Though summer may not official end until late September, the winds of change were in the air as students returned for a new fall semester at SUNY Poly, and with it, a Convocation ceremony to officially kick off the start of the 2018-2019 academic year.

The event took place at the Wildcat Field House on the Utica campus of SUNY Poly and was also streamed live to students at the NanoFab South Auditorium on the Albany campus.

Along with many other higher education institutions, SUNY Poly holds convocation to formally mark the start of the academic year, welcoming new students and the return of faculty, staff, and administrators. The August 28 ceremony also serves to reaffirm SUNY Poly’s commitment to the pursuit of knowledge, and the academic, cultural, and social growth of the entire community.

“We all have enjoyed incredible successes in getting here,” said Interim Provost Dr. Steven Schneider, opening up the ceremony and welcoming all in attendance. “And we anticipate incredible success in moving forward and moving toward your graduation. You can anticipate great teaching and great learning, tremendous research. You can anticipate new academic programs, new facilities, and most importantly, a variety of student accomplishments. We will see those accomplishments on the athletic fields, in our laboratories, in our classrooms, in our dorms and in our community. So there will be a lot to be proud of.”

It was a day of greetings, as well as a day of encouragement, as noted by the President of Student Government at Utica, Tucker Mogren, also a senior in the computer information science program.

“From student clubs, to sports teams, to on campus events, there is something to fit all of your interests here at SUNY Poly,” Tucker told the students in the audience. “I encourage each of you to get involved in the amazing opportunities SUNY Poly has to offer in order to make your experience at this institution all the more fulfilling.”

The 2018 Convocation Keynote Speaker was Dr. Grace Wang, SUNY Poly’s new Interim President in July.

“This is a time when you can break boundaries…you can take risks to achieve success,” Dr. Wang encouraged the crowd, and extolling the unique experience that is a SUNY Poly education. “Learning is not only about exploring or seeing the world in new ways. It’s about being experiential.”

With a visual presentation that covered both campuses, faculty, resources, and more, Dr. Wang touched upon the myriad of programs and opportunities available to students.

“Your time at SUNY poly is your chance to explore,” she said. “Your time here will help you strive in the years to come, and in the jobs to come…I wish you a very successful and productive academic year.”

With so many incoming freshmen present, the room was filled with the potential to make a difference in the world – not in some far off future, but here and now, for those willing to stand up and take part, something Vice President for Student Affairs Marybeth Lyons couldn’t stress enough.

“There’s too much to do to be off to the sidelines watching it,” said Marybeth during closing remarks. “Step off the bench, step into the sun, and forge the course of each new day. And those days, those experiences, will remain with you throughout your entire life.”