Stony Brook University, a SUNY flagship institution, is partnering with Suffolk County Community College to support a “Seawolves at Suffolk” program. The program provides Suffolk students with a transfer pathway that moves them from admission, to academic and social engagement with the university, and through transfer and graduation from Stony Brook.
Recently, Stony Brook University received a $500,000 Innovation Driven by Evidence and Advanced Strategies (IDEAS) grant from American Talent Initiative (ATI) College Excellence Program (CEP) and Bloomberg Philanthropies. The grant aims to amplify the power and potential of transfer students from lower income communities through high impact experiences, research-centered opportunities, and the development of workforce-ready skills. The university is partnering with neighboring SUNY Suffolk to support these initiatives.
“Seawolves at Suffolk” centers around an accelerated on-ramp to a paid summer research/internship opportunity with Stony Brook researchers in the summer prior to students transferring to the university. This is complemented by providing:
- unique workshops
- earlier access to university campus life
- supported student leadership pipelines
- comprehensive advising support with university advisors at SUNY Suffolk
- priority course registration
- mini-grants to take upper-division courses at Stony Brook before transferring
- additional wrap-around support from success specialists and career coaches
Within this innovative program, selected students who have been referred to SUNY Suffolk from Stony Brook University will be part of a cohort of students who begin their studies at SUNY Suffolk, with a shared goal of becoming a Seawolf. SUNY Suffolk is the largest community college in the SUNY system and sister institution to Stony Brook University. By beginning their studies at SUNY Suffolk, and meeting certain transfer milestones, students in the program will be guaranteed entry into select Stony Brook University programs, including Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, English, Psychology, and more.
SUNY Suffolk transfers hundreds of students per year to Stony Brook University, far more than any other community college. Together, the two institutions maintain a strong and ongoing partnership in areas ranging from National Science Foundation research projects to internships at Brookhaven National Laboratories.
“Thanks to Bloomberg Philanthropies, accepted transfer students from Suffolk County Community College are already a part of the Stony Brook University community prior to their first day of classes,” said Interim Stony Brook President Richard L. McCormick. “This grant, awarded by the American Talent Initiative, allows us to expand our commitment to social mobility while providing transfer students with paid experiential learning, academic advising, and career counseling opportunities.”
“SUNY Suffolk has always prepared our graduates for success at elite colleges and universities like Stony Brook. With support from the American Talent Initiative grant, we will provide Suffolk students with an accelerated pathway to engagement at SBU, as well as experiential learning. This partnership allows us to support even more deserving Long Island students and families to live, learn and stay on Long Island,” said Dr. Edward Bonahue, President of Suffolk County Community College.
