The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/377200
the college guide 2014 fast facts student population: 3,596 faculty: 131 support staff: 301 years: two and four full-time tuition (in-state): $6,170 part-time tuition (per credit hour, in-state): $257 meal plan: $4,660 dormitory cost (per year, standard double room): $6,310 year founded: 1913 campus size: 625 acres degree programs: 82 projected number of graduates: 850 From Robb Munro and Lori Osterhoudt: Concerns about student safety have been in the national spotlight throughout the summer. It's a sensitive topic that we take very seriously at SUNY Delhi. We are a small campus that puts students first. Students and their families frequently compliment us for providing a supportive and caring learning environment. It is in the spirit of these core values that SUNY Delhi has launched a new program called "BroncoCHECK." BroncoCHECK is designed to help students develop a sense of responsibility for helping solve problems and support their peers. Through BroncoCHECK, students learn simple ways they can prevent problems for themselves and others and empower them to intervene when they encounter situations where student safety may be a concern. College staff cannot be everywhere and students, acting individually or collectively as a group, can play a critical role in keeping each other safe. An example of a BroncoCHECK is as simple as reaching out to a friend who seems depressed, to a peer who is cheating in class, or to a friend who has crossed the line. It's an intentional decision to intervene and help your fellow student. Bystander intervention is considered to be a hallmark of any effective campus safety program. SUNY Delhi's BroncoCHECK is modeled after a "best practice" bystander intervention program at SUNY Brockport. Vice President of Student Life Barbara Jones brought Brockport staff to the Delhi campus to share how they educated their students on being effective partners in keeping their campus safe. Throughout the spring semester, a team of SUNY Delhi faculty, staff and students developed a similar program for our campus. Team members piloted the program with residence assistants, athletes, orientation leaders, peer educators, Greek Council, EOP peer mentors and other student leaders. Student response has been overwhelmingly positive to BroncoCheck. Several groups, most notably the track and field team and our peer educators, have begun to incorporate the model into their lives and interactions with fellow students. BroncoCHECK was introduced to the rest of the student body during UDE Fest, our late spring festival, and to faculty and staff in June as part of Delhi's professional development workshop series. More recently, BroncoCHECK was launched during Orientation Weekend to the entire incoming class. It was an ambitious effort that involved over 1,000 students. A team of over 30 facilitators, including orientation leaders and residence assistants, worked in small group sessions where role-playing skits conveyed the importance of the active bystander. In fact, Delhi's own mascot, The Bronco, was a prominent part of the orientation effort and will continue to Bronco Check reflects our core values as a close-knit community that puts students first. It is designed to help students develop sense of community responsibility for helping to solve problems and support their peers. Through Bronco Check, students will learn simple ways they can prevent problems for themselves and others and empower them to intervene in when they encounter situations where student safety may be a concern.serve as a reminder to students throughout the year to make safe and healthy decisions. Mahatma Ghandi said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." By empowering all of us, students, faculty and staff, to act for the betterment of our campus, we hope to reinforce the core values that make SUNY Delhi a great place to live and learn. 14 O-Town Scene Sept. 4, 2014