SYRACUSE, N.Y. - June 26, 2015) Alan Stankiewicz, a mentor with Empire State College’s Syracuse and Utica locations, was selected for the Empire State Foundation Excellence in Part-time Mentoring Award at a recent All College conference.

According to Dean Nikki Shrimpton, “Alan brings a tremendous amount of energy and creativity to his work with students. His interest in collaborative work with colleagues is particularly noteworthy.”

For two summers, Shrimpton and Stankiewicz co-taught an interdisciplinary study blending photography and ecology in which Stankiewicz spent much time creating meaningful and creative learning activities. He also developed partnerships with the Munson Williams Proctor museum in Utica and ClayScapes ceramic studios in Syracuse. Stankiewicz is one of the mentors who works with students at the Adirondack Residency every year.

“My idea of collaboration as an artist is to have many elements come together to create something beautiful,” he said, thanking his colleagues for the recognition.

Starting as an adjunct in one of the college’s business programs, Stankiewicz has excelled in his service to the college in the past eight years. As a practicing artist and a member of the arts faculty, he has strongly advocated for the creative arts to have a presence within the Central New York Center, which came to fruition with the Central New York Arts Gallery, a display site for student artwork. Besides advocating for the gallery, he also sits on the Gallery Committee, curates shows and mounts exhibits. He has developed such studies as Design in the Marketplace, Museum Studies, African Art and Culture and Digital Photography.

His colleagues noted his attention to detail, careful preparation and genuine interest in his students’ lives and the positive response of his students. This connection with students is one of his strongest skills in mentoring, said colleague Roslyn Dow. “Students trust him personally and professionally.”

Stankiewicz has volunteered for outreach efforts, alumni events and strategic planning. He has worked on the Center Assessment Committee and Assessment in the AOS and Center Development committees. He is described as having a wonderful sense of humor and a kindness towards students and colleagues, participating in the social life of the center.

About the Foundation Award for Excellence in Part-time Mentoring

The criteria for this award include superb performance as a mentor, including the areas of teaching, student, advising, scholarship and service to the college.

About SUNY Empire State College

Empire State College, the nontraditional, open college of the SUNY system, educates more than 20,000 students worldwide at eight international sites, more than 35 locations in the state of New York, online, as well as face to face and through a blend of both, at the associate, bachelor’s and master’s levels.

The average age of an undergraduate student at the college is 35 and graduate students average age 40.

Most Empire State College students are working adults. Many are raising families and meeting civic commitments in the communities where they live, while studying part time.

In addition to awarding credit for prior college-level learning, the college pairs each undergraduate student with a faculty mentor who supports that student throughout his or her college career.

Working with their mentors, students design an individual degree program and engage in guided independent study and course work onsite, online or through a combination of both, which provides the flexibility for students to choose where, when and how to learn.

Students have the opportunity to enroll five times during the year.

The college’s 70,000 alumni are active in their communities as entrepreneurs, politicians, business professionals, artists, nonprofit agency employees, teachers, veterans and active military, union members and more.

The college was first established in 1971 by the SUNY Board of Trustees with the encouragement of the late Ernest L. Boyer, chancellor of the SUNY System from 1970 to 1977.

Boyer also served as United States commissioner of education during the administration of President Jimmy Carter and then as president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

More information about the college is available at www.esc.edu.

Media contact: David Henahan, director of communications

518-587-2100, ext. 2918

David.Henahan@esc.edu

518-321-7038 (after hours and on weekends)