New SUNY Chancellor Makes First Visit to OCC

New SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. got a highly concentrated crash course in all things Onondaga Community College when he visited campus February 17. During his 3 hours here, OCC President Dr. Warren Hilton took him on a whirlwind tour of the following places:

• Office of Veterans and Military Services 
• Phi Theta Kappa and Lillian Slutzker Honors College Suite
• Meg O'Connell Social Justice Center for Community Impact
• Nursing
• Hospitality Management
• Community Care Hub
• Electromechanical Lab
• Automotive Technology
• Cybersecurity Lab

At each stop he engaged with faculty, learned about their roles at OCC, and asked how SUNY could support what they do.

His final meeting was a working lunch with a diverse group of students. The Chancellor listened to each student's story and took notes as they discussed their experiences here and suggestions they had. "I thought this was really cool," said Hannah Durand who participated in the working lunch and is the student representative on OCC's Board of Trustees. "He told us about his background and life; how his parents died when he was young, he dedicated his life to education, and worked with the President (Obama as the Secretary of Education). He was able to connect with us and wants to make the schools in New York State better. I thought it was a once in a lifetime opportunity."

OCC was the 14th campus the Chancellor has visited in his first month on the job. He was impressed with what he saw. "What came across was the strong sense of community and commitment the faculty and staff have to helping every student who comes to OCC succeed, whether that means earning their associate degree or transferring to a four-year institution."