Calling all Faculty members of the Associated Colleges!
Would you like to work with students who attend class every period, where classroom management is about making sure everyone has a chance to speak instead of having to inspire student participation by awarding grades?
Are you frustrated by students’ use of cell phones and laptops in the classroom?
Would you like to be part of an educational program that your faculty colleagues in the North Country have called “the highlight of their career”?
On Friday Sept. 6, 2024, from noon-2:30 p.m. the Associated Colleges of the St. Lawrence Valley is sponsoring a gathering of faculty and staff from the four colleges at Riverview Correctional Facility (RCF) in Ogdensburg.
During this event, faculty and staff will hear from SUNY Potsdam students who are incarcerated at RCF.
Students will speak about their experiences in the college program, reasons for pursuing post-secondary education, challenges of post-secondary studies while in prison, and the importance of a college education to their future opportunities.
The students welcome your questions, too. Following the students’ presentations there will be an opportunity to speak in a small group format with instructors who have experience teaching in the college in prison program, Potsdam@RCF.
The purpose of the meeting is twofold:
- To inform colleagues and residents of the North Country about the benefits of college in prison to students, college staff and instructors, correctional facility staff and the broader community
- To encourage additional faculty to join the Potsdam@RCF program to teach more courses and expand the curriculum currently offered.
If you would like to attend RCF on Sept. 6 from noon-2:30 p.m., please send Dr. Nancy Lewis, Program Director, Potsdam@RCF an email, noting your full name, title, and relationship to your college employer. Email notification of your intent to attend the seminar must be submitted to Dr. Lewis by Monday Sept. 02, 2024.
Refreshments will be provided.
We hope that you will attend this event!
Background:
In fall 2021, SUNY Potsdam partnered with NY-DOCCS Riverview Correctional Facility to offer the first semester of a bachelor’s degree program within the prison. We began with three instructors, teaching four courses to 19 students. In fall 2024 semester, the program has 75 full time students who are studying 18 courses. In October 2025, Potsdam@RCF will celebrate the commencement of 14 students who will soon complete their B.A. degree.
To discover more information about college in prison and Potsdam@RCF check out this short documentary produced by SUNY Office of Higher Education in Prison, The Light is Yours: https://www.suny.edu/impact/education/hep/documentary/
Future seminars include:
Seminar 2: Friday Nov. 8, 2024—Instructors
Virtual Panel discussion with experienced instructors who have taught at RCF (representation of instructors from all four colleges who have taught at RCF)
- benefits
- challenges
- Why they continue to teach at RCF
- Q&A
Seminar 3: Friday February 7, 2025—Re-entry and Second Chance Scholars In person at SUNY Potsdam—staff, instructors and students
Panel discussion with former Potsdam@RCF students living in the community and attending SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Canton. As well, representatives of the Board of Directors of our local Second Chance Scholars program and SUNY Potsdam faculty and staff who work to build a secure pathway for students from prison to complete their post-secondary education in our community will be in attendance.