SUNY Student Leadership
SUNY Student Leadership Academy
The SUNY Student Leadership Academy has shifted to be a series of virtual student leadership offerings. We remain committed to providing resources for our students, supporting them to successfully navigate an ever-changing landscape and become the next generation of civically engaged leaders. Below are details about future Student Leadership offerings designed to help provide the leadership skills that are needed in today’s workforce.
By actively engaging in the SAIL Student Leadership Academy, students will be able to:
- Have a better understanding of your own culture and identities as they relate to your peers, community, and the world;
- Expand your personal and professional network; and,
- Learn and flex skills of storytelling to be able articulate your story to open doors to your future.
Program Details
SUNY SAIL Student Leadership Seminars will be held on various Fridays from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. throughout the Fall semester. **Note: October 21 and December 9 will be held 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
*Friday, October 21: Set Yourself Up for Success in College & The Power of Mentoring
Friday, October 28: Know Yourself to Lead Others
Friday, November 4: Communicating with Impact
Friday, November 18: Managing People Responsibly: Creating Cultures of Accountability for Yourself and Others
Friday, December 2: Creating inclusive environments as a student leader
*Friday, December 9: Program Reflections and Graduation
*1-4pm session
(All Applicants will be notified of their application status by October 6)
Information Session for Students-August 23 at 3pm
Interested students- Join us on August 23 at 12 pm for an information session on our upcoming Student 2022 Leadership Academy. Click here to watch the recording.
Role of SUNY Student Leadership Campus Liaison (Faculty and Staff)
The success of the SUNY Student Leadership offerings depends on strong connections between SUNY SAIL Institute and each of the SUNY campuses. The role of the Student Leadership Campus Liaison is intended to:
- Encourage and promote nominations of students from your campus. Nominations can be self-nomination, or you may nominate students
- Review nominations for your campus’ student population and approve which two students will be participating in the academy
- Connect with the two students from your campus twice throughout the academy (once in the beginning and once toward the end of the academy.
Information Session for Campus Liaisons-August 18 at 3pm
Faculty and Staff- Join us on August 18 at 3pm for an information session on our upcoming Student 2022 Leadership Academy.
View the current Campus Liaisons
Interested in being a faculty/staff campus liaison?
2021 Cohort Testimonials
“I took away so much from SUNY Sail! I have a whole folder of notes from each session. Learning that being your authentic self gets you a long way, developing the understanding of that fact that you can’t pour into others unless you’re full, lifting people up while climbing, being realistic, learning to flex the skills of storytelling, and understanding that the more you practice whatever you do the better, you become at it! I learned so much about life in general, that I was so oblivious to before and with the help of Sail, I am on the path to bettering myself to assist others. Although the program ended, leadership goes on forever as these many mentors have shown me. I’ll be doing personal research and reaching out to any of the guest speakers who may be useful to me, many left their contact information. I love SUNY Sail!”
“The program brings leaders together and expands their horizons of leadership in many ways. On top of that, it helps build a strong sense of community and allows some personal reflection. In short, this program is AMAZING!”
“Thank you to the SUNY SAIL Institute for creating a program such as the Student Leadership Academy. I am grateful for having had the opportunity of experiencing this program. There is a clear ‘before-and-after’ of who I was as a human and leader before the academy to who I am now. I hope to carry with me all that I have learned about leadership, and apply it and share it as I go throughout the world.”
“I loved being part of such a diverse group, racially, age-wise, and people with a wide range of experiences. It really helped me to assess every situation with a more holistic mindset and become more confident in my ability to maybe not fully understand, but sympathize with others.”
2020 Cohort Testimonials
“I think the biggest thing I got to walk away with was the realization that I was already a leader. This academy helped to plant my roots and through all of the wonderful speakers and meetings, we realized that WE make the mold. There are specific ways to communicate but we all have a unique way of doing it. Through our acceptance of diverse cultures and conversations spanning across several intersectionalities, we learned how to become flexible and how to appropriately approach many scenarios.”
“One take away I have from SUNY Sail is that leadership must be adaptable in all situations. COVID 19 is a perfect example of how “adaptable leadership” is necessary. Many leaders worldwide were tasked with leading amid a pandemic, and in ways that some thought was impossible. If someone can stay grounded by core principles and rise to the occasion in times like this, anything is possible, in my view. The speakers were phenomenal, and after listening to all of the speakers, I feel like “adaptable leadership” was a common thread I took away from everyone.”
“Leadership is taking on a new meaning to mean more connectedness vs. being above somebody, and our speakers consistently reinforced this!”
“I think one thing that resonated with me was something that was said: You’re not defined by the environment around you, but by the environment within you. That’s something that I will always keep in mind, not only in leadership positions but beyond that as well.”
Student Leadership Academy Design Team
The design team is compromised of faculty and staff experts across the system who meet monthly to assist in curriculum and program creation of the academy. We thank them for their dedication in working toward creating a successful and high-impact experience for the 2020 Student Leadership Academy cohort.
Joyce Akinmola, SUNY SAIL Graduate Assistant, SUNY System Administration
Meylin Andares, Director of Enrollment Management and Student Success, SUNY System Administration
Martha Asselin, Director of Leadership and Service, University at Albany
Mary Lou Forward, COIL Center Director, SUNY System Administration
Helen Gaudette, Assistant Dean for International Education, Fulbright Program Advisor, Fulbright Scholar Liaison, COIL Coordinator, Fashion Institute of Technology
Jason Lane, Executive Director, SUNY SAIL Institute
Melissa Marietta, Career Development Center Director, SUNY Oneonta
Carolyn Mattiske, SUNY SAIL Associate Director, SUNY System Administration
Merissa McKasty, Leadership Development Manager, SUNY System Administration
Dr. Giacomo (Jack) Oliva, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Fashion Institute of Technology
Maya Rudolph, SUNY SAIL Graduate Assistant, SUNY System Administration
Deirdre Sato, Dean for International Education, Fashion Institute of Technology