, then submitted to the President’s Cabinet and SUNY Office of General Counsel for approval. By the start of the 2024-2025 academic year, a new landing page focused on free expression will be available, including updated policies and FAQs. A communication plan is being developed to ensure the campus community is aware of these policies and resources.
• Political Dialogues will be incorporated into all sections of GST 104: Experiential Learning in College, which all first-year students are required to take. This initiative will help students explore their political identities and develop dialogue skills.
• The Civic Engagement Coalition Curriculum subcommittee is developing two workshop tracks: one for those who already incorporate civic/political content into their classes and want to enhance their approach, and another for those new to integrating this content into their courses.