SUNY Oswego recently celebrated the successful startup of its Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE) program, a transformative four-year model that has been widely demonstrated to increase student completion rates and narrow opportunity gaps.

“The concept behind ACE is straightforward, yet powerful,” SUNY Oswego President Peter O. Nwosu said. “It provides students with comprehensive support services — including tutoring, career counseling, study skills development and financial assistance. In return, students commit to attending classes and other key meetings, ensuring a mutual investment in their success. … I am also proud to share that SUNY Oswego has embraced this program wholeheartedly.”

Oswego has the largest program in the SUNY system, and at an Oct. 21 event, three of the 273 ACE students at SUNY Oswego –- Ashanti Acevedo, Alison Hallinan and Joseph Miele –- spoke about what the program does to support their success. President Nwosu and SUNY Assistant Vice Chancellor for Success and Transformational Initiatives Casey O’Brien were among the other speakers discussing the program’s strengths.

“I love it because it’s become like a second family to me,” said Miele, a freshman computer science major from the Bronx. “I would always be in the office and getting emails and conversations, not just help with your homework that you would expect from a school, it’s more of a deeper connection with someone who shows they care about you. … They’re very consistent in encouraging you and trying to help you.”

“ACE has introduced me to a lot of people who have been supporting me academically and making me more comfortable in the environment,” said Acevedo, a freshman zoology major from the Bronx. “I feel like I’m not rushed into college because I have an ACE advisor and they’re very welcoming. ACE makes you feel like you are part of a family and a community that is invested in you.”

“It’s done so much for me,” said Hallinan, a freshman childhood education major with a mathematics concentration from the hometown of Oswego. “I love it here. I think it's such a good community, I've met so many awesome professors and our program for ACE is amazing. .... It makes me feel good because I know that there are other students in this program getting the help they need to be successful in college.”

SUNY introduced the ACE program as well as the Advancing Success in Associate Pathways (ASAP) for community colleges in spring 2024, supported by an historic demonstration of state-level support championed by Governor Kathy Hochul in the $75 million SUNY Transformation Fund and supplemented by private grants. In fall 2024, the 25 participating SUNY ASAP|ACE campuses will enroll 4,200 students.

“Student success drives everything we do at SUNY, and we are committed to meeting students and their families where they are to ensure they thrive," SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. noted in a release. “SUNY takes pride in scaling ASAP and ACE as proven models for student success across our campuses and we look forward to continuing to invest in the next generation of SUNY graduates at SUNY Oswego and across the system.”

“ASAP|ACE goes well beyond just talking about student success. It creates the conditions for it, enabling students to set free the potential we know they’ve always had within them,” O’Brien said. “In study after study, it’s been shown to dramatically boost retention and graduation rates. This is not just a statistic. This is real people, it’s real stories and it’s real futures being transformed.”

“We want to create a community where everyone has the chance to be successful, where opportunities are available to all, and where we’re actively supporting one another in reaching our goals,” City of Oswego Mayor Rob Corradino said in noting how the program matches the city’s goals. “The ACE program is helping to make that vision a reality for our students, and in turn, it’s benefiting our entire region. We’re creating a pipeline of graduates who are ready to enter the workforce, to contribute to our local economy, and to become the leaders of tomorrow.”

“As one of 95,000 alumni, I can personally attest to how life-changing a SUNY Oswego education can be,” said College Council member Tara FitzGibbons, a 1994 alumna. “Our faculty, advisors and career counselors are dedicated to making student success their top priority. …. My fellow alumni and I are eager to see more students join our family and thrive in their careers.”

ACE student support

ASAP|ACE provides wraparound support to ensure student academic success, retention and on-time graduation. An array of resources and supports –- including funding to cover textbooks, groceries, transportation and other costs of attendance, academic assistance, comprehensive personalized advisement and career development activities –- help Pell-eligible students overcome barriers that can prevent them from achieving their goals and obtaining a degree. At Oswego, this includes $150 per semester for books and $50 per month for either the College Store or Dining Dollars.

ASAP|ACE expanded to the SUNY system in spring 2024, supported by an historic demonstration of state-level support championed by Governor Kathy Hochul in the $75 million SUNY Transformation Fund and supplemented by private grants. In Fall 2024, SUNY ASAP|ACE will enroll 4,200 students.

Participating students represent a wide range of backgrounds, interests, and experience, but all share a recognition in the importance of higher education and achieving a degree to achieve their personal and professional goals. For more information, visit suny.edu/asap-ace.

Since being initially launched at CUNY in 2007, the ASAP|ACE programs have served more than 100,000 CUNY students and the programs have been replicated in seven states. The ASAP|ACE programs have been proven to significantly improve degree completion rates, particularly for underrepresented students. They have since been replicated at more than 20 colleges in seven states across the nation.

“At my previous institution, Herbert H. Lehman College of the City University of New York, I had the privilege of leading the ACE initiative,” President Nwosu said. “Seeing firsthand the positive impact it had on student success makes me an enthusiastic advocate for its implementation here at SUNY Oswego.”

“We know this is just the beginning, but it’s a tremendous start,” said SUNY Oswego Vice President of Enrollment Management Cory Bezek. “This program presents a real opportunity to help hundreds, and hopefully thousands, more current and future Lakers really find their paths in higher education and in life, and to make a greater impact on the world.”