Pictured: In what has become a tradition at Alfred University, Mark Zupan, University president, helps students move in
ALFRED, NY – Alfred University will open its 189th year focused on investing in the future as it pursues its mission of helping students realize their purpose.
“Purpose matters a great deal,” Mark Zupan, Alfred University president said in his comments to faculty and staff at the University’s opening breakfast on Tuesday, Aug. 20, in Ade Hall. “For our students, it’s critical.”
New student enrollment in 2024-24 is 425, with students representing 30 states, 28 countries, and all continents except Antarctica. Zupan said the University’s three core strengths—inclusivity, mentorship, and intersections—will provide a pathway to students to realize their purpose, and pointed to a number of investment initiatives that will help the University pursue and achieve its mission.
The University has undertaken a number of construction projects aimed at improving educational spaces. Renovations at Harder Hall and the Science Center are under way and the bidding process has begun for the new foundry, which will be provide a key opportunity for intersections in the art and engineering spaces. Work is also being done to enhance residential facilities, with renovations being done over the summer at Kruson Hall, the Hillel House, and the University-owned house at 9 Sayles Street. The house at 9 Sayles Street, located on the south end of campus, will be occupied by graduate students, facilitating mentorship opportunities with undergraduates.
Zupan discussed curricular innovations, including providing pathways to double majors and developing new B.F.A. degree offerings in the performing arts, which will help students experience valuable intersections.
Saxon Hill, a $30 million athletics and recreation facility atop Jericho Hill in the town of Alfred, will provide added extracurricular and co-curricular opportunities to students. Ground was broken on the project in the spring and once finished, it will provide new training and competition facilities for field hockey, rugby, baseball, and track and field. The project is expected to increase undergraduate student enrollment by 170 and strengthen student retention efforts. Approximately $10 million in philanthropic support for the project has been received thus far.
The University has prioritized research opportunities by pursuing state and federal grant funding. Zupan said the University expects to receive in excess of $6 million in new research grants this academic year.
The Inamori School of Engineering has recently received two National Science Foundation grants totaling more than $830 million combined. Research into glass recycling and reuse initiatives, supported by more than $4.2 million in funding from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, include a project studying ways to incorporate waste glass into a novel concrete which will be used in the construction of sea walls protecting coastal communities around the world. The concrete is longer lasting and far less harmful to the environment than concrete made from traditional Portland cement, and it has the potential to divert a significant amount of waste glass from landfills.
Zupan pointed to a number of positive metrics for the University as it enters its 189th year. The AU Scholars Program, initiated in the fall of 2020, continues to shine. Students enrolled in AU Scholars are nominated by their schools and, if selected, receive a scholarship of $30,000 per year for four years. Students enrolled in 2022 have shown a retention rate of 94 percent, compared to 77 percent for all students. Zupan said 550 high school students have been nominated for the AU Scholars Program for fall of 2025.
