Shortly after announcing its closure at the end of the academic year, the College of Saint Rose said it would help all students continue their education and reach graduation. A "teach-out plan" has been launched toward that goal.
Siena College president Chuck Seifert says the Loudonville school has been asked by the embattled College of Saint Rose, which recently announced it would close after the spring 2024 semester, to serve as a teach-out partner.
"The second the announcement came out, I personally reached out to Saint Rose, and have been ever since making sure that they know that we're here to help," Seifert said.
The University at Albany has also been approached by the private Albany college. Russell Sage College is offering Saint Rose students transfers and comparable tuition fees. Maria College has also held instant admission days for Saint Rose students. Seifert explains what "teach-out" entails.
"So let's say you're a junior psychology student. And you have all of the courses that you've taken at Saint Rose. And we look at all of the curriculum at Siena College, and we find ways to maximize the overlap between the classes that you've taken the classes that are in our curriculum and what you need in order to get your psychology degree at Siena College. And so it really develops that pathway for the students to be able to complete their degree," said Seifert.
Though no teach-out agreements have been formally approved, Seifert says Siena is committed to supporting Saint Rose students as they seek to continue their studies. “So what we're doing is we're creating direct clear pathways for the students to go from Saint Rose directly to Siena College. There are other schools that are offering those also. So it provides the students with a myriad of different opportunities to be able to complete their education. You know, when the announcement came out, and the students were interviewed on TV, I felt that, and we've been committed to working through a process where we could provide the greatest possible assistance to those students. We've looked at the myriad of different programs that Saint Rose offers versus us. You know, there are a lot of similarities between Siena College and Saint Rose, with our values, with our academic programs, and the proximity. And there's just a natural partnership, really, between the two institutions, we anticipate upwards of two dozen programs where there is direct overlap between the Saint Rose curriculum and Siena curriculum,” said Seifert.
Saint Rose has roughly 2,700 students. Seifert says Siena – which has roughly 3,000 students – has the capacity to admit all Saint Rose students that go through the teach-out program. “We're committed to work with the students all the way through the entire process," Seifert said. "We even are setting up a Zoom meeting on January 3rd, where we'll be able to meet with the students and answer a lot of their different questions. Our Admissions and Enrollment Management Department are already actively engaged in, and working with students and helping them work through those different situations.”
The January 3rd online meeting will run for 45 minutes and is scheduled for 7 p.m. Seifert invites people to sign up for the session, and those who can’t view it live will be sent a recording.
