SUNY Empire State College Expands Partnership to Meet the Needs of Fort Drum Community

(FORT DRUM, New York – Oct. 02, 2019) SUNY Empire State College has expanded its 29-year partnership with Fort Drum to increase the number of available upper-level courses and in-seat classes.

Soldiers, veterans, their families, and U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) civilian employees working at Fort Drum can take advantage of a new eight-week session in undergraduate programs, including bachelor’s degrees in Accounting, Addiction Studies, Business Administration, Human Resource Management, and in Management.

The new academic offerings respond to the need to provide members of the Fort Drum community with more in-seat and hybrid upper-level courses on post.

The in-seat and hybrid courses augment the independent studies, online, and study group formats provided by SUNY Empire.

“SUNY Empire is proud to expand our longstanding partnership with the Fort Drum to provide new educational opportunities for service members, veterans, and their families,” said Jim Malatras, president of SUNY Empire. “The college’s personalized, flexible educational format is the perfect way to earn a degree around the demands of military life. We look forward to working closely with our partners at Fort Drum long into the future.” 

“Military students are attracted to the eight-week, on-post sequence, as it allows for a pathway toward degree completion,” said Meg Benke, SUNY Empire’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Coupled with online courses, and tailored independent studies, students will be able to map out their education and the many supports and services that accompany a SUNY Empire education.”

As part of the college’s commitment to access and affordability, SUNY Empire faculty will seek to replace traditional textbooks with Open Educational Resources (OER) wherever possible. OER textbooks, and other OER resources, are available to students at very little or no cost.

On-post and local SUNY Empire staff will continue to provide student services in conjunction with the college’s Office of Veteran and Military Education.

Students taking courses in any format will have access to an abundance of college resources both locally and at a distance, including learning support, accessibility services, IT support, assistance with financial aid and specialized military funding, career services, and health and wellness resources.

Student support makes it possible for students to finish their degrees, regardless of their professional or personal obligations, and whether they are stationed in the U.S. or abroad.

Faculty and staff will serve military students and family members as they transition to new duty stations or into the civilian workforce.

SUNY Empire has provided 29 years of continuous on-post education to the soldiers, veterans, families, and DOD civilians of Fort Drum. SUNY Empire also is a 34-year member of the SUNY North Country Consortium, which serves the Fort Drum community.

About SUNY Empire State College

SUNY Empire State College educates more than 17,000 students in person, online, and through a blend of both, at more than 30 locations in New York and at eight international sites worldwide. Together with one of SUNY Empire’s more than 1,300 faculty mentors, each student designs their own individualized pathway to a college degree that accommodates their schedule and awards credit for prior college-level learning. SUNY Empire awards more than 3,000 degrees annually and 94 percent of graduates stay in New York state. Today, more than 87,000 SUNY Empire alumni are entrepreneurs, veterans, and active members of the military, professional athletes, teachers, medical professionals, and leaders in their field, as well as in their communities. To learn more, visit www.esc.edu and follow the college on social media @SUNYEmpire.