SUNY is advancing two systemwide initiatives focused on improving outcomes for two important student populations: first-time freshmen and transfer students moving from SUNY community colleges to state-operated campuses. While each initiative employs a distinct strategy, they are purposefully aligned and designed to reinforce one another. Their goals are complementary, not competing, and together they reflect SUNY’s commitment to ensuring that all students are fully supported as they enter and progress through their undergraduate degree programs.
The SUNY Academic Momentum Campaign, formally launched in Fall 2025, establishes systemwide academic momentum, retention, and graduation goals for the entering fall 2026 freshmen cohort. Campuses will develop individual action plans that amplify existing successful campus efforts and integrate evidence-based practices to realize campus targets that roll-up to sector and system goals. The SUNY Office of Student Success will provide technical assistance to campuses to develop and implement their plans and create standardized data infrastructure to monitor progress.
The SUNY Seamless Transfer Initiative is an ongoing effort to advance the recommendations and success metrics articulated in the SUNY Transfer Task Force final report approved by the SUNY Board of Trustees in December 2024. Campuses will work toward institutional targets that roll-up to system success metrics through the adoption of tools, resources, process/practice recommendations, and policy reforms being actively advanced by the SUNY Office of Student Success Transfer and Articulation team to realize approved recommendations. This work is informed by ongoing collaboration and dialogue with a set of systemwide advisory bodies and campus transfer liaisons (see here).