Presidential Information

John F. Schwaller SUNY Potsdam's 15th President

Welcome to The State University of New York at Potsdam, and to many exciting opportunities that we provide to allow our students to pursue their educational goals.  I am extremely proud of our fine institution, the oldest in the State University of New York.  We are especially proud of the array of quality programs that prepare our students for leadership roles in an increasingly complex global world.  We have a very dedicated and talented faculty and staff whose primary concern is the educational success of our students.

SUNY Potsdam is the place to explore both the bases of our current world and the directions for the future.  While here, students also develop a strong sense of what it means to work hard, have fun and explore exciting life possibilities. Our faculty and professional staff introduce our students to new ideas, new technologies, and new ways of approaching problems. Students cultivate lifelong learning skills that will translate directly to a successful career: critical thinking, writing, speaking, and the application of technology. All of these essential ingredients are important tools related to one’s ability to keep pace competitively throughout a lifetime.

More importantly, at SUNY Potsdam, students have time to learn about important issues that may have been simply words or abstract concepts to them before they arrived here. Students have opportunities, for example, to participate in intramural athletics and recreational activities; cultivate leadership skills in student government, community service projects, and academic honorary societies; and gain a competitive edge in the future job market in special programs like international study, service learning, honors, or internships.  What is important is that they have the chance to integrate what they learn in the classroom with how they approach the world and how they develop personally.  They do so while engaged in a close relationship with faculty and staff. As a smaller campus we offer a chance for students to work directly with faculty members, and not be anonymous numbers in an impersonal educational machine.

The courses and programs of the College reflect our collective decisions about what is required in order to be successful in one’s personal and professional life. The sum total of our students' experiences at SUNY Potsdam will undoubtedly change their lives, and lead to an understanding that they can change our world. The faculty, staff, and administration are all here simply to help students find the most meaningful way to make a profound difference in our world, be it in the classroom, business, community, nation or the whole world.

Welcome to this remarkable campus community! 

Learn more about President Schwaller in an interview with
Todd Moe on North Country Public Radio.