March 2, 2026: University Senate Report

Climate and Sustainability Programming

Highlighting February Climate Activities

• February 9, Toll Professor Nick Fisher was the featured first speaker for Our Planet in Focus: Climate, Culture & Sustainability, an 11-week OLLI seminar series curated alongside SoMAS and the Collaborative for the Earth. 
• The Collaborative for the Earth and the Port Jefferson Arts Council drew over 40 guests for a screening of “Plan C for Civilization” and a Q&A with director Ben Kalina and SBU’s Reuben Kline. Kalina also joined faculty at the new C4E-funded Environmental Humanities Lab in the Staller Center to discuss the production process behind his documentary.
• The Collaborative for the Earth and the Department of Political Science hosted a discussion with Gernot Wagner, of Columbia Business School, about the complexities of geoengineering.

 

Mark your calendar: Upcoming Climate Events

• March 10: SBU Workforce Development and C4E will co-sponsor the second annual Long Island Youth Climate Summit in collaboration with Renewable Energy Long Island and Students for Climate Action.
• March 30: In collaboration with the Department of Creative Writing, Film and Television, C4E will co-sponsor a Science & Cinema screening of the documentary “Drowned Land.”
• April 3: the Collaborative for the Earth will host its Third Annual Environmental Forum including a debate featuring the NYU debate team, an expert panel discussion, and a live audience Q&A.

Educational and Institutional Effectiveness

Nominations open: Excellence in Educational Effectiveness Award

Eligibility:

• Full- or part-time faculty, or
• Full- or part-time staff, or
• Graduate teaching assistants.

Help us recognize those in our community who have had a positive impact on academic programs and services as a result of assessment practices through the Excellence in Educational Effectiveness Award. The award is offered jointly by the Stony Brook Assessment Council and the Office of the Provost.

Submit nominations by Tuesday, March 31

Guided Conversations: General Education Assessment

The Office of Educational Effectiveness, in collaboration with the Provost’s Office, SBU Assessment Council, and General Education Advisory Committee, will facilitate the assessment of SBC general education courses in the SNW, TECH, STAS, EXP+, and WRT categories. Spring 2026 guided conversations with faculty have already started and will continue throughout this semester. Learn more: General Education Assessment 2025-26.

Successful International Love Data Week at Stony Brook

Stony Brook University celebrated International Love Data Week February 9–13 with programming that highlighted the power of data across campus. Hosted by the Division of Educational and Institutional Effectiveness and facilitated by the Office of Educational Effectiveness, the week included 17 virtual sessions and three in-person events featuring 30-minute presentations from campus colleagues, with strong participation throughout the week.

The week began with a kickoff session, Talking Data with Braden Hosch, followed by a special talk and panel discussion on AI featuring Paul Fain. Additional events included a student-focused session and opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to engage with data in meaningful and accessible ways.

The celebration concluded with the Love Data Week Open House, which brought together more than 100 faculty, staff, and students for data-themed activities, refreshments, and networking with campus partners. If you are already thinking about next year and how you might like to get involved, please reach out to the Office of Educational Effectiveness at educationaleffectiveness@stonybrook.edu to share your ideas.

Learn more about International Love Data Week

Faculty Development

Submit Nominations for Faculty Awards by March 31

Nominations are being accepted for various awards for faculty and instructors. All nominations are due March 31:

• Stony Brook Trustees Faculty Awards, 
• Outstanding Mentoring Award, 
• Outstanding Lecturer Award,
• Celebration of Teaching Awards. 

Explore award categories

Excellence in Teaching Program

This successful year-long workshop series, offered in collaboration with CELT, centers on best practices and innovative approaches to teaching and learning. The group will meet throughout the spring to discuss accessibility in the classroom and inclusive pedagogy. 

Provost’s Talks

This series highlights experts who have made significant contributions to their fields. The most recent event was February 10 and showcased SUNY Distinguished Professors Dr. Patricia Coyle from neurology in the Renaissance School of Medicine and Joseph Mitchell from applied mathematics and statistics in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. 

Watch the lectures

Generative AI Tools for Teaching and Learning – Departmental and Staff Development Workshops

Academic departments may request customized workshops on the use of generative AI in the classroom and for course preparation, as well as training sessions for academic staff on how AI can support administrative tasks, streamline processes, and enhance student services. These programs are offered in collaboration with the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. For more information or to schedule a workshop, contact celt@stonybrook.edu.

Enrollment Management

Office of Financial Aid & Scholarship Services  

Financial aid award packaging for fall 2026 admitted freshmen began Friday, February 20.

The Regulatory Impact and Student Experience (RISE) Committee continues to monitor federal financial aid updates and negotiated rulemaking (Neg Regs), with current discussions focused on interpreting recent guidance and anticipated regulatory changes. We have learned that the U.S. Department of Education is aiming to release final rules in early April, and the committee is currently in the review and impact-assessment phase in preparation for that timeline. For our office, this work is critical in shaping upcoming policy updates, training needs, and system or process adjustments to ensure compliance while maintaining clear, consistent communication with students and families.

Office of the Registrar

Information about course registration

The Modern Campus Curriculum (Curriculog) system is now live.

New student-facing course scheduling software, Navigate, will be available prior to advanced registration for summer/fall 2026.

Academic Dates and Deadlines

Date	Event
March 13	Drop Down: Last day to submit an approved adjustment form for selected AMS, MAT, MAP, and PHY courses to the Office of Registrar (undergraduates).
March 16 to March 22	Spring Recess: No classes in session. Classes resume, Monday, March 23.
March 30	Major/Minor Changes Begin: Students can begin to submit major/minor changes effective Fall Semester MoCourse Schedule published in SOLAR Modern Campus Catalog published

Check the course scheduling calendars and Calendars for additional deadline dates and information. 

Undergraduate Admissions 

We again received record-breaking applications for undergraduate programs. Just shy of 66,000 first-year students applied to the university for the fall 2026 semester, nearly a 3% increase in applications over 2025 first-year applications. Interest in Stony Brook continues to grow across all student populations. 

Our final application decision release is scheduled for March 27 for first year students. While this is the final application decision release, the work continues on yielding students. 

March 28 is our first Admitted Seawolf Day where we will welcome first-year and transfer students admitted for the fall 2026 semester to campus for a day-long program of information sessions and community introductions. We will host a second program on April 11. Both programs are expected to bring a few thousand visitors to campus. 

As we close out the fall 2026 application cycle and move into yielding students, we are balancing conversations with academic partners on program enhancements and growth. We welcome collaborative conversations with academic deans, chairs, and faculty who would like to engage more in the enrollment of students into their programs.

Graduate School

Say it in Three! Join us for Stony Brook University Three Minute Thesis and Postdoc Spotlight

Friday, March 13, 2026 | 10 am to 3 pm | Student Activities Center Auditorium

SBU 3MT is an inspiring showcase where doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars from diverse disciplines transform complex research into engaging, on-stage presentations. Students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members are all invited to experience the excitement as competitors captivate their audience in just three minutes.

Register for 3MT and Postdoc Spotlight

 

CLEAR Research Project

The Stony Brook University Graduate School was selected by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) to participate in the National Science Foundation-funded Creating Learning Environments for Advancing Researchers, or CLEAR project. This project looks at the degree of structure in selected doctoral programs (Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics and Astronomy, Applied Math and Statistics, Geosciences, and Ecology and Evolution) as well as at student and faculty knowledge of those structures, milestones, etc., to assess shared understandings in programs as well as any connections between structures and student outcomes. Graduate program directors, faculty members, and doctoral students in these programs have received a survey that we ask them to complete. More details about CLEAR are available. 

 

Culturally Aware Mentoring (CAM)

Thursday, March 19 | 8:30 am to 5 pm | Wang Center 201 | Register for CAM Program

Culturally Aware Mentoring increases mentors' skills for interacting with mentees from different racial, ethnic, and social backgrounds than the mentor. This two-part workshop is for faculty members who have completed Optimizing Research Mentoring.

Research Project Management

Wednesday, March 25 | 3 to 4:30 pm | Virtual | Register for Research Project Management Program

Researchers require advanced project management skills to accomplish their goals, and yet we rarely receive formal training in the administrative, organizational, and metacognitive aspects of research project management. Graduate students and postdocs are invited to join this 90-minute virtual workshop to learn more about the elements of managing research projects and develop a plan for their own projects.

SUNY Notices

Accessibility webinars in March

SUNY’s Center for Professional Development is hosting a webinar series in March: Universal Design for Learning - Access for All. The hour-long webinars will cover a variety of topics, including alt text, accessibility for mathematics, and accessibility for STEM disciplines, among others. All webinars will be offered live and recordings shared with registrants. The webinars are free.

Universal Design for Learning Webinar Series

Undergraduate Education

Progress Reports open until March 18

Spring 2026 Student Progress Reports are open through Wednesday, March 18. Faculty feedback through progress reports is a critical component for supporting students. In Fall 2025, faculty participation in progress reports was 68% - the highest ever. Not all instructors will receive a progress report request every semester but can provide feedback on students at any time. More information can be found in the progress report FAQs.