Seawolves Fans

Off Topic => Around Stony Brook U... => Topic started by: Chairman of the Board on February 07, 2013, 09:13:22 am

Title: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 07, 2013, 09:13:22 am
For years ive wracked my brain on what SB can do to make the experience and the campus even better.  They do so many things right.  And we discuss ad nauseum.  I do think there are some things they can do better.  Along with this, i do understand that things are easier said than done, and that with a large state institution, things like red tape, local residents, NCAA regs, funding, etc. all get in the way. 

I started to think about this because of the other thread about building a college town in SB.  Here's some ideas im curious for your thoughts:

-Quads: This may sound silly, and purely aesthetic, but the classic university feel is to have open grass fields with the crossing paths, whether in the academic mall or dorms.  How expensive can this be?  http://fe.fs.cornell.edu/img/mainPage/ArtsQuad.jpg

-Halls: other than Harriman Hall, we dont name our schools nor our buildings as halls.  Bring in some donors, put their names on the schools, call it a hall.  I know this is a public school, but its done for dorms, so lets do it for buildings.  Staller Hall.  Pritchard Hall.  Dubin Hall.  Etc.   Take our presidents' names to make the example- Toll Hall, Marburger Hall, Kenny Hall, Stanley Hall.

-Schools: same as above, we have an arts & sciences school, slap a name on it.  Take the engineering school, for example, think about it.  The Casado School of Engineering!  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stony_Brook_University#Colleges_and_professional_schools

-Tower: i guess we have a tower now with the Wang Center right?  Something that when kids today go to google images and plug in SB, they will immediately recognize our campus with an identifiable something.  Im talking about something that's smack in the middle of campus, perhaps a giant clocktower.  Long term project.

-Stone/Brick buildings: i know this is not our thing, as we are not the traditional private university.  But i dont believe that kids would rather go to school in a super modern glass building than something like this: http://conmedisys.com/img/12/128/Virtual_Tour_Perkins_Library_Duke_University.jpg

-NYC Club: we cant yet afford our own club, however, with the large alumni base working/living in the NYC area, we should tap this.  There are clubs that allow any university grad (maybe the University Club?) but SB should in the future try and foster a relationship with an existing club, and hold events there.  For example, the Cornell Club has reciprocity with Gtown and a few other schools.

-Campus Housing: kids are either relegated to the dorms or somewhere in a suburban house a few towns away.  We need to find how we can get more apartments on/near campus to enhance the experience.  The atmosphere will remain the same if kids live in Selden, and others in Sound Beach, for example.  I know for a fact that freshman are routinely tripled up in dorms.  This can even become a cash cow.  Or privatize the operation, whatever.

-College Town: other than PJ, which is a few miles away, weve already discussed the building of a college town, which could likely only happen on 25a, or perhaps in some of the open space they have immediately south of main campus, or perhaps in the open space near Nicholls Road.  Perhaps more student housing could go here as well in the future.  Look at this map and tell me we dont have the space: http://tinyurl.com/agyyy59

-Hierarchy: when i got to SB, there were no "freshman dorms".  I lived amongst sophomores, seniors, freshman, everything.  Get all the freshmen into the Mendelsohn and H Quads, building relationships right from the getgo.  These are the corridors, not the private suites where you dont meet as many people.  Then give them the option to move up to the other nicer apartments.  Dont have freshmen living with seniors, different interests.  Then make those dorms your target for getting kids out to games and events (right near the stadium!).  Enforce the honors dorms (Roth Quad) and make it something to shoot form.

-Tradition: we are relatively young and deficient when it comes to tradition.  I dont even know where to start.  Cornell has an entire page dedicated to Cornelliana.  In time we will have it.  But we need to start building this now.  Do we have a statue anywhere on campus?  We need our students to build these, i understand, but we also should start taking some queues from other universities on this. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelliana

-Legends: this one we have covered- the bridge to nowhere, the Melville Library was built backwards, etc.  Unfortunately for us, both are not the "good" kind of legends.  Again, mostly up to the students.

-Rivalry: we have at times built rivalries, but since conferences change, we havent had steady rivals.  SJU/Hof dropped football, Hof wont play us in other sports, BU is leaving the AE, we are leaving the Big South, and we may leave the AE in the future.  We need to have a rivalry week and get the students fired up, or something like that.

-Student Activities: many other schools enhance the student experience by having things like senior week, theme weekends, school sponsored activities, etc.  We dont do enough of this, or, the ones they do students arent interested in.  The Roth Regatta is great, but most students dont go.  And the Strawberry Fest isnt something to get all that excited about (and i like strawberries). 

-Weekends: this has always been a problem because kids are from the NYC area and can easily get the train home on thursday afternoon.  Maybe start admitting kids from out of state (more $$$) or from further away, to entice kids to stay on campus.  From what i understand, decades ago this wasnt a problem, but during the Marburger years the campus has quieted down and has never recovered.

-Fight Song: we finally got a fight song, and the kids are learning it at games.  But what we need is for kids is a little brainwashing if you will, like give out posters with the lyrics, send emails that link to the mp3, get people to listen to it.  Same for the alma mater.  Play them both over the PA at LaValle and Pritchard, have the band play it more, have the band sing the words and let the students pick up on it.  http://tinyurl.com/abnyrgj

-A little brainwashing: right when kids arrive, put t-shirts in their welcome pack, buttons, a phone cover with the SB logo, get it everywhere.  You want them and their friends to see it everywhere.  Put bball schedules and football schedules in there, magnets for the fridge, everything, a key chain, a hat, whatever it takes.  Get a poster of the sports teams and give them out, kids will put them on their walls.

*I understand these ideas are mostly far fetched, expensive, and maybe even not welcome.  However, i will add to them, as i truly believe SB will become better and better!  Im trying to help, and rant at the same time.  Have at it....
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on February 07, 2013, 09:38:53 am
Chairman, As usual you come up with great ideas and insights. Your opinions are always right on and I think you should forward this thesis over to the President of SBU,,,, Samuel L Stanley.. You never know what could happen. Tell him you have hundreds of followers from the Forum who agrees with a lot of your ideas
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on February 07, 2013, 11:03:29 am
While its almost impossible to build the traditional ivy university feel into the Stony Brook campus due to the architecture and era of campus growth (Brutalist architecture is very popular in campus and unless we destroy half of the campus we can't get rid of it) we can still take steps to enhance the campus

I will never forget walking to every UConn Dining hall and seeing the "Students Today, Huskies Forever" phrase... Something so simple, but it can build so much pride. Even I felt the pride as I walked into the Uconn Dining Halls and I never was a student... LOL...

Somethings that I saw at the University of Connecticut that impressed me:

1)All TVs controlled remotely which play UCONN games when they are on. No one has a choice. Those are UCONN Sports TVs when its Gametime
2)Couches that all have the "Huskies" and "UC" logo in every lounge
3)School colors used everywhere
4)upcoming Game Ads in the Dining tables everywhere on campus
5)A large marketplace next to the Gampel Pavilion with a wide selection of Huskies gear
6)Everything is named after the Huskies: HuskyVision (Cable service), HuskyBucks (Campus Cash), HuskyTV (Campus TV Channel), etc, etc, etc. Everything named with Huskies as a prefix is an excelent idea. This kids are brainwashed by the second day of school. My GF attends the University so I know...
7)They also have a great Student Union.... Our Union SUCKS! There is no way around it. The SU we currently have does not fit the profile of a national university. this is priority. We should get rid of the Union entirely and build a new five floor union with everything a student wants, all campus clubs, dining halls, movie screen, Game lounge, a TV lounge for game watch parties. Build Pride into every aspect of the Student Union.

Something to be aware of it is that the University of Connecticut is not a better school than Stony Brook University. But the perception of many of our students say otherwise. We are an AAU university, massive research, and great graduate programs. But we lack in student life, pride/spirit. That is enough to make students choose UConn over SBU. That is why we need these things.

Simple steps that can build Stony Brook pride. The administration has to build a committee that takes this seriously.


Regarding architecture

1) Our campus should enhance the academic mall. While it may be too late to build an open grass field on such a narrow mall we can enhance the mall by extending the "east Plaza buildup" all the way across to the west up to the Earth and Space Science buildings. I don't like asphalt and it looks ugly right in the middle of campus. Build another Fountain in the circle between the SAC, Earth and Space in front of the Harriman Hall and renovated Old Chem building. That should be the center of campus

2) Renovate the Zebra Path. Make it wider and even more beautiful. Make it a source of pride for students by allowing the students to take charge on its renovation.

3) Knock down the northern part of ESS Building which blocks access and view to the western side of Campus (Physics, Math, Simons center) , necessary Overhaul of Harriman Hall. eliminate the huge parking strips and building Parking towers instead to save space.

4) Give the campus a more centralized feel. I know this is suburbia and the campus was build for easy car access but I hate the parking lots right in the middle of campus. I dislike Parking lots right behind Engineering, SAC, and Computer Science. Eliminate them and combine them into one. Replace with grass fields...

I got more things to add later on
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 07, 2013, 11:23:49 am
Ok this is why i suggested naming a school after you... these are the RIGHT ideas we need to implement!!!

I do understand that we cant become an Ivy, but i think we can borrow some aspects.

As for the architecture, no you cant tear buildings down, but, you can reface buildings in a certain manner, and/or you can eschew the super-modern look in new construction and go for the traditional.

UConn, while not exactly a rival and/or peer, has some GREAT examples.  I love the athletics schedules on the tables.  I love even more the mandated Stalin-istic make everyone watch the bball game on tv.  I love that LaValle has red seatbacks and so will the Arena, and yes EVERYTHING should be in scarlet & gray. 

Also, i very much applaud the Husky-everything naming convention.  Seawolves soda.  The wolf den for the locker rooms.  The canine lounge.  A german/austrian restaurant called Wolf-gangs.  Canine Cafeteria.  Bottles of wolfwater.  Water fountains should be wolfwells.  And so on....

I agree our union needs work, but first and foremost, it needs a powerwashing!

If they cant sell gear, GIVE IT AWAY to students.  Plaster SB logos on everything. 

Hammer- thanks for your kind words.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on February 07, 2013, 11:26:31 am
Yes I forgot. Uconn makes it own bottled water. are you f'cking serious. That was amazing. there is such thing as "UCONN WATER"... UConn Dairy barn which makes UConn Ice Cream... Amazing stuff that builds pride. We definitely can borrow some of these things.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 07, 2013, 11:29:45 am
Even more great ideas, eCasa!

I like making the circle in front of the SAC the center of campus.  Put up a clocktower, something. 

ESS is getting kinda rain-stained too and its ugly.  I also agree about the lots, but i figure thats an uphill battle as professors wont want to walk far (laziness).  Commuters will go nutso about that too.  Centralization is a great idea though.

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ry1nik on February 07, 2013, 01:44:11 pm
Binghamton (where I got grad degree) has a clock tower. Nice effect without having to buy an entire building.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 07, 2013, 01:45:28 pm
See?  Ry1nik gets where im going with this!!!   ;D
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ry1nik on February 07, 2013, 01:46:56 pm
Haha, I'll tell President Stanley to "git 'er done!" over beers tonight!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 07, 2013, 01:55:26 pm
Whoa direct line to the Pres!!!  Wanna drop these ideas on him???  If you havent already!!!   ::)

I met Dr. Stanley recently, i got a great impression from him.

We could totally beat out this: http://www.youvisit.com/media/binghamtongrad/20020705_university02_ed.jpg
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ry1nik on February 07, 2013, 01:57:23 pm
Yeah, the one at Bingo is skimpy looking. I was thinking something more classical and sturdy looking.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 07, 2013, 02:00:35 pm
Me too.  Aim for the stars.  Duke U:
(http://ak1.ostkcdn.com/images/products/P13684548.jpg)
(https://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/shared/npr/styles/medium/nprshared/201903/706625582.jpg)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 07, 2013, 10:32:41 pm
On the application- ask kids what will they do for the SB community?  Will they participate?  Do they have school spirit?  Give them some room to write freely on how much they care.  Will they be active alums?  Visit their alma mater?  Give preference to right answers. 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 10, 2013, 03:49:20 pm
Another idea i came up with a few years ago- a flag.  I actually tried to make a huge one- and buy a stand, have it at tailgates, wave it around when we score.  Something so easy, we have the trackwork there, let's take advantage of it.

Think about it- scarlet, white, and gray.  This is about building identity.  Like when Hofstra had the dutch flag, it was on helmets, stickers, fridge magnets, heck it was right in the middle of the field at Shuart. 

Here's the Peruvian flag (of course, put in some gray):

(http://www.peru-facts.co.uk/Images/large%20peru%20flag.jpg)

I like that we did the classic interlocking SB logo.  Lets now have an alternate "logo"- btw i do love the profile Seawolf, that should still be around as well, as the tertiary color (dark blue).  This is about building an identity.  Am i making any sense???
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on February 10, 2013, 08:53:18 pm
I would like to see us promote some of the great medical and scientific research that is being done on  campus. Get it in the Newsday and the NY Times and get the word the word out there.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 11, 2013, 08:32:16 am
Yes- play to the strengths.

Here's another- we have a NYC campus.  Leverage it.  NYU, Cornell have hospitals in NYC.  Maybe we cant just compete that easily, but why not add some of the teaching hospital to the NYC campus?  We have it, lets use it.

Also, lets expand the NYC campus.  More classes (heck, lots of kids are a subway ride away).  This can then promote internships, where kids can go to school and work in the big city part of the day.  Kids with internships get jobs later on, its a fact.  Then they make zillions, and dump it back into SB.

I think we are silly if we dont have a presence in NYC, and let others come in and do so.  Not only are we nearby, but most of our alums are within a daily commute's distance.  In fact, many alums either live/work there, or both.  Its one of the world's greatest cities, and St John's and Pace managed a campus there, we need to build out ours.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 11, 2013, 08:33:15 am
And then, bball games at the Garden, double header women's then men's.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on February 11, 2013, 08:35:43 am
As expected SB Basketball BPI rankings is now down to 101...     They must and I mean must bounce back on Tuesday because on friday will be the real test of heart for our boys!!!!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ibosbu on February 11, 2013, 10:16:54 am
And then, bball games at the Garden, double header women's then men's.

Thats a great idea.. Garden 1st choice but if not posible then I would love at the Barclay's too.
Even better if can play another NYC team.. like Manhattan or Iona or Hofstra or St. Johns or Fordham etc.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on February 11, 2013, 04:46:21 pm
We really have  to selll ourselves better in the media capital of the planet. Expand our campus in Manhattan, promote our academics, our association with Brookhaven Labs and Cold Spring Harbor labs.  I mean Watson and Crick did their thing for DNA at Cold Spring Harbor. I had a bio prof who was graduate student their when they became famous she said it was like finding the Holy Grail. I get frustrated sometimes   when it seems we take a layed back approach 50 miles East of Manhattan
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 12, 2013, 09:52:44 am
Another thought- it would be nice to have some sort of alternate unofficial moniker... ND has the golden domers, UVa has the wahoos, heck even Albany has the blue scoobies.  A few years ago i think i said marine canines somewhere and its too long...  This is all about branding.  Maybe we can borrow from Washington of UConn or any team that is similarly situated.

Weve got an original mascot.  Lets look at the tigers.  Auburn, Missouri, Clemson, LSU, and countless others.  We can come up with something cool to do.  Heck, in a few years, lets get an actual wolf and have him brought out on the field.  What could be cooler?  Then make contests for students (to boost attendance) where they get the run the wolf around the field at halftime, take photos, etc.  Maybe if you produce ticket stubs for every home game you get to do it, etc.  At Georgia, they have the bulldog (Uga), which i think they are up to Uga VII?  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uga_%28mascot%29

(http://www.totalprosports.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/24-washington-huskies-mascot-dubs.jpg)

Building a brand- like the band, start getting the kids red/white striped rugby shirts and if they wear it to the game and sit in the student section, give out free snacks or something.  College kids like free food.  I think of Georgia tech and the bumble bee.  Or something easy, like a funny hat.  West Virginia they wear the coonskin cap, UMass has the colonial hat, etc.

Also, as far as fans in the audience go, Texas has the hook em horns, Florida has the gator chomp.  FSU has the tomahawk chop; we are penn state; ohio state dots the I; we need to come up with our own original something.  I dont know what it is.

(http://glennschool.osu.edu/news/dot_the_i/Ohioband.png)

Which brings me to- the athletic department MUST have a wolf statue somewhere near the Athletic Complex.  And not some cheesy cartoon wolf, a real one.  Hofstra has the lions near the gates of Shuart.  Penn State has a lion near their locker rooms.  How much can this cost? 

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Honshu-wolf_statue.jpg)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 12, 2013, 09:53:03 am
For football, lets figure out who are rivals are and will be.  And make a trophy game.  Paul Bunyon's axe.  The keg of nails.  The bronze boot.  The Stanford Axe.  the golden egg.  We can do something local, something so silly but its part of our identity.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NCAA_college_football_rivalry_games

Lets say we have a rivalry with... Rhode Island.  make a golden fish... or against Albany, a golden dog collar and chain, for example.  Or just do a Governor's Trophy against Albany, or Buffalo.   

(http://blog.wilsonkelseydesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Fish.jpg)

Or how about this- for the annual SB/UA game, a golden bone:

(http://www.lamp-post.co.uk/prodimages/petlondon/50117.jpg)
(http://image1.masterfile.com/em_w/01/71/68/700-01716878w.jpg)

This is about building an identity- we should start now so that we dont have to ten years from now.  These are low cost high reward ideas (at least, i think!).  ???
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ibosbu on February 12, 2013, 10:44:14 am
some great ideas Chairman.. I really like the rivalry games with trophy idea..especially against Albany! I hope someone from the Athletics office is reading these posts.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ibosbu on February 12, 2013, 10:47:33 am
Also like the red/white striped rugby shirts idea!! those Georgia tech fans look really cool on TV!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 12, 2013, 10:53:13 am
I really like the Bowl of Bones idea.  Get a giant dog bowl, with alternating stripes of scarlet, gray, purple, and gold.  Fill it full of golden dog bones.  The winner gets it in a ceremony at the end of the annual SB/UA game, presented by the CAA commish, and the players can grab the bones and parade around the field with them.  Eventually to return them to the bowl, and then into a glass trophy case in their respective athletic complex.

Keep that glass display case right near the football locker room.  And on years when its empty, make sure the players see it every day.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ibosbu on February 12, 2013, 11:02:43 am
I really like the Bowl of Bones idea.  Get a giant dog bowl, with alternating stripes of scarlet, gray, purple, and gold.  Fill it full of golden dog bones.  The winner gets it in a ceremony at the end of the annual SB/UA game, presented by the CAA commish, and the players can grab the bones and parade around the field with them.  Eventually to return them to the bowl, and then into a glass trophy case in their respective athletic complex.

Keep that glass display case right near the football locker room.  And on years when its empty, make sure the players see it every day.

Awesome Idea.. You know I was thinking of the same, ie traveling trophy, when I learnt that both UA and SBU are going to be in CAAFB and will be playing every year. I was thinking more along something that represents the NY state.. so I was thinking hard and coming up with lame names like liberty trophy etc. But your "Bowl of Bones" is the best lol its catchy
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 12, 2013, 11:06:06 am
Thanks again, im just ranting now.  Looks like you beat me to it!   :)

How about some funny fabricated latin name for the Seawolves- something to put on t-shirts, etc.  Caninus Aquis.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ibosbu on February 12, 2013, 11:08:01 am
One more point... if the AD or CAA dont do anything about it, I think we fans can pull it off. We can get in touch with Albany fans and create a cheap hand made trophy (cardboard bones perhaps!! we are used to making cardboard boat for Roth regatta) and present it to the winner. It takes only one year to get it noticed; once the management finds out that both set of Fanbases like it, then I am sure they will get a proper trophy.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 12, 2013, 11:13:02 am
Sure, toy bones spraypainted gold (though we should do this right in the future).  Each bone has an engraved score and year of each game and recipient. 

Imagine Fiore and Priore and Stanley on the field together at LaValle receiving this after the buzzer?
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ibosbu on February 12, 2013, 11:19:14 am
Thanks again, im just ranting now.  Looks like you beat me to it!   :)

How about some funny fabricated latin name for the Seawolves- something to put on t-shirts, etc.  Caninus Aquis.

 ;D ;D Although Lupus is latin for wolf.. Caninus is dog. Not sure how to say "Sea".. Aquis would be water.. so Caninus Aquis is more like water dog lol  ???
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ibosbu on February 12, 2013, 11:21:30 am
Sure, toy bones spraypainted gold (though we should do this right in the future).  Each bone has an engraved score and year of each game and recipient. 

Imagine Fiore and Priore and Stanley on the field together at LaValle receiving this after the buzzer?

 ;D ;D ;D
Yes.. anything to start the tradition.. once it catches on. Then the schools will take care of rest just to keep generating the buzz..
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 12, 2013, 11:25:46 am
actually i knew that, becuase in italian its Lupo.  but i think caninus is much better (its actually canis)!

remember, this isnt perfect latin, its meant to be funny and build a brand.   :D
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on February 12, 2013, 11:48:41 am
This are surely great ideas. Maybe we can formally write them down and submit to the Athletic department. A lot of these don't sound to costly either, they just require support from the administration. This is how traditions are built. But most traditions come from the fans, and WE are the fans of SBU. We gotta make this happen.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on February 12, 2013, 11:53:54 am
I really like the statue idea. Build a huge wolf statue and put it at the Main Entrance in the middle of the circle... How much could it really cost to build?
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ibosbu on February 12, 2013, 12:03:36 pm
actually i knew that, becuase in italian its Lupo.  but i think caninus is much better (its actually canis)!

remember, this isnt perfect latin, its meant to be funny and build a brand.   :D

Then I am all for "Caninus Aquis"  ;D ;D

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ibosbu on February 12, 2013, 12:06:36 pm
I was thinking of "Battle for the Bones". Before I make the suggestion thought of doing a quick google search.. alas its already used in two different rivalry games!!! :( :(

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_for_the_Bones
&
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_for_the_Bone

see the names of other rivalry games:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NCAA_college_football_rivalry_games

The trophy name "the bones" is also already in use. We need to be more creative!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 12, 2013, 12:11:01 pm
Dammit.

Bowl of Bones classic?

Bowl of Dog Bones?  Weve got the idea, now we just need the fine tuning.  Oh and the admin support!

For the wolf, i was thinking one at the main entrance of LaValle.  Fans rub the nose/tail on teh way in, until it tarnishes after years, good luck charm.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ibosbu on February 12, 2013, 12:16:37 pm
since its a budding rivalry.. can we really call it a classic?

But I am digging the "Bowl of Dog Bones"  ;D ;D ;D

"good luck charm" lol

Lot of good ideas
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 12, 2013, 12:18:13 pm
Well thats not so much a "classic" as its an event that we are calling a classic.  After all, the game has gone on for years!

"The Bowl of Golden Dog Bones"

Penalty box could be called "the Pound", or perhaps the student section.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ibosbu on February 12, 2013, 12:21:41 pm
Are we doing one giant golden bone in a giant dog bowl or many smaller golden bones in the giant dog bowl?
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 12, 2013, 12:24:54 pm
I dunno i was just ranting.  Details to be ironed out later.  8)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ibosbu on February 12, 2013, 12:29:27 pm
Ok.. Once we have a solid plan, I will try to catch Priore's attention by email/twitter etc. Unless there is someone on this board who knows someone in the athletic department to present the idea to him directly. Otherwise, we fans can just go with the plan and invite Albany fans. I am sure they would excited too.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 12, 2013, 03:07:04 pm
Wow i like the initiative!  I have some contacts, we discuss offline...
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 12, 2013, 08:42:58 pm
I also should have said, that in terms of tradition, we do have things like the Zebra Path, though it would be better if students actually knew the story behind it.  I dont.

Also, working off the bone idea, years ago at the stadium they used to give out thunder sticks- can we make those to look like bones???

Wait, you can, thanks google:

(http://image.sportbuying.com/productd/94/2397354_1.jpg)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 21, 2013, 08:31:46 am
So tonight im headed to the Manhattan campus for an Alumni Focus Group.  Im summarizing our ideas (should they be relevant) and will share them with the group!  Any more ideas?

GO SB
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on February 21, 2013, 08:45:56 am
I really can't think of anything else at this time. You did compile a nice list of suggestions on this board and I think a few are of those suggestions will be considered . For one. I think a statue of out Mascot or something else, that's a symbol of SB University, at the entrance of Lavelle Stadium is a terrific idea.. I'm not so sure if a huge Bronze WOLFIE is what were looking for but they should get the idea though. 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on February 21, 2013, 09:31:43 am
Fantastic news Chair!!! I'm glad you are sharing. And if you can promote this fan site do it also. LOL! We need as many fans as possible!

lets go seawolves!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 21, 2013, 09:39:23 am
but i am already ahead of you!  i summarized our ideas (inlcuding all the UConn stuff) and put it into an organized doc.  and then, i will refer them all to our publicily available discussion here.

want to read about it?  join our site!

GO SB!!!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ibosbu on February 21, 2013, 10:17:27 am
Dont forget the The Bowl of Golden Dog Bones!!! great idea
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ibosbu on February 21, 2013, 10:58:11 am
You know how Notre Dame fans/athlete's have a second nick name "Golden domers" in addition to "Fighting Irish". I think someone mentioned in this thread or some where else of us having a second nickname...
How about "the submarines"?

1) Seawolf is a submarine creature
2) there is a military submarine class named Seawolf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seawolf ..homage to our navy ..and intimidating
3) its unique!

Proper use:
1) the away section is filled with enthusiastic submarines
2) here comes the submaries
3) submarines are leading Albany by 30 with 2 minutes to go

lol

its corny.. but catchy i think
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 21, 2013, 11:07:35 am
the SubmarineRs?
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ibosbu on February 21, 2013, 11:27:12 am
thanks..  "the SubmarineRs" works better :)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 21, 2013, 11:34:21 am
Just wanted to thank everyone for their ideas and input!  As we pick up more membership to the site, this will expand.  Lets make this is living thread and keep updating it!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ibosbu on February 21, 2013, 11:36:22 am
Other unofficial famous nicknames:

Fighting Irish/Golden Domers
Razorbacks/Hogs
Trojans/Men of Troy
Tigers/Bayou Bengals
Jayhawks/Fighting Manginos

so we can go:
Seawolves/Submariners
Seawolves/Red Submariners
Seawolves/Prowling Submariners lol
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ibosbu on February 21, 2013, 11:49:45 am
Just wanted to thank everyone for their ideas and input!  As we pick up more membership to the site, this will expand.  Lets make this is living thread and keep updating it!

Thank YOU for starting this thread! I am just dumping my good and bad ideas here.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 22, 2013, 08:47:03 am
So i went last night- it was more of a how do we get alums to connect with the university, less of just give us your ideas.  But thats ok i gave them our ideas anyway.  It was run by a Boston ad company.

It was intimate, as in only 3 other alums, all of which were great people and very accomplished.  We talked for almost 2 hours about feedback on the alumni process, what the university could do better, how do we sell the university on new students, etc. 

I summarized all of our ideas into a packet, discussed a few major ones, and gave them the entire packet.

It was really great to meet other alums- like yourselves- that are so focused on making SB better. 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 22, 2013, 08:49:15 am
Which brings me to another idea-

Alumni Email- other universities, when you graduate, your email automatically becomes dot-alumni and you have it forever.  Its not exactly benevolent; its a way to solicit donations, but also to keep people informed. 

One of the points that repeatedly came up last night was- SB is great / not enough people know.  So with that i thought- what a tragedy.  Our issue isnt acheiving greatness; its that we have and we cant get the word out. 

Wouldnt the above idea help.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on February 22, 2013, 10:46:51 am
Yes it would. we should have alumni e-mail. sounds like a great idea to me!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: jaghatai on February 22, 2013, 11:16:04 pm
Technically, we had an ESPN sponsored "Battle" game a few years ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_for_the_Butter

I personally preferred "Mobsters vs Lobsters".

There are plenty of SBU legends, none of them that I can think of paint SBU in a positiive light (Sherman Raftenburg and the Physics building basement debacle are the biggest two that come to mind).

I love the alumni email idea, the wolf statue, the flag, all of it!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 23, 2013, 10:01:36 am
Yeah but there mike and mike were mocking us and Maine of course...

I do need to hear more about this physics bldg story though!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 23, 2013, 10:10:24 am
Thanks jag did some reading on it.  Never heard of it. I also found this http://www.sbindependent.org/campus-mythology/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 23, 2013, 10:26:15 am
Heard this one when I was a kid but never at sb http://smithtown.patch.com/blog_posts/long-islands-legends-and-myths-marys-grave
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: jaghatai on February 23, 2013, 09:05:27 pm
The myth of the physics basement...

There are underground tunnels that connect Harriman, the Physics building, and the ISC.  According to legend, of course, the basement of the building actually stretches completely underneath the physics green.  They completed the basement, then ran out of money to build the rest of the building on top of it, so they put the lawn there until they could finish it.  The university officials were embarassed about it and covered the whole thing up and sealed the section off.  The finished section has a few entrances and typically it's used by the professors for "special projects" that aren't covered by their grants.  Those projects occasionally emit stuff that aren't healthy, which is why you see random brown patches on the lawn at weird times.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 25, 2013, 09:38:17 am
I got to campus early for the lax game so i walked around campus- again, the place is 75x better than it looked 15 years ago. 

I did however walk in between Harriman Hall and Old Chem and there is a giant rusted chemical tank that needs to go or at least be covered up.  Awful.  I think its the VDG accelerator.  Please, paint it.

There are many quads both academic and dormitory that they really should just wipe out the concrete and put grass.  How much can this cost?  And the ongoing maintenance- a few landscapers- its worth the money.

I remember when my mother dropped me off, the first day of my freshman year.  And there was dirt everywhere.  Even on the concrete.  And my brother asked- hey mom whats all that green paint on the dirt?  We thought they were trying to hide it.  Turns out it was hydroseeding.  They could use even more of that today.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on February 25, 2013, 01:08:13 pm
To be honest. When I came in back in 2007 the campus landscaping was beautiful due to the 50 year celebration. There was not construction back then. The area between Old Chem-Chemistry-Physics-Recreation center has undergone a lot of construction lately which explains how ugly the area looks. I agree that they need to get rid of the damn tank. The area looks crowded and getting rid of the tank (or at least hiding it) would help.

Stony Brook is undergoing a large scale construction period so it's going to take a while before we see the campus as clean and as beautiful as it looked back in 2007
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ry1nik on February 25, 2013, 01:31:06 pm
This may have already been mentioned on the Board....sorry if repeating...but the most infamous symbol of the university back in the 1970s was the "Bridge to Nowhere." It was considered a symbol of all that ailed Stony Brook back in the 1970s. The state didn't allocate enough money to connect the Library with the Union back then, so the bridge stopped about half way between the two buildings. It was left like that for quite a few years. If I recall correctly, Billy Joel even mentioned it in an interview (kind of as a joke) back then after he had played at SBU.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 25, 2013, 02:00:42 pm
http://www.ic.sunysb.edu/Clubs/educasia/StonyBrookStories/index.html
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 25, 2013, 02:02:22 pm
http://www.stonybrook.edu/sb/traditions/gone.shtml
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 25, 2013, 02:04:10 pm
http://alumniandfriends.stonybrook.edu/page.aspx?pid=633
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on March 20, 2013, 05:21:28 pm
How are we going to deal with the community. Getting more bad press from the town:

Stony Brook Residents Want Rental Rules Enforced For College Students

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/03/18/stony-brook-residents-want-rental-rules-enforced-for-college-students/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on March 20, 2013, 05:53:13 pm
How are we going to deal with the community. Getting more bad press from the town:

Stony Brook Residents Want Rental Rules Enforced For College Students

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/03/18/stony-brook-residents-want-rental-rules-enforced-for-college-students/
[/quote

I live very close to the University and there are 3 houses across the street from me that are rented to University students and in the 16 years live here, i never once had a problem with either one of the rented homes. One house the 2 guys are med students and I never see him. The other 2 homes are rented to College kids and they are very respectful to the neighbors.

Majority of the students who rent off campus are good kids and you will always get a few rotten apples.. When I bought my home in the 90's. I knew SBU was only 1 mile away but decided to buy here because of the Public School. ( Three Village ) and I am glad i did...Unless you bought your house in the 50's , before SBU was built, then you have no reason to complain...You knew this was going to happen, it happens everywhere there's a big University..... I will never sell my house and when the time comes when I want to move, I'll rent my house out to a Doctor or Med students !!!!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on March 22, 2013, 01:56:11 pm
Some good news: http://www.policymic.com/articles/28975/4-top-colleges-just-as-great-as-the-ivy-league-schools

Also, new dorm going up in between Irving College and the Staller Center: http://www.stonybrook.edu/facilities/projects/current/main_campus/?new-residence-hall
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on March 22, 2013, 05:36:44 pm
Yes. New Dorm are coming soon. But that wont be enough. The University has to find a solution to the problem with college rentals. Maybe the town can agree on a designated off-campus section for college rentals.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on May 08, 2013, 03:57:27 pm
.... so is someone in the admin reading our forum!??!?!?!?!?!?! http://www.goseawolves.org/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/050813aaa.html

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on May 08, 2013, 09:19:45 pm
Personally I think a lot of people   read  our  forum.  Just a hunch.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 17, 2013, 07:59:08 pm
Old Chem is now... Frey Hall
http://commcgi.cc.stonybrook.edu/am2/publish/General_University_News_2/What_Was_Old_is_New_Again_SBU_Commemorates_the_Opening_of_Frey_Hall_A_High_Tech-Dedicated_Classroom_Building.shtml

youre right!  someone is reading!!!  8)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on September 17, 2013, 08:17:33 pm
Newsday reported awhile ago they opened a new building dedicated to wireless technology.  Love to see positive growth!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on September 18, 2013, 12:39:33 am
CEWIT - Center for Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology

That is located in the Stony Brook's Research & Development Park on Stony Brook Rd. Opened a few years ago.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on April 04, 2014, 01:58:26 pm
moved from the football thread:

i think the problem exists both with the university and with the students.  not sure who is more to blame.  the students are largely disaffected (but coming around slowly!) and dont stick around on weekends.  The U hasnt really done much to improve the social interaction (but coming around slowly!) on campus or off campus.  my contention is that if they stuck around, they'd go to games.

i think there are a lot of solutions to this problem:

-the U needs to build a "commons".  we have the union, but its garbage and no one wants to hang out there.  we need a square, or a commons, or a strip mall.  coffee shops, pubs, pizza, laundry, places to see and be seen.  they need to construct a "hangout" whether its private or university-operated. 

-the U should think about admitting students based on their school spirit and participation.  further, it might even want to consider taking more students that arent from the LIRR line and cant drive home easily every weekend (perhaps anything above westchester).  this will keep the problem though of students just sitting in their rooms every weekend, doing nothing.  sorry, tri-staters (of which i am one). 

-the U has plenty of land to develop, however, it HAS to be geographically correct.  put the activities in South P, and no one will show.  dont give anyone a reason.  port jeff is great; but its 3 miles away.  kids are lazier than ever today because they can text from the comfort of their dorm and watch anything on a laptop or phone.  in this day and age, technology and social media has made it harder for people to get off their arse.  attention spans are short.  social interaction (the way we know it) is waning.

-on the other hand, social media (i do NOT participate btw) needs to be used to get the word out.  why not use the technology that the kids use to connect with them?

-lets think about geography for a moment.  no one is going to hang around the engineering quad or harriman hall or the physics building, etc.  They might though at the Rec Center, or LaValle, etc.  We have a few spots where we can make this happen.  Im thinking develop the strip of land east of Mendelsohn Quad (bottom right, where the lake is: http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/dance/contact/dancemap2.jpg).  the kids can all walk there and hang out and buy stuff and do whatever and be close to home.  let private business come in and pay for it and develop it.

-the items above they need to add have to happen naturally.  meaning, it cant all be university-driven.  once you add them into the mix, it becomes not cool to 19 year olds.  let entrepreneurs and proprietors open up shops and gyms and apartments and whatnot and kids will follow.  thats what i think college kids want these days.  i love strawberries.  but the strawberry festival doesnt get me excited.  once i went to a foam party at the bench and lost my flip flops- THAT was exciting.

-we have to, absolutely have to, get all the freshmen all into a freshman dorm and create the experience.  make the apartments something to earn.  no more freshmen living amongst upperclassmen.  freshmen are different animals than seniors and they do not act the same.  build relationships early and keep them.  do it in the corridor style dorms where freshman have no privacy and meet easily. 

-less commuter students.  yeah they are great and all but they usually leave after class and dont add anything to the community.  is that harsh?  yes.  and i know, a lot of dormitory students dont add anything either.

-the students need to step it up and get involved.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: BigFatFan on April 04, 2014, 02:24:55 pm
Thank you Chairman.  I for one agree that the school needs to make a better effort in getting the football games to be a destination "event" for the students.  regardless of whether they go home on the weekends, or if they are commuter students, they can "get" the spirit of football and return to the games because their friends will be there, and it will be a "good" and "safe" and "orderly" time.  Also, with the heavy influx of Asian and other forgein students to SB, I wonder if football is just not part of their culture, so they could care less about attending the games.  in my mind, Homecoming is a no-brainer, it should be heavily attended by the community and the students.  what is disappointing to me is to see the other home games at La Valle consist of about 1/2 capacity or less crowds. that is just outright pathetic.  when our kids roll into any other CAA venue, the stadiums are rocking. Even the Rhody game last year, that I attended, they had a near capacity crowd.  we can do better at SB, I challenge the school, the student body and the athletic department to find a way to get it done.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on April 04, 2014, 02:27:30 pm
SBUPatriots and BFF- thanks for your thoughts.  i think all those on this particular forum know the answers- and they are right here.

lets run some rough #s, for Ss and Gs, why not.  these are arbitrary so it doesnt really matter if they are off or rounded, but feel free to amend and we can get this conversation rolling.

total students- 25k.  total undergrad? 18k.  total living on campus?  8-10k.  disregard for now those living off campus but not at home.  assume 25% in each class.  conservative estimate is 2k in each undergraduate class.

what would it take to fill up a pub?  a coffee shop?  a pedestrian square buzzing?  total, a few hundred kids MAX.  maybe 500 total.  that will create an atmosphere- thats what we need- an atmosphere. 

but it NEEDS to be geographically correct.  in one place, and close by.  again, get the kids into the Mendelsohn and G Quad and build it nearby.  DONT give them a reason not to show up.

now, with those 8-10k, think we can, at any given time, activate 500 kids?  perhaps throw in some commuters?  that can easily fill up a square.  and start to create that collegetown feel. 

for sports, your target should be ALL students with the understanding that the underclassmen are more into this.  its just the way it goes in college; students become disaffected with anything that isnt new; what with all the distractions in today's world. 

for the Arena, its seats 4k.  we should have no problem getting half that from the outside.  can we get 2k students?  unlikely, conservatively speaking.  but can we get 1k?  i think so.  that is a massive presence if seated all together, at a place like SB.  if there are 8-10k living on campus, can we get 1 in 8 to show up, and how?

for LaValle, slightly bigger problem, AND you have late fall weather in the northeast. 

corrections welcome.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on April 04, 2014, 04:49:01 pm
Its amazing... All the points that Chair stressed are basically things that I found in my visits to UConn. As everyone knows by now... my gf attends Connecticut.

Its amazing how good of a job UConn does to build school spirit. I remember her freshmen year they grouped all of the freshmen in the crappiest dorms on campus (North Quad)... so crappy that I told her "I would never live in such conditions"... But you know what? The kids didn't complain.... They *****ing loved it. Sh*t would get wild in North Quad and those kids surely build a great relationship early on. Additionally, it kept their expectations of college to a reasonable level. They started out in the worst dorms all together, so no complaints of bathrooms (because no one has seen any better), crappy ceilings, and small dorms.

One thing that I experienced at SBU, is that many students get so much (especially for the cheap price) yet they always remain dissatisfied with their college experience and that's because there is little spirit across the campus. If there is campus spirit you start to forget about the $15k tuition, the student loans, the small dorms, and the crappy classes you have to deal with,  etc, etc.

So yes, the responsibility lies on the University to build an environment that promotes unity and spirit across the student body. The few of us that came out of Stony Brook with tons of school pride are those that were either marching band, involved in clubs, attended athletic events, and build strong friendships. The University has to take charge. I'm afraid that getting USG involve its only going to make things worst. Students are not gonna like the fact that all freshmen are grouped together in one quad and they'll probably vote against it. Some decisions to make improvements need to be made unilaterally.

Also, when it comes to dining halls. God sakes... Stony Brook can do better. We are a research university with 10,000 students that live in campus. Screw the itemized system they have in place that pretty much its meant to serve the commuter. Make it all-you-can eat  buffet so that students don't starve at the end of the semester. Change the dining hall system to avoid the long lines to get your food and then another long line to pay for your food. These things impact the community, and trust me, it makes a difference. By the time most kids graduate, they hate Stony Brook and food has to do a lot with it.

I can say that taking those trips to UConn those weekends made me more proud of Stony Brook because Stony Brook a ton of potential to improve, its a great school with even a better reputation than a school like UConn. But we just have to a better job at selling it. I myself set out to build some school spirit, and to mobilize my friends to attend the games and get involved. We had a blast, we got trashed, but those memories will never fade. But the average stony brook student never experiences that.

One additional thought is: Stony Brooks needs to become more diverse in its selection of students. I understand the school's mission is to serve Long Islanders... But its a public state university. It should be targeting kids from Western New York, The Capital District, Central New York and the Lower Hudson Valley... focusing on NYC kids and Long Islanders who live 30mins-2hrs away from home kills the vibe on campus.

My best buddies in college came from the middle-of-nowhere-NY.... it doesn't matter whether they are asian americans or whatever... those people party too but they need to come from other areas of NY, not just downstate. Also, I don't mind having a sizable international community. Those international kids actually get quite involved. My rommie was from Bangladesh, and I had a ton of fun with that guy. We drank, we smoked, we studied, we partied, it was awesome

Lastly: Please please. Demolish the current Student Union. A school like Stony Brook should have a respectable center for student life. The current union is disgusting, and it really summarizes student life at Stony Brook. We can do better. I mean, look at our peers (Penn State, UMass, Maryland, Ohio State, UCLA, UC Berkeley, UConn) with the impressive Student Unions while we have a crappy old building. That building is beyond repair and the administration is looking to make a renovation instead of knocking it down.

Make a new Union 3 or 4x the current size where you can house an impressively large food court (for a school with 24k students), make it the home of USG, add a sports TV lounge, Game room, ballroom, a legit Friday night movie screen, etc, etc. The current union is a perfect location (near the arena and stadium) so it can be built there again


Not everything is depressing though. We have achieved a lot since I first became a freshman back in 2007. I'm extremely proud of Stony Brook's accomplishments and I wouldn't change my experience at SBU for nothing. But there is no doubt that there is a lot work left to do. Stony Brook has the potential to be a Penn State or an Ohio State. Our academics are at par already, we just have to work on everything else that makes college memorable. As alumni, and community members its our job to be supportive also through athletic events, donations, and booster blogs, creating enthusiasm, and Rewriting wikipedia (has anybody looked at the makeover I've done to the Stony Brook related articles in wikipedia. I've put a lot of effort to write the articles in a neutral POV but with as much info as possible about the university)

I love SBU, and I'm sure we all do. So lets keep writing and maybe the administration takes a look at the board from time to time...
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on April 04, 2014, 05:33:43 pm
Crazy Eddie- youve certainly earned the right to opine on this subject, if any of us have.  You did start this forum!

Yes, the Union needs to go the way of the bridge- wrecking ball.  But i would hope they dont put up another super modern glass building; again, i dont think thats what kids want to see.  Budgets are tight; but they arent necessarily less expensive than the old brick and mortar.  We mustnt forget kids look at imagery when they read brochures for college... we are being compared to our peers.  They are the standard.  Make it happen.

Choose where you'd like to go to class:

(http://citynoise.org/upload/31126.jpg)

(http://media.salon.com/2013/01/unc.jpg)

You really cant put a price tag on this. 

Apartments are great (i lived in Kelly).  But they are less social and kids are holed up in their rooms and dont interact like they do in corridors.  Dont all other colleges put freshmen in corridors?  Yes!  There's a reason why and we need to follow.  Most other colleges the kids live in the dorm one year and out.  This is not a time to lead; its a time to follow.

Regarding the food- which i honestly didnt think was all that bad during my days- another reason to bring in the private vendors.  There is room to build.  Lets do it. 

(http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/dance/contact/dancemap2.jpg)

Knocking down the Union solves two problems- one is knocking down the Union- the other is it frees up space for this campus square i keep talking about.  Plenty of space, right near the quads (that i think should become the freshmen quads) and just away from the center of campus.  Think of the atmosphere, during a football game and kids are around the union, hearing the crowd from just nearby, game telecast on TVs, etc. 

I keep talking about geography, and yes, its going to be tough for the kids living in the back of Tabler to get all the way over there.  Maybe improve the bus system, i dunno.  I never got on it. 

I also agree on taking a more diverse selection of students.  The less kids we have from outside of the tristate area, the more out of place kids from upstate (or anywhere else) will feel.  State tuition there; take advantage.  Buffalo does.  Albany does.  Bingo does.  Again, time to follow, not lead.

Regarding diversity, i actually remember the U being extremely diverse.  Problem though, walking through the Union especially during Campus Lifetime, or the Bench, Academic Mall, etc, everyone was cliqued off with people of their own color.  Thats fine and all, just saying i thought diversity wasnt the problem, its refusal to integrate thats the problem!

And yes, the U has come a LONG way in the last 10 years.  They really really really need a person, who is an alum, and young, and understands the issue, to run with the campus life experience improvement.  They keep going wrong here.  I dont think budgeting or space is the issue.  Its the bad decisions the admin makes, the university-sponsored anything, the wrong people in these roles, and student inactivity. 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on April 04, 2014, 09:22:20 pm
This forum is  really has grown  I went to   Buffalo State years ago.  Their  Student Union of today is gorgeous. They really did a nice job  and they are a state  college not a global research university.  Things can change at SBU  we just need voices.  If you go on the Buff St virtual  tour  check out the union which is still the center of campus life.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on April 05, 2014, 02:03:22 am
Give me $500 million bucks and I'll change the Brook forever with an "Iron fist". LOL. We need another one like president Kenny who actually cared about how things looked and building spirit in addition to academics. We also need lots of money, yes, sorry chair, I do think this is also a funding problem. It is impossible to build a comprehensive plan for the future of the university with lack of funds. We need the state to make one shot investment for the Brook (like $250-750 mil project) to change the face of the University.

I did a terrible paint job here but bear with me here. Look at the attachment.

I came up with a quick project based on a few things.

A) a brand new state of the art Stony Brook Union in a centralized location of campus with quick access from the South Dorm Communities (Kelly, West, Roosevelt, Tabler) and from the North Campus (H-Quad, Mendi, and the future residential quad next to Wang Center)

B) A Student Union that faces a "Central Alley" of the State University. Most Universities in the nation have a main alley, a main mall with a long patch of grass. Its traditional, its beautiful, and it allows the student to easily walk from the west end to the east end of the academic campus. The Central Alley should be overhauled so that it is a consistent, long, straight patch of grass from the Administration Building (all the way in the East end) to the potential future Union (in the extreme west).

C) The Student Union will be only a short walk from our brand new renovated arena and Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium. You know what that means? after every big win, all hell will break lose at the Student Union. Stony Brook nation will descend all over the Union to fulfill their hunger or their desire for more fun. The perfect place for all the wolves to meet and have a good time

D) The Earth and Space Science Building must go. Its disgusting, its old, its breaking apart, and it blocks the academic mall from the west side of campus. The building should be demolished so that that end of campus can be opened up for the future Union. Replace the ESS with a big patch of grass right in front of the potential union.

E) New academic Buildings can be constructed in the patch of forest directly next to the ESS building. But it must absolutely respect and fit in with the Central Alley.

F) Directly in front of the Stony Brook Arena, and sandwiched in between the Physics building and the SBU Arena in that large patch of grass we should build a brand new Stony Brook University Marketplace. Here, a three floor state of the art complex that will house the Stony Brook Seawolves Athletics Store, a large student bookstore, and a students convenience store. After every game, make sure that store is open so that kids can throw their money away on jerseys.

G) Where the current Student Union lies. Demolish that piece of crap and build something else there. We can build an academic building, a dining hall... or actually, my favorite - even a better idea: a nice and fancy building were we can house the Stony Brook Foundation and the Stony Brook University Alumni Association. Here is where all the alumni are gonna THROW their money away. This Alumni association should be hunting down every alumnus of the University. Milking everyone's pockets for a better future for the University.

H) Overhaul of John S. Toll Drive to make it more student friendly. Build a line of trees along the road so that students don't have to see the service facilities in the west side of the road every time they walk up and down the road. John S. Toll Drive should become the center of life for Stony Brook students. Everything cool should be down that road (Stony Brook Union, Stony Brook Arena, Stony Brook Rec Center, Stony Brook Marketplace, Staller Center Films, Alumni Association, Wang Center, maybe some sorority/frat houses can be built at the end of this road near the Mendy quad)

I) Near the main entrance of THE State University of New York at Stony Brook we should build a nice "Stony Brook Visitor Center". This should be the first encounter for every visitor of the university. All future students, parents, community members should first walk into the Stony Brook University visitor center. This is important... as of now, current first time visitors walk into the Administration building (really? what kinda of first impression is that?)

BOYSSSSSS. THIS IS HOW YOU BUILD A FLAGSHIP STATE UNIVERSITY FOR THE MASSES! Who's gonna hand me the money? :)





[attachment deleted by admin]
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on April 05, 2014, 02:31:04 am
Maybe we can put these ideas on paper and start lobbying. We can do it right. We are nice group of passionate fans of Stony Brook. We can send out emails. No? Wouldn't it be great...
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: laxnation on April 05, 2014, 03:24:31 am
We can't even repair the steps leading up to gym and its been like this way for  1 or even two years.  Nothing says welcome like yellow police tape. ;D
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on April 05, 2014, 05:08:58 pm
good to see there is someone as crazy as i am...

i like a lot of these ideas and i encourage more.  crazy eddie yes money is an issue but we have an annual budget; its time to manage it better, which is to say we have matters of more urgency than others.  its mismanaged just like our federal, state, and local govt. 

today i saw mud and dirt fields everywhere.  its unsightly and needs to be fixed.  the SB Arena is unbelievable though.  and there are big plans for the atrium just outside the main entrance. 

i think before they spend on anything- they need to marshal resources and improve the social atmosphere.  that means, to me, things like the visitor center are great, but room and $ should be used to create a college town.  visitor center is a great idea though.

youre right that the union should be more centered and the area where ESS is is a great idea.  and yes it does block the academic mall!  they can even move that parking lot easily, as, its a parking lot.  grass or new union sounds great to me.  yes it needs to be more centered to the south dorms, and thats the perfect spot near the arena.  and when they condemn the union, that will open up more prime space.  pubs and restaurants?  houses?   >:(

agreed on making the academic mall grass.  sure it will raise maintenance costs but this is one of those things that has to be done.  example:

(http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/img/college-photo_2352..jpg)

we can afford to knock down a building here and there.  we have more than enough buildings to house students temporarily while one gets flattened. 

for F, they are planning on putting an SB athletics store in the atrium where the old concessions are in the arena.  it should be connected to the arena.

also i agree that we need an alumni association, but not yet, not at the cost of something can improve the social interaction of current students at the brook.  i love your idea of replacing the union with houses, pubs, cafes, restaurants, etc.  Your idea to overhaul toll drive is great too.  it should be a destination; not a thoroughfare.

we have to dream it before it becomes a plan.

(http://www.woolpert.com/wp-content/uploads/Quad-Birds-Eye-e1361893413237.jpg)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on April 05, 2014, 05:16:38 pm
those last two posts were UVa, UNC, and UNC Greensboro.  Here is Syracuse:

(http://archives.syr.edu/images/buildings/quad.jpg)

Cornell:

(http://fe.fs.cornell.edu/img/mainPage/ArtsQuad.jpg)

Illinois:

(http://www.martycarlson.net/briefcase/89818_11162012113011AM35219.jpg)

Ohio State:

(http://assets.inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2010/09/OSU_aerial_quad-e1285084594352.jpg)

Washington:

(http://faculty.washington.edu/paymana/images/photos/uw/blossoms4.gif)



Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on April 05, 2014, 11:38:06 pm
Really something to work toward !
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on April 12, 2014, 07:00:38 pm
Out of all the school you posted there. Illinois, Ohio State, and Washington really captivated me. WOW. How beautiful to look at... and the crazy thing to think about it.... All these great academic institutions are our peers academically... But if you ask the average person: they would say that Ohio State, Illinois, UWash are several levels above Stony Brook University.

All these schools are AAU Research Universities with either land grant/sea grant/ space grant status. Stony Brook is certainly not the land grant university of New York (Cornell holds that title unfortunately) but we are a sea grant and space grant university with top 35 public status. This is something we really have to be proud of. There are 50 states, most states have two great schools. Yet, we are considered top 34 in the nation. I don't think we sell that enough. This is a majestic  institution. Our strategic growth plan should take this into account. We should grow all corners of this University. We should integrate the University more and more with the outside community. We should leverage our status as a great institution to influence the outside community.

Stony Brook should be home to multiple Long Island Museums of Art, History, Natural History, Science, music,  etc. It should be a center where the culture of long island can be celebrated. We already have a film and arts festival which is great but we need to do more of that. We need to make Stony Brook a destination, not only for potential students but also for the community, for high school trips, for our senior community. This is where we need to work on. We have plenty of space to grow, plenty of land. We just need more creativity in building a University that Long Island can be proud of, that it can feel as its own.

Stony Brook is Long Island. Long Island is Stony Brook. Gotta make this happen.

The State University of New York at Stony Brook!!!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on April 12, 2014, 09:51:17 pm
 I agree the school should  broadcast  their academic profile more- we are after all only 1 of 3  AAU schools in the Metro Area. The other two being NYU and Columbia  which is pretty good company since SBU is thousands  of dollars  less.  I don't see  SBU investing  major dollars  in the  beautification of the campus AKA  UNC Chapel Hill  or UVA.  Maybe  someday  but not  in the near  future.  What monies they do invest will be in academics and  research  which isn't  all that  bad.   We may see a Virginia   or Stanford  style campus  way out in the future but for now  the money is going toward  maintaining and advancing academics .
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on April 13, 2014, 10:33:42 am
Chrissy. I see Arthur Dokes is on the Spring roster but, I haven't seen him on the field. Do you have any information on this. Is he still with the team?
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on April 14, 2014, 02:26:32 pm
Quote
I agree the school should  broadcast  their academic profile more- we are after all only 1 of 3  AAU schools in the Metro Area. The other two being NYU and Columbia  which is pretty good company since SBU is thousands  of dollars  less.  I don't see  SBU investing  major dollars  in the  beautification of the campus AKA  UNC Chapel Hill  or UVA.  Maybe  someday  but not  in the near  future.  What monies they do invest will be in academics and  research  which isn't  all that  bad.   We may see a Virginia   or Stanford  style campus  way out in the future but for now  the money is going toward  maintaining and advancing academics .

And to me, this is a problem.  Making the campus more appealing WILL change the perception that Crazy Eddie is talking about.  It will bring better students.  It will bring better athletes.  It will bring better professors and faculty.  It might just even entice some to stick around and then improve the social atmosphere.  Kids choose with their eyes; its just a fact.  State institutions move at a snail's pace with the governmental red tape; wheels have to be put in motion NOW if its going to improve by 2020.  Case in point is the Student Union.  They have GOT to do something about the Union.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: sbupatriots on April 14, 2014, 08:28:24 pm
Having active alumni like you guys makes a big impact on me and my fellow students so thanks a ton. In my two years here at SBU I've already seen a ton of momentum in both the social atmosphere and athletic support. With each class that comes in I feel there are more and more kids that are EXCITED to come here as I was. I feel there is a huge difference between those who come here because its "a good option" or "my parents wanted me to" and those who come here because they really wanted to. These are the type of kids who will make a positive difference like yourselves.

As for development of campus. It looks as though Stony Brook is pretty set with development up until 2023. Check http://www.stonybrook.edu/facilities/data/building-for-the-future-the-draft-plan.pdf for all development over the next 10 years.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on April 14, 2014, 08:38:24 pm
Patriot I'm  glad you are on board  Welcome.    I didn't attend SBU  but my daughter  did and graduated in 1997.  I'm a   SUNY grad  and I know the state moves slowly and many of the buildings all may look the same at most SUNY schools. I  have watched SBU grow both in academics and athletics and we are moving fairly quickly over the last 10 or 12 years.  So enjoy your stay at SBU  and we will continue to improve.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on April 14, 2014, 10:05:58 pm
Thanks for bringing that master plan. I saw it a few months ago but forgot about it and didn't bring it up. Unfortunately, as I said the plan is not nearly as ambitious as I would like it to be and it probably comes down to money to a some extent. If only another Jim would come up and throw +$200 million in facilities improvement... that would be a heck of a donation.

Boy, a school like UConn is receiving a $1 Billion (Faculty 500) in state funding over the next five year in addition to the $2 Billion the state provided to UConn throughout the 90s and early 2000 (21st Century UConn and UConn 2000). Some are going to be quick to point out that Connecticut's public higher education system is not nearly as extensive as our SUNY system but if you consider the size and population of the state of Connecticut you would realize that a $1 billion is a hugeeee commitment to UConn. Those guys across the sound surely get it. UConn is one of the state's vehicle to success...

...Stony Brook should be Long Island's vehicle to a post-recession and post-sandy recovery. Cuomo has done plenty of work with the SUNYs, but he can do a lot more. I remain hopeful. I posted this thread on Stony Brook's facebook page to get some attention. They replied at least. Hey, you never know...

Go Seawolves!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on April 15, 2014, 08:44:43 am
In my two years here at SBU I've already seen a ton of momentum in both the social atmosphere and athletic support. With each class that comes in I feel there are more and more kids that are EXCITED to come here as I was.

As a frequent visitor to campus, i agree with this very much.  Thanks for the link!  Ill take a closer read and comment...
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on April 15, 2014, 08:58:21 am
Ok thanks again for sending- i usually go to the following link but yours is much better: http://www.stonybrook.edu/facilities/projects/

I guess my original point was, yes, its expensive to maintain a grass quad with all the foot traffic but how much can that cost to install?  I dont believe that is not in our budget.  If UConn can look like UConn with a smaller budget, then possibly our budget is mismanaged.  Start there and worry about larger construction later. 

This is reassuring- the strategy is to repurpose existing space that no longer is necessary, or to maximize efficiency of space.  Though, space doesnt seem to be our problem. 

Phase I- gather info.  Great, but where they go wrong is to gather it on their own.  Ask a student, or better yet, an outsider. 

Phase II- assessment.  Done, the campus needs fixing.  Especially the Union.

Phase III- analyze space needs.  Again, i dont think space is our problem.  See the maps i posted above.

Phase IV- consider three alternatives.  Again, this is easy.  Toss the idea that looks like a mirrored skyscraper or a prison, and build something that looks like the photos posted earlier.

Of course this is all fifty cents analysis from a non-architect.  :(  I do appreciate that there is much much more that goes into it.  I would just love to help them steer...
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on April 15, 2014, 09:03:34 am
btw, sbupatriot I'm glad you are around. We need more current students like you here. Let your friends now and lets build a bigger community. Keep up the enthusiasm, we are all Seawolves here!

Btw, the same trend you are noticing in social life and athletic support I saw it when I was there from 2007-12. Things really started to take off after 2009 and I'm glad it continues to get better. Lets go Brook!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on April 15, 2014, 09:07:20 am
Continuing on to Target Growth.  3000 more students, and 3300 more beds.  Also great.  But lets get in students that care about contributing to the community.  There's something like Paw Points or some loyalty program where you can get access to tickets by showing up to games.  Lets give access to the coveted buildings to those who demonstrate a commitment to the U rather than just going to class and graduation.

With that many more students- and with that many more on campus- we have to get more participation in athletic events and social events.  We ran some #s above on this thread.  That right there is enough students (on top of the already existing ones) to create the atmosphere we want.  We just need it to be the right type of student.

Combine new buildings with open spaces and create quadrangles and paths- wonderful, this is the right idea ive been talking about. 

The administration has done so, so, so well over the last 10 years.  But its not immune to bad decisions.  For example, for a very long time, the "symbol" of SBU, on the cover of its brochures, and right when you enter campus, was a broken down old rusty yellow swing.  Anyone know what im talking about?
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on April 15, 2014, 09:12:05 am
Ok this is HUGE but the plan on page 8 (right side) looks like it includes new dormitories west of LaValle- dangerously close to the Bench, the Stadium, the Arena, the north Academic Mall, etc.  I havent heard of this plan but i like it.  My guess is that they will remove part of the old stadium lot (where the factories are) and build 7 buildings and a dining hall.  Just have to worry about these kids getting on the train and going home...

But also, why not then build a strip mall there?  Perfect spot for a college town...

Weve mentioned before, but a few more dormitories are planned to fit south of Irving College and north of Wang.  Again, SBU... this is your chance to follow and not lead. 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on April 15, 2014, 09:13:43 am
Page 9 has the master plan on one map.  Get this- it has the Union slated for renovations!  I hope that renovation involves a wrecking ball...
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on April 15, 2014, 10:21:18 am
The whole plan since I attended Stony Brook revolves around the idea that residence halls need to be balanced around the academic center of the University. Basically what we have right now is a south side of campus with residences and a north side of campus with residences. I don't think its a bad idea that they try to put residences near the arena on the northwest end to balance things out but it might hurt the growth of the athletics department in the future and students may dislike being immediately next to the service facilities of the campus which are directly to the south of the future residence halls.


The good part of this plan is that it leaves the area where I want a future union completely untouched (maybe will be used as parking which is not too bad). So it leaves that remote possibility for a new Union in that location :). It also seems like they want to renovate the current Union. That's fine I guess... they can use it as a Union for now and later on use it for something else if they want to avoid demolishing it. It seems like Stony Brook is not too fond  of demolishing old structures, they prefer renovating them and using the money saved to build another facility.

Also, I like the fact the school is putting effort to unite the campus as one. The division of the University into an East campus and West Campus does very little to unite the University. It should only be one campus and all formal documents of the University should avoiding splitting into two like they currently do. Perhaps expand the current tunnel under Nichols Rd and increase the interactions between both sides

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on April 15, 2014, 02:57:30 pm
one of the good designs back when the campus was planned was that we generally do have an inner circle of academic buildings (except Roth) and the dorms on the outside.  Crazy Eddie your plan again was to put the Union where ESS is?  I think that works because its at the end of the mall and also equidistant from dormitories. 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on April 15, 2014, 08:41:14 pm
Hopefully one of our governors of the future  will make bold choice and  officially  declare  a SUNY University  the Flagship  of the system.  Right  now we have this quasi arrangement  with us and UB kind of in limbo since Rockefeller.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on May 18, 2014, 09:14:11 pm
in the new SBU Magazine, there is a column entitled "Flashback" that has this photo of the old Oyster Bay campus:

(http://sb.cc.stonybrook.edu/magazine/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/oysterbay.jpg)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: sbugold on May 19, 2014, 04:09:37 pm
Looks like some of the things to make the SBU surrounding area continue to be discussed.  It will be interesting to see some of the ideas.  My wife and I will be attending this evening, so I'll let you all know if I hear any good ideas:

THREE VILLAGE COMMUNITY TRUST
 
Join Us Tonight!
Monday, May 19th, 6pm
at the Bates House, 1 Bates Road (off Main Street), Setauket.
Conceptual Plans for Route 25A
SBU Student Presentations, Round Two.
Fourteen students in Stony Brook University's environmental planning, policy and design program will present strategic visions for the area around the Stony Brook LIRR station based on studies of existing conditions of the Route 25A corridor completed last semester.
 
The students will propose a set of short-term and long-term investments and policies that could help increase the economic vitality of the 25A corridor, provide desired public amenities and address environmental sustainability. Four student groups will present their conceptual plans, followed by a discussion of the proposed strategies.
The students presented their "existing conditions" studies of this location in December 2013 to local residents. There was much enthusiasm about continuing these studies and the discussions the student presentations inspired. The attention given continues to foster actions to make improvements in significant ways - evidence the proposed sidewalks and lowered speed limit for Nicolls Road!
 
Everyone is welcome. Refreshments will be served.
 
Donovan Finn is an urban planner and lecturer in the Sustainability Studies Program at Stony Brook University. The course is "Theories and Design of Urban Settlements."
 
 
 

 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on May 19, 2014, 04:11:25 pm
thanks gold- will be very happy to hear comments from the mtg...
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: sbugold on May 20, 2014, 10:25:23 am
thanks gold- will be very happy to hear comments from the mtg...

First, I should note that the presentations were made by four teams of undergrads as one of the assignments in Prof. Finn's class.  So, they did not represent in-depth studies with detailed plans re: how to overcome community, legal and funding barriers.  Rather, they each presented their visions/ideas for the future, and specifically focused on the areas adjacent to and across from the Stony Brook train station.

That said, many of the ideas were interesting and led to some lively discussion.  Most centered attention on the following, dividing the ideas up into short, mid and long-range categories;

--upgrade of commercial area on North side of 25A, including reconfiguring of structures and rear parking in lieu of current disastrous distributed parking nightmare.

--creation of open spaces (perhaps negotiating with Stony Brook School) to obtain some land space

--slowing of auto traffic and easing of pedestrian movement through installation of medians, walkways, etc.

--expansion of train station for more utility, expanded seating areas, weather protection for waiting passengers and potential for modern transit hub to better accommodate parking, buses and taxis

--general beautification (e.g. walkways, plantings, etc.) and sustainability modifications (e.g. solar provisions, rain water use, etc.)

As I indicated, none of this is ready for submittal to anyone.  But, it's nice to know the conversation is in motion somewhere.  I think Prof. Finn may be a good resource for anyone wanting to pursue some specifics to move forward in the future.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on May 20, 2014, 10:34:15 am
thanks gold- will be very happy to hear comments from the mtg...

First, I should note that the presentations were made by four teams of undergrads as one of the assignments in Prof. Finn's class.  So, they did not represent in-depth studies with detailed plans re: how to overcome community, legal and funding barriers.  Rather, they each presented their visions/ideas for the future, and specifically focused on the areas adjacent to and across from the Stony Brook train station.

That said, many of the ideas were interesting and led to some lively discussion.  Most centered attention on the following, dividing the ideas up into short, mid and long-range categories;

--upgrade of commercial area on North side of 25A, including reconfiguring of structures and rear parking in lieu of current disastrous distributed parking nightmare.

--creation of open spaces (perhaps negotiating with Stony Brook School) to obtain some land space

--slowing of auto traffic and easing of pedestrian movement through installation of medians, walkways, etc.

--expansion of train station for more utility, expanded seating areas, weather protection for waiting passengers and potential for modern transit hub to better accommodate parking, buses and taxis

--general beautification (e.g. walkways, plantings, etc.) and sustainability modifications (e.g. solar provisions, rain water use, etc.)

As I indicated, none of this is ready for submittal to anyone.  But, it's nice to know the conversation is in motion somewhere.  I think Prof. Finn may be a good resource for anyone wanting to pursue some specifics to move forward in the future.


thanks- my concern with 25a (specifically the north side) is the noise factor.  earlier in the thread i posted that quite a few new dorms will be build in between the lot and the track (that path to the Bench where the volleyball courts are) and i wonder if that will facilitate the need for construction. 

i think if they are going to create a college town (which i STILL dont see any plans for!) it would have to be in this very area.  dont give the students any reason to not show up (i.e., its too far, dont have transport, etc).  proximity matters.

i think expanding anything in the train station will entice students to leave campus more.   ::) 8)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 16, 2014, 01:51:48 pm
found this (outdated) news today on the Toll Drive residence halls... http://sbstatesman.com/2014/09/04/what-you-missed-at-stony-brook-while-you-were-away/

Quote
Construction of new residence halls and a 60,000 square foot dining facility began on Toll Drive between Mendelsohn Quad and the Wang Center. Groundbreaking on the first phase of the project, which includes the dining facility, took place on July 30.

The second phase, which will add a commons building, is scheduled to be completed by fall 2016. The new suite-style buildings will add 759 beds to the university’s housing capacity, bringing the total above 10,300.  The dining facility portion is intended to take the place of the food services of the Stony Brook Union, according to a univeristy press release.

(http://www.northshoreoflongisland.com/datedimages/2014/04/30/6171A2JYk436E29E.med.jpg)

 
Quote
In response to the increasing demand for on-campus housing from new and continuing students, the University has commenced the construction of 759 beds of new residence hall accommodations and a 60,000 square foot dining facility at a site between Mendelsohn Quad and Toll Drive. Site clearing has begun, and the project is scheduled for completion by Fall 2016. The new residence halls will bring the total campus housing inventory above 10,300 beds. The new facility will be suite style, single room design, with hopes of gaining LEED Certification.
http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/res/news/tolldrive.shtml


Quote
The dining portion of the project will replace nearly all food service venues currently located in the Stony Brook Union, allowing for the conversion of the Union to a dedicated Student Services Center.
http://sb.cc.stonybrook.edu/news/general/2014-08-01-sbu-residence-hall.php

It should be six stories, costing around $34M, $50M, or $90M depending on which estimate you read.  A lot more photos here: http://www.ksqarchitects.com/multifamilyHousing_project.php?pID=36&sID=4

Quote
They stated in a survey that this approach would create courtyards between the wings of the residence halls, enhancing the neighborhood character of this area on campus.
http://www.sbindependent.org/will-the-new-residence-hall-preserve-the-view-of-wang-center/

I read somewhere the the U is leasing beds from Dowling College, which, with LI traffic, is not close.

It looks like the Union is being renovated ($60M) from Summer '16 - Summer '18: http://sbstatesman.com/2014/02/18/campus-construction-projects-continue-to-develop-mp-am-bd/

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 16, 2014, 02:11:37 pm
better photos here:

(http://www.ksqarchitects.com/images/portfolio/boards/sbu_tolldrive/SBU-TOLL_DRIVE_001_.jpg)

(http://www.ksqarchitects.com/images/portfolio/boards/sbu_tolldrive/SBU-TD_002_.jpg)

(http://www.ksqarchitects.com/images/portfolio/boards/sbu_tolldrive/SBU-TD_003_.jpg)

(http://www.ksqarchitects.com/images/portfolio/boards/sbu_tolldrive/SBU-TD_005_.jpg)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on September 16, 2014, 11:31:49 pm
Thats gonna look pretty darn awesomee! Impressive!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 17, 2014, 08:57:26 am
it is yes.  i just wish that they had went for the more traditional look.

costs aside (because im sure it costs so much more), i was up in geneva a few weeks ago.  i hadnt been to hobart since the early 90s, when i was there twice.  sure, its a private school.  but this is another opportunity to build this:

(http://talloiresnetwork.tufts.edu/wp-content/uploads/talnet__134.bmp)

instead of the above.  just one man's opinion.  to me, aesthetics matter.  a lot.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on September 17, 2014, 10:45:43 am
I guess at this point it would be odd to build in a traditional style. It might be too late. especially with the Brutalist SB Union and the modern asian-american Wang center across the streets. It wouldn't fit too well even though I agree that the traditional style looks so much better!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ry1nik on September 17, 2014, 11:27:24 am
You're right ecasado...that train has already left the station. You can't mix modern and traditional without it looking disjointed
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 17, 2014, 02:12:10 pm
...which is exactly what cornell looks like. 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on September 22, 2014, 04:04:40 pm
2014 State of the University Address

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28VdxzzO-e4
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on September 22, 2014, 04:07:34 pm
New Stony Brook Union! Very happy
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on September 23, 2014, 02:21:53 pm
Just thought I would throw this out there. Why wasn't Matt Larsen considered for the AD position. Does anyone have any insight into this. The article states. Larsen been with the program for 19 years and came up from the bottom and made it to the top.. Don't you think a local guy like him would have been a good pick for SB Athletics?? Dont get me wrong, I think Heilbron is the man too and he will do wonderful things for SB. Not to mention on Twitter this morning, SB announced Heilbron is in the works to build a indoor Football field.... Just curious!!!


http://www.goseawolves.org/genrel/092314aaa.html
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 23, 2014, 02:55:35 pm
A tough loss for the U as Matt was an alum and a longtime part of the administration... he was there in the old days when... well, you all remember what it was like.

Good for him though landing such a big job at a place that has hosted Gameday twice now and has a dominant FCS football program and will continue to beat FBS teams and possibly even jump up to FBS (there's always talk about this). 

Perhaps we have him comeback someday down the line!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on September 23, 2014, 03:03:17 pm
I think President Stanley may have been looking for a guy with experience in a raising revenue and from the Power-5 leagues. that may have influenced him... but I'm always supportive of hiring from within and it seems like this guy had a ton of experience at Stony Brook. I wish him luck as the AD of NDSU. He deserves it!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 12, 2014, 12:56:55 pm
just tying this thread into the football thread... Crazy Eddie has some VERY interesting insights to add that are relevant here... http://sbufan.createaforum.com/stony-brook-football/2012-2020-future-of-stony-brook-football/msg12032/#msg12032


Quote
Also, the problem with a school like Stony Brook is that there is not a unified team between the administration/campus life/ and residential life to encourage attendance at athletics events. These organizations feel like they all work separately and at times it feels like they work against each other or compete for the attention of students. Most of the time while I was at the University residential life (RAs, RHDs, and etc) didn't even acknowledge that there was a football game going on at the stadium. They had their own list of events scheduled and at times they even had events with time conflicts with football. That's why I hated the whole setup. In a way they would promote "Residential College" pride but not "Stony Brook pride" which is absolutely ridiculous. Why do I give a fu** if I live in Langmuir College... I'm a Stony Brook student and a proud wolf so they should be promoting university-wide events and not their on agenda

They SHOULD BE NOTHING schedule when there is a football game on campus. the Football game and basketball games should be where all students mingle no matter whether they live in South Campus or North campus. Its sad that the administration as whole has not noticed this yet. This is why the campus is so disjointed. Students don't feel like they are part of a greater whole. They don't feel like TRUE seawolves. They just feel like students that belong to their specific Quad and that's it

in my visits to the University of Connecticut I was amazed how well they do it. They do an amazing job promoting UCONN pride. Students wear their pride everywhere they go... and not only that: If they have to Chant "UCONN.... HUSKY" at any location they would get a crowd to respond to them. Try the same at Stony Brook with the "What's a Seawolf?" and people will probably laugh at you.

and UCONN is only one example. I'm sure there is schools that do it waaaay better than them out there. The Clemsons, South Carolina, Florida, Syracuses of the world...

Honest effort has to be put in by the administrator. Real effort. This should also go hand in hand with the constructions of new facilities to enhance student life as mentioned in the Making SB Better thread
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 12, 2014, 02:41:53 pm
posting here from football so its all in one place- for the eventual letter that Crazy Eddie will pen to the administration!

Quote
its tough today.  kids rather play with facebook or smartphones or whatever.  its easier to sit on the couch.

in the idea thread, some solutions that wont get us all the way there but will help- give away free t-shirts, get schedule magnets in every dorm, give away free food at games, give away free tuition, create a loyalty program where game attendees are entered for free tuition, etc.  In the old days, RAs would knock on doors and pump kids up and tell them to walk over to Seawolves Field.  more signage with schedules, more rivalry games, get the game piped into the Bench, closed circuit TV in each room, etc.  This isnt the silver bullet, but it helps.

Quote
getting a better Student Commons area.  I was at Alabama this summer, and they have an awesome gathering place for the students, a circular bowl area, surrounded by eating areas and the student store.  nice place to hang out.


Quote
this brings up an interesting question Crazy Eddie... i wasnt aware that there was such a disconnect.  thanks for sharing your insight as you were in the mix and know what's going on.

why such a decentralized process at SB?

i agree with your sentiment on getting scheduling together. 

the answers are there; that's not the hard part.  the solutions are clear.  even the expense- that's not even the hard part, because the school does have some $$$ to implement.  the real difficulty is getting the message to them, and then, being all on the same page.  so your right Crazy Eddie, disjointed. 

greater good, utilitarianism, JS Mill.  i remember reading this philosophy... ironically... at SB.

Quote
I think to answer your question in why such a decentralized process at Stony Brook we have to take a look at its history, and its present, and the way they are planning for the future

This school was planned to be a research heavy institution from the start in the early 1960s. It grew so quickly that no one really paid attention at the "process" of how things really should get done. For decades our administrators were focused on making Stony Brook a top notch research institution and all the focus was to succeed in that and to a certain extent they have succeeded (It was only until Kenny came in the early 1990s that she noticed how ****ty everything else not involving "research" was at the University. She had great ideas of how things should be done because she came from the University of Texas-Austin... and she improved a lot of things but a lot of the old-timers hated her because her ideas took away from "more important" things )

Adding dorms, campus dining, a student Union, and athletics facilities came out of necessity with very little planning and thought in how to expand the campus cohesively and avoiding the red tape that we have today. So what we got today is a product of such a mess. We have the Faculty Student Association managing Campus Dining/Bookstore/ and the Seawolves Marketplace, Residential Life managing Student Residences, and you have the Athletic Department managing Athletic facilities and events. You also have the Commuter Student Association working for the interest of the commuter population and the Stony Brook Weekend Life Council managing Student Activities on Weekends.... Lastly add the Undergraduate Student Government and Graduate Student Organization working for the interests of their respective students... and between this pile of garbage you have the Students trying to find an event to have fun burried between all these divisions that some times don't seem to work together.

Dr. Stanley did a great job consolidating and eliminating red tape with his Project 50... But he basically focused on the academic and administrative arm of the University...

When is something going to be done to eliminate all the garbage in the student life side of things? I'm not so sure

But my point is...

All these groups (USG, GSO, FSA, Athletics, ResLife, Commuter S.A, Campus Dining, Student Life Weekend Council) should have a common schedule which doesn't conflict between each other. They should help one another advertise events and should have common goal of engaging the entire stony Brook community not just a tiny fraction of the population.

In reality what usually happens is that you end up having one big fraction of the population who doesn't even find out that there are events currently going on... or that is attending another event they care more about... or who goes home on weekend cuz he thinks Stony Brook is boring and full of apathy because of little marketing and little unity.

Take a minute or two and visit the site

today.uconn.edu

There you can find out pretty much everything that is currently going on at UCONN...

Then find me a site other than this ****ty calendar that promotes events to the campus community

http://calendar.activedatax.com/stonybrook/EventList.aspx?fromdate=11/12/2014&todate=11/25/2014&display=Month&view=DateTime

Stony Brook can do better than that... Sometimes I just think they choose not to. The solution is there, but our admins are to blind to even see it. They get away with murder

Quote
from what i know, agreed.  it grew so quickly, that things get missed. 

i hadnt even heard of some of these groups.  to me, the critical one is the Stony Brook Weekend Life Council.  this could be the key to getting things changed and perhaps boosting attendance.  http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/sac/weekend_life/weekendlife.shtml

but like i always say, mini golf and movies and laser tag aint gonna do it!  we have to look at our competition and what they are doing right/wrong. 

i *love* golf.  i play 15 times a year.  but look how exciting this is to an 18 year old: https://stonybrook.collegiatelink.net/organization/weekendlife/gallery/Album/33344

a whopping 40 students are on the roster for that club.  i do applaud the efforts though.  here is the mission: http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/sac/weekend_life/cosponsorship.shtml

doesnt entirely reflect the ideas we've come up with in the idea thread, but then again, they are constrained by the powers that be.  its a university-sanctioned club.

i am repetitive- i know.  but you have to consider this: a 17 year old holds a brochure for SB, and one for... SJU, Albany, Delaware, Buffalo, Oneonta, etc. 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 19, 2014, 02:30:22 pm
Crazy Eddie- were you serious about putting together something to go to the Administration?

Think it will get airtime?  Will it be taken seriously?  Who are the right people to contact?

I am willing to help.  I'm sure others here are too.  Thanks for all you do. 


-CotB
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on November 20, 2014, 10:15:55 am
I been thinking about it. But as of yet I really haven't written anything serious. I don't even know who to address it. But I let you know when I start putting my ideas into paper. Been busy lately with a lot of work/schooling
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on January 21, 2015, 09:20:09 am
more good news on keeping students on campus- better food and new facilities: http://fsa.sunysb.edu/westsidedining/renderings.php

it looks like last spring the west side dining hall opened, which is a $23M renovation of the former kelly quad dining hall.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on January 21, 2015, 09:29:59 am
and just as we prepare for new dorms in between irving college and the wang center... there starts the complaints: http://sbstatesman.com/2014/12/13/construction-on-toll-drive-results-in-destruction-of-5-5-acres-of-woodland/

Quote
At the Nov. 13 Undergraduate Student Government senate meeting, College of Arts and Sciences Sen. Taylor Bouraad gave an estimate that 5,000 trees were destroyed from construction, but Stony Brook University Media Relations found that although the trees have not been counted, at least several hundred were removed.

Looks like a new parking lot is going up in that small space too. 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on January 21, 2015, 10:00:00 am
for what its worth- 10 Cringeworthy Locations at SBU http://www.sbindependent.org/10-cringeworthy-locations-at-sbu/

Quote
4. Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium – (noun)

a. Where Seawolves wait for  hangovers to wear-off, accompanied by mediocre athletics. Not included: Michael Bamiro, Miguel Maysonet and the whole women’s lacrosse team. Those girls are tough and slightly terrifying.

again, its clearly the sarcasms of a malcontent, and not representative of all students, but these are the thoughts of one student.  can this really be how some students think???
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on January 21, 2015, 03:33:12 pm
for those interested in student disaffection... directly from the students:

Anyone know any good bars in the area during the week? http://www.reddit.com/r/SBU/comments/2kjep6/anyone_know_any_good_bars_in_the_area_during_the/

fact is kids want to meet others in college.  and do some drinking.  that's normally done in the public realm (bars) or privately (apts, houses, etc).  exclude private for obvious reasons.  so the above question is raised and the answers are?  all miles away from campus.  if we want to build school spirit and athletic event attendance, the students have to be on campus first for that to happen.  how to keep them there?  give them something to do- something that normal college kids do- ones that apply to SB and go elsewhere.

Quick Questions about SBU! Dorms, UGCs, Campus life etc.  4) How are the parties? Nightlife? Campus/Dorm Atmosphere http://www.reddit.com/r/SBU/comments/2or7q3/quick_questions_about_sbu_dorms_ugcs_campus_life/

like it or not, this is what kids are asking on the web.  answers include sh---y compared to other schools; atmosphere is really dreadful and depressing; etc.

Transferring in..maybe. How is campus life? Etc etc.http://www.reddit.com/r/SBU/comments/2oq9n9/transferring_inmaybe/

some awful feedback about the food.  worse about the condition of the dorms and repairs.  and then this: "living here is so miserable that I wish I looked anywhere else."  "nothing has ever even reached the level of disgusting this place has".  "even most of those who live on campus go home on weekends, so they're usually quite dead. For example, I've walked across campus in the middle of a Saturday and not seen a single person in 20 minutes. There are also fewer food selections on weekends to compensate for this." "living here leaves much to be desired. If I could choose, I would have gone somewhere else. That's how unfortunate living here has been, and I have a group of friends."
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 04, 2015, 09:27:08 am
was poking around the hofstra threads... why?  because despite being a different university, they share a lot of the same issues we do, with student disaffection.

http://network.laxpower.com/laxforum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=40417&start=2600#p1280221

read this post and the one after it.  you can pump money into facilities, grow the student body, build a nice campus, and even hire a good coach who can bring in recruits.

but you'll still find disaffected students. 

fairfield too- arguably another school that has much in common with SB: http://network.laxpower.com/laxforum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=40417&start=2600#p1280659
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 09, 2015, 09:06:02 am
and while we are on that topic- looking at our rival schools is instructive, i think: http://network.laxpower.com/laxforum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=52587&st=0&sk=t&sd=a#p1281308
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 14, 2015, 10:38:07 am
noticed this new seal that i havent seen before- anyone know the origin of this?  i found it on wiki.  it includes the shield that was put in place a few years ago but now is an entirely new seal:

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9b/Official_Stony_Brook_University_seal_-_no_background.gif)

an improvement!  good work SB.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on March 05, 2015, 04:59:35 pm
another post about a rival local school- same problem: http://network.laxpower.com/laxforum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=40417&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=2720#p1293306
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on March 29, 2015, 09:20:00 pm
great news here- SB to open a pharma school in 2016!  http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/stony-brook-university-to-open-pharmacy-school-next-year-1.10074058

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on June 10, 2015, 01:14:21 pm
another step in the right direction: http://www.stonybrookathletics.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/061015aaa.html

Quote
Stony Brook introduces Seawolves Town
LaValle Stadium parking lot to be transformed into Long Island's premier game day experience
 
 "Seawolves Town will feature music, interactive events and a team walk before the game while fans will be able to reserve their own space where they can bring in food and drinks. Our priority is to create a big time college football atmosphere where the energy and excitement around LaValle Stadium gets everyone fired up to cheer on the Seawolves."
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on June 10, 2015, 02:57:13 pm
another step in the right direction: http://www.stonybrookathletics.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/061015aaa.html

Quote
Stony Brook introduces Seawolves Town
LaValle Stadium parking lot to be transformed into Long Island's premier game day experience
 
 "Seawolves Town will feature music, interactive events and a team walk before the game while fans will be able to reserve their own space where they can bring in food and drinks. Our priority is to create a big time college football atmosphere where the energy and excitement around LaValle Stadium gets everyone fired up to cheer on the Seawolves."


I bought 3 spots in the red zone 12-14.. Christina from tickets said at 12:00 today. the red zone was just about all sold out. I think thats terrific!!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on June 12, 2015, 07:20:59 am
i didnt know where else to put this- charles wang and billy joel get honorary degrees: http://sb.cc.stonybrook.edu/news/general/2015-05-22-stony-brook-university-commencement-2015.php
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on June 21, 2015, 09:48:42 pm
similar to the math we did about attendance- some analysis on how we intend to fill up LaValle and IFCU: http://brook.land/2015/06/inside-the-mission-to-sell-out-every-home-game/

Quote
Because LaValle Stadium is built with future expansions in mind, there are a lot of open spaces in which you can fit many many more than 8,300 people. That’s how Stony Brook was able to squeeze an extra 3,000 fans into the place last September for Homecoming vs. William & Mary (official attendance: 11,301). Last year’s home opener, a Thursday night game, also led to a higher-than-occupancy crowd of 10,252.

All told, the official attendance figure last year was 42,629. Six sellouts of 8,300 seats would have been 49,800. That works out to an average attendance of 7,105 per game, or 86% capacity. Suddenly the prospect of reaching 100% attendance doesn’t seem so farfetched.

“Hold on a second,” you’re no doubt saying, “that doesn’t count! Boosting attendance at some games to offset low attendance at others isn’t the same thing as selling out every game!”
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on June 29, 2015, 08:18:30 pm
The Seawolves United  Website is up and running as of today.  This is really a great cause to advance our Athletic Facilities and Teams to hopefully the next level.  I attended the get together in May at Danfords and our AD  and the coaching staffs are behind this 100%.  If you  can  read through the info on the website and donate if you can every little bit will help.  The Indoor Practice facility and the stadium expansion are top priority. It also mentions expanding several  women's teams and keeping SBU in the fore front of athletics for years to come.  This is  our opportunity as fans and alums  to help  build something special.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on June 29, 2015, 08:44:15 pm
agreed,  http://seawolvesunited.com/home/

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on July 12, 2015, 09:04:01 pm
i was writing earlier about our tradition- and then i stumbled upon this today: http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/libspecial/collections/archives/rg62/index.html

Quote
Concerts
Jerry Rubin of Chicago, late 1960s/early 1970s
Chicago, Allman Brothers, Bob Kosser, April 28 (late 1960s/early 1970s)
The Clash, 26 April 1984
Pink Floyd, April 11 (late 1960s/early 1970s)

Athletics
NCAA East regional championship, 1978, 1979
Patriots Basketball, 1982-1983
Football, 1983, 1984
Varsity Cheerleaders, 1983-1984
Summer Gymnastic Camp
Ticket stub: Stony Brook University Seawolves Football vs. Sacred Heart, 19 October 2002 (first game as "Seawolves")

of course, that last one is way off!

more here: http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/libspecial/collections/archives/index.html

(http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/libspecial/images/graduation.JPG)

the first graduating class in oyster bay, 1961!

https://www.pinterest.com/sbuspec/first-campus-planting-fields-in-oyster-bay-ny-1957/

first graduation: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/571957221396922775/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/571957221396922772/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on July 20, 2015, 09:14:12 pm
http://sb.cc.stonybrook.edu/happenings/alumni/consumers-digest-names-stony-brook-university-the-5-most-valuable-public-university/

Consumers Digest Names Stony Brook University the #5 Most Valuable Public University
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on July 20, 2015, 09:15:29 pm
http://sb.cc.stonybrook.edu/news/general/2015_07_02_computer_science_open.php

New Computer Science Building Is Open for Business, Education and Infinite Innovation 

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on August 31, 2015, 08:07:17 pm
a listing of some of the better acts to play at SB: http://brook.land/2015/08/the-ultimate-stony-brook-playlist/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 16, 2015, 10:12:32 am
I mentioned earlier in the thread that there are a few new dorms going up in the space between the union and gray college, irving college, and the wang center and the staller center. 

in the spring I walked by the construction and it blew my mind how different it is and the open space is all gone.  here is the latest aerial: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9169112,-73.1196732,278m/data=!3m1!1e3

looks like they knocked out the grass field behind irving college too.  and the forest across from the wang center.

as a side note- I wonder why they never built a tower, a la UMass or Albany.  not that I like towers.  Im just saying im sure they considered it and of course it saves room.  could be an eye sore of course.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 20, 2015, 12:49:14 pm
This is kind of a very, very random thought, but looking at a map, there is still some good open land around the university that it can develop should it ever want to expand.  Not that it should, im just wondering whether the U has purchased open plots, for example, when it purchased Flowerfield.  We all know the Southampton thing never really caught on as its too far away.  Geography matters.  This is why building LaValle at south P would’ve been a disaster.

I remember once I ventured a few miles west to the Kings Park Psychiatric Center.  It’s empty, owned by the state, and even though its kind of eerie, it looks like some nice buildings that aren’t getting any use.  There’s some open land.  And its about 4 miles west of the U and there’s over 100 buildings (some in disrepair).  I wonder if they’ve ever made a move for it and if so, what they could do with it.  Random, I know.

Then I did some reading and saw that numerous developers made attempts to purchase it, but the obstacles are asbestos, unstable foundations, and the fact that it supplied its own power might have left contaminants.  So it looks like its too expensive to clean up and some of the land converted to the nissequogue park 20 years ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_Park_Psychiatric_Center
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on October 20, 2015, 03:42:52 pm
I saw those new dorms  this past Saturday pretty impressive.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 17, 2015, 06:12:52 am
we talked a while ago about adding a rivalry trophy with albany: http://www.stonybrookathletics.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/111615aab.html
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 22, 2015, 12:11:44 am
so the recent post about selling out LaValle for 2015: http://brook.land/2015/06/inside-the-mission-to-sell-out-every-home-game/

what was our final count?  6 times 8210 (ignoring standing room, which is really only for Homecoming) is 50,000.

our final count is... 43,607 (avg 7300 or 89% full).  id say those #s are good.

however, id like to hear thoughts on whether those #s are artificially inflated (purchased tickets but no show) or perhaps the #s are skewed by Homecoming attendance.  the stands rarely look 90% full.

take out towson (12,177) and you've got 31,500.  divided by 5 is 6,300 and we are more like 77% full.  not awful, but not a great case for expansion.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: sbufan on November 22, 2015, 01:28:58 pm
Unfortunately, I don't think we were even close the announced attendance of 7158 yesterday.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on November 22, 2015, 07:46:14 pm
  I  think it will be quite awhile before  we sell out  for every  game.  Our best bet is between 6k and 7k which  would be great.  Expanding the stadium I guess will happen  but not too soon, 20k or 21k  is a lot to fill every week .    We cant even  sell out our arena  fro basketball and that's only  4k .
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: jaghatai on November 22, 2015, 08:01:21 pm
The numbers were inflated yesterday because of the free tickets given out to all hoops season-ticket holders.

I can't honestly imagine there were more than ~5k yesterday.  Student section was virtually empty, too, which is a shame.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 30, 2015, 05:33:15 am
on the golden apple: http://brook.land/2015/11/what-is-the-golden-apple-a-primer/

Quote
Since then, both teams have won at home, but neither has done a particularly good job of making the most of what could eventually turn into one of the most exciting weekends of the college football season.

It has been a failure on many levels. Stony Brook tried to hype the rivalry in year one, opening up a contest to “name the game” before settling on the Empire Clash. In year two, Albany was cursed with lousy weather, which kept the crowds small.

The idea that a $50 trophy could completely change the demeanor of a college football game may seem preposterous, and that’s because it is. Nevertheless, the introduction of the Golden Apple this year gives both programs something tangible to play for. If handled properly, the trophy will be imbued with a sense of purpose and significance by both schools, a physical manifestation of bragging rights. Even when the season is lost, ensuring the trophy remains on campus — or returns to it, as these things go — should be a central focus of each team. During the off-season, it should be on display prominently in either school’s basketball arena for all to see. Having the Golden Apple in your possession must be of the utmost importance to incoming freshmen and graduating seniors alike.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on December 29, 2015, 09:03:39 pm
campus 1964:

(http://s9.postimg.org/7g4rkiimn/unnamed.jpg)

the "health and physical education building"

(http://s27.postimg.org/yo56xv4oj/unnamed_1.jpg)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on January 12, 2016, 04:03:37 pm
more old photos to show how far we've come:

original Melville Library, with Earth Space & Sciences on the left:

(http://library.stonybrook.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/1970June_Library2.jpg)

the next iteration of the Melville Library, with Psychology on the left, Chemistry in the back, Humanities in the foreground:

(http://library.stonybrook.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Library_1971-2.jpg)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on January 12, 2016, 04:56:49 pm
Thanks love see  pictures like this measuring progress to the present  era.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on January 14, 2016, 09:19:18 pm
heilbron launched "together we transform thursday".  a weekly blog. http://www.stonybrookathletics.com/genrel/011416aad.html

another piece is put into place.  well done.

Quote
I am often asked about the progress of our fundraising initiatives so wanted to provide an update. The highest priority for our department is to raise $5,000,000 in order to match the lead gift provided by Glenn and Eva Dubin for the construction of a new Indoor Training Center. To date, we have received more than $200,000 in cash and commitments toward the match. While there is always a sense of urgency with any fundraising initiative, it is important to note that since we announced the Dubin Challenge in October, our staff has spent the past months educating our supporters about the importance of this project. I encourage everyone to be a part of this project by making a contribution at https://alumniandfriends.stonybrook.edu/main-site/external/giving-to-stony-brook-dubin-challenge. It is true that every gift matters so I am exceedingly grateful for your support!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 11, 2016, 12:57:03 pm
I didn't know this... but paul reiser was rejected from SBU!!! http://sbstatesman.com/2016/02/09/once-rejected-from-stony-brook-paul-reiser-makes-his-mark-years-later/

came back and did a comedy show anyway.  good man.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 26, 2016, 05:32:44 pm
a lot of progress here... all in the last few years: http://www.stonybrookathletics.com/genrel/022516aaa.html
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on April 27, 2016, 09:10:21 pm
https://alumniandfriends.stonybrook.edu/stony-brook-university-presidents-far-beyond-tour-2016?erid=23296076&trid=fcb0f27f-1d28-4bd3-b5a0-d8891ae09214

stanley going on a tour.  i cant make it but i hope someone here is going and can fill us in???
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on June 02, 2016, 08:41:19 am
Dowling College to close. http://www.newsday.com/long-island/education/dowling-college-in-oakdale-closes-its-doors-after-48-years-1.11861115

similar to southampton, id have to imagine they've at least considered a partnership with SB, except for this:

Quote
Dowling College, the 48-year-old liberal arts school in Suffolk County, will cease operations and close its doors effective Friday afternoon after failed efforts to grow enrollment and find a suitable academic partner to stabilize the debt-ridden institution.

so I guess that real estate will just sit there now...

http://www.wsj.com/articles/dowling-college-is-to-close-1464742372

Quote
Also, in July of 2015, Dowling became the first higher-education institution rated by Moody’s Investors Service to default, according to a Moody’s spokesman.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on June 02, 2016, 09:54:39 am
SBU should look into taking over their dorms and athletics fields in Brookhaven.  Went to an SBU baseball game their when Joe Nathan Field was being done,  Really nice facilities  with lights and plenty of parking and real restrooms.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on August 30, 2016, 10:24:45 am
a good step in the right direction, from pres Stanley:

Quote
Undergoing similar transformation is the outdated image of Stony Brook as a commuter school. With the addition of our new $168.6 million, 759-room Toll Drive residence halls with integrated dining facilities, we now have more than 10,300 on-campus beds, more than any in the entire SUNY system — a necessity given that our student population has swelled to a record 25,272.


with over 10k students having a bed on campus, SBU should not find a way to be a ghost town on weekends.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on August 30, 2016, 02:07:43 pm
Exactly and others live in off campus housing and should come out support football this season.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on August 30, 2016, 03:13:11 pm
Exactly and others live in off campus housing and should come out support football this season.

One would think that would be the case. SB University has a pretty high percentage of students who are Asians, and Asians typically dont follow or go to Football games. It is what it is...
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 29, 2016, 09:26:46 pm
this is a great idea and a good deal- buy a brick for $150 on the new legacy way: https://alumniandfriends.stonybrook.edu/administration/brick-personalization-donation-form?erid=26240256&trid=ffa20807-f62c-437b-83a8-cfe19db08198
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 14, 2016, 03:53:13 pm
$1m renovation to the melville library http://www.stonybrook.edu/happenings/alumni/president-stanley-delivers-state-of-the-university-address-showcases-revamped-library/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on December 01, 2016, 07:30:57 am
this is from a year ago, but i just found it: http://tbrnewsmedia.com/stony-brook-explores-shopping-center-proposal/

Quote
His proposal aims to improve the Route 25A corridor across from Stony Brook’s Long Island Rail Road station, which was once known as the old Gustafson property. Farahzad’s Stony Brook Square will include restaurants, a bank and a coffee shop, among other small businesses.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on December 01, 2016, 08:03:06 am
That area needs a serious makeover and should be considered a priority... It would also be more attractive to future university students who are not from the area..I envision a mini Port Jeff village... Quaint shops, and like Stony Brook village.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on December 01, 2016, 08:50:57 am
after a bit of googling I found that the site (Gustafson?) is where the nursery is, to the left of the bench.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on December 30, 2016, 03:55:01 pm
In SH last weekly blog of 2016 he said some major changes will be happening around SB, specifically with SB Basketball. Not sure what he is talking about outside of what we already know with recruits..

 "The month of January will feature several exciting announcements. For starters, we plan to introduce our new volleyball coach very early in the new year and will also be sharing some exciting news related to men's basketball. The renovation of University Pool is in its final stages and is on schedule for completion in January. It will be a busy – but incredibly energizing – first month of 2017 for Stony Brook Athletics."

SH also said that LaValle stadium expansion has begun and that they are very close to starting with the indoor workout facilities ..
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 18, 2017, 06:23:48 pm
fans- purchase your brick for $150 by 2/20 and it will get installed in the first wave!  bought mine today: https://alumniandfriends.stonybrook.edu/administration/brick-personalization-donation-form
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on February 18, 2017, 10:28:54 pm
We bought a brick for our daughter Class of 1997
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 23, 2017, 09:59:18 am
same here!  thanks for contributing!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: OldSeawolf on March 08, 2017, 10:21:14 am
This is a re-post (I recently posted this in the Conference Realignment thread, but is more appropriate to be here).  It pertains to the football program.

===================================================================================================================

There are ways to fill the stands, but it will not happen overnight.  Winning certainly breeds enthusiasm which will help fill the stands.  Look at what the signing of Warney did to the basketball program.  Getting that kind of marquis player can do wonders for a team, and its ability to draw fans at the gate.  Is it easy to get that kind of marquis star to come to Stony Brook.....no way!  It takes work and perseverance on many levels, and sometimes takes a bit of luck as well.

Regarding football, you have to start at home on Long Island, IMO.  3MM people live out here and we're the only DI football team on the Island.  There are lots of kids who want to stay home, play football at the D1 level, but know they aren't good enough to play at Alabama or a marquis football program, but are outstanding players.  We need to recruit heavily from the area, and establish a presence, that becomes a magnet for strong local talent.  And most of all, you need to attract a Long Island QB that can be the fulcrum of the team.  Coaching aside, it all starts with the QB.

Here are some ideas on how to fill the stands, and how to obtain the best talent on Long Island.  It takes money to market the team, so we need to budget for these items, but the payoff (prestige and financial) will come down the road:

1) Offer a free full-year academic scholarship to one lucky student every game.  Advertise this in the campus newspapers and with flyers around campus and especially, in the dorms.  No excuse for students not packing the stands every week;

2) SBU athletic staff needs to stay plugged in to the High School football programs on Long Island, particularly the strong ones.  Provide free tickets to High School
Football Programs in the area, on a rotating basis, to help promote the SBU brand.  Do this for every game.  Create a buzz amongst Long Island High School players;

3) Create a free weekly digital magazine for the football team, that is distributed to every Long Island High School football program, and to local community members.  You need the locals to start identifying with the only game in town, and a digital magazine adds credence and visibility to the program;

4) Establish weekly coaching media segments on News12, WFAN, and on Newsday.com without fail;

5) Establish bonuses for coaching staffs and even the AD.  Let part of the compensation packages be contingent on performance on the field.  Winning attracts talent, not only athletically, but academically as well.  Winning fills seats, even if it's 35 degrees outside and raining.

Yes, we are doing some of this already, but we need to do it better, if we want to grow the program, and take that next step.  It's a process, and it takes time.  Attracting talent and winning will result in more talent being acquired, more fan interest, and will snowball as time moves on.

We've come a long way over the years for sure, but there's a much longer and more fruitful journey ahead to get to the next plateau.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on March 08, 2017, 02:42:54 pm
thanks for posting here- great ideas and very constructive.  i like the idea about the magazine, the HS programs, etc. 

getting the stands full is hard sometimes even when the weather is good, the opponent is good, etc.  why cant we get students to the game?

because they are disaffected.  lots of them didnt play football; have no interest in sports.  didnt go to schools with spirit.  football is taking a beating in the press these days as a barbarian sport.  rather play video games or go to the pub.  or, study.

but those arent the big issues.  the biggest is- how do we even get students to stay on campus?  there's something like 11 thousand beds?!?!?!?

you need to give them a reason to stay.  why cant we focus on this issue and really attack it?  every time it comes up we end up talking about something else.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on March 08, 2017, 02:52:58 pm
looks like chavez hall and tubman hall opened up, just south of irving college in mendelsohn quad, north of the staller center and wang center: http://www.stonybrook.edu/happenings/homespotlight/ribbon-cutting-marks-the-completion-of-chavez-and-tubman-residence-halls-and-east-side-dining/

thats 759 new beds, a rooftop garden, eclectic mix of cuisines, the largest dining hall on campus, and now SB is the second largest residential campus in NY (behind NYU). http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/res/news/chavez.html

students must have s 3.0 to get in.

http://www.sbstatesman.com/2016/11/13/toll-drive-buildings-named-after-civil-rights-activists/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on April 27, 2017, 09:16:04 am
when are they going to do something about this.  it is literally hurting the entire university.

https://www.yahoo.com/style/americas-ugliest-college-campuses-204542557.html
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: OldSeawolf on April 27, 2017, 09:34:38 am
when are they going to do something about this.  it is literally hurting the entire university.

https://www.yahoo.com/style/americas-ugliest-college-campuses-204542557.html

LOL.  The campus is a lot nicer now than when I attended, a few hundred years ago  :)  If you look at that list of schools, many of them are top-ranked Universities, including SBU, so beauty and ranking doesn't have a high correlation necessarily.   With Cuomo's "free tuition" plan in play, the demand for going to SBU will only increase, and the threshold for getting admitted will only go up.  All good for SBU's ranking and status, IMO.  Not sure if SBU administration has any incentive currently to beautify the campus to a larger extent.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on April 27, 2017, 03:38:44 pm
I would hope newer construction will easier on the eyes  I guess  time will tell.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on April 27, 2017, 04:28:15 pm
I would hope newer construction will easier on the eyes  I guess  time will tell.

Who cares what the facade looks like on the outside. It's what inside and behind the desk that counts. Stupid article!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 07, 2017, 08:42:13 pm
im two years late to this- but renditions of the student union for when it is renovated: https://twitter.com/GPCannella/status/667072778055626752/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsbindependent.org%2Fsb-union-gets-revamped-in-2016%2F
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on October 07, 2017, 09:08:35 pm
im two years late to this- but renditions of the student union for when it is renovated: https://twitter.com/GPCannella/status/667072778055626752/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsbindependent.org%2Fsb-union-gets-revamped-in-2016%2F

I freakin love it!!! Long overdue and will be a huge boon for the campus once this gets done.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 10, 2017, 08:46:50 pm
pres report: http://sbf.convio.net/site/DocServer/October_2017_Brd._Meeting_President_s_Report_-_Final_-_F.pdf?docID=242&autologin=true

-southampton hospital joins the system
-secured an additional $22.6 million in gifts and pledges since the board last met
-includes $100,000 for the Basketball program
-26k total enrollment, up 255 from last year
-USN&WR #97 among US colleges and universities; #41 among public universities
-Money Magazine best value #54 overall and #32 among public universities
-Empire State Development Corporation granted Stony Brook $75 million for Medicine and Engineering (I-DIME)
-Engineering and Applied Sciences has been awarded two grants totaling $4.5 million from SUNY’s Empire Innovation Program
-Simons Foundation gives $5m for nuclear science
-Computer Science awarded $3.5m to research cybersecurity and data privacy
-Melian named finalist for NCAA woman of the year
-Athletic teams break record with a cumulative 3.15 avg
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on October 23, 2017, 02:56:01 pm
im two years late to this- but renditions of the student union for when it is renovated: https://twitter.com/GPCannella/status/667072778055626752/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsbindependent.org%2Fsb-union-gets-revamped-in-2016%2F

Wow. I don't believe it. Is that really how it's going to look! That's amazing. Basically a new building.

I though it was going to be a reno?! I guess not?!? It looks like a brand new build to me...
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 11, 2017, 02:37:19 pm
good news here- could sell naming rights to the hospital.  to jim simons' firm.

https://www.newsday.com/long-island/education/stony-brook-medical-school-name-renaissance-technologies-1.14871487
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Wolfie_MD on November 11, 2017, 03:32:32 pm
I think that's a silly name for the medical school- I don't know any other med school in the country named after a firm and not a family name.

Simons School of Medicine sounds a heck of a lot better.

<=== alumnus of the medical school
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on November 11, 2017, 07:33:26 pm
 I agree Wolfie MD . That sounds  professional and quite impressive.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on November 12, 2017, 12:12:52 am
I guess this is the era we live in... where the rich folks want to tag their name on everything.

Why not just leave it as the Stony Brook U. School of Medicine? Make our brand stronger...
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 12, 2017, 10:05:33 am
sorry i meant it more that if we sell, it would be to someone who has been associated with the U, a former professor, and has dumped over $100m in the past.  this isnt a one-time donation from an outsider. 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 05, 2018, 01:45:52 pm
didnt know this... we bidded to get $100m and free land in midtown to build a campus.  cornell won out: http://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/387-11/mayor-bloomberg-next-steps-city-s-groundbreaking-economic-development-initiative
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on February 05, 2018, 02:48:53 pm
That would have been a big feather in our cap.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 05, 2018, 03:00:06 pm
what is interesting though- the alternative sites were gov's island (not reachable other than by boat) or the brooklyn navy yard, which is bigger than roosevelt, and not an island, but is a minimum one mile walk from any subway (a fixable problem with years and $$$).

the point being- that land is open and local officials have considered it for higher ed, with incentives. 

we already have a foothold on the east side, and a LARGE alumni base in the area.  just sayin.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: OldSeawolf on February 08, 2018, 05:21:05 pm
didnt know this... we bidded to get $100m and free land in midtown to build a campus.  cornell won out: http://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/387-11/mayor-bloomberg-next-steps-city-s-groundbreaking-economic-development-initiative

Not sure what the criteria was for winning the bid (I'm guessing $ had something to do with it), but Stony Brook still lacks name recognition in NYC, and maybe that had something to do with the final decision.

My son lives and works in NYC (for a major brokerage house), and he is a Stony Brook graduate.  At work, when people ask him where he graduated from, he still needs to clarify "I went to Stony Brook, ya know, on Long Island".  Lots of his co-workers went to big name schools (many from out-of-state), but he still gets blank stares and rolls of the eyes, when he mentions his alma mater. 

We still have a branding problem, and IMO, should be getting the word out more in NYC, along with Long Island.  My youngest daughter is currently an UG at SBU, and she tells me that Career Days at SBU are still 90% Long Island-based companies.  Why aren't we reaching out to more companies in NYC and telling them about our wonderful University?  Why aren't we advertising more in NYC in general?  How about a digital ad in Times Square?   Create a buzz, and they will come.

Takes money to make money, and if we ramp up our advertising budget, maybe we'll beat out Cornell next time round.  This University has come a long way from when I attended for sure, but seems like we've been stuck at the current plateau for a bit too long.   There's more room to climb.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on February 08, 2018, 10:00:47 pm
You have a good point . We  don't get the word out for academics or athletics and that continues t hurt us . I heard some folks at the game talking about that tonight in regard to football and basketball .
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on February 09, 2018, 12:51:07 am
I find it unbelievable that we lack name recognition in NYC when that's our primary market and we're the closest SUNY flagship to the city. We have to do better than that.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 18, 2018, 01:20:02 pm
you guys should REALLY check this out: http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/advancement/_images/Presidents_Roadshow_PPT_Feb18_updated.pdf

especially slides 7, 15, 44, 48
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on February 18, 2018, 03:47:05 pm
you guys should REALLY check this out: http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/advancement/_images/Presidents_Roadshow_PPT_Feb18_updated.pdf

especially slides 7, 15, 44, 48

Great find and great stuff! I love that stat on upward mobility of our alums.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 20, 2018, 09:21:53 pm
because it was brought up in the other thread...

take a quick skim- http://www.studentsreview.com/specific_detail.php3?uid=1011&f=Social

or this one- https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/suny-stony-brook/1576092-is-the-stony-brook-party-scene-as-bad-as-they-say.html

Quote
Ok so I'm a senior right now in high school and I want to do pre med/pre dental in college. I'm mainly considering Suny Stony Brook, Suny Binghamton, and Suny Albany. I know that SBU is awesome academically, and I would love to go there, but I'm getting worried about the numerous student reviews all over the internet.

I want to go away to college to get a good education, but also party...a lot. I've heard that Stony Brook is pretty much dead on the weekends and that there are almost no parties. Is it true? Is it that bad that I should look to a lower ranked ( but still good) school like UAlbany? ( which is known for having a great nightlife/party scene).
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on February 21, 2018, 07:30:08 am
because it was brought up in the other thread...

take a quick skim- http://www.studentsreview.com/specific_detail.php3?uid=1011&f=Social

or this one- https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/suny-stony-brook/1576092-is-the-stony-brook-party-scene-as-bad-as-they-say.html

Quote
Ok so I'm a senior right now in high school and I want to do pre med/pre dental in college. I'm mainly considering Suny Stony Brook, Suny Binghamton, and Suny Albany. I know that SBU is awesome academically, and I would love to go there, but I'm getting worried about the numerous student reviews all over the internet.

I want to go away to college to get a good education, but also party...a lot. I've heard that Stony Brook is pretty much dead on the weekends and that there are almost no parties. Is it true? Is it that bad that I should look to a lower ranked ( but still good) school like UAlbany? ( which is known for having a great nightlife/party scene).

A couple of years ago I was talking about how my son, who is now a Junior in HS, was considering SB for his education.. Well, not that he is older and talking to many people about how bad SB is with their social life and how the professors are hard to understand has decided to withdraw SB as an option.. Looks like upstate NY SUNY schools are his choices. Binghampton, Oneonta, Cortland..
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: OldSeawolf on February 21, 2018, 09:45:27 am
because it was brought up in the other thread...

take a quick skim- http://www.studentsreview.com/specific_detail.php3?uid=1011&f=Social

or this one- https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/suny-stony-brook/1576092-is-the-stony-brook-party-scene-as-bad-as-they-say.html

Quote
Ok so I'm a senior right now in high school and I want to do pre med/pre dental in college. I'm mainly considering Suny Stony Brook, Suny Binghamton, and Suny Albany. I know that SBU is awesome academically, and I would love to go there, but I'm getting worried about the numerous student reviews all over the internet.

I want to go away to college to get a good education, but also party...a lot. I've heard that Stony Brook is pretty much dead on the weekends and that there are almost no parties. Is it true? Is it that bad that I should look to a lower ranked ( but still good) school like UAlbany? ( which is known for having a great nightlife/party scene).

A couple of years ago I was talking about how my son, who is now a Junior in HS, was considering SB for his education.. Well, not that he is older and talking to many people about how bad SB is with their social life and how the professors are hard to understand has decided to withdraw SB as an option.. Looks like upstate NY SUNY schools are his choices. Binghampton, Oneonta, Cortland..

Maybe I'm showing my age and orientation towards this (I don't drink or use drugs), but I personally think "social life" is given way too much in level of importance.  More kids than ever are going to college, and here is what is most important, IMO, to separate oneself from the pack:

- Go to the best school you can get into for the $
- Major in something that is employable
- Get the best grades possible
- Learn as much as you can
- Internship, internship, internship

This is not being stated to brag, but just a statement of fact.  My oldest 2 graduated from SBU, followed the 5 points above, and are both highly successful in their chosen careers.  I have a 3rd going there now, and she is on a similar path.  They had a social life, but they always put academics ahead of all, for that I'm very proud of them.  I'm certainly not saying that SBU is the only game in town, but their degrees, relative to the cost paid, have been worth quite a bit in industry.

IMO, although having a social life and getting involved on campus is important, it is not the most important thing.   If that pre-med kid wants to stay pre-med, I'd suggest to curtail the partying.  Again IMO, social life is highly over-rated in the grand scheme of things.

All that said, I wish the kids would hang out more on weekends, and attend sporting events.  But as a 40% commuter school, and with a good bunch living close to campus, the exodus on weekends is an unfortunate reality.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 21, 2018, 09:52:21 am
Quote
I personally think "social life" is given way too much in level of importance

yes, but, the question is which matters- the reality or the perception? 

either way you see it- we are losing students because of this.  good, competitive students.  the unfortunate reality is turning out to be very costly.

i think if you fix this fixable problem- a LOT of other things will fall into place.  i'm happy to expand.

i also note that quite a few of our competitors have a similar problem, though perhaps not as acute.

you should brag about your success stories at SBU- we need more of that here.  ;D
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: OldSeawolf on February 21, 2018, 10:29:14 am
Quote
I personally think "social life" is given way too much in level of importance

yes, but, the question is which matters- the reality or the perception? 

either way you see it- we are losing students because of this.  good, competitive students.  the unfortunate reality is turning out to be very costly.

i think if you fix this fixable problem- a LOT of other things will fall into place.  i'm happy to expand.

i also note that quite a few of our competitors have a similar problem, though perhaps not as acute.

you should brag about your success stories at SBU- we need more of that here.  ;D

I also think that it is very hard for us to compete from an aesthetic standpoint, as many private institutions are built on park-like grounds, and unfortunately, many kids (and their parents) choose their destination school based on "looks", which adds to your stated perception problem.  Very hard for a state school to compete with this.  And BTW, I don't disagree with your argument, because perception does dictate a lot of decisions.  We want to rank as highly as possible in any sort of survey; yes, even the social one.

What I'd like SBU to tout more - and to me personally, this is the most important stat of all - Stony Brook ranks 33rd (tie) in the country, on Annual % ROI (Return on Investment) - that is, graduation salary relative to cost paid for the education.  We were 14th on this list a couple of years ago, so we have dipped a bit, but still quite impressive:

https://www.payscale.com/college-roi?page=130  (click on Annual % tab)

Put this one on the reality side of the board, but if marketed correctly, could grab the attention of some of those students that we are letting get away.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 21, 2018, 10:32:32 am
that's a similar point to the one im making- about perception vs reality. 

my larger point i guess is that the campus is so bereft of any student life that it hamstrings SBU from truly becoming a great, world class, university.  instead it's a safety choice. 

they've really got to do something about this.  and strawberries aint gonna cut it.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on February 21, 2018, 10:36:38 pm
I disagree with OldSeawolf. Lack of a strong social scene on campus is the number one detriment to SBU. Why choose SBU when students can still get a good education but also enjoy their time elsewhere? I agree that if we're going to become truly world class, we've got to get those rankings up. I agree it's hard given the commuter image, but the school has to change. I think the new dorms and having more students on campus is helping with that. I also think maybe pulling in more kids from beyond NYC/state lines could help with this too.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 22, 2018, 10:00:31 am
if bingo, buff and UA can do it, SB can do it.  we have some structual/design flaws that make it challenging. 

however, there is good news.  firstly, we have all the other pieces in place.  secondly, we were once there, just need to get back.  thirdly, we have a large student body and surrounding population (1/3 of the state is in the LI/NY area).  fourthly, our local peers in this space have the same issue (hof, SJU, fairfield, dowling, farm state, adelphi, molloy, jersey tech, army, umbc, purchase, etc).

if we can master this, or at least improve it, i really believe that all other things will fall into place.  we go from being a safety to a first choice.  we simply cannot grow in this age with those kinds of internet pages (posted above).  toothpaste is out of the bottle and now forever stuck on the web.

anyway, now on to constructive thoughts.  how to fix???
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Wolffan on February 22, 2018, 03:48:47 pm
For the last 30 years I have been a high school teacher here on Long Island and have written hundreds of recommendations for college bound students.
 
Stony Brook is no longer a secret and is now the top choice (along with Binghamton)  for our brightest SUNY-bound kids. That is a big change from just seven or eight years ago and I see that trend continuing. It is not, I say again is not, a safety school for the SUNY-bound  - one glance at Naviance tells the kids I teach how difficult admissions are now.

The campus beautification efforts and successful D-1 programs are part of SBU's  increased and growing reputation amongst the college-bound. The impressive academic credentials of the applicants also contributes to our reputation.  As an added bonus, the price is right for New Yorkers - the saavy SUNY-bound kids are now asking themselves, "Why go anywhere else?"

Oddly enough, by now drawing more and more of the very strong students from NYC and LI (as we now do),  we may continue to be a campus that tends to empty out a bit on the weekends. That's okay.

And BTW, some of the top academic students tend to hit "College Confidential", here is a recent SBU thread for those who are wondering at SBU's reputation:

https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/suny-stony-brook/2038618-stony-brook-university-class-of-2022-decisions.html



Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on April 03, 2018, 03:07:51 pm
so it turns out we have a Weekend Life Council.  here's what they came up with: https://sbindependent.org/a-fun-night-at-wolfie-putt-putt-and-arcade/

http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/studentaffairs/sac/weekend_life/
You can look forward to Paint Nights, Button Making, Tie-dye T-shirts and more!
Our events are all free and range from movie nights, Murder Mystery dinners, Hypnotists, water parks, food expos, and much more!


mug painting, trivia night, etc.
http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/studentaffairs/sac/weekend_life/programming

well, they are trying!!!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on May 23, 2018, 01:14:55 pm
another reason they've really got to facelift the campus- https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/beautiful-public-college-campuses-michigan-virginia-hawaii/travel

PS i highly doubt UA belongs on this list
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on May 23, 2018, 07:00:03 pm
another reason they've really got to facelift the campus- https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/beautiful-public-college-campuses-michigan-virginia-hawaii/travel

PS i highly doubt UA belongs on this list

I totally agree. UA shouldn't be close to being on that list. Down town Albany is the arm pit of the world. I also feel SBU shouldn't be on that list as well. Not even close to being attractive..
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on July 04, 2018, 09:56:33 am
Just ordered  two T Shirts on our new  Sports Gear Website.  I think this is a really great move and  for opening day  they lots to offer. No Pay Pal either for those  like myself who stay away from Pay Pal we are just like the Big Boys almost .
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on August 22, 2018, 08:29:19 pm
got this email:

Quote
On June 30, Stony Brook concluded the most successful fundraising campaign in SUNY history.

Thanks to you and 47,961 friends and alumni, Stony Brook raised $630.7 million, exceeding our goal by five percent.

As a graduate of Stony Brook, you understand the importance of supporting access to excellence at your alma mater. To say The Campaign for Stony Brook has impacted our entire campus is an understatement. Beyond the remarkable philanthropic dollars it generated, The Campaign fortified our pride — and I hope yours as well — in the important work we do here every day.

I am also enormously grateful for the leadership and thoughtful guidance of the Stony Brook Foundation board and our campaign co-chairs, campus partners, and Dexter Bailey Jr. and his dedicated Advancement and Foundation teams during these past seven years.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on August 22, 2018, 09:37:37 pm
got this email:

Quote
On June 30, Stony Brook concluded the most successful fundraising campaign in SUNY history.

Thanks to you and 47,961 friends and alumni, Stony Brook raised $630.7 million, exceeding our goal by five percent.

As a graduate of Stony Brook, you understand the importance of supporting access to excellence at your alma mater. To say The Campaign for Stony Brook has impacted our entire campus is an understatement. Beyond the remarkable philanthropic dollars it generated, The Campaign fortified our pride — and I hope yours as well — in the important work we do here every day.

I am also enormously grateful for the leadership and thoughtful guidance of the Stony Brook Foundation board and our campaign co-chairs, campus partners, and Dexter Bailey Jr. and his dedicated Advancement and Foundation teams during these past seven years.

I got it as well. Awesome, awesome news!!

I wonder what the excess money will be allocated towards though.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on August 24, 2018, 02:55:53 pm
Stony Brook to start selling alcohol inside of the stadium. Alcohol will be sold in the grassy area on the north end zone area, next to the new concession stand. No taking alcoholic beverages back to your seats..Blue Point Brewery will be there to sell their products. Also, no reentry back into the stadium if you leave. No exceptions.

Well, fellas. SB just took away all the fun for me and my, tailgaters. We are very big into tailgating and walking back to our vehicles for a cold one or food at halftime was always a tradition for us. That will all come to an end. Looks like a lot of season ticket holders won't be renewing their tickets for next year from my batch at least.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 19, 2018, 04:28:14 pm
https://www.sbstatesman.com/2018/09/16/sbu-receives-25m-for-new-engineering-building/

Quote
Stony Brook University has secured $25 million to be put toward a new $100 million engineering building, according to an Aug. 16 press release.

The announcement came from State Senators John Flanagan and Kenneth LaValle, who both helped to secure part of the funding that will go toward the 100,000-square foot building.

The building will include classrooms and labs along with modern day equipment and manufacturing shop spaces.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on September 19, 2018, 08:27:24 pm
Its great that SBU continues to expand and grow.    Money will always be an issue  so fund raising is essential every dollar  counts.  SBU is getting ready to open two new hospitals this fall that's a feat  in itself.  THE MART and Children's  Hospital  will be welcome medical additions.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on September 19, 2018, 11:59:02 pm
I love how the university is slowly refreshing buildings and the campus along with it. New dorms have helped tremendously, there's the new Computer Science Building, this new Engineering building, lots of new building going on. We're definitely positioning ourselves well to be the flagship university of the state if we keep this up.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 20, 2018, 08:15:48 am
yes and i pointed out a few years ago- i think it was 2013, there was a construction plan.  ill find the link.  it meant to put dorms to the southwest of the track, where the sand volleyball court is, the path that leads to the Bench.  it's going to get awfully crowded there!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on September 20, 2018, 11:50:46 am
I love how the university is slowly refreshing buildings and the campus along with it. New dorms have helped tremendously, there's the new Computer Science Building, this new Engineering building, lots of new building going on. We're definitely positioning ourselves well to be the flagship university of the state if we keep this up.

I graduated back in 2012 and Its pretty amazing how much the campus has improved since then. What I like the most is that Stony Brook administrators are putting a little more effort in building a more cohesive campus (design wise) in many cases using red brick to provide a similar look and feel. One of my biggest complaints about the Brook is that it has too many brutalist-era buildings that even though are very functional they lack in aesthetics, and they don't age very well. I was hoping that they would build a brand new Union from the ground up with a more appealing facade, but I guess it proved too costly.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on September 20, 2018, 02:46:08 pm
Odd. I thought a new Union was in the works. If I recall correctly they shut the old one down a couple years ago? I haven't been as plugged into that as I probably should have been.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 20, 2018, 02:56:31 pm
see slide 9, left of LaValle Stadium: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/facilities/_pdf/building-for-the-future-the-draft-plan.pdf
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on September 20, 2018, 04:34:34 pm
Odd. I thought a new Union was in the works. If I recall correctly they shut the old one down a couple years ago? I haven't been as plugged into that as I probably should have been.

Actually VA... right after I made that post I looked up pictures of the Renovations for the Union. It looks like its going to be a pretty solid overhaul. I'm not sure if its a complete rebuild but its going to have a beautiful brick facade. It's actually a lot better than the first plans I saw back in 2012

https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/studentaffairs/for/facilities/sbunion.php

WOW! Stony Brook is absolutely world-class. So proud of my Alma Mater and the administrators involved
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 20, 2018, 04:47:02 pm
that's great.  i didnt hear.  thanks for sharing!

PS it's getting awfully tight over there with IFCU, pritchard, the rec center, and the union.

i guess removing the bridge helps!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on September 20, 2018, 05:07:03 pm
that's great.  i didnt hear.  thanks for sharing!

PS it's getting awfully tight over there with IFCU, pritchard, the rec center, and the union.

i guess removing the bridge helps!

It is tight, but that's fine. The Union will have a internal walkway that connects with the Parking Lot behind and there is also a exterior walk way connecting with the new dorms.

John S. Toll Drive is slowly but surely becoming Stony Brook's golden mile! haha!(maybe more like Km)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: OldSeawolf on September 20, 2018, 06:53:21 pm
Tight is good; will give it a NYC feel. All good news here.

Btw, does anyone remember why the capital project to improve Harriman Hall (Business Dept) got deep-sixed?
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on September 20, 2018, 07:44:24 pm
Don't forget the IPF  getting ready to go up behind the stadium . That is an add on  not n the master  plan .  Planned growth is always good for an institution .
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on September 21, 2018, 02:45:56 pm
Tight is good; will give it a NYC feel. All good news here.

Btw, does anyone remember why the capital project to improve Harriman Hall (Business Dept) got deep-sixed?

No idea... But that building needs are urgent overhaul.


There is only a few buildings left in the Brook that need some repairs to fit in with the newer ones. I would say that Earth & Space, Harriman, and some of the Engineering Quad buildings need a face-lift. The old existing Computer Science Building that surrounds Javits Center needs a facelift too. As I said before, those Brutalist-era building age terribly

BTW, I just read that SBU got $25 million for a Engineering Building renovation.

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 21, 2018, 03:14:36 pm
agreed on that list and ESS should be on top (now that the union is going).

i happen to think the other ones can last a bit longer. 

a few years back they redid humanities, that was necessary.  id like it now if they solicited some major $$$ and renamed them "halls".
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 24, 2018, 02:20:56 pm
carrying over discussion from the football thread- alarming- https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/8gcja8/stony_brook_or_binghamton/

https://www.reddit.com/r/BinghamtonUniversity/comments/9c8ynt/binghamton_university_vs_stony_brook_university/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SBU/comments/895yiq/is_stony_brook_as_bad_as_people_say_it_is/

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on September 24, 2018, 03:16:45 pm
Interesting insider information.   Everything in life is what YOU make of it. No  to spoon feed you social life or anything else.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 24, 2018, 03:43:07 pm
i do agree- and you'll probably see others do the same.  but it's still a hindrance, and, all the negativity in writing is bad.  especially when the opposite is written about our sister school.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on September 24, 2018, 04:16:27 pm
Interesting insider information.   Everything in life is what YOU make of it. No  to spoon feed you social life or anything else.

I have to laugh at this because I heard, and have been hearing this same BS line for over a DECADE to describe the social life at SBU. At some point it's a cop out. If one person has a problem, it's probably on that person, but if the entire school and several generations of students are describing the same problem, that's on the university. We've got to improve the social scene at SBU. As Chairman mentioned in another thread, we do lose students to other universities due to our relatively weak student life. Eventually that's going to catch up with the school. There can be a balance between academics and fun. Several other schools manage this no problem. I believe we can to.

As an alum, the campus experience may not matter to you as your degree becomes more valuable as the academic ranking rises, but even if SBU is a top 50 academic institution nationally, what good does that do if the student body is miserable? You can also forget any kind of serious big time athletics  if the students are miserable as that kills fan support.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 24, 2018, 05:19:04 pm
agreed.

perhaps this is a step in the right direction???

https://libn.com/2018/07/10/stony-brook-retail-center-is-home-cooking-for-developer/

Quote
The Stony Brook Square development from Parviz Farahzad’s Little Rock Construction brings a 24,000-square-foot shopping and dining complex to the 3-acre site of a former nursery property across from Stony Brook University, where a young Farahzad earned three degrees after emigrating from his native Iran 51 years ago.

Farahzad, whose office is just down the road from the university and still lives in the Stony Brook area, thought the Stony Brook Square site was an ideal candidate for its new retail use.

“I knew there’s a great need for a service-oriented center to serve the university and the surrounding community,” Farahzad said.

The center will add four new buildings, while Farahzad will retain and restore an historic house that was built on the site in the 1800s.

Though it isn’t expected to be completed until year’s end, Stony Brook Square is already 50 percent leased to tenants that include Teachers’ Federal Credit Union, Jersey Mike’s Subs and a few other food-related businesses.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 25, 2018, 03:15:05 pm
back to the topic at hand- how do we get attendance up.

we've been given some gifts.  hof/SJU dropping football.  millions living in the area.  no other Div I football for over 50 miles (on dry land).  a large student body by any measure.  wonderful facilities.  the lion's share of state funding from the capital.

and yet- we really cant seem to break the average of 6k per game- and that may even be generous.

and out of those 6k, i bet a chunk are family/friends, a few hundred students, and the rest locals.  just guesses.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: OldSeawolf on September 25, 2018, 04:10:43 pm
back to the topic at hand- how do we get attendance up.

we've been given some gifts.  hof/SJU dropping football.  millions living in the area.  no other Div I football for over 50 miles (on dry land).  a large student body by any measure.  wonderful facilities.  the lion's share of state funding from the capital.

and yet- we really cant seem to break the average of 6k per game- and that may even be generous.

and out of those 6k, i bet a chunk are family/friends, a few hundred students, and the rest locals.  just guesses.

You said it best - a few hundred students - that's a real problem and always has been.  What if every football player was responsible for bringing 10 students each to the game (would need buy-in from team)?  Need to work on incentives to getting the students out: drawings for free semester scholarships, textbooks paid for the semester, $ 500 gasoline voucher (appeal to commuters), $ 500 food voucher (will appeal to on-campus students), more gimmicky things at halftime like kicking a soccer ball (not a football) through the uprights from 40 yards out, the possibilities are limitless, but need buy-in from the athletic administration.  Maybe if one of you LARGE donors could make the case, it may carry more weight and given real consideration.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 25, 2018, 05:17:25 pm
for reference, last year we averaged 7355 at LaValle (51487/7).

over 2 games we actually average 6k this year, which is solid...

but when november looms...

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 28, 2018, 08:50:36 am
related: http://sbufan.createaforum.com/stony-brook-basketball/2018-19-schedule/msg22807/#new

same issue might arise.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 03, 2018, 10:15:24 pm
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/stony-brook-housing-fair-1.21010970

Quote
Stony Brook University is Long Island's largest four-year college, but some of its neighbors have never been on the campus.

University officials are hoping to change that by hosting a free community fair on Saturday designed to showcase the school and let non-students know they're welcome to visit.

“When I’m out and about, I see people in Setauket who say, 'I’ve never been on the campus,' " director of community relations Joan Dickinson said in an interview last week. “In the past, people didn’t understand that they can come to campus. So we’ve spent a lot of energy saying to people, 'Yes, you can.' ”

http://www.stonybrookconcernedhomeowners.org/category/media-coverage/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 10, 2018, 07:45:51 pm
http://sbf.convio.net/site/DocServer/Stony_Brook_Foundation_3Q_Board_Meeting.pdf?docID=1102

Quote
Construction has begun on the Dubin Family Indoor Training Center, which will be
located just north of LaValle Stadium. The new facility is expected to open in September
2019.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on October 10, 2018, 09:27:02 pm
A lot of great news in that Doc Chairman.

Glad the IPF is on the way! I wonder if ours will be complete before Buffalo's is? I doubt it, but it'll be very close.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 25, 2018, 05:07:45 pm
charles wang passes away: https://www.sbstatesman.com/2018/10/21/long-island-businessman-and-philanthropist-charles-b-wang-dies/

Quote
In 1996, Wang initially pledged $20-$25 million to build an Asian American cultural center at Stony Brook. At the time, this was the biggest ever donation made to SUNY by an individual. By the time the building opened its doors in October of 2002, Wang said he and his foundation put more than $52 million into the project. 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 25, 2018, 05:16:39 pm
https://www.sbstatesman.com/2018/10/21/my-reflections-on-speaking-with-president-stanley/

Quote
Then I asked, “What are the biggest issues that Stony Brook faces in managing its budget?”

Stanley claimed that many budgeting problems come from the fact that the university’s costs are increasing faster than its revenue.

“The revenue we have has come through state allocation, which hasn’t gone up since 2007,” Stanley said. “In 2007, we received $200 million a year from the state to help manage Stony Brook. We now receive $157 million dollars a year, and its been frozen since 2009.”
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Seawolf97 on October 25, 2018, 08:19:07 pm
That's a major problem and a poor business model to say the least . Only New York would short change a one of its premier university
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on October 25, 2018, 10:16:18 pm
You'd think the geniuses up at Albany would eventually get the hint to get this all together, but apparently not.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 13, 2018, 02:53:13 pm
https://news.stonybrook.edu/newsroom/president-stanley-dr-li-pledge-to-equal-class-of-2019-senior-class-legacy-gifts/

Quote
Unique to this year’s effort, Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., MD, and his wife, Ellen Li, MD, PhD, have pledged to personally match the total amount raised by the Class of 2019’s Senior Class Legacy.

“By matching the total raised by the class of 2019, Ellen and I want to let our students know that we are behind them 100 percent and really appreciate what they are doing to help others,” Dr. Stanley said. “We also know that our challenge may inspire them to want to do more, and we are committed to helping the class of 2019 make a real difference.”
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 19, 2018, 08:47:53 pm
https://news.stonybrook.edu/stony-brook-matters/alumni/the-future-of-cancer-care-and-research/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=matters_ad_nov
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on December 04, 2018, 09:11:51 pm
Great news coming out of SBU.... I know it was announced a while back... but glad to hear this is coming soon

The University is adding dorms in the northwest side of campus with the hopes to balance residential dorms around the academic quad. Very exciting. I hope the noise from the stadium and arena draws the students to the game.

Also very exciting is the fact the university is taking charge in providing more immediate retail access to its students.. TAKE THAT NIMBY Three Village residents! It's a shame that the University had to use its own land for this. But its a necessary move!

http://www.sbstatesman.com/2018/12/04/public-private-partnership-will-add-500-units-of-on-campus-housing/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on December 04, 2018, 10:10:44 pm
thanks.  this could be a game changer on many levels- if done right.  and will have downstream impact on campus life and attendance.

also dont forget that that commercial area on 25a is being developed.  anyone have updates on that?

anyway- despite what the article says- this is NOT the first we are hearing of this.  there was a formal plan showing this back in 2012 or 2013.  i have to find the link.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on December 05, 2018, 02:21:19 am
Great development for the university. Will finally put an end to tripling (RIP, I'll almost miss it in a way lol), and get some mixed use development on campus for student oriented commerce and residential spaces. Hopefully this comes together. That was one of the last areas of campus that really needed some redevelopment. All that's needed now is a new union and to slowly refresh the cold war era structures on campus to make the entirety of SBU look modern.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on December 05, 2018, 12:58:07 pm
thanks.  this could be a game changer on many levels- if done right.  and will have downstream impact on campus life and attendance.

also dont forget that that commercial area on 25a is being developed.  anyone have updates on that?

anyway- despite what the article says- this is NOT the first we are hearing of this.  there was a formal plan showing this back in 2012 or 2013.  i have to find the link.

Yes. I agree. there was a Facility Master Plan released back in the early 2010's while I was in school that outlined the 10-year growth strategy for the University. They have done really well and have already build most of the buildings that were planned. This Northwest Residences is the last phase of that master plan
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on December 05, 2018, 01:03:34 pm
Great development for the university. Will finally put an end to tripling (RIP, I'll almost miss it in a way lol), and get some mixed use development on campus for student oriented commerce and residential spaces. Hopefully this comes together. That was one of the last areas of campus that really needed some redevelopment. All that's needed now is a new union and to slowly refresh the cold war era structures on campus to make the entirety of SBU look modern.

The Union is already in process of getting a complete overhaul with a new brick facade. I really liked how its looking. Its essentially a new building!

I don't think the University will ever end ditripling. Honestly, there is no justification for tripling students every semester after building some much housing. That leads me to believe that tripling students is a strategy used by Residential Life to ensure that they don't have empty dorms every Fall. They triple people and then de-triple them as some students don't show up on campus 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on December 05, 2018, 02:58:34 pm
yeah its like overbooking a flight.

its good that there is so much demand for students and then dorms, so that's a positive (in some sense).  i still think more kids on campus near the athletic complex is good for attendance and school spirit. 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on December 30, 2018, 09:36:56 am
thought this might be of interest- a composite aerial shot of campus:

(https://i.ibb.co/vjxGh8W/SBU-aerial.png)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on March 19, 2019, 09:33:24 pm
could be an improvement to campus life: https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/free-shuttle-makes-port-jefferson-easily-accessible-from-campus/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on March 23, 2019, 04:21:05 pm
could be an improvement to campus life: https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/free-shuttle-makes-port-jefferson-easily-accessible-from-campus/

That's a great development. Giving kids who may not have cars easy access to Port Jeff like that is a huge win.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on June 17, 2019, 09:14:20 pm
could go into a few threads, but have a look please: https://news.stonybrook.edu/stony-brook-matters/alumni/stony-brook-ranked-among-new-yorks-best-employers-by-forbes/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=matters_ad_june

Quote
Stony Brook Ranked Among New York’s Best Employers by Forbes

Stony Brook University has been identified by Forbes as the 55th best employer in the state of New York.

https://www.forbes.com/colleges/stony-brook-university/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: guest369 on June 18, 2019, 12:14:07 am
“#29 SUNY, Stony Brook (Stony Brook University)”

:eyeroll:

I oughta send an email to Forbes telling them to cut out the SUNY already and officially refer to us as just “Stony Brook University”. Parentheses? Put some respect on our damn name.

Aside from that gripe, good for us!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on June 18, 2019, 09:09:48 am
... at least they did spell it with an E?

 :o
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on June 27, 2019, 01:14:14 pm
we have an interim president https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/michael-bernstein-named-interim-president-of-stony-brook-university/. 

the issue of student life has come up in a few other threads this week.  suggestions for bernstein on how to fix this problem???
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on July 15, 2019, 01:47:03 pm
for better or for worse- because the issue of student life has been appearing again in other threads.

for discussion: https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=13434 (please disregard any political angle this link may have and focus on the study and it's conclusion)

Quote
a recent study finds that nearly one-third of students were influenced by the prospect of parties while deciding to attend college.

The study, conducted by Niznik Behavioral Health (NBH), surveyed more than 1,000 college graduates on what influenced their decision to attend college. Twenty-seven percent of survey participants stated that a motivating factor was partying. NBH ultimately defined partying as “a social gathering with friends where excessive drinking or drug consumption was present.”

More than half of the respondents who said that partying was an influential factor in their college decision also reported having fake IDs.

While nearly a third of students were influenced to attend college by the potential parties, this factor ranked behind advancing one's education (90 percent), influence exerted by parents (49 percent), a school boasting a program the respondent wanted to study (37 percent), and getting away from home (35 percent).
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ry1nik on July 15, 2019, 01:58:58 pm
Big time college sports is not among the top attractions. Something to keep in mind when considering whether SB would be well served moving to FBS football. This, and the fact that 5 of the top 12 public universities (US News and World Report) don’t play FBS football.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Wolffan on July 15, 2019, 04:34:49 pm
Big time college sports is not among the top attractions. Something to keep in mind when considering whether SB would be well served moving to FBS football. This, and the fact that 5 of the top 12 public universities (US News and World Report) don’t play FBS football.

Especially given that we are now attracting more and more very strong academic kids from LI and NYC (thanks to our excellent academic reputation and great price) who might not care much about sports...and might not stick around on weekends to watch. Not a bad problem to have but something to weigh as part of a cost/benefit analysis regarding heading towards FBS.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: guest369 on July 15, 2019, 08:31:59 pm
I still can’t get over how newly liberated college kids want to go back home to their mommy and daddy every weekend. Does this place just naturally attract coddled babies?

I do want us to admit more party people, only problem is they are generally not that smart and I’d rather the academic profile be kept strong. No reason why we can’t be bringing in more upstate kids.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on July 16, 2019, 08:59:23 am
yes to all.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on July 16, 2019, 12:08:08 pm
Big time college sports is not among the top attractions. Something to keep in mind when considering whether SB would be well served moving to FBS football. This, and the fact that 5 of the top 12 public universities (US News and World Report) don’t play FBS football.

This is a weak argument. Those are virtually all of the Ivy League schools and they at one point did play at the highest level. They just choose not to. Believe me that if the Ivy League wanted to move up to FBS, they'd immediately be granted a major bowl spot, College Football Playoff access, and a BIG media contract from ESPN. Comparing ourselves as a public school to the long establish Ivy League in this aspect is frankly ridiculous.

Look at all of the schools SBU lists as peers. Look at all of the public universities in the AAU. All of them that have football except for us and UC Davis play in the FBS. Furthermore most of those schools are in P5 conferences getting $30M+ per year in TV money from their conference. That's what SBU is and should aspire to be. No reason for a big time university like us to be stuck with small time thinking. The only reason SBU isn't more well known is that we don't have the big well known athletic programs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_American_Universities

I see zero reason why we can't be in the Big Ten or ACC some day if we choose to invest in sports. Sports are a big part of campus life. Last thing we need to do is make that aspect of SBU worse by not continuing to better ourselves.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ry1nik on July 16, 2019, 01:35:57 pm
Big time college sports is not among the top attractions. Something to keep in mind when considering whether SB would be well served moving to FBS football. This, and the fact that 5 of the top 12 public universities (US News and World Report) don’t play FBS football.

This is a weak argument. Those are virtually all of the Ivy League schools and they at one point did play at the highest level. They just choose not to. Believe me that if the Ivy League wanted to move up to FBS, they'd immediately be granted a major bowl spot, College Football Playoff access, and a BIG media contract from ESPN. Comparing ourselves as a public school to the long establish Ivy League in this aspect is frankly ridiculous.

Look at all of the schools SBU lists as peers. Look at all of the public universities in the AAU. All of them that have football except for us and UC Davis play in the FBS. Furthermore most of those schools are in P5 conferences getting $30M+ per year in TV money from their conference. That's what SBU is and should aspire to be. No reason for a big time university like us to be stuck with small time thinking. The only reason SBU isn't more well known is that we don't have the big well known athletic programs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_American_Universities

I see zero reason why we can't be in the Big Ten or ACC some day if we choose to invest in sports. Sports are a big part of campus life. Last thing we need to do is make that aspect of SBU worse by not continuing to better ourselves.
You may want to reconsider this post. Ivy League schools are not public universities.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on July 29, 2019, 08:44:33 pm
another good step- https://news.stonybrook.edu/stony-brook-matters/alumni/eastern-long-island-hospital-joins-stony-brook-medicine-healthcare-system/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=matters_ad_july

Quote
Eastern Long Island Hospital (ELIH) officially joins the Stony Brook Medicine healthcare system as of July 1, combining the best in academic and community medicine to improve access to advanced medical care for residents of Long Island’s North Fork and Shelter Island.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on July 29, 2019, 08:48:52 pm
https://news.stonybrook.edu/stony-brook-matters/alumni/stony-brook-university-drives-regions-economy-report-finds/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=matters_ad_july

Quote
Stony Brook University’s annual economic impact on Long Island totals an impressive $7.23 billion in increased output, according to an economic impact report compiled by John A. Rizzo, Professor of Economics and Population, and supported by the University’s economic development office

The report demonstrates the institution’s vast economic influence on the regional and global economy. In addition to the $7.23 billion in increased output, the analysis highlights $2.39 billion in earnings and 54,637 local jobs. Also, the University’s graduates increased aggregate economic output worldwide by $15.3 billion, supporting an impressive 99,815 jobs.

https://www.stonybrook.edu/about/economic-impact/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on August 08, 2019, 09:16:36 am
i started reading a book last night that some of you SB fanatics might want to have a look at: https://books.google.com/books/about/Stony_Brook.html?id=x4-6_A1Bk_kC&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button#v=onepage&q&f=false

Stony Brook: State University of New York
by Kristen Nyitray and Anne Becker (2002)


i'll share some nuggets as i move through it.

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on August 08, 2019, 10:18:12 am
i've gone on about tradition and history in this thread, so wanted to point out some of the things SB does have in it's relatively young existence, that we need to leverage more:

-did anyone know that the Pollock/Krasner House in the hamptons was owned by the U starting around the early 80s? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollock-Krasner_House_and_Study_Center  Shouldnt we have a studio at Staller dedicated to this, a permanent exhibition of his work, Pollock Hall, etc.

-everyone knows this but the first campus in 1957 was bequeathed by zillionaire William Robertson Coe in oyster bay: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Robertson_Coe The university of wyoming has a Coe Library; why don't we? (yes, he insured the Titanic)

-a 1957 newspaper named the Coe campus "the nation's most beautiful college campus"

-speaking of Staller, Max Staller's son Erwin just died a few months ago at 97: https://news.stonybrook.edu/arts/friend-of-stony-brook-erwin-p-staller-dies-at-98/

-the first dean, Leonard K. Olson, traveled the country to recruit top faculty, capturing 14 professors from oxford, columbia, yale, and university of chicago

-a 1997 study ranked SB one of the top THREE public universities in the NATION for science, social science, arts, and humanities

-a 1998 study ranked the SB Hospital one of the top 15 teaching hospitals nationally, among 3600 surveyed (i do recall hearing something like this back then)

-at first, tuition was free for students studying to be teachers; STEM was $375/year (out of state $455)

-in 1957 to instill school spirit, 10/30 classes were cancelled and called Nameless Day, the U's first attempt at establishing tradition.  students challenged faculty to volleyball, badminton, tug of war, egg races, and soccer, followed by a picnic.  we NEED to bring this back, as it could be one of the biggest days of the year for us
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on August 08, 2019, 07:31:54 pm
a good collection of historical photos: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/571957221406812334/?lp=true
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on August 09, 2019, 10:17:10 am
some more from the book:

-the first mascot was the Soundsmen, i think crew and basketball were the first teams, with crew winning the first university contest against Clark University

-the original school colors were blue & gold, changed in the late fifties to scarlet & gray

-as a joke, for the first holiday season, students giftwrapped a professor's car- we need to bring this back as a tradition, but perhaps the president's car

-the first newspaper was called the Sucolian, an acronym for the first name of the U, state university college of long island.  we should use this, for example, our students could be referred to as sucolians

-the original campus had a different design; a model was made and kept in the capitol in albany (see page 28 https://books.google.com/books/about/Stony_Brook.html?id=x4-6_A1Bk_kC&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button#v=onepage&q&f=false)

-gov. nelson rockefeller and ward melville broke ground on 4/8/60 for the campus, just south of the station (near the track).  this should have a plaque, monument, something to commemorate the historic moment and become part of our tradition

-we had an old university seal (before the terrible red/blue/green seal).  the new seal is great, but i didnt even know that we had an old one.  it's more classic looking and we should use it. https://diplomaclassics.com/images/Entities/document/v2/StonHVDiploma_H_original.png

-while on that topic, the motto was "to learn, to search, to serve".  why did we change this?  it's better than the modernized "go beyond".  here's another version of the same seal: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/94/State_University_of_New_York_seal.svg/1200px-State_University_of_New_York_seal.svg.png

-a barber shop on campus, operated by pete mora, called pete's barber shop- became a market, dry cleaner, and barbershop of course.  pete would even run errands for students.  we need to bring this back.  even if we change the name of... i dunno the union deli, to pete's barber shop.  history.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on August 12, 2019, 01:16:22 pm
like i keep saying- it's the little things we need to fix.

-like the fact that in front of the melville library is called Library Hill.  i know it sounds silly but we need to add this history back, whether it's a sign or otherwise; this was the site of historic protests and events at the U

-we have a 9m volt van de graaff particle accelerator, right in the middle of campus, installed 1967 behind the chem building.  the first of it's kind, it can create nuclear energy and literally split atoms.  it should be celebrated; instead, it's a rusty, concrete eyesore.  i never knew how important it was until now.  we could turn this negative into a positive with some paint

-we have a lack of activities on campus; the student board used to hold an annual Fall Festival, where FR competed against SO in sports, theater, music, etc, and attracted students and faculty.  we need more annual events to get people excited about

-in fact, the same board in the 60s organized summer concerts where over 17k people gathered on the athletic fields to watch janis joplin, pink floyd, grateful dead, hendrix, and the doors.  we can't get that many during the school year.  for a football game, can we even get 1700 students???
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on August 13, 2019, 08:23:11 am
like i keep saying- it's the little things we need to fix.

-like the fact that in front of the melville library is called Library Hill.  i know it sounds silly but we need to add this history back, whether it's a sign or otherwise; this was the site of historic protests and events at the U

-we have a 9m volt van de graaff particle accelerator, right in the middle of campus, installed 1967 behind the chem building.  the first of it's kind, it can create nuclear energy and literally split atoms.  it should be celebrated; instead, it's a rusty, concrete eyesore.  i never knew how important it was until now.  we could turn this negative into a positive with some paint

-we have a lack of activities on campus; the student board used to hold an annual Fall Festival, where FR competed against SO in sports, theater, music, etc, and attracted students and faculty.  we need more annual events to get people excited about

-in fact, the same board in the 60s organized summer concerts where over 17k people gathered on the athletic fields to watch janis joplin, pink floyd, grateful dead, hendrix, and the doors.  we can't get that many during the school year.  for a football game, can we even get 1700 students???

This really puts things into perspective. The university can do a much, MUCH better job of advertising the university and organizing events than it is currently doing.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on August 13, 2019, 10:06:50 am
like i keep saying- it's the little things we need to fix.

-like the fact that in front of the melville library is called Library Hill.  i know it sounds silly but we need to add this history back, whether it's a sign or otherwise; this was the site of historic protests and events at the U

-we have a 9m volt van de graaff particle accelerator, right in the middle of campus, installed 1967 behind the chem building.  the first of it's kind, it can create nuclear energy and literally split atoms.  it should be celebrated; instead, it's a rusty, concrete eyesore.  i never knew how important it was until now.  we could turn this negative into a positive with some paint

-we have a lack of activities on campus; the student board used to hold an annual Fall Festival, where FR competed against SO in sports, theater, music, etc, and attracted students and faculty.  we need more annual events to get people excited about

-in fact, the same board in the 60s organized summer concerts where over 17k people gathered on the athletic fields to watch janis joplin, pink floyd, grateful dead, hendrix, and the doors.  we can't get that many during the school year.  for a football game, can we even get 1700 students???

This really puts things into perspective. The university can do a much, MUCH better job of advertising the university and organizing events than it is currently doing.

Hopefully, the new President has the vision to improve campus life and focus more time on keeping students around come the weekends. Maybe give them some kind of incentive if they attend home games. 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on August 22, 2019, 07:40:56 pm
https://brook.land/someone-is-policing-the-internet-for-misspellings-of-stony-brook-422b8bcad332
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 14, 2019, 07:09:08 am
What to do about Stony Brook’s enthusiasm gap
https://brook.land/what-to-do-about-stony-brooks-enthusiasm-gap-7d87dd6a50a6

Quote
The Seawolves cannot afford to alienate fans while they’re still trying to built a culture of fandom across Long Island, and forbidding fans from returning to the game impedes those efforts. Is Stony Brook football really enough of a draw in 2019 to convince a fan to stick around past halftime if you can’t run out to your car, or your dorm, or wherever, to grab a bite to eat? An extra layer of warmth? A Miller Lite?

Walking around on gamedays — even big ones, like men’s basketball games against Albany and Vermont, or CAA conference games — you’d be forgiven for not knowing there was a game on at all. That was true when I was still a student at Stony Brook, but as best I can tell it remains true today. Why? I used to think it had to do with the quality of the programs, but even after a decade of continuous growth and success, it still feels like there is very little buy-in by students on campus.



vic ochi sandwich: http://se-portdeli.com/sandwich-menu
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 17, 2019, 10:31:09 am
wasnt sure where to put this but not good news: https://nypost.com/2019/09/12/stony-brook-professor-stole-200k-from-cancer-research-feds/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 17, 2019, 12:06:27 pm
and now for good news: https://portjefferson.greaterlongisland.com/2019/06/21/stony-brook-square-development-is-coming-together/

Quote
A 24,637-square-foot retail center called Stony Brook Square is under construction at 1111 Route 25a— less than a mile from Stony Brook University and across from the Stony Brook train station.

Company president, Parviz Farahzad, said that Little Rock is ready to complete construction and if all goes well the center should be done by late summer or early fall of this year.

Farahzad said that the center was already about halfway leased-up with clients such as Teachers Federal Credit Union and Jersey Mike’s Subs committed to move in once construction is complete. An unnamed coffee shop and bubble tea company are also committed, according to Farahzad.

“The civic is in favor of smart development,” he said. “We are lacking a downtown area in what is essentially a university town.”

“We would like to see the kind of amenities that people enjoy like restaurants and bookstores,” he said.


http://www.littlerockcc.com/properties/stony-brook-square-llc/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on September 17, 2019, 08:05:11 pm
That's a welcome addition. We need more of that. I wish instead of plaza malls they would actually build street facing in a more "main street" approach. The University should work with the LIRR and the community to get a couple of additional overpasses across the railroad to improve access to 25A from the main campus
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 27, 2019, 10:43:16 am
this is a bit stale but have a look: https://sbindependent.org/gov-cuomo-addresses-long-island-about-the-new-ny-state-budget-at-stony-brook-university/

Quote
Stony Brook University benefited from the new fiscal budget as well. SBU is supposed to receive $75 million for the construction of the 70,000-square-foot Institute for Discovery and Innovation in Medicine and Engineering.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 27, 2019, 11:04:06 am
https://www.sbstatesman.com/2019/09/24/interim-president-bernstein-talks-finance-and-future-at-sbu/

Quote
Bernstein said in an interview with The Statesman on Aug. 30 that the university’s budget is balanced for the academic year, and the school is in a position to pay off its accumulated debt in the upcoming years.

The goal is to keep the budget balanced for the next academic year and avoid deficit spending, Bernstein said. He announced the loosening of hiring restrictions during a university senate meeting earlier this month and that the university would be making a series of “modest investments” in a budget update sent via a campus-wide email last month.

“Take advantage of everything here,” Bernstein said. “Don’t shy away from it. Don’t avoid trying to do something you’ve never done before. Don’t avoid taking a class in something you’ve never taken a class in, because it’ll change your life,” he said.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 27, 2019, 11:09:14 am
https://www.sbstatesman.com/2019/09/23/sbu-moves-homecoming-tailgate-to-gym-road-parking-lot/

Quote
Stony Brook University designated the Gym Road parking lot as the tailgating space for Sunday, Oct. 5’s homecoming football game, according to an email sent to The Statesman on Sept. 22.

The university’s decision comes as students and alumni express rising discontent over their inability to tailgate in the Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium parking lot, which is where Homecoming tailgates traditionally occur. This year, the stadium parking lot is being occupied by the Homecoming BBQ, which is run by the Stony Brook University Alumni Association. A petition demanding that the tailgate be returned to the stadium parking lot, originally posted online on Tuesday, Sept. 17, amassed almost 1,200 signatures as of Sunday, Sept. 22, with a goal of 5,000.

“Homecoming tailgate at the stadium lot is a tradition students look forward to, both current and alumni, and to take that away like this has angered a lot of students,” Zee Mustafa, a senior psychology and political science major and the president of Sigma Phi Delta, said prior to the university’s update. “The atmosphere elsewhere isn’t the same, and Stony’s decision to do this is going to bite them as a lot of students simply are not interested in Homecoming anymore.”



https://www.sbstatesman.com/2019/09/22/dont-move-the-tailgate-an-open-letter-to-the-homecoming-committee/

Quote
Don’t move the tailgate: an open letter to the Homecoming Committee

A common criticism of Stony Brook — from students, faculty and outside observers alike — is our lack of school spirit. We’re a prestigious school, academically ranked 91st in the country, with Division I sports teams. Despite this, our campus life is often quiet — receiving a B- in student life from Niche — and our stadium and on-campus events often have low attendance. As an Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Senator, these are some of the concerns I hear regularly from students.

Students have made their opinion clear, recently circulating an online petition to keep tailgate in its usual location. It has already received over 1,100 signatures, gathered from concerned students spreading it through social media. Yet, the university still appears to prioritize the wants of everyone other than the student body.

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 27, 2019, 01:11:17 pm
https://alumniandfriends.stonybrook.edu/site/DocServer/President_s_Report_-_Sept._2019.pdf?docID=1841

Quote
XIII. FALL ENROLLMENT
A total of 26,814 students were registered at the end of Day 15 in fall 2019, 558 more than last
year at the same point in the term. Enrollment counts for 2019 represent record levels for
undergraduate and graduate students. Compared to fall 2018, the following changes were
observed by area:
 + 311 West Campus undergraduates
 + 30 Graduate School (West, HSC, Southampton)
 + 27 School of Professional Development
 + 175 East Campus/HSC
 + 15 Southampton location



why isnt bernstein on this list?  perhaps this is normal?


Quote
II. SEARCH UPDATES
Presidential Search
The search for Stony Brook University's next president is underway. In accordance with SUNY
policy and guidelines, we have completed the required processes to select a search committee and
a search firm. The Search Committee members are committed to conducting a search that will
yield an accomplished, visionary and inspirational president to lead Stony Brook University, as it
continues its forward trajectory as one of the top public research universities in the United States.
Search Committee members include:
 Linda Armyn, Stony Brook Council
 Mark Aronoff, Faculty Representative (Linguistics)
 Kimberly Joy Dixon, Member of the Professional/Support Staff (Career Center)
 Axel Drees, Faculty Representative (Physics & Astronomy)
 Joshua Dubnau, Faculty Representative (Anesthesiology)
 Brooke Ellison PhD '12, Faculty Representative (Health and Rehabilitation Sciences)
 Richard L. Gelfond ’76, Hon. ’04, Stony Brook Foundation
 Christopher Hahn, Stony Brook Council
 Shaheer Kahn, Undergraduate Student Representative
 Father Alex Karloutsos, Stony Brook Council
 Kevin S. Law '82, Stony Brook Council and Search Committee Chair
 Celia Marshik, Faculty Representative (English)
 I. Memming Park, Faculty Representative (Neurobiology & Behavior)
 Clint Rubin, Faculty Representative (Biomedical Engineering)
 Nicole Sampson, Interim Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
 James H. Simons, Hon. '92, Stony Brook Foundation
 President Harvey Stenger, Binghamton University, Chancellor's Designee
 Christina Vargas '90, MA '93, Alumni Representative
 Xiaoqing Zhang, Graduate Student Representative
We have hired the firm of Isaacson, Miller to aid in our search. Michael Baer is our lead search
consultant, and he will be assisted by Ernest Brooks. Chancellor Kristina Johnson will charge
the committee at its first meeting in late September.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 09, 2019, 09:58:33 am
so after all that- LaValle was sold out (or near sold out).  for anyone who was there- does that mean:

-the students gave up on the boycott
-different students showed up than those that boycotted
-few students showed up; it was locals/community comprising 13k fans

or a combination of all.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: guest369 on October 09, 2019, 10:49:47 am
The boycott stopped happening once people realized there was still going to be a tailgate, because quite a lot of kids pulled up to the new lot (which was bigger anyways) to tailgate. I don’t know how many stuck around for the game, judging by social media posts many don’t care about football in general, and I definitely wouldn’t expect this crowd to repeat next week. My biggest hope is that people who loved the tailgating experience this week will want to do it for the rest of the home games this season – it’s embarrassing that it only happens once a year – and I’ve heard people say that they’d go to every football game if they could
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 09, 2019, 05:17:00 pm
https://www.sbstatesman.com/2019/10/06/the-benefits-of-stony-brook-serving-alcohol-at-athletic-games/

Quote
In the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons, the NCAA concluded that selling alcohol reduced the amount of unruly behavior at sports games by large margins.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: OldSeawolf on October 09, 2019, 06:50:44 pm
https://www.sbstatesman.com/2019/10/06/the-benefits-of-stony-brook-serving-alcohol-at-athletic-games/

Quote
In the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons, the NCAA concluded that selling alcohol reduced the amount of unruly behavior at sports games by large margins.

Come on, seriously?   Sounds like the $ grab slanted this study a bit.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 09, 2019, 08:31:21 pm
i had similar suspicions.  given, the NCAA's history.  and, common sense.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Wolffan on October 10, 2019, 05:15:27 am
https://www.sbstatesman.com/2019/10/06/the-benefits-of-stony-brook-serving-alcohol-at-athletic-games/

Quote
In the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons, the NCAA concluded that selling alcohol reduced the amount of unruly behavior at sports games by large margins.

Is that because purchasing high priced beer  one at a time under a more-or- less supervised and rather slow procedure results in less problem drinking than gulping down cheap beer/mixed drinks at a furious pace  in the parking lot tailgate before the game? (Obviously there can be issues of fan alcohol-related fan unruliness under either procedure...and folks may still pound at the tailgate and top off with the slow procedure ...but there may be something to that theory.)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on October 10, 2019, 08:16:56 am
https://www.sbstatesman.com/2019/10/06/the-benefits-of-stony-brook-serving-alcohol-at-athletic-games/

Quote
In the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons, the NCAA concluded that selling alcohol reduced the amount of unruly behavior at sports games by large margins.

Is that because purchasing high priced beer  one at a time under a more-or- less supervised and rather slow procedure results in less problem drinking than gulping down cheap beer/mixed drinks at a furious pace  in the parking lot tailgate before the game? (Obviously there can be issues of fan alcohol-related fan unruliness under either procedure...and folks may still pound at the tailgate and top off with the slow procedure ...but there may be something to that theory.)

LOL. I like your assessment!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 10, 2019, 08:37:42 am
yeah, i think we were all doing the same analysis.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 21, 2019, 07:38:37 pm
SB Matters interviewed alumni assoc pres Rob Debrauwere: https://news.stonybrook.edu/stony-brook-matters/alumni/for-alumni-association-president-debrauwere-concert-experience-lit-the-way-to-entertainment-law-career/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=matters_ad_oct


Quote
All of these bands would come to the University. I remember Quiet Riot played in December of 1984. I injured myself working that show, almost chopped my finger off, and had to go to the University Hospital, but it was fine. I worked for George Thoroughgood, Quiet Riot, the Kinks, Paul Young, the Alarm. I used to have a cassette tape box with all my backstage passes.

All of those bands played, and I got to work at so many of those shows. Eddie Murphy, when he was first coming up, played at the University; Cyndi Lauper had a gig at which I remember working. Hot Tuna didn’t bring their own lighting guy, so we got to be the principal lighting tech. Stony Brook used to have these Strong Lighting Super Trouper carbon arc lamp spotlights: two carbon rods that have an electric charge that goes through them are brought together to ignite, and then tuned centimeters apart, continuously bringing the rods together as the carbon is vaporized to create a brilliant arc that is beamed off of a mirror in the back of the spotlight, which throws this tremendously brilliant light out onto the stage. We were in what’s now the Pritchard Gym, where the concerts were held, and you would have these spotlights all the way in the back, on scaffolding that we used to build. Someone would come in with their own lighting crew, and they would allow us to handle the spotlights, so that was a lot of fun, but for some of the performances, like Hot Tuna, they didn’t have their own lighting guy. Jorma Kaukonen himself (leader of the band) just came up to us and said, “Ah, give us some blues and reds; keep it mellow.” We got to run the whole thing ourselves.

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 21, 2019, 07:58:46 pm
alumni association annual report:

200k alums in 118 countries (all 50 states)
over 7500 graduates this year (about 2900 grad)
class of 2019 represents 39 states and 69 countries
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 01, 2020, 10:07:11 am
in an attempt to consolidate the discussions into one thread-

http://sbufan.createaforum.com/stony-brook-basketball/game-23-at-umass-lowell-129-7pm/msg29161/#msg29161

Quote
Attendance needs a culture change. It should be unacceptable for grown adults to literally leave college and see their parents every weekend, but for some reason, that type of behavior isn’t shamed. For that reason alone we need to accept more upstaters and less LIers, and there’s also a startling large number of people who don’t give a damn about any type of college football. People who’d rather go to the gym or study during game time. Gimme a break. The moving parts of the school all need to coordinate together to make college football the EMPHASIS of Saturdays. But it needs to start at the top.

Quote
The biggest complaint I have is that you can drive through town and have no idea that a game is going on that weekend or even that day.

Quote
edit- you can drive through campus on a weekend and not know it's a university.

Quote
bottom line is if student happiness is enhanced, it's better for SB.  rising tide lifts all boats.  otherwise we'll always be on the list of most miserable schools to attend.

http://sbufan.createaforum.com/stony-brook-basketball/around-the-aecountry/msg29206/#msg29206
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 01, 2020, 10:20:07 am
here's more food for thought- http://www.studentsreview.com/specific_detail.php3?uid=1011&f=Social

Quote
Social Life
“... The social life on the weekends kinda sucks though ...Read full comment“... I would agree that compared to other colleges the social life is pretty bad ...Read full comment“... The social life here sucks ...Read full comment“... Social Life: The campus EMPTIES OUT on the weekends ...Read full comment“... but as for the SOCIAL LIFE ...Read full comment“... The academic programs are great, but the social life is nearly non-existant ...Read full comment“... If you are interested in an active social life, be prepared to work for it or go somewhere else ...Read full comment“... The campus is completely vacant on weekends, except for a lot of the antisocial/asexual students ...Read full comment“... The academics are slightly more than pretty good, but the social life instantaneously shatters whatever good the scholastic aspect of this school...Read full comment“... The campus is decent looking but the social life is dead because of everyone believing that we can't have a goos social life ...Read full comment“... Social/Emotional: People hold doors open for one another which is cool ...Read full comment“... The student body is diverse and interesting, and the social life is great (especially if you get involved with a student organization or club) .....Read full comment“... Socially it's got a LOT of room for improvement ...Read full comment“... As for the social life, it's really what you make of it ...Read full comment“... The social life does suck ...Read full comment“... It's my second semester at this miserable china town and I can honestly say it's all a giant prison, good for for nothing but inevitable social su...Read full comment“... Students & Social Life: A lot of people complain about the students ...Read full comment“... As for the social life ...Read full comment“... The social life here sucks ...


ad nauseum.  it keeps going.  and gets much worse.

think HS kids read this???  or do they merely experience this when they show up- IF they show up.

then ask yourself whether a 17 year old cares about partying.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 01, 2020, 10:43:17 am
from 2014: www.sbstatesman.com/2014/04/03/students-deserve-a-university-they-can-actually-enjoy/

Quote
One of my professors posed an interesting question in a lecture the other day, the basic idea of which went something like this: “Why do you believe Stony Brook, one of the best schools in the SUNY system with an enormous student body, is not on the same level nationally as universities like Michigan and Penn State?”—this caused me to think. The professor seemed to believe the major flaw was the sports teams and the past performance of these schools, however, I believe it is a crisis of integration within the student body.

There are many students who simply come to the university for their classes and leave immediately after they are finished. Many of my old high school friends are guilty of this and when I ask them why, they simply respond with “why should we stay?”

If we can inspire a sense of pride within Stony Brook students similar to the pride that fills the students of these well-known universities, we can create a community. If we create a community of students who, rather than walking around campus in the sweatshirts and t-shirts of other universities, walk around in Stony Brook apparel, then, and only then, will we be able to make the leap to the level of recognition that universities such as Michigan, Penn State and others have.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 01, 2020, 10:46:25 am
https://www.reddit.com/r/longisland/comments/5sq4lo/how_is_stony_brook_universities_social_lifeparty/

Quote
Curious what people who go to Stony Brook or has graduated there have to say about the social life. Ive been told that there aren't much parties and that worries me a little because I would like to go to some stereotypical college parties.

-

Go to Binghamton, its just as good if not better than Stonybrook and a pretty big party school

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 01, 2020, 11:00:16 am
https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/suny-stony-brook/1576092-is-the-stony-brook-party-scene-as-bad-as-they-say.html

Quote
Is the Stony Brook party scene as bad as they say?

Ok so I'm a senior right now in high school and I want to do pre med/pre dental in college. I'm mainly considering Suny Stony Brook, Suny Binghamton, and Suny Albany. I know that SBU is awesome academically, and I would love to go there, but I'm getting worried about the numerous student reviews all over the internet.

I want to go away to college to get a good education, but also party...a lot. I've heard that Stony Brook is pretty much dead on the weekends and that there are almost no parties. Is it true? Is it that bad that I should look to a lower ranked ( but still good) school like UAlbany? ( which is known for having a great nightlife/party scene).

Quote
For many, many reasons though. I wouldn't recommend Stony Brook. I am considering transferring to Bing or Geneseo next fall because I believe I will be happier there. These statistics speak for themselves:

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on February 03, 2020, 01:22:38 am
https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/suny-stony-brook/1576092-is-the-stony-brook-party-scene-as-bad-as-they-say.html

Quote
Is the Stony Brook party scene as bad as they say?

Ok so I'm a senior right now in high school and I want to do pre med/pre dental in college. I'm mainly considering Suny Stony Brook, Suny Binghamton, and Suny Albany. I know that SBU is awesome academically, and I would love to go there, but I'm getting worried about the numerous student reviews all over the internet.

I want to go away to college to get a good education, but also party...a lot. I've heard that Stony Brook is pretty much dead on the weekends and that there are almost no parties. Is it true? Is it that bad that I should look to a lower ranked ( but still good) school like UAlbany? ( which is known for having a great nightlife/party scene).

Quote
For many, many reasons though. I wouldn't recommend Stony Brook. I am considering transferring to Bing or Geneseo next fall because I believe I will be happier there. These statistics speak for themselves:

Unfortunately he's right. It really is as bad as they say. I can't say I've seen or heard of a more anti-social campus than SBU and that's a real shame. I don't even know why it started or who continues to perpetuate this anti-social culture, but it really doesn't do anything to prepare the students for the real world where networking and actually talking to people are more important skills than anything they'll ever learn in a classroom. Maybe it's some of the stick up the @$$ academic types  in the administration who think any kind of social scene on the campus will turn the school into Arizona State overnight.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on February 03, 2020, 06:29:12 am
https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/suny-stony-brook/1576092-is-the-stony-brook-party-scene-as-bad-as-they-say.html

Quote
Is the Stony Brook party scene as bad as they say?

Ok so I'm a senior right now in high school and I want to do pre med/pre dental in college. I'm mainly considering Suny Stony Brook, Suny Binghamton, and Suny Albany. I know that SBU is awesome academically, and I would love to go there, but I'm getting worried about the numerous student reviews all over the internet.

I want to go away to college to get a good education, but also party...a lot. I've heard that Stony Brook is pretty much dead on the weekends and that there are almost no parties. Is it true? Is it that bad that I should look to a lower ranked ( but still good) school like UAlbany? ( which is known for having a great nightlife/party scene).

Quote
For many, many reasons though. I wouldn't recommend Stony Brook. I am considering transferring to Bing or Geneseo next fall because I believe I will be happier there. These statistics speak for themselves:

Unfortunately he's right. It really is as bad as they say. I can't say I've seen or heard of a more anti-social campus than SBU and that's a real shame. I don't even know why it started or who continues to perpetuate this anti-social culture, but it really doesn't do anything to prepare the students for the real world where networking and actually talking to people are more important skills than anything they'll ever learn in a classroom. Maybe it's some of the stick up the @$$ academic types  in the administration who think any kind of social scene on the campus will turn the school into Arizona State overnight.

I live in the surrounding areas of the University, trust me. There is absolutely no party or social life at SB. SB has one small Frat house, and it is in Bell Terre. My son who is currently going to school at Suffolk County Community College and is an honor student there and is also in the "Bridge" program to go into Stony Brook next year. That is, was the plan. He decided to not go to SB now after talking to a few of his friends who are currently enrolled in SB now. My son is going to try and get into Binghampton to finish up his college deg in Business.

Because I live so close to the University I am okay with this school NOT being a "college town" school. The people in the SB community don't want that and will fight the state tooth and nail to prevent this from ever happening. The community will never allow it to turn into a Syracuse party town..
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: guest369 on February 03, 2020, 12:25:33 pm
The new president absolutely needs to revamp the entire system from the top. It’s insane how we don’t require all first-year students to live on campus. Binghamton does that. UMass and UConn do it. I think there might be a reason for that!!!

There’s so much undeveloped land that the school can build new residence halls on. I’ve realized that despite the buildings we already have, the actual rooming capacity is low because they’re only 3-4 floors. Most colleges have complexes that are at least 10 stories - who the hell messed this up when they were designing this???

I hate the residents of the community for being such a roadblock. There’s got to be a way that the jurisdiction of the university can override them, but I’ve got a feeling they’re too scared of upsetting them. Forget that. When we develop the “college town” area, where would we put it? Everything’s already so clogged in terms of 25A, and that’s the area that’s within walking distance. Yeah, there’s a lot of “tech nerds” who go here now but that can’t be the entire explanation for the campus’ perpetual virginity.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 03, 2020, 05:46:59 pm
https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/suny-stony-brook/1576092-is-the-stony-brook-party-scene-as-bad-as-they-say.html

Quote
Is the Stony Brook party scene as bad as they say?

Ok so I'm a senior right now in high school and I want to do pre med/pre dental in college. I'm mainly considering Suny Stony Brook, Suny Binghamton, and Suny Albany. I know that SBU is awesome academically, and I would love to go there, but I'm getting worried about the numerous student reviews all over the internet.

I want to go away to college to get a good education, but also party...a lot. I've heard that Stony Brook is pretty much dead on the weekends and that there are almost no parties. Is it true? Is it that bad that I should look to a lower ranked ( but still good) school like UAlbany? ( which is known for having a great nightlife/party scene).

Quote
For many, many reasons though. I wouldn't recommend Stony Brook. I am considering transferring to Bing or Geneseo next fall because I believe I will be happier there. These statistics speak for themselves:

Unfortunately he's right. It really is as bad as they say. I can't say I've seen or heard of a more anti-social campus than SBU and that's a real shame. I don't even know why it started or who continues to perpetuate this anti-social culture, but it really doesn't do anything to prepare the students for the real world where networking and actually talking to people are more important skills than anything they'll ever learn in a classroom. Maybe it's some of the stick up the @$$ academic types  in the administration who think any kind of social scene on the campus will turn the school into Arizona State overnight.

there should be a committee- and you should be on it.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 03, 2020, 06:00:10 pm
The new president absolutely needs to revamp the entire system from the top. It’s insane how we don’t require all first-year students to live on campus. Binghamton does that. UMass and UConn do it. I think there might be a reason for that!!!

There’s so much undeveloped land that the school can build new residence halls on. I’ve realized that despite the buildings we already have, the actual rooming capacity is low because they’re only 3-4 floors. Most colleges have complexes that are at least 10 stories - who the hell messed this up when they were designing this???

I hate the residents of the community for being such a roadblock. There’s got to be a way that the jurisdiction of the university can override them, but I’ve got a feeling they’re too scared of upsetting them. Forget that. When we develop the “college town” area, where would we put it? Everything’s already so clogged in terms of 25A, and that’s the area that’s within walking distance. Yeah, there’s a lot of “tech nerds” who go here now but that can’t be the entire explanation for the campus’ perpetual virginity.

agreed on the tech nerd part- and that's a great thing, because tech is where the action is right now, and it's getting bigger.  much bigger.

i was on campus recently.  bench saturday night 8pm.  4 people, none of which were students.  that's the only bar in the area.

for locale- sure, we need a college town, kids need something to do.  coffee shops, bars, restaurants, music venues.  i agree that town supersedes gown on this issue.  so we should play to that- isolate the social activities to one area that wont disturb the locals.  i think you go behind benedict college, or between roosevelt/tabler (or both).  other options would be near the dental school / south P, but really, give kids any geographic reason to not go, and they won't go. 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: guest369 on February 03, 2020, 06:12:50 pm
I found some articles Circa 2012 where Stanley said that he had finalized plans about a corridor development on 25A - as well as a 1000-1500 bed housing complex near the LIRR. What the hell happened to that, I don’t know.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Moveitfred on February 04, 2020, 11:43:30 am
For whatever it's worth:

I've lived about a long walk from SBU almost 30 years now, and frankly not a whole lot has changed dramatically with the university and surrounding area in that time. I'm sure others of you agree. And where we might disagree is, I think that's a pretty good thing.

I have mixed feelings about our town and environment and all associated things. On the one hand I think, yeah, wouldn't it be great if the nearby Setauket/Stony Brook area or SBU campus had a bit more life--restaurants, bars, music, etc.--instead of feeling deeply dead and quiet, with quite a few boarded up storefronts (esp. in Setauket at the moment). A lively "college town" like the places my kids went to school.

As is the case in many communities, SBU and various surrounding constituencies have pushed for further development at various points in time while I have lived here. Most (at least the big ideas) never happened. Did you know, for example, at this moment in time there is a MAJOR push by owners of the nearby-to-SBU and mostly undeveloped Gyrodyne property to do a huge development on that land, including a hotel, medical park, and other businesses? The proposal calls for a single road off the property from all of that (hundreds of additional people/cars every day) onto 25A. How do you like that, neighbors and drivers on 25A? This proposal (and other big ones in the immediate area such as a big, new assisted living facility on what was open farm land) are moving through the Smithtown Board right now.

But let's say you like these ideas. Progress ahead and let's do more! Well, another big issue is sewage. Want more student housing at SBU? There is a huge difference between a single student/human driving to campus and maybe flushing one toilet that day vs living on campus and flushing a bunch of times, showering, etc. Multiply that by all your new resident students, and you get the idea. We people make a mess, and it has to go somewhere in its semi-treated form (and let's be honest, there are always untreated events that happen). Where will it go? The Gyrodyne proposal and other similar development proposals in the area call for a big, new treatment plant adjacent to SBU (can be smelly when the wind blows in your direction), new sewer lines (vs smaller cesspools currently used in much of the area), and a plan that will send all this new waste, either indirectly or directly, into Smithtown Bay/Stony Brook Harbor. Like to clam/boat/swim/fish/hang out and breathe fresh air around those mostly clean waters in the summer? That will end or be severely compromised.

I'll climb off my soapbox now. Point is, and this is certainly obvious, these things are complex and can have a significant impact and change the character of our area. Worth talking about, yes, and debating, but you just have to be careful what you wish for, methinks.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: OldSeawolf on February 04, 2020, 12:09:10 pm
For whatever it's worth:

I've lived about a long walk from SBU almost 30 years now, and frankly not a whole lot has changed dramatically with the university and surrounding area in that time. I'm sure others of you agree. And where we might disagree is, I think that's a pretty good thing.

I have mixed feelings about our town and environment and all associated things. On the one hand I think, yeah, wouldn't it be great if the nearby Setauket/Stony Brook area or SBU campus had a bit more life--restaurants, bars, music, etc.--instead of feeling deeply dead and quiet, with quite a few boarded up storefronts (esp. in Setauket at the moment). A lively "college town" like the places my kids went to school.

As is the case in many communities, SBU and various surrounding constituencies have pushed for further development and various points in time while I have lived here. Most (at least the big ideas) never happened. Did you know, for example, at this moment in time there is a MAJOR push by owners of the nearby-to-SBU and mostly undeveloped Gyrodyne property to do a huge development on that land, including a hotel, medical park, and other businesses? The proposal calls for a single road off the property from all of that (hundreds of additional people/cars every day) onto 25A. How do you like that, neighbors and drivers on 25A? This proposal (and other big ones in the immediate area such as a big, new assisted living facility on what was open farm land) are moving through the Smithtown Board right now.

But let's say you like these ideas. Progress ahead and let's do more! Well, another big issue is sewage. Want more student housing at SBU? There is a huge difference between a single student/human driving to campus and maybe flushing one toilet that day vs living on campus and flushing a bunch of times, showering, etc. Multiply that by all your new resident students, and you get the idea. We people make a mess, and it has to go somewhere in its semi-treated form (and let's be honest, there are always untreated events that happen). Where will it go? The Gyrodyne proposal and other similar development proposals in the area call for a big, new treatment plant adjacent to SBU (can be smelly when the wind blows in your direction), new sewer lines (vs smaller cesspools currently used in much of the area), and a plan that will send all this new waste, either indirectly or directly, into Smithtown Bay/Stony Brook Harbor. Like to clam/boat/swim/fish/hang out and breathe fresh air around those mostly clean waters in the summer? That will end or be severely compromised.

I'll climb off my soapbox now. Point is, and this is certainly obvious, these things are complex and can have a significant impact and change the character of our area. Worth taking about, yes, and debating, but you just have to be careful what you wish for, methinks.

Fred, I agree with you.  As a fellow homeowner (I live about 15 mins from the University) who lives in an area very similar to Setauket/Stony Brook, I have seen several assisted living facilities built on what was once vacant farm land, countless strip malls being built, several proposals being currently under discussion regarding lower-income housing projects, and major congestion that has resulted over the years.  I do realize that there is a push eastward on Long Island, and we do have a housing shortage of sorts, but when you see your neighborhood going through a metamorphasis like that and see its effect (negative) on housing prices, it hits home more.  I've been in my current home for 26 years, and it's just not the same area that I bought into.

As a student, none of this matters; it's very hard to project out 15 years, and put yourself in our situation.  Not that there is anything wrong with NYC (my son lives there and loves it, and I enjoy visiting it), but we chose to live out here to avoid that congested and hustle/bustle environment, among other reason.  I don't think either of us want the area to turn into a congested city-like environment.  Again, I'm sure many of you wouldn't agree with that.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: guest369 on February 07, 2020, 11:32:42 pm
Stony Brook already has a college town. It’s just called Port Jefferson and is 5 miles away. If only we could geographically lift it all up and place it right next to the actual university.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Wolffan on February 08, 2020, 06:40:45 am
Stony Brook already has a college town. It’s just called Port Jefferson and is 5 miles away. If only we could geographically lift it all up and place it right next to the actual university.
Either do that with Port Jefferson or magically move the Port Jefferson train station closer to the waterfront area. SBU students do have very convenient access to the Stony Brook train station and the 10-minute train journey to Port Jeff couldn't be easier or cheaper...problem is the train does not take you near Port Jeff's best destinations.

(Actually, this has long been a complaint of many folks who want to take the train to Port Jeff's ferry/restaurants from elsewhere on Long Island)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 14, 2020, 11:21:07 am
a bit dated but relevant: https://portjefferson.greaterlongisland.com/2019/02/28/free-shuttle-service-to-begin-running-between-stony-brook-university-and-port-jefferson/

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 21, 2020, 09:23:22 pm
Quote
Wolfie the SeaWolf from the Stony Brook University SeaWolves.

https://abc7ny.com/sports/field-trip-mascot-madness-/5956793/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on June 09, 2020, 08:53:45 am
just to cross reference a relevant discussion: http://sbufan.createaforum.com/general-discussion/shawn-heilbron/msg30610/#msg30610
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on August 07, 2020, 10:30:49 am
new photos of the Student Union: https://twitter.com/stonybrookalum/status/1291742175496200193
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on August 09, 2020, 02:11:03 am
new photos of the Student Union: https://twitter.com/stonybrookalum/status/1291742175496200193

A beautiful and long overdue update!!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on August 11, 2020, 02:11:41 am
looks great!!!!!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 11, 2020, 04:30:49 pm
we've come a long way- a LONG way- here is 20 years ago this month (note the publisher): https://stonybrookathletics.com/news/2000/9/30/Stoney_Brook_Football_Victorious_Over_St_Francis.aspx

Quote
STONEY BROOK FOOTBALL VICTORIOUS OVER ST. FRANCIS
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 11, 2020, 06:21:25 pm
article about the updated Student Union: https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/new-stony-brook-union-has-heart-of-campus-beating-again/


1990:

(https://news.stonybrook.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/wenunionold.jpg)


?

(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcRpqavaUy_sViIqlo-BILms5ektzmMbHrU99Q&usqp=CAU)


?

(https://i2.wp.com/sbpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Bridge-to-Nowhere.jpg?fit=2081%2C1409)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 16, 2020, 02:49:50 pm
cross posted but relevant: http://sbufan.createaforum.com/stony-brook-mens-lax/news/msg30901/#msg30901
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 17, 2020, 10:56:52 am
Green Opaque wrote:

Quote
The problem is the same: commuters, and residents who go home on the weekend. If you are either of those types of people, you are no friend of mine. Perhaps having a train station directly on campus was a bad thing all along. And the school keeps admitting these types of loser students.

Commuters: these are likely the poorest students in the entire student body. Whenever I ask people why they commute, the answer is always the same: money. Many say that even if the school opened up 15 new dorm buildings, they still would never dorm because they could never afford it. It’s probably too politically incorrect nowadays to say that the school should stop accepting these poor students, but there’s no other way around it: by being too poor to live on or near campus, you are killing the atmosphere of the school.

Residents who go home on the weekend: you people are just losers. You don’t even have the excuse of being poor because you already pay for a dorm room. You are just a legal 18-22 year old adult who is too weak to live on your own that you need to go home to mommy and daddy on the weekend. You’re just a child. You can’t go 4 measly months away from your parents? You need to ditch every weekend to go home and see them? Loser. What ever happened to independence? Going to college to escape their grasp? How mentally weak are you? This behavior is despicable.

Other things: the lack of a traditional college town for students to retreat to that is easily walkable from campus. Until you find a way to physically move Port Jefferson, count that out. This is where I rant about the Stony Brook townspeople. Whining about your property values. IDGAF about your property values! The fact that it’s been 60 years since this university was created and there’s no “Main Street” or bar row or giant gala of businesses catered to the college makes me sick! Radical revolution needs to happen. The school needs to tell the townies to F off and take the initiative to build this on its own.

Malatras can also eat a fat one. He is a bad, bad man, and he is a graduate of “SUNY Empire State”, whatever the hell that is. Doesn’t Sound like he will have our interests in his mind. Again this school is restricted by “SUNY”. A cursed four letter word that solely oppressed SBU by restricting its full potential. Cuomo has not done a single good thing for SBU since he arrived. He is evil and must be defeated.

Can't forget to mention the huge number of STEM kids as well. They're "smart", great, well they have the social skills of a brick and an aversion to anything related to sex or drugs. And their virgin asses probably add little to no social value to the school as well.

« Last Edit: Today at 12:31:42 am by Green Opaque »

while i dont necessarily agree/disagree with this, i do think if we get the look and feel of a junior college, we are in danger of becoming just that- a junior college.  image is not everything, but it's a lot.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 29, 2020, 12:10:28 pm
good additions:

Seawolves Weekly to Launch on Optimum Channel 20 on Thursday at 10:30 P.M.
https://stonybrookathletics.com/news/2020/9/29/general-seawolves-weekly-to-launch-on-optimum-channel-20-on-thursday-at-10-30-pm.aspx

SNY to Re-Air 2019 Stony Brook Athletics Games Beginning This Week
https://stonybrookathletics.com/news/2020/9/28/football-sny-to-re-air-2019-stony-brook-athletics-games-beginning-this-week.aspx
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 14, 2020, 04:23:27 pm
Giving Day 2020: Stony Brook Strong by the Thousands
https://news.stonybrook.edu/alumni/giving-day-2020-stony-brook-strong-by-the-thousands/

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Stony Brook community surpasses Giving Day goal, donating more than $300,000 to 90-plus initiatives across the University


https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/fall-2020-stony-brook-magazine-appears-online/


https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/nassau/news/former-stony-brook-university-professor-sentenced-for-stealing-cancer-research-funds/795655/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 15, 2020, 07:51:39 pm
came across this by chance.... wanted to share: https://www.complex.com/style/2013/09/ugly-college-campuses/

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The 50 Ugliest College Campuses

7. SUNY Stony Brook

SUNY Stony Brook has been criticized for years, even being named "neo-penal" for its "prison" aesthetic. The campus attempted to shed its bad rap by erecting new buildings like the space age campus recreation center and the Charles P. Wang Center. With these changes, the campus today has an oddly futuristic look, which stands in strange juxtaposition with the rest of the old 1960s buildings, especially the University Hospital.


there's obviously some questionable ones in there.  we've come a long way the past 7 years.  not sure we'll fix this anytime soon with the budget constraints that were already tight, pre-pandemic.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: guest369 on October 17, 2020, 01:47:37 am
The damn SUNY tag again. Adding insult to injury.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on October 20, 2020, 04:32:29 pm
came across this by chance.... wanted to share: https://www.complex.com/style/2013/09/ugly-college-campuses/

Quote
The 50 Ugliest College Campuses

7. SUNY Stony Brook

SUNY Stony Brook has been criticized for years, even being named "neo-penal" for its "prison" aesthetic. The campus attempted to shed its bad rap by erecting new buildings like the space age campus recreation center and the Charles P. Wang Center. With these changes, the campus today has an oddly futuristic look, which stands in strange juxtaposition with the rest of the old 1960s buildings, especially the University Hospital.


there's obviously some questionable ones in there.  we've come a long way the past 7 years.  not sure we'll fix this anytime soon with the budget constraints that were already tight, pre-pandemic.

I think these guys just copy pasted an old list tbh. Because there is no way that Stony Brook U can be considered a top-50 ugly college.

For me the campus is quiet beautiful and green during my 2007-12 years. and if you go today in 2020 it really looks amazing. Sure, there are a few old buildings... but there are far more that are new and in good style. And with the renovation/overhauls of Old Chem, Union and Humanities over the years it looks even better. And if you add the Rec center, new comp sci, hotel, new residence halls, etc it looks great!

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 20, 2020, 04:45:47 pm
it has come a long way- definitely in the right direction.  renovating the union was huge. 

i just wish that when they build future buildings, they look at peers- but peers that we want to be like- not the ones that are our actual peers.

and then, tackle the larger problem.  creating a vibrant campus community with 15000 students living on campus.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 02, 2020, 08:43:36 am
a few years ago there was news of development on 25a just south of the bench- looks like it's nearly complete: https://tbrnewsmedia.com/local-business-owners-set-to-move-into-stony-brook-square/

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Dental365, Druthers Coffee, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Teachers Federal Credit Unit, Organic Krush, Arnor Crepes & Bubble Tea and a Mediterranean restaurant are ready to move in, according to Farahzad. There are a few storefronts that are still available, he said, and the developer is currently in talks with prospective tenants.

could be a good thing for the student body. 


organic krush (health food): https://portjefferson.greaterlongisland.com/2020/03/01/41820/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on December 08, 2020, 08:05:04 pm
ANNUAL REPORT TO DONORS
https://alumniandfriends.stonybrook.edu/site/DocServer/FY2019-20-Annual-Report-to-Donors.pdf

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$66,923,124 RAISED

AVG $4,897
FIRST TIME DONORS 5,792

THE 2019-20 ATHLETICS CROWDFUNDING INITIATIVE RESULTED IN $120,000
DURING SEAWOLVES HELPING SEAWOLVES WEEK, ATHLETICS RAISED OVER $25,000 TOWARD THE STUDENT-ATHLETE HARDSHIP FUND, “SEAWOLVES IN NEED”
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 11, 2021, 06:42:26 pm
some construction updates- https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/facilities/projects/index.php

new engineering building (our 4th i think) going just to the west of the engineering quad (in between that and roosevelt), $100m, i think $25m came from the state.

javits is being fixed up, though, im not sure that undoes the fact that it's a bomb shelter.  still good news.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: guest410 on February 11, 2021, 07:58:19 pm
some construction updates- https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/facilities/projects/index.php

new engineering building (our 4th i think) going just to the west of the engineering quad (in between that and roosevelt), $100m, i think $25m came from the state.

javits is being fixed up, though, im not sure that undoes the fact that it's a bomb shelter.  still good news.

I can't believe they're actually fixing Javits. That place is a shithole. Classes there were terrible for so many reasons.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on February 12, 2021, 01:45:20 pm
some construction updates- https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/facilities/projects/index.php

new engineering building (our 4th i think) going just to the west of the engineering quad (in between that and roosevelt), $100m, i think $25m came from the state.

javits is being fixed up, though, im not sure that undoes the fact that it's a bomb shelter.  still good news.

I can't believe they're actually fixing Javits. That place is a shithole. Classes there were terrible for so many reasons.

I mean.... I don't recall it being THAT bad. Now granted I only ever had one, maybe two classes there.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 24, 2021, 11:18:55 am
did we change our official colors to red and black? https://www.stonybrook.edu/brand/design-visual-identity/colors/

i know originally it was scarlet and gray.  then red and white...
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on February 24, 2021, 04:19:37 pm
did we change our official colors to red and black? https://www.stonybrook.edu/brand/design-visual-identity/colors/

i know originally it was scarlet and gray.  then red and white...

This is news to me, but I like it. Get that blue out of our color scheme which never made sense to me.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: sbugold on February 24, 2021, 05:38:24 pm
I don't see any references to or acknowledgement of Wolfie in any of this.  Isn't he a MAJOR element of the branding?  Does this mean all his blue highlights (on the court, field, jerseys, helmets, publicity, etc.) must now change to black?
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Wolffan31 on February 24, 2021, 08:32:45 pm
did we change our official colors to red and black? https://www.stonybrook.edu/brand/design-visual-identity/colors/

i know originally it was scarlet and gray.  then red and white...

The University removed navy from everything except athletics when they did the major rebrand years ago. Athletics still uses the navy officially.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 25, 2021, 09:22:00 am
most have heard the legend of dormitory bars- like benedict saloon- here's a 1980 story about pres. marburger getting pressure from albany to close the on campus bars: https://www.scribd.com/document/23017723/The-Stony-Brook-Press-Volume-2-Issue-1

the article is cut in half but looks like there was a phase out from 1980-83.  would love if some of our alums could share stories...
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: OldSeawolf on February 25, 2021, 10:12:06 am
most have heard the legend of dormitory bars- like benedict saloon- here's a 1980 story about pres. marburger getting pressure from albany to close the on campus bars: https://www.scribd.com/document/23017723/The-Stony-Brook-Press-Volume-2-Issue-1

the article is cut in half but looks like there was a phase out from 1980-83.  would love if some of our alums could share stories...

I recall the movement to close bars as I was an UG still in 1980.  Prior to that bars, bars everywhere, and one was dumpier than the next (but as college kids, who cared?).  I remember Benedict Saloon and the campus-favorite, James Pub.  There wasn't an area in James Pub, where your shoes didn't stick to the floor.  It smelled from stale beer and vomit perpetually, and I doubt that it was ever cleaned.  But 25 (or was it 50?) cent beers kept the place packed and they consistently violated the maximum # of patrons law.  Since drinking age was 18 at the time, kids from high schools would visit, and there was no checking of Id's to speak of.  If you wanted to go to a classier place on campus, you went to the Bridge to NoWhere Bar (I think that's what it was called) above the student Union.  $4 cover, and attracted an older crowd, mostly from outside the university.  I was in a (really bad) band back then, and we played at that bar on commission, and I remember our lead guitarist fell off the stage, and broke his hand, and our road to stardom was dealt a crushing blow :).  Other bars I remember included one in Kelly (Kelly Pub I think?), and one sponsored by the GSO (Graduate Student Organization).  Ah, good times.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 25, 2021, 12:33:04 pm
amazing post!

i'd like more!!!!!!!!!!  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on March 22, 2021, 02:29:43 pm
most have heard the legend of dormitory bars- like benedict saloon- here's a 1980 story about pres. marburger getting pressure from albany to close the on campus bars: https://www.scribd.com/document/23017723/The-Stony-Brook-Press-Volume-2-Issue-1

the article is cut in half but looks like there was a phase out from 1980-83.  would love if some of our alums could share stories...

I recall the movement to close bars as I was an UG still in 1980.  Prior to that bars, bars everywhere, and one was dumpier than the next (but as college kids, who cared?).  I remember Benedict Saloon and the campus-favorite, James Pub.  There wasn't an area in James Pub, where your shoes didn't stick to the floor.  It smelled from stale beer and vomit perpetually, and I doubt that it was ever cleaned.  But 25 (or was it 50?) cent beers kept the place packed and they consistently violated the maximum # of patrons law.  Since drinking age was 18 at the time, kids from high schools would visit, and there was no checking of Id's to speak of.  If you wanted to go to a classier place on campus, you went to the Bridge to NoWhere Bar (I think that's what it was called) above the student Union.  $4 cover, and attracted an older crowd, mostly from outside the university.  I was in a (really bad) band back then, and we played at that bar on commission, and I remember our lead guitarist fell off the stage, and broke his hand, and our road to stardom was dealt a crushing blow :).  Other bars I remember included one in Kelly (Kelly Pub I think?), and one sponsored by the GSO (Graduate Student Organization).  Ah, good times.

Now that's awesome!! I couldn't even imagine such a thing happening on campus now. Totally dead social scene. Must have been different back then. Did everyone still bolt back home for the weekends in those days?
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: OldSeawolf on March 22, 2021, 03:08:34 pm
most have heard the legend of dormitory bars- like benedict saloon- here's a 1980 story about pres. marburger getting pressure from albany to close the on campus bars: https://www.scribd.com/document/23017723/The-Stony-Brook-Press-Volume-2-Issue-1

the article is cut in half but looks like there was a phase out from 1980-83.  would love if some of our alums could share stories...

I recall the movement to close bars as I was an UG still in 1980.  Prior to that bars, bars everywhere, and one was dumpier than the next (but as college kids, who cared?).  I remember Benedict Saloon and the campus-favorite, James Pub.  There wasn't an area in James Pub, where your shoes didn't stick to the floor.  It smelled from stale beer and vomit perpetually, and I doubt that it was ever cleaned.  But 25 (or was it 50?) cent beers kept the place packed and they consistently violated the maximum # of patrons law.  Since drinking age was 18 at the time, kids from high schools would visit, and there was no checking of Id's to speak of.  If you wanted to go to a classier place on campus, you went to the Bridge to NoWhere Bar (I think that's what it was called) above the student Union.  $4 cover, and attracted an older crowd, mostly from outside the university.  I was in a (really bad) band back then, and we played at that bar on commission, and I remember our lead guitarist fell off the stage, and broke his hand, and our road to stardom was dealt a crushing blow :).  Other bars I remember included one in Kelly (Kelly Pub I think?), and one sponsored by the GSO (Graduate Student Organization).  Ah, good times.

Now that's awesome!! I couldn't even imagine such a thing happening on campus now. Totally dead social scene. Must have been different back then. Did everyone still bolt back home for the weekends in those days?

VA, I was a commuter, and if I recall correctly, it was about 60/40 commuters over residents back then.  Yes, everyone went home on the weekends, except for special events (Oktoberfest comes to mind).  I remember coming back several times on weekends, saying, "where the hell is everyone????".  Regarding sports, there was no football stadium, and football was only a club team back then (lower than D3).  No one knew it existed, but I had a friend who played on the team - they used to play in the back fields, close to where North P is now (it had a set of bleachers that held a couple of hundred maybe).  We had a D3 Final 4 basketball team, that nobody knew about (except me!)......they were really, really good; lots of them were D1-caliber players, IMO (Earl Keith, Wayne Wright - who got a tryout with the Knicks, and Larry Tillery (R.I.P.) were the big guns).  Campus life was definitely dead, except for Thursday night, at the aforementioned on-campus bars, and it was definitely hopping then, with many on-campus venue choices.  But, Friday and Saturday, it was like a ghost town; almost as if the University was an abandoned piece of property.  The campus was ugly as sin back then too; just concrete and mud - no trees, plants, etc.  The Javits Center was proclaimed by administrators to be a marvel of architecture back then; clearly, it never made it out of ugly institutional design fame.  Yeah, things were different back then, but very similar to now too, in that it was a 4-day or 5-day social environment max.  Kids would hop on the western LIRR Stony Brook station train on Friday.  For some reason, that legacy has persisted over the years.  I've stayed plugged in, since all 3 of my kids have since graduated from SBU -  my youngest 2 years ago. so I've witnessed the changes over the years.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on March 24, 2021, 08:19:43 am
peck really said it best: https://brook.land/what-to-do-about-stony-brooks-enthusiasm-gap-7d87dd6a50a6

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Even as Stony Brook has grown in stature and success over the past decade, the one piece of the puzzle that has somehow always lingered has been buy-in by the students on campus. There have always been small, loud, dedicated pockets of fans in the student section, to be sure. But 2019 looks and feels a lot like 2009 when it comes to awareness on the campus at large.

Walking around on gamedays — even big ones, like men’s basketball games against Albany and Vermont, or CAA conference games — you’d be forgiven for not knowing there was a game on at all. That was true when I was still a student at Stony Brook, but as best I can tell it remains true today. Why? I used to think it had to do with the quality of the programs, but even after a decade of continuous growth and success, it still feels like there is very little buy-in by students on campus.

You can chalk it up to apathy, or to a student body that is more academically inclined, or any number of things. But that misses the bigger point: Stony Brook can and should be doing more to involve the campus in a bigger, and more sustained way. Efforts have been made — promotions, giveaways, etc. — and some have even moved the needle a bit. But building a culture requires a sustained effort, and Stony Brook hasn’t yet committed itself to the task.



and it goes further to say SB actually goes the other way- attempting to shut down all fun.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: OldSeawolf on March 24, 2021, 09:21:07 am
peck really said it best: https://brook.land/what-to-do-about-stony-brooks-enthusiasm-gap-7d87dd6a50a6

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Even as Stony Brook has grown in stature and success over the past decade, the one piece of the puzzle that has somehow always lingered has been buy-in by the students on campus. There have always been small, loud, dedicated pockets of fans in the student section, to be sure. But 2019 looks and feels a lot like 2009 when it comes to awareness on the campus at large.

Walking around on gamedays — even big ones, like men’s basketball games against Albany and Vermont, or CAA conference games — you’d be forgiven for not knowing there was a game on at all. That was true when I was still a student at Stony Brook, but as best I can tell it remains true today. Why? I used to think it had to do with the quality of the programs, but even after a decade of continuous growth and success, it still feels like there is very little buy-in by students on campus.

You can chalk it up to apathy, or to a student body that is more academically inclined, or any number of things. But that misses the bigger point: Stony Brook can and should be doing more to involve the campus in a bigger, and more sustained way. Efforts have been made — promotions, giveaways, etc. — and some have even moved the needle a bit. But building a culture requires a sustained effort, and Stony Brook hasn’t yet committed itself to the task.



and it goes further to say SB actually goes the other way- attempting to shut down all fun.

I agree CoB, need to address the disaffected students and making them want to stay on campus.  Certainly, thru weekend sports, that is one way.   I offered some suggestions 5 years ago (page 12 of this thread), but to implement these, it needs to start at the top with the AD, to take the bull by the horns.  But, as you have stated many times, it's bigger than just sports - it's at the University level, and that starts with the President.  As I stated in prior post, this disaffection has plagued the University since the late 1970's, when I was a student there.  I think the problem is that SBU, given its academic rep, still receives many more applicants than student slots available, so there's a view by administration, that all is OK.   Add to that that we're a public University, still subsidized by the state, so there are no major financial incentives given to administrators to address this sort of issue.  Need somebody strong in admin at some higher level, to recognize the tangible and non-tangible benefits of making changes to campus life.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Wolffan on March 24, 2021, 09:54:29 am
To put things in perspective, I was up at Yale last year for a football game. Walking around campus there was absolutely no indication a game was occurring (against an Ivy opponent) and when I sat in the cavernous (and essentially empty) stadium there were about 75 students. I chatted with them and they all seemed to be members of other teams and had friends playing in the game. There were a few thousand other spectators. And the quality of play was excellent - I’d say high level CAA.

I’m guessing what we see at SBU is the fairly standard level of student attendance/support for college athletic teams (there are outliers we see on TV).
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on March 24, 2021, 10:37:48 am
im guessing you were thinking "given covid" but just didnt write it  :D, meaning that's one cause of low attendance, but yes, your point is still taken.  its abysmally low for a school with tradition.

id also add that ivy athletics are not the same as large state schools, but again point taken. 

in this context, we are less like the penn states and UNCs and instead much more like: SHU, SJU, fairfield, marist, wagner.  we just are.  it doesnt matter that our academic prowess dwarfs them, while their tuition dwarfs ours.  it's where our students considered, athletes too. (generalization)

in fact, go in between the two.  i dont think we are even like the umasses and towsons and delawares.  my opinion though; those schools have attendance issues too.  but NOT student life issues the way we do.

and we lose students, athletes, revenues, visibility, alumni, tradition, all because of it.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ibosbu on March 24, 2021, 11:48:14 am
Instead of paying $400k to a coach, why not pay a little less like $350k and give out raffle prizes to students during the 9 AE home games. Give 2x$500 per game total $9k in either campus dining credit or bookstore credit. I bet a lot of students would show up to win them. Give it out at random times during first half and second half when there is a timeout. Small price to pay for more student involvement. Same during the CAA home football games...give out $2k each game.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Accelerator on March 24, 2021, 10:25:02 pm
I graduated in the early 2010s, and these issues were around then.

Part of the reason for student apathy towards sports is that there's no incentive for a sports fan to go to Stony Brook over an FBS/Power 5 school. Therefore, we're left with the STEM kids who have never watched an NFL game in their life making up a good percentage of our student base. If you care about college sports, why go to Stony Brook when you could go to any Big Ten school in the Midwest that already has the atmosphere that Stony Brook fans desperately want us to have?

The commuter population is a problem, yes. I don't know the exact stats so I don't know if we have been slowly decreasing that percentage. However, we already have the largest number of housing available for any public school in New York and each year there are still long waitlists for housing (maybe not this year). Clearly, the demand for non-commuters on campus outweighs the supply - the problem is we don't have the supply.

We need to build more dorm buildings to accompany that demand, and thus decrease the number of commuters. Not sure where the land is to put that, though. For some reason, all of the main dorm buildings: Mendy, H, etc., are all really short! It's a waste of land to have built dorm buildings that only have 3-4 floors on them. All of the dorms in UMass's Southwest Quad, for example, are like 15-20 stories tall. Even the new buildings like Chavez and Yang are only 6-7 floors. Whoever the public planning person is on campus really f'd it up by having most of our dorm buildings be so damn short. That's how you end up with housing shortages and commuters - why don't you maximize space and build your buildings higher? Baffling.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: guest410 on March 24, 2021, 10:40:03 pm
I graduated in the early 2010s, and these issues were around then.

Part of the reason for student apathy towards sports is that there's no incentive for a sports fan to go to Stony Brook over an FBS/Power 5 school. Therefore, we're left with the STEM kids who have never watched an NFL game in their life making up a good percentage of our student base. If you care about college sports, why go to Stony Brook when you could go to any Big Ten school in the Midwest that already has the atmosphere that Stony Brook fans desperately want us to have?

The commuter population is a problem, yes. I don't know the exact stats so I don't know if we have been slowly decreasing that percentage. However, we already have the largest number of housing available for any public school in New York and each year there are still long waitlists for housing (maybe not this year). Clearly, the demand for non-commuters on campus outweighs the supply - the problem is we don't have the supply.

We need to build more dorm buildings to accompany that demand, and thus decrease the number of commuters. Not sure where the land is to put that, though. For some reason, all of the main dorm buildings: Mendy, H, etc., are all really short! It's a waste of land to have built dorm buildings that only have 3-4 floors on them. All of the dorms in UMass's Southwest Quad, for example, are like 15-20 stories tall. Even the new buildings like Chavez and Yang are only 6-7 floors. Whoever the public planning person is on campus really f'd it up by having most of our dorm buildings be so damn short. That's how you end up with housing shortages and commuters - why don't you maximize space and build your buildings higher? Baffling.

They just finished building a new west apartment building, I believe it was I or J, and before the pandemic, A-C had work done to fix/update them, as was Roosevelt quad which is far and away the shittiest on campus. You have a great point in building size. Tubman and Chavez are the only ones that go past 4 floors, and some of the buildings that go to 4 floors don't even have elevators, and the plumbing and piping are so old. Hofstra's main dorms are like UMass, at least 10 stories tall at a minimum. I've mentioned it before, Hofstra has freshman-only dorms, which is self-explanatory. SBU should have that, and as someone mentioned earlier today, possibly in a different thread, should have raffles at big sports games to incentivize students to show up, free dining dollars/meal swipes or X amount of money for books/apparel at the stores. Instead, they offer a pie at Luigi's or one SBU shirt.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on July 23, 2021, 11:51:30 pm
some good old photos and campus history here: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/pres/docs/2021_Nyitray_SBUHistoryofBuildings.pdf
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on August 26, 2021, 03:35:33 pm
https://stonybrookathletics.com/news/2021/8/26/together-we-transform-blog-together-we-transform-thursday-august-26-2021.aspx

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President McInnis has made it very clear that she wants to create more energy on campus, especially on the weekends, and we have been working with our partners in Student Affairs to do everything possible to drive student attendance at games.

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Accelerator on August 26, 2021, 03:56:35 pm
Thank the lord. I like this new prez just from that directive alone. I'm glad she's lighting a fire under Heilbron's ass.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on August 26, 2021, 04:43:32 pm
have to agree.  even if she means/does nothing, she at least acknowledged it.  (PS she hasnt even really seen a normal weekend on campus; imagine when she does?)

maybe she's the only one that doesnt want ualBaNy to pass us by. 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on August 26, 2021, 10:19:11 pm
https://news.stonybrook.edu/newsroom/welcome-back-stony-brook-university-opens-new-student-union/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on August 30, 2021, 02:48:06 pm
perhaps good news for us?  or blood from a stone? https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/karen-keogh-88-appointed-new-york-state-secretary-to-the-governor/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on August 30, 2021, 03:22:09 pm
perhaps good news for us?  or blood from a stone? https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/karen-keogh-88-appointed-new-york-state-secretary-to-the-governor/

She is a long-time radical democrat so. Easy, free money is part of her agenda for all. Lets see if she stays true to her roots!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 20, 2021, 04:28:18 pm
sounds like a great turnout for wolfieland: https://www.sbstatesman.com/2021/09/19/stony-brooks-wolfieland-back-after-covid-hiatus/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 04, 2021, 03:40:00 pm
this is the kinda stuff that absolutely KILLS me: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/hashtag/?keywords=sbutiful&highlightedUpdateUrns=urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6849818076741963776

https://twitter.com/stonybrooku/status/1443956766312706049


they're just not thinking over there.  sometimes.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on October 05, 2021, 10:48:10 pm
this is the kinda stuff that absolutely KILLS me: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/hashtag/?keywords=sbutiful&highlightedUpdateUrns=urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6849818076741963776

https://twitter.com/stonybrooku/status/1443956766312706049


they're just not thinking over there.  sometimes.

Nice ghost town you got there :(
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 06, 2021, 09:49:11 am
i was there last weekend.  weather was perfect.  it was silent. 

it's the biggest problem SB is facing, and i feel like the administration has never discussed it (other than McInnis finally mentioning it recently).

but hey, parking was easy
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 07, 2021, 03:13:45 pm
did it again: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6851952687055966208/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on October 08, 2021, 12:20:23 pm
They can at least put the effort to take these captures during the middle of the weekday. geez

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on October 08, 2021, 12:22:05 pm
i was there last weekend.  weather was perfect.  it was silent. 

it's the biggest problem SB is facing, and i feel like the administration has never discussed it (other than McInnis finally mentioning it recently).

but hey, parking was easy

I don't think its going to change honestly.

with higher education getting more expensive every year we will probably draw more locals (in-state residents) and a lot of those locals are always gonna checkout on the friday 5:46PM to Penn St. (or apparently 6:50PM now)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 08, 2021, 12:50:24 pm
i actually thought they leave thursday.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Accelerator on October 08, 2021, 01:11:46 pm
Not if you create an actual vibrant college town atmosphere there that will entice people to stay. But instead, no administrator has ever put any effort into that. I'm sure they're too scared of upsetting the local residents, but I don't care about what the local residents think. Build over them and add local businesses. They also need to accept less in-state residents and more OOS.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 08, 2021, 01:25:57 pm
this is the obvious solution, it's 100% right.

i have a question though- can we have both?  can we just build what we need ON campus, not interfering with the locals?

geography is always the question though, as you dont want to give kids any reason not to do something, what with the distractions that exist today.  there's certainly room. 

(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CaS7uG-MpS4/maxresdefault.jpg)

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Accelerator on October 08, 2021, 02:26:18 pm
I think the locals will always be an issue. You want to create a town where the students are the only things that matter. Any plan that elevates us must include cleaning up that 25A area right off the train station, expanding it and turning that into businesses only for college students. The problem is a lot of the best ones are off campus and require cars to reach, and we need to bring those all closer. We need to drive all of the locals out and also add more fraternity and off-campus housing so people aren’t commuting from Manhattan or Queens.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on October 09, 2021, 05:55:48 am
I think the locals will always be an issue. You want to create a town where the students are the only things that matter. Any plan that elevates us must include cleaning up that 25A area right off the train station, expanding it and turning that into businesses only for college students. The problem is a lot of the best ones are off campus and require cars to reach, and we need to bring those all closer. We need to drive all of the locals out and also add more fraternity and off-campus housing so people aren’t commuting from Manhattan or Queens.

Just win games and the fans will travel to watch. Fire the HC. Bring in a coach who is known around here or an assistant from a big-name school. Like K.C. Keller from Sam Houston State. He used to be an assistant for Nick Saban. Alabama before becoming the HC for SHS. Do these things and fans will travel to watch a great team win games, make the sports news, and win playoffs. The problem with this football program really isn't the school itself or the lack of fans. It starts from the top. The admin all the way don to the coaches. Clean house and start a brand-new football program from scratch.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 10, 2021, 11:47:17 pm
a lot of news tonight from the statesman...

https://www.sbstatesman.com/2021/10/10/despite-president-mcinnis-admiration-for-sbu-large-disconnect-between-students-and-administration-is-unignorable/

Quote
When asked about school spirit, McInnis talked about all the school spirit she has seen, primarily at Wolfieland and other recent campus events. The nearly empty stands at most home football games and a general lack of passion about the University that is palpable at nearly every campus event proves that this is not entirely true.

Personally, I don’t believe we can blame this dissonance on any one party — it is, at this point, no one’s fault. What this interview showed most is that both the administration and the student body must seek to understand one another better, whether it’s about school spirit, protests or budgetary concerns. We must be on the same page if we are to work together toward a common goal for the University.


https://www.sbstatesman.com/2021/10/10/state-of-the-university-president-mcinnis-talks-challenges-ahead-for-sbu/

https://www.sbstatesman.com/2018/12/03/public-private-partnership-will-add-500-units-of-on-campus-housing/

Quote
In 2018, at a University Senate meeting, University leaders proposed a project to build a 500-unit housing complex on campus near the newly constructed indoor athletic dome. McInnis said plans for additional campus housing could continue if there is a greater demand for residential campus housing once the pandemic is over.

At the moment, the University does not have approval from the state to complete any new construction.


https://www.sbstatesman.com/2021/10/10/stony-brook-losing-out-on-conference-realignment-would-be-humiliating/

Quote
The message is simple: state universities whose academics are as renowned as Stony Brook University traditionally also play football at the highest tier. So why don’t we?

Having FBS-level facilities would have made the Seawolves a more attractive commodity in this wave of conference realignment and reinforce the legitimacy of Stony Brook’s investment into ascension. Instead, to this day, LaValle Stadium remains below FBS standards and contrasting it with what Stony Brook should have had is a painful reminder of Cuomo’s negative legacy.


https://www.sbstatesman.com/2021/10/10/funding-attendance-issues-at-the-core-as-stony-brook-athletics-shoots-for-national-recognition/

Quote
Funding, attendance issues at the core as Stony Brook Athletics shoots for national recognition

Its teams in the America East Conference have won a combined 27 championship rings in the last 10 years, but the program lacks the private funding or national recognition to properly capitalize on that success. Its athletes have taken home a slew of MVP and Rookie of the Year awards, but they play for a student body that is largely apathetic towards those accomplishments.

But many of the issues that predate Heilbron’s tenure continue to plague the program. The university has yet to fully engage its student body with its Division I athletics, and empty seats continue to litter Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium during football games.

When asking a small sample of students how emotionally invested they felt in Stony Brook’s sports teams, a vast majority replied that they were not invested at all, with few saying that they were either somewhat or very invested.

However, Stony Brook’s most recent home football game against Fordham drew just 5,765 fans, even while being billed as part of the university’s “Family Weekend.” The remaining 11 football teams in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) averaged 9,982 fans at their most recent home games. It does not help that the Stony Brook football team has lost 12 of its last 14 total games.

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on October 11, 2021, 05:58:17 am
SH has another 5 year plan in place again?? I remember going to Danfords in 2014 when he had his first 5 year plan and was like what???

Quote:

"I think we need to focus more on private donations,” Heilbron said. “We want to become more self-sustaining ... We have a five-year financial plan that has been approved that will lead to that, so I’m excited. But I think we have everything right now that we need to be successful.”

In 2014, Heilbron’s first year as athletic director, Stony Brook received only $555,061 in donor contributions, the lowest among all CAA Football public schools. Half a decade later, the department brought in $1.8 million in a year, a 229% increase. Still, the number fell under Heilbron’s initial goal of raising $100 million in his first five years at Stony Brook."

Stony Brook received more money from donors in 2019 than any other school in the America East, but even that number paled in comparison to the amount that FBS colleges on the east coast of comparable size brought in.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on October 11, 2021, 09:30:50 am
i actually thought they leave thursday.

Nah. Stony Brook is actually fun on thursday nights. That's when the majority of parties happen. lol

But I do remember the train being packed on friday afternoons.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Accelerator on October 11, 2021, 03:43:45 pm
“It’s a subject that's on everyone's mind,” Heilbron said. “But I don't want for us to be reactive. I'd certainly rather be proactive as to what's going on. We're in a position of strength because of our academic reputation and location … but right now we're focused on continuing to win America East championships and Commissioner's Cup titles. Those sorts of things will shake themselves out as more realignment occurs.”

This is probably the most insulting quote I’ve ever heard from this man. We’re not focused on moving to a better conference, just winning America East commissioner cups? No one gives a **** about your commissioner cups, Heilbron!!!! How are you this out of touch? I want this man fired into the sun.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on October 11, 2021, 04:43:21 pm
“It’s a subject that's on everyone's mind,” Heilbron said. “But I don't want for us to be reactive. I'd certainly rather be proactive as to what's going on. We're in a position of strength because of our academic reputation and location … but right now we're focused on continuing to win America East championships and Commissioner's Cup titles. Those sorts of things will shake themselves out as more realignment occurs.”

This is probably the most insulting quote I’ve ever heard from this man. We’re not focused on moving to a better conference, just winning America East commissioner cups? No one gives a **** about your commissioner cups, Heilbron!!!! How are you this out of touch? I want this man fired into the sun.

Who's going to fire him. The new President who could care less about sports? Welcome to the swamp, buddy. SBU should just drop down to D3 with Hartford. This school is toast. Albany is right behind us. SUNY schools suck in NYS. Besides Buffalo, Who broke away before it got really bad.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ry1nik on October 11, 2021, 07:08:56 pm
“It’s a subject that's on everyone's mind,” Heilbron said. “But I don't want for us to be reactive. I'd certainly rather be proactive as to what's going on. We're in a position of strength because of our academic reputation and location … but right now we're focused on continuing to win America East championships and Commissioner's Cup titles. Those sorts of things will shake themselves out as more realignment occurs.”

This is probably the most insulting quote I’ve ever heard from this man. We’re not focused on moving to a better conference, just winning America East commissioner cups? No one gives a **** about your commissioner cups, Heilbron!!!! How are you this out of touch? I want this man fired into the sun.
Heilbron’s bonus is likely tied to the number of championships won as well as the Commissioner’s Cup. If that’s the case, staying in the AEC would be in his best interest.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: guest419 on October 12, 2021, 09:39:47 pm
“It’s a subject that's on everyone's mind,” Heilbron said. “But I don't want for us to be reactive. I'd certainly rather be proactive as to what's going on. We're in a position of strength because of our academic reputation and location … but right now we're focused on continuing to win America East championships and Commissioner's Cup titles. Those sorts of things will shake themselves out as more realignment occurs.”

This is probably the most insulting quote I’ve ever heard from this man. We’re not focused on moving to a better conference, just winning America East commissioner cups? No one gives a **** about your commissioner cups, Heilbron!!!! How are you this out of touch? I want this man fired into the sun.
Heilbron’s bonus is likely tied to the number of championships won as well as the Commissioner’s Cup. If that’s the case, staying in the AEC would be in his best interest.

His first five year plan didn't come close to being accomplished. Emmerich can't meet 10% of their fundraising goal. Now theres another five year plan. Makes sense if you are a state run institution where apparently no one is ever held accountable. No indoor practice facility if Dubins money isnt used.  Ive seen better high school athletic departments than this disaster.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 13, 2021, 10:09:26 am
more funding for students in need: https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/suny-plan-to-expand-eop-program-means-more-opportunities-for-sbu-students/

$6.4m goes a long way for a school with $10k tuition.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on October 15, 2021, 03:43:02 pm
Thought I'd share.

https://stonybrookathletics.com/news/2021/10/14/together-we-transform-blog-together-we-transform-thursday-october-14-2021.aspx
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on October 15, 2021, 05:48:36 pm
I can't help but look at our athletic programs and think to myself we're in BIG trouble. We're not winning, we're not bringing in money, and have total fan apathy. Nobody cares.


As mentioned earlier, much of it stems from the campus culture. We're still more or less an NYC commuter school through and through. Dead on the weekends. Hard to imagine that changing. 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 15, 2021, 07:15:20 pm
I can't help but look at our athletic programs and think to myself we're in BIG trouble. We're not winning, we're not bringing in money, and have total fan apathy. Nobody cares.


As mentioned earlier, much of it stems from the campus culture. We're still more or less an NYC commuter school through and through. Dead on the weekends. Hard to imagine that changing.

this is all that's even worth discussing.  it's all linked together. 

fix that, nearly everything else fixes itself.

PS- i feel like the jumbotron was just redone, no?  was that already like 10 years ago???
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Accelerator on October 16, 2021, 01:12:17 pm
I don't know why the school still allows commuters from New York City. It's 2-3 hours on the LIRR each way. Very inconvenient for the student and very bad for the school's image. No one wins.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on October 16, 2021, 04:37:21 pm
I don't know why the school still allows commuters from New York City. It's 2-3 hours on the LIRR each way. Very inconvenient for the student and very bad for the school's image. No one wins.

No. no one commutes on a daily basis from NYC via the LIRR. That is absolutely crazy to pull off. That's  not the case. What does happen is that many kids from NYC do go home on weekends. so the campus residential population shrinks during the weekends.

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on October 16, 2021, 07:29:12 pm
I don't know why the school still allows commuters from New York City. It's 2-3 hours on the LIRR each way. Very inconvenient for the student and very bad for the school's image. No one wins.

No. no one commutes on a daily basis from NYC via the LIRR. That is absolutely crazy to pull off. That's  not the case. What does happen is that many kids from NYC do go home on weekends. so the campus residential population shrinks during the weekends.

Precisely this. As someone who came from out of state I found that to be an extremely odd dynamic, but it is what it is. Doesn't mean I don't hate it any less. I agree that going after more OOS kids would be a better move. Hell, maybe even upstate kids as all the friends I knew from the Albany area would tend to stay on the weekends.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 16, 2021, 10:34:15 pm
exactly right.  its the biggest problem plaguing the U.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 03, 2021, 12:29:51 pm
just got my copy of Stony Brook Magazine.  summaries-

-interview with pres mcinnis on what's next.  no mentions of athletics nor student life; top priority is supporting faculty in their ambitions.  many are nearing retirement so there have been new hires.  heavy focus on bolstering research in all disciplines.  for the next 5 years, the goals are to enhance equity, accessibility, socioeconomic mobility, climate change, healthcare, etc.

-interview with new provost paul goldbart, no specifics on student life.

-discussion on the revised student orientation (note, limited to the transition to campus and not overall student life).  new change to enable all 1st years on campus to live in corridors. (i suggested this in 2012!  see hierarchy http://sbufan.createaforum.com/around-stony-brook/making-sb-better-idea-thread/) 

-welcome week now has a goal for students to make 5 friends (unenforceable, and yet sad that we attract students that need this directive), with the correct intention of course to build spirit. 

-VP of student affairs rick gatteau said we need to do more to build a community connection (great) and a sense of belonging right from the start (great), need greater community involvement (great), but then it goes into required diversity workshops (is SB not diverse???), multicultural training (???). 
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Accelerator on November 03, 2021, 01:14:19 pm
Very disappointing from McInnis. "equity, accessibility, socioeconomic mobility" don't transform your school's image. She should know, she was from Texas where they made their reputation from their prominence that was gained by athletics.

If you don't know how to make friends, you don't deserve a spot at SBU. You don't provide anything to the community if you're socially handicapped. All you do is drag the school's image through the mud. Administrators need to focus on getting rid of these bozos — has no one been up their ass about that?
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ry1nik on November 03, 2021, 01:24:18 pm
just got my copy of Stony Brook Magazine.  summaries-

-interview with pres mcinnis on what's next.  no mentions of athletics nor student life; top priority is supporting faculty in their ambitions.  many are nearing retirement so there have been new hires.  heavy focus on bolstering research in all disciplines.  for the next 5 years, the goals are to enhance equity, accessibility, socioeconomic mobility, climate change, healthcare, etc.

-interview with new provost paul goldbart, no specifics on student life.

-discussion on the revised student orientation (note, limited to the transition to campus and not overall student life).  new change to enable all 1st years on campus to live in corridors. (i suggested this in 2012!  see hierarchy http://sbufan.createaforum.com/around-stony-brook/making-sb-better-idea-thread/) 

-welcome week now has a goal for students to make 5 friends (unenforceable, and yet sad that we attract students that need this directive), with the correct intention of course to build spirit. 

-VP of student affairs rick gatteau said we need to do more to build a community connection (great) and a sense of belonging right from the start (great), need greater community involvement (great), but then it goes into required diversity workshops (is SB not diverse???), multicultural training (???).
The required diversity workshops are needed for the B.S. in Wokeness (yes, a BS) 🧐
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 03, 2021, 01:36:32 pm
i guess my point is- wherever you stand on D&I (obviously it's a well-intentioned cause), does SBU have a diversity problem?  such that we need directors and committees and training on multiculturalism?

i've been in NYC for nearly 2 decades.  SBU is more diverse than NYC.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ry1nik on November 03, 2021, 01:43:16 pm
It’s pandering that distracts from the real issues
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 03, 2021, 02:18:52 pm
again without getting into politics- i agree, a thousand percent.

on two levels- we don't have a diversity problem, and also, we should be funneling resources to combat student misery.

with all that said, i do think young adults today care a lot about these topics and its the new standard that universities have to cater to. 

so its tone deaf in one sense, and finger on the pulse in another!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Accelerator on November 03, 2021, 02:35:06 pm
College students also care about having a prominent athletic program that boosts the entire prominence and reputation of the university as a whole. Taking one of the last FBS spots would make Stony Brook look better than any stupid attempt at accessibility and equity that don’t grant us any improved prominence.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 03, 2021, 02:46:45 pm
true.  whether we agree or not- athletics raises the prominence of the university, brings in money, better students, better faculty.  it's simply a must-have these days.  even MIT has sports.

lists you do NOT want to be on:

2017
https://poetsandquantsforundergrads.com/2017/06/16/universities-least-happy-students/

2010
https://www.sbstatesman.com/2010/01/28/stony-brook-the-unhappiest-school-in-america/

2009
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/education/list-merchant-academy-has-least-happy-students-1.1330693

2008
https://www.neogaf.com/threads/top-10-universities-with-the-least-happy-students.329263/

1974
https://www.nytimes.com/1974/01/20/archives/stony-brook-seen-as-unhappy-place-study-by-students-and-staff-cites.html
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: OldSeawolf on November 03, 2021, 03:00:47 pm
true.  whether we agree or not- athletics raises the prominence of the university, brings in money, better students, better faculty.  it's simply a must-have these days.  even MIT has sports.

lists you do NOT want to be on:

2017
https://poetsandquantsforundergrads.com/2017/06/16/universities-least-happy-students/

2010
https://www.sbstatesman.com/2010/01/28/stony-brook-the-unhappiest-school-in-america/

2009
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/education/list-merchant-academy-has-least-happy-students-1.1330693

2008
https://www.neogaf.com/threads/top-10-universities-with-the-least-happy-students.329263/

1974
https://www.nytimes.com/1974/01/20/archives/stony-brook-seen-as-unhappy-place-study-by-students-and-staff-cites.html

Ahhh, 1974, the good 'ol days.  Actually, I was a sophomore in High School then, but a time I could relate to.  Cement, mud, extreme weather, student apathy galore.....brings back the memories.

Been reading the posts, and I do agree that NCAA athletics is a boon for a University these days, even if ticket sales are less than cost of doing business.  There are certainly intangible benefits for promoting sports, which will increase the value of the University for sure.

Any way you slice it, unless she's a closet pro-Sports-agenda person, the fact that President McGinnis doesn't even whisper the words "sports" or "athletics" publicly, is probably an ominous sign for any sort of growth in that area.  I do believe that academics comes first, but that sports and academics can and should have a symbiotic relationship.  The fact that a lot of this social stuff is being elevated in the agenda is a function of the times and a function of our region.  Not saying that it's good or bad, since I want to remain apolitical in this discussion, but I am yawning.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Accelerator on November 03, 2021, 04:04:52 pm
Who even approved her as a president in the first place then? Did she promise a lot about sports then only to close her mouth once she actually got the job?
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on November 03, 2021, 05:47:12 pm
just got my copy of Stony Brook Magazine.  summaries-

-interview with pres mcinnis on what's next.  no mentions of athletics nor student life; top priority is supporting faculty in their ambitions.  many are nearing retirement so there have been new hires.  heavy focus on bolstering research in all disciplines.  for the next 5 years, the goals are to enhance equity, accessibility, socioeconomic mobility, climate change, healthcare, etc.

-interview with new provost paul goldbart, no specifics on student life.

-discussion on the revised student orientation (note, limited to the transition to campus and not overall student life).  new change to enable all 1st years on campus to live in corridors. (i suggested this in 2012!  see hierarchy http://sbufan.createaforum.com/around-stony-brook/making-sb-better-idea-thread/) 

-welcome week now has a goal for students to make 5 friends (unenforceable, and yet sad that we attract students that need this directive), with the correct intention of course to build spirit. 

-VP of student affairs rick gatteau said we need to do more to build a community connection (great) and a sense of belonging right from the start (great), need greater community involvement (great), but then it goes into required diversity workshops (is SB not diverse???), multicultural training (???).

Stony Brook University must be the most Liberal school in the North East. My son is a Junior transfer student at SBU, and he hates it to the core. He fits in like a sore thumb, a right glove on the left hand at SBU. I told him he only has two, fast years left to get his Business degree, and then off the Law School. Hopefuuly in Florida he says.

I had a feeling this President was hired for all these ambitions you mentioned. I just knew it. She could care less about athletics. Something this school dearly needs to keep the student body together, and give them something to do.

Oh, well. SBU athletics is going down the dark road with their athletics department. If you read my many posts. You will see that I've been saying this for a few years now. Maybe LIU might be the better choice for athletics. Going foward.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 04, 2021, 11:43:16 am
just got a newsletter from SBU, where mcinnis spoke before the State Senate Higher Education Committee, and i thought his was relevant:

Quote
The President emphasized the University’s rankings in the Top 10 Most Diverse universities in the nation and one of the most diverse public universities in the state.  Plus, she advised the panel that 40% of the University’s 15,000 undergraduate students pay no tuition because their financial need is so great.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 08, 2021, 11:27:41 pm
https://www.longislandpress.com/2021/11/08/labor-union-protests-out-of-state-contract-at-stony-brook-university/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on November 09, 2021, 05:06:07 am
https://www.longislandpress.com/2021/11/08/labor-union-protests-out-of-state-contract-at-stony-brook-university/

Since when does NYS care about saving money?. Local Union contractors should be doing the work at SBU. Local 290, carpenters union, and Local 66 labors union. Politics runs ramped between the Hospital and the University.  some things will never change.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Accelerator on November 09, 2021, 08:54:39 am
just got a newsletter from SBU, where mcinnis spoke before the State Senate Higher Education Committee, and i thought his was relevant:

Quote
The President emphasized the University’s rankings in the Top 10 Most Diverse universities in the nation and one of the most diverse public universities in the state.  Plus, she advised the panel that 40% of the University’s 15,000 undergraduate students pay no tuition because their financial need is so great.

Should we even be targeting these students? 40% is a goddamn lot! That’s so much revenue lost and makes it unlikelier that they’ll attend football games or donate back to the university in the future.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on November 09, 2021, 10:07:47 am
just got a newsletter from SBU, where mcinnis spoke before the State Senate Higher Education Committee, and i thought his was relevant:

Quote
The President emphasized the University’s rankings in the Top 10 Most Diverse universities in the nation and one of the most diverse public universities in the state.  Plus, she advised the panel that 40% of the University’s 15,000 undergraduate students pay no tuition because their financial need is so great.

Should we even be targeting these students? 40% is a goddamn lot! That’s so much revenue lost and makes it unlikelier that they’ll attend football games or donate back to the university in the future.

I dont think that SBU is missing out on the revenue. I think its just the state covering their tuition via the excelsior scholarship. Otherwise the school would be bankrupt as this point
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: guest410 on November 09, 2021, 10:15:15 am
just got a newsletter from SBU, where mcinnis spoke before the State Senate Higher Education Committee, and i thought his was relevant:

Quote
The President emphasized the University’s rankings in the Top 10 Most Diverse universities in the nation and one of the most diverse public universities in the state.  Plus, she advised the panel that 40% of the University’s 15,000 undergraduate students pay no tuition because their financial need is so great.

Should we even be targeting these students? 40% is a goddamn lot! That’s so much revenue lost and makes it unlikelier that they’ll attend football games or donate back to the university in the future.

I was not targeted by the school, stumbled onto it accidentally, but have no problem or shame in saying most of my tuition was covered by Tap and FAFSA due to my family having an almost zero income. Now I wasn't covered fully and took out many, many students loans, but I would probably be considered part of that 40% category. And I'm grateful for all the help NY State gave me.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on November 09, 2021, 11:09:34 am
The alternative is SBU becomes more like UCLA where they accept more/mostly OOS students who stay on campus and improve the atmosphere because they can't run home to mommy on the weekends. There'd be significant political backlash if they did that though.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on November 09, 2021, 11:19:33 am
just got a newsletter from SBU, where mcinnis spoke before the State Senate Higher Education Committee, and i thought his was relevant:

Quote
The President emphasized the University’s rankings in the Top 10 Most Diverse universities in the nation and one of the most diverse public universities in the state.  Plus, she advised the panel that 40% of the University’s 15,000 undergraduate students pay no tuition because their financial need is so great.

Should we even be targeting these students? 40% is a goddamn lot! That’s so much revenue lost and makes it unlikelier that they’ll attend football games or donate back to the university in the future.

I was not targeted by the school, stumbled onto it accidentally, but have no problem or shame in saying most of my tuition was covered by Tap and FAFSA due to my family having an almost zero income. Now I wasn't covered fully and took out many, many students loans, but I would probably be considered part of that 40% category. And I'm grateful for all the help NY State gave me.

Same. the NYS TAP and FED PELL Grants were very very helpful. Still came out with about 35k in loans (which I proudly paid off 2.5 years after). But the financial aid made a huge difference nonetheless. I was definitely part of that 40%. lol

I think a lot students do get financial grants one way or another. But I don't think that makes a difference in terms of revenue from the school. The only thing that would make a difference is getting more out-of-state and  international students to boost revenues as they would pay higher tuition (this would be a huge political conflict though). The thing with OOS students is that they can claim in-state residency after year one so the benefits of a higher OOS tuition for the school only occurs during year-1

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Accelerator on November 09, 2021, 01:34:15 pm
Those decisions shouldn't be politically unpopular if it's framed as following the mantra of the way Big Ten schools operate. Those schools are clearly doing something right given how much more notable they are — we're just following their model.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 23, 2021, 10:39:47 am
there's a lot of chatter in the other threads on this topic.  it's heating up, what with bad attendance and scant fan support.  i feel like people are interested now. 

let's revive this thread but let's make it more constructive- what SHOULD the U be doing to fix this problem?  i'll throw out a few detail-free high level ideas:


1. source students from places other than LI/NYC, if all other things are equal

2. start constructing the campus with a thought to social interaction.  if you isolate, or put distance in between anything, you lose interaction.  for example, dont put anything at south P

3. gotta start making buildings and grounds look nicer for people to spend time.  kids dont think of glass skyscrapers when they think of college.  ESS/Javits is an eyesore, so the opportunity exists.  and the van de graaf accelerator looks like it might explode at any moment in the center of campus

4. let private enterprise build housing, either on campus or just off it.  there's room, sell the land, we have a perpetual housing crisis anyway

5. please, get all the freshmen into G/H.  apartments and honors college should be for upperclassmen and those who earn it in the classroom

6. start promoting events like sports, and use social media, signage, promotions (food, tuition, gifts, etc.)

7. food has come a long way.  now keep them open on weekends

8. for god sakes build a pub or beer garden somewhere even if it means buying space in the new retail center https://libn.com/2018/07/10/stony-brook-retail-center-is-home-cooking-for-developer/

9. the application should ask about school spirit, staying on campus, participation in events, etc.  if yes, you get preference.  if no but youre qualified, you're welcome in but you now live in tabler quad, as far back as possible

10. if the administration is going to come up with BS events like strawberries and bouncey castles, then get outta the way and let private enterprise fix this problem and make some money while they're at it

11. start renaming the buildings for big donors (not corporates).  and call them halls

12. hire a consulting firm NOW to analyze and address student disaffection and unhappiness

13. the colleges need names.  everyone knows wharton and barnard.  we have the college of arts & sciences.  take a famous professor/administrator and give them the honor.  fix it

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: OldSeawolf on November 23, 2021, 10:48:18 am
Re-post from something I posted today in the 20-21 Football Thread:


It's been like this forever - I attended in the late 70's, and the apathy/disinterest has been there since then, with small pockets of interest (noted in this thread).  Covid definitely reversed momentum, but it's definitely more than that.

If I were in charge, I'd revert to old school, brute force marketing, before each and every game:

1) In addition to SM advertising, I'd put signs up by every dorm on game days;
2) I'd post game day signs throughout campus;
3) I'd get the Athletic interns to "storm the dorm" knocking on doors reminding students of games on game days;
4) I'd have semester tuition giveaways every weekend for student attendees;
5) I'd make sure that all campus newspaper prominently display schedules in every edition;
6) I'd make sure that WUSB frequently advertises schedule;
7) Encourage local vendors to have discounted prices on game days (need to show your ticket);
8) I'd hire an AD that is a marketer!  Fiore, although he did some bad things, was a marketer extreme!  Pikiell was a marketer extreme!  You need someone that wants to grow demand.

Does the above take work?  You bet.  Will it fix things in a day, week, month, semester?  No way.   But it's a start, and you need to cultivate culture.  You need to ingrain in students' heads that today is game day and I need to be there to support my team and University.  And you need to pound the pavement, day after day after day.  Sitting on your ass, firing off FB posts and Twitter Tweets is certainly part of the equation, but it's clearly not enough.  Back to old school.  It can be done.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on December 13, 2021, 02:36:55 pm
https://news.stonybrook.edu/alumni/accelerating-our-highest-ambitions/?utm_source=SBUSocial&utm_medium=Linkedin&utm_campaign=News

Quote
Q: How will dollars from the Presidential Innovation and Excellence Fund advance excellence across campus?

Stony Brook is known for interdisciplinary research. We are resolute in strengthening this advantage. The funds will encourage, expand and accelerate the new discoveries, new solutions and new knowledge that are needed to address the challenges that lie ahead. We’ll do it by investing in our exceptional faculty, recruiting established scholars with outstanding national and international reputations. We’ll support innovative ideas that will lay the groundwork for big research awards, multi-investigator grants and groundbreaking research that uncovers promising new solutions to society’s most pressing challenges.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Accelerator on December 13, 2021, 06:59:11 pm
Yawn. I’m tired of McGinnis only talking about this stuff. Such an unexciting boring person. We had faith in you! You came from Texas! Sigh.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on December 14, 2021, 05:15:25 am
Yawn. I’m tired of McGinnis only talking about this stuff. Such an unexciting boring person. We had faith in you! You came from Texas! Sigh.

AS of date, McGinnis has not said a word about athletics and what her visions are in the future. SBU sports is done. This school has gone in a totally different direction. Walk on campus and you can clearly see what direction that is.

My son is a Junior at SBU, he is taking business classes. he has yet to attend any sporting event. i asked him why not. Because he said nobody cares about SBU sports in the school. Not to mention. Trying to make friends there is like trying to hook up with Kate Upton. My son only wants that piece of paper better known as a Diploma, and then get out as fast as he can and into Law school in Florida.

Regardless if we agree or disagree with what we think SBU should be focusing on, they clearly have a different vision. And that vision now is all about making SBU as diverse as possible and bring in as many students from other countries as possible, That is why McGinnis was hired as President. Academics, research is very important. I get that but so is athletics. Clearly, SBU has a different vision. Time will tell if that is the right vision or not.

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Accelerator on December 14, 2021, 03:56:36 pm
McKinnis isn’t an idiot. She has to see the stark contrast between SBU and Texas. Her inaction in turning SBU into Texas is simply gross negligence. Her negligence and ineffectiveness is pretty frightening for SBU’s future, and we cannot have another year of athletic silence from her end without putting pressure on her. It’s up for us as fans to let her know how bad of a job she is doing.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on December 14, 2021, 08:42:42 pm
McKinnis isn’t an idiot. She has to see the stark contrast between SBU and Texas. Her inaction in turning SBU into Texas is simply gross negligence. Her negligence and ineffectiveness is pretty frightening for SBU’s future, and we cannot have another year of athletic silence from her end without putting pressure on her. It’s up for us as fans to let her know how bad of a job she is doing.

How?? That should be Shawn Helibron job..
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Accelerator on December 14, 2021, 11:21:34 pm
She has to be the one guiding him, forcing him, pressuring him. I don’t think she’s doing that.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on December 17, 2021, 03:46:11 pm
here is the quarterly report: https://alumniandfriends.stonybrook.edu/site/DocServer/Presidents-Report-December-2021.pdf?docID=3662

bottom of page 2 has details on grants- which are all great- but not what's going to attract a mass of students the way an NCAA tournament run can in a high profile sport.

in other news, here is a mention of athletics!  it's at the end and it's merely a regurgitation of headlines, but it's there.

Quote
Athletics Update1
Stony Brook Athletics reached a linear television agreement with SNY for 13 men’s and
women’s basketball games during the 2021-22 campaign. The women’s basketball team
is set to appear on SNY seven times and the men’s team is slated to play on SNY six times
this season.
The 7-0 start for Women’s Basketball is the best in program history. Led by first-year
head coach Ashley Langford, the team was one of only 11 in the nation to begin the
season with seven straight wins.
Men’s Basketball landed on ESPN’s SportsCenter after defeating Sacred Heart 75-72 on
a buzzer-beating three-point shot by junior Anthony Roberst in the team’s home opener
on November 22. The shot was featured on the popular Top Plays segment.
Football ended the 2021 season by winning four of their last five games, including a 36-
14 win over Albany to retain possession of the Golden Apple trophy. Freshman
linebacker Tyler King was also named as a finalist for the Jerry Rice award, which is
presented annually to the FCS national freshman of the year.
Stony Brook Football alum Gavin Heslop became the second former Seawolf to appear
in an NFL game this season when he suited up for the Seattle Seahawks on Monday
Night Football against Washington on November 29.
Junior diver Mia Sclar was named America East Diver of the Week on November 24 after
breaking a 19-year-old school record in the 1-meter dive with a score of 302.17.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Accelerator on December 17, 2021, 10:10:23 pm
The fact that it's at the very bottom feels insulting. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. It also doesn't have any FUTURE plans for growth — which are more important. The "winning 4 of last 5 football games" mention just feels like an excuse to justify not firing Chuck.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: OldSeawolf on December 17, 2021, 10:59:40 pm
Better than nothing. Now we can’t say that Athletics haven’t been mentioned once by McGuiness. Tend to agree with Accelerator though; seems a little bit like an afterthought, rather than offering an outlook for the future. Also, Anthony Roberts name was misspelled.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 10, 2022, 09:42:30 pm
https://sagharborexpress.com/qa-stony-brook-universitys-sixth-president-on-the-future-of-the-southampton-campus/

Quote
McInnis discussed her vision for Stony Brook University, the future of the school’s campus in Shinnecock Hills, where 540 students are currently registered for one or more classes, and the university’s role in the region’s health care future.

So the East End has long had a tradition of a place where the arts have flourished, and a place where artists have retreated to an order to find inspiration, a community of like-minded creative individuals. And that is one of the reasons why having such a vibrant arts program at the Southampton campus makes an enormous amount of sense and why we’re really dedicated to continuing to see that be part of the campus.

Another area where I think our presence in Southampton can make an enormous difference in the lives of those who live on the East End is our role in health care. A number of years ago, [Southampton Hospital] became affiliated with Stony Brook University. We continue to focus on how can we improve health care for those living on the East End.

A third really important component, and what’s really special and unique about the Southampton campus is — it’s there, right? It’s on the southern shore. It gives us that opportunity to continue our research into the kinds of issues that matter to coastal resiliency, to clean water, to the changing world that we are all living in and climate change to ensure that we can keep that part of New York a healthy and vibrant place, paying close attention to the local fisheries, paying close attention to the health of fisheries industries, bivalve industries, the coasts, the quality of water for people out there. And especially as population continues to grow on the East End, and that continues to put pressure on the environment.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on February 10, 2022, 09:45:07 pm
Stony Brook University’s College Of Business earns AACSB International Accreditation
https://libn.com/2022/02/08/stony-brook-universitys-college-of-business-earns-aacsb-international-accreditation/

Quote
Stony Brook University’s College of Business has earned international accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, whose U.S. office is based in Tampa, Florida.

On Long Island, several universities have earned accreditation, including the College of Management at LIU Post, the School of Management at New York Institute of Technology, the Frank G. Zarb School of Business at Hofstra University, and the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business at Adelphi University.

Stony Brook’s College of Business began to pursue the initial accreditation more than nine years ago, and was approved for eligibility in 2014.

Christie Comunale, whose roles at the university include serving as research professor of accounting, said that the accounting program has transformed over the years from virtually unknown to a department where students are “heavily recruited.”

“It is now the norm for the Stony Brook accounting student to receive multiple accounting internship and career opportunities from the private and public sectors including international, domestic, regional, and local public accounting firms,” she said.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on March 31, 2022, 02:47:56 pm
New Biomedical Research Network to Be Headquartered at Stony Brook
https://news.stonybrook.edu/oncampus/new-biomedical-research-network-to-be-headquartered-at-stony-brook/

Quote
Headquartered at Stony Brook University, the Long Island Network for Clinical and Translational Science (LINCATS) will be a collaboration with Brookhaven National Lab (BNL), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and the Northport VA Medical Center. Central to LINCATS’ establishment is $10 million in federal funding secured by U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and supported by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, part of Congress’ omnibus funding bill, of which Long Island will receive some $50 million.


Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on April 04, 2022, 11:30:03 pm
tying in the other thread. http://sbufan.createaforum.com/general-discussion/caa-all-sports/msg36117/#msg36117

google "stony brook student life" and see what comes up.  here are the google results- not the actual pages, just the results:

Quote
SBU Social life?? - Reddithttps://www.reddit.com › SBU › comments › sbu_social...
Dec 16, 2018 — Hello! I just got admitted and am considering whether or not I am interested in actually attending Stony Brook. A little bit about me-- I'm ...
How is stony brook Universities Social life/Party Scene?
Feb 8, 2017
Why Stony Brook University is so depressing: A Thread
Nov 15, 2018
Is Stony Brook as bad as people say it is? : r/SBU
Apr 2, 2018
Is the social life for out of staters really that bad? : r/SBU
Jan 25, 2020
More results from www.reddit.com


or have a quick scan of this page: http://www.studentsreview.com/specific_detail.php3?uid=1011&f=Social&d_ads=scholarships
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on April 06, 2022, 12:32:51 am
The worst thing about this university is the social life/campus culture. It's non-existent and sets up the students poorly for when the graduate and have careers where if they want to be successful they have to actually talk to people.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on April 06, 2022, 09:22:06 am
its a good point and one i was talking to my boss about just yesterday.  he's an albany grad and was going on about how great SB is.  i agreed of course.

but i made the same point you did, and further, that it eviscerates alumni giving.  if you don't have a good time, you don't donate, you dont come back, you dont watch sports, you dont hire SB grads, etc.  isnt it that simple?
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on April 06, 2022, 01:20:59 pm
its a good point and one i was talking to my boss about just yesterday.  he's an albany grad and was going on about how great SB is.  i agreed of course.

but i made the same point you did, and further, that it eviscerates alumni giving.  if you don't have a good time, you don't donate, you dont come back, you dont watch sports, you dont hire SB grads, etc.  isnt it that simple?

What I wrote earlier was not meant to offend anyone, Chairman. I was just stating facts that I see and hear from people with the knowledge.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on April 29, 2022, 04:46:22 pm
new provost: https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/stony-brook-university-names-carl-lejuez-executive-vice-president-and-provost-2/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on June 11, 2022, 12:05:05 pm
we have a new initiative called SB Engaged, and i applaud the effort to improve student life: https://stonybrook.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/sea

this is a page dedicated to student engagement and activities, resources, etc.

what i question though is this photo on the home page:

(https://se-images.campuslabs.com/clink/images/650a2e7a-03fc-4dae-be10-b9272630a9b00394f695-4dc0-4648-804e-fef21574e14d.JPG?preset=w1500)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: sbu1991 on June 11, 2022, 01:51:37 pm
we have a new initiative called SB Engaged, and i applaud the effort to improve student life: https://stonybrook.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/sea

this is a page dedicated to student engagement and activities, resources, etc.

what i question though is this photo on the home page:

(https://se-images.campuslabs.com/clink/images/650a2e7a-03fc-4dae-be10-b9272630a9b00394f695-4dc0-4648-804e-fef21574e14d.JPG?preset=w1500)

 :D...I actually thought you were making a joke, but it's much funnier that that photo is actually on the page!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on June 11, 2022, 02:07:14 pm
we have a new initiative called SB Engaged, and i applaud the effort to improve student life: https://stonybrook.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/sea

this is a page dedicated to student engagement and activities, resources, etc.

what i question though is this photo on the home page:

(https://se-images.campuslabs.com/clink/images/650a2e7a-03fc-4dae-be10-b9272630a9b00394f695-4dc0-4648-804e-fef21574e14d.JPG?preset=w1500)

 :D...I actually thought you were making a joke, but it's much funnier that that photo is actually on the page!

I'm glad this school is making n attempt, but geeesh!!!!
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on June 24, 2022, 01:33:51 pm
https://stonybrookathletics.com/news/2022/6/24/general-stony-brook-aspire-sign-multi-year-agreement.aspx

Quote
ATLANTA, Ga. – Stony Brook University Athletics has partnered with The Aspire Group to build fan relationships and maximize ticket sales. Aspire will establish a Fan Relationship Management Center on-campus in Stony Brook, New York and has hired Danaiya Bryams as its Manager of Sales & Service.
 
The FRMC will drive single game, partial plan, and full season sales across all of Stony Brook's ticketed sports while also nurturing premium and hospitality accounts and soliciting accompanying donations. Stony Brook joins William & Mary and Northeastern as the third Aspire partner from the Colonial Athletics Association.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on August 09, 2022, 12:45:29 pm
see page 9 for renovations- scoreboard, fb locker room, baseball field: https://stonybrookathletics.com/documents/2022/6/13/2022_Stony_Brook_Membership_Guide_WEB.pdf
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on August 23, 2022, 01:58:34 pm
Governor Hochul Announces $150M Expansion of New York State’s TAP Program
https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/governor-hochul-announces-150m-expansion-of-new-york-states-tap-program/

Quote
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the launch of a historic $150 million expansion of New York State’s popular Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), which will now provide TAP to approximately 75,000 additional students who are pursuing their degree part-time.

Expanding Part-Time TAP to fully part-time learners creates pathways to an affordable education for individuals of all ages who are often balancing other responsibilities such as a family and work. Full-time TAP awards can be up to $5,665 annually for a full-time student; part-time TAP will be available on a pro-rated basis to eligible students taking six to 11 credits per semester with no full-time prerequisite.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on August 24, 2022, 05:23:56 am
Governor Hochul Announces $150M Expansion of New York State’s TAP Program
https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/governor-hochul-announces-150m-expansion-of-new-york-states-tap-program/

Quote
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the launch of a historic $150 million expansion of New York State’s popular Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), which will now provide TAP to approximately 75,000 additional students who are pursuing their degree part-time.

Expanding Part-Time TAP to fully part-time learners creates pathways to an affordable education for individuals of all ages who are often balancing other responsibilities such as a family and work. Full-time TAP awards can be up to $5,665 annually for a full-time student; part-time TAP will be available on a pro-rated basis to eligible students taking six to 11 credits per semester with no full-time prerequisite.

College is essentially moving to be free for most people anyways. It will have zero value and just a continuation of a High School diploma. Who's going to be paying for all these free handouts??
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on August 29, 2022, 03:36:45 pm
Stony Brook University Hospital Earns National Recognition From U.S. News & World Report
https://sbmatters.stonybrook.edu/stony-brook-university-hospital-earns-national-recognition-from-u-s-news-world-report/?AddInterest=1221

Quote
Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) has been recognized as a Best Hospital for 2022-23 by U.S. News & World Report, ranking in the top 50 nationally for urology, and diabetes and endocrinology.

SBUH ranked No. 41 nationally out of 1,491 peer hospitals in urology, which is in the top three percent. SBUH also ranked No. 50 nationally out of 764 peer hospitals in diabetes and endocrinology, which is in the top seven percent.

Overall, SBUH climbed to the No. 9 ranking in New York State out of 155 hospitals; last year, the hospital was ranked No. 10.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on September 22, 2022, 10:41:27 am

https://alumniandfriends.stonybrook.edu/site/DocServer/Stony_Brook_Foundation_President_s_Report_September_2022.pdf?docID=4141

Quote
The Advancement Office closed the 2022 fiscal year raising $142.8 million in gifts and pledges
from 10,900 donors.

Since the start of the 2023 fiscal year, $6.72 million has been generously pledged or contributed
by more than 1,339 donors. Their investments in our students, research, healthcare and
campus programs provide critical support, helping to elevate the University.
Generous contributions since the last update include:
● $4,063,500 in gifts and pledges to the Presidential Innovation Fund
● $3,000,000 pledge for Stony Brook Athletics
● $1,250,000 pledge towards RSOM Scholarship Match Program
● $500,000 gift for COVID Research
● $350,000 pledge to School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences fellowship
● $333,333 pledge for the Walter J. Hawrys Campus Recreation Center
● $200,000 pledge to the School of Social Welfare
● $150,000 gift to the Pediatric Emergency Department Expansion Fund
● $120,000 gift to the SDM Dental Care Center
● $120,000 pledge in support of Pediatric Research
● $100,000 gift for the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics
● $100,000 pledge to the Stony Brook Cancer Center
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on September 24, 2022, 02:48:23 pm

https://alumniandfriends.stonybrook.edu/site/DocServer/Stony_Brook_Foundation_President_s_Report_September_2022.pdf?docID=4141

Quote
The Advancement Office closed the 2022 fiscal year raising $142.8 million in gifts and pledges
from 10,900 donors.

Since the start of the 2023 fiscal year, $6.72 million has been generously pledged or contributed
by more than 1,339 donors. Their investments in our students, research, healthcare and
campus programs provide critical support, helping to elevate the University.
Generous contributions since the last update include:
● $4,063,500 in gifts and pledges to the Presidential Innovation Fund
● $3,000,000 pledge for Stony Brook Athletics
● $1,250,000 pledge towards RSOM Scholarship Match Program
● $500,000 gift for COVID Research
● $350,000 pledge to School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences fellowship
● $333,333 pledge for the Walter J. Hawrys Campus Recreation Center
● $200,000 pledge to the School of Social Welfare
● $150,000 gift to the Pediatric Emergency Department Expansion Fund
● $120,000 gift to the SDM Dental Care Center
● $120,000 pledge in support of Pediatric Research
● $100,000 gift for the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics
● $100,000 pledge to the Stony Brook Cancer Center

2022 was a solid year. $150 million is great. Lets hope that 2023 can match or even surpasses that figure. $6 million in 2.5 months is decent start.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 11, 2022, 12:30:14 pm
stumbled across this list of live music acts going back to the 60s.  wow, we attracted some really great bands back in the day.  it'd be nice if we were a destination again for this type of event. https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/libspecial/archives/SBU%20Archives_%20Concert%20Inventory%20-%20SBU%20Archives_%20Concerts%20by%20Date.pdf
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on October 12, 2022, 10:22:27 am
stumbled across this list of live music acts going back to the 60s.  wow, we attracted some really great bands back in the day.  it'd be nice if we were a destination again for this type of event. https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/libspecial/archives/SBU%20Archives_%20Concert%20Inventory%20-%20SBU%20Archives_%20Concerts%20by%20Date.pdf

Save for one or two people I don't know a single act on that list before 2004  ;D. We have had some very prominent entertainers come here though.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: ecasadoSBU on October 14, 2022, 04:42:53 pm
stumbled across this list of live music acts going back to the 60s.  wow, we attracted some really great bands back in the day.  it'd be nice if we were a destination again for this type of event. https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/libspecial/archives/SBU%20Archives_%20Concert%20Inventory%20-%20SBU%20Archives_%20Concerts%20by%20Date.pdf

That is one heck of a list. A lot of legendary acts have visited Stony Brook over the years.

I still have my "Stony Brook Concerts" t-shirt
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 17, 2022, 09:27:04 am
President McInnis Delivers Stony Brook’s State of the University Address
https://youtu.be/eAXY-kjvXXI?t=870


Around 14:30 McInnis says she's heard that we lack in "sense of belonging" and "welcoming".  And that we need to transform this, renew enthusiasm, etc.  This is an important goal, on day 1 wants students to find personal connection, a place to return to, promoting connection, etc. 

This is the first i've ever heard McInnis- or anyone at SB for that matter- address the elephant in the room.  She sounds committed.

What i like is they've reimagined undergraduate colleges to connect students in disciplines- i read that as putting freshmen in freshmen dorms by major.
Also, the CAA is a good step.  And they've added activities (though that's vague; id love to hear more). 

So, it sounds like she's getting the message.  A step in the right direction.

Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on October 17, 2022, 09:29:42 am
What is Article IX?

https://www.sbstatesman.com/2022/10/15/samuel-stanley-former-stony-brook-president-resigns-from-michigan-state/
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on October 17, 2022, 09:33:02 am
President McInnis Delivers Stony Brook’s State of the University Address
https://youtu.be/eAXY-kjvXXI?t=870


Around 14:30 McInnis says she's heard that we lack in "sense of belonging" and "welcoming".  And that we need to transform this, renew enthusiasm, etc.  This is an important goal, on day 1 wants students to find personal connection, a place to return to, promoting connection, etc. 

This is the first i've ever heard McInnis- or anyone at SB for that matter- address the elephant in the room.  She sounds committed.

What i like is they've reimagined undergraduate colleges to connect students in disciplines- i read that as putting freshmen in freshmen dorms by major.
Also, the CAA is a good step.  And they've added activities (though that's vague; id love to hear more). 

So, it sounds like she's getting the message.  A step in the right direction.

Talk is cheap.

What is she going to do?
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on October 17, 2022, 09:51:38 am
true.  but, it's the first time- to me at least- it's ever been acknowledged by officials.  so that's news, i think.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: VA_Seawolf on October 17, 2022, 05:13:09 pm
Any action would be a good first step. Nothing has been done on this by any president as far as I can remember.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on November 02, 2022, 08:56:50 am
a good sign?  pandering?  both???

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stony-brook-university_imagine-our-surprise-when-the-best-president-activity-6993200246260391936-mnrn?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on December 06, 2022, 04:23:29 pm
https://www.suny.edu/suny-news/press-releases/12-22/12-5-22/chancellor-king.html
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on December 16, 2022, 03:27:26 pm
Fiscal Year 2021-22 Fundraising Results
https://sbmatters.stonybrook.edu/fiscal-year-2021-22-fundraising-results/

(https://sbmatters.stonybrook.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/IG-FY-Results-1-768x835.jpg)

(https://sbmatters.stonybrook.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/IG-FY-Results-2.jpg)
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: factorykitten on December 16, 2022, 08:41:35 pm
Fiscal Year 2021-22 Fundraising Results
https://sbmatters.stonybrook.edu/fiscal-year-2021-22-fundraising-results/

(https://sbmatters.stonybrook.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/IG-FY-Results-1-768x835.jpg)

(https://sbmatters.stonybrook.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/IG-FY-Results-2.jpg)

How about the athletic dept? do they publish their fundraising results?
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on January 11, 2023, 11:53:54 am
Statement from Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis on New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2023 State of the State
https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/statement-from-stony-brook-university-president-maurie-mcinnis-on-new-york-governor-kathy-hochuls-2023-state-of-the-state/

Quote
$200 million in capital funding for research labs at Stony Brook University and the University at Buffalo to invest in new and renovated research buildings, labs, and state-of-the art instrumentation.

Endowment match up to $500 million in state funds for Stony Brook University and the three other university centers.

$200 million in digital transformation and IT infrastructure across SUNY including Stony Brook University.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Hammertime on January 11, 2023, 02:04:17 pm
Statement from Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis on New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2023 State of the State
https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/statement-from-stony-brook-university-president-maurie-mcinnis-on-new-york-governor-kathy-hochuls-2023-state-of-the-state/

Quote
$200 million in capital funding for research labs at Stony Brook University and the University at Buffalo to invest in new and renovated research buildings, labs, and state-of-the art instrumentation.

Endowment match up to $500 million in state funds for Stony Brook University and the three other university centers.

$200 million in digital transformation and IT infrastructure across SUNY including Stony Brook University.

Let’s see if Hochul follows through with all her big plans. There are doubts on both side of the political spectrum who feels differently already
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on January 11, 2023, 02:06:55 pm
yeah but politics aside these are still big #s that improve the U.

in fact, during times like these (a pandemic paired with inflation), these #s are even bigger.

so that's good.
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on January 17, 2023, 05:01:01 pm
College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Announces New Graduate Program in Data Science
https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/college-of-engineering-and-applied-sciences-announces-new-graduate-program-in-data-science/

Quote
Stony Brook University’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences has announced a new graduate program in data science (DAS), which will offer both MS and PhD degree programs in data science beginning in Fall 2023.

The graduate program is jointly offered by the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics (AMS), and the Department of Computer Science (CS), both part of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS). Students will receive vigorous training in data science encompassing core topics such as statistical analysis, machine learning, big data analysis/management and computer programming.

“In today’s data-driven world, the demand for skilled professionals in the field of data science has grown exponentially, creating the need for graduates who can provide the needed technical and analytical expertise,” said Samir Das, Chair of the Department of Computer Science, also home to Stony Brook’s Institute for AI-Driven Discovery and Innovation. “In our curriculum, students will be able to build multidisciplinary expertise in the cross-section of statistical analysis, big data analytics, and computing making them very valuable in the job market.”
Title: Re: Making SB better- Idea Thread
Post by: Chairman of the Board on January 30, 2023, 12:58:08 pm
SUNY Chancellor King Announces $12M to Increase SBU Hiring of Research Faculty
https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/suny-chancellor-king-announces-12m-to-increase-sbu-hiring-of-research-faculty/

Quote

Funding is from NYS $53M annual investment; about 50 new faculty to be hired

The additional new full-time faculty will help Stony Brook — a SUNY flagship university — expand research funding and productivity, increase faculty diversity, and continue to address instructional needs. Specific areas of hiring include quantum information sciences, artificial intelligence, energy and climate science, and cancer studies, among others. Each new hire is concentrated in high-demand fields, helping Stony Brook to facilitate a highly skilled workforce in New York State.