SUNY Old Westbury president to speak at CSTEP Baccalaureate

SUNY Old Westbury president to speak at CSTEP BaccalaureateMay 02, 2006SU News ServicesSUnews@syr.edu

The Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) will hold its annual baccalaureate in honor of graduating CSTEP scholars on Friday, May 12, at 7 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel. The ceremony is open to the public, with free parking available in Irving Garage.

The CSTEP Baccalaureate represents an opportunity for students, family, faculty, staff and friends to convene in spiritual acknowledgment of the academic accomplishments of each graduating class. This year, Calvin O. Butts III (pictured), president of SUNY College at Old Westbury and pastor of the nationally renowned Abyssinian Baptist Church, will provide the address. Butts is renowned for his work with students, particularly in relation to success in a global marketplace and community/civic engagement. For his efforts and community activism, Butts has received more than 1,000 honors and commendations and has been recognized as a National Treasure by the New York City Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

As pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church, Butts helped to found the Abyssinian Development Corporation (ADC), which is responsible for and manages over $300 million in housing and commercial development in Harlem. Butts also helped to establish the Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change, a high school also under the direction of the ADC.

Since being named president of the SUNY College at Old Westbury, Butts has greatly expanded the campus facilities, adding new classrooms, computer labs, wireless Internet access and has led in the construction of five new residence halls and a student union. Through his leadership, the college has also met the needs of a growing student population by adding full-time faculty and expanding student services.

CSTEP, an award-winning initiative of the New York State Education Department and a standard of academic excellence at Syracuse University, is specifically designed to assist forward-thinking undergraduate and graduate students in making optimal choices for lifelong success. CSTEP meets this mission by challenging and supporting the holistic development of competent, well-rounded scholars for post-baccalaureate education, global citizenship and lifelong achievement. Its vision is to become the leading program in New York and the nation’s principal source of student enrichment in science, technology, engineering, health-related and pre-licensure fields.

The CSTEP Baccalaureate is sponsored by the Division of Student Support & Retention Alumni Alliance; the Division of Student Affairs; the L.C. Smith College of Engineering & Computer Science; the Parent’s Office; the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program; the Office of Learning Communities; the Office of Multicultural Affairs; the Gateway Learning Community; the ARISE Academy; Hendricks Chapel; and Black and Latino Information Studies Support (BLISTS).