Diversity | SUNY Potsdam

No matter where you come from or how you identify, everyone can find a place at SUNY Potsdam.

Students, employees, families, alumni, friends, allies, neighbors and guests to our campus are all recognized as valued members of our community. Our campus has become an increasingly diverse community, reflecting the diversity of the nation and the world as a whole, and we strive every day to create an educational environment built on trust and respect for all. Our College mission and the Potsdam Pledge outline our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice.

SUNY Potsdam is dedicated to embracing the diversity of its community members.

Our College mission and the Potsdam Pledge outline our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice.

"The New York Association of Chief Academic Officers, composed of the campus academic leaders of the 64 campuses of the State University of New York, stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and the broad coalition of demonstrators to oppose structural racism and oppression"...Read SUNY's Full Statement of Solidarity (PDF)

Upcoming Event

DEI Symposium: October 26 - October 27, 2023

The 2023 DEI Symposium will be a gathering of faculty, staff and students representing the Potsdam Campus Community and joined by cohorts from our associated colleges...learn more.

Expanding her Horizons

Relocating from Ghana to New York City when she was 10 years old, Jessica Semenyo ’22 found herself looking for a college experience away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. That’s when she discovered SUNY Potsdam. Over the past four years, she has embarked on many adventures through the Live Now program, while completing her degree in community health. After walking across the stage at commencement in May, Semenyo plans on attending graduate school to become a registered dietician.

Kadiatou Balde '19

Kadiatou Balde was nine years old when her parents brought her and her five siblings from their home in Conakry, Guinea in West Africa to put down roots in the U.S. As the daughter of immigrant parents growing up in the Bronx, Balde found the transition to be, in her words, “pretty heavy.”

Joey Boswell '18

As a military veteran, Joey Boswell ’18 found SUNY Potsdam later in life—a transformative decision that helped him transition from a tumultuous time in the U.S. Army.

Dr. Liliana Trevizán

For the last two and a half decades Dr. Trevizán has been educating SUNY Potsdam students not only about the Spanish language, but also about the importance of democracy, freedom of speech and free thought. “The inclusion of everybody, and not silencing anybody and not censoring people—to me, that is so important,” Trevizán said.