On Monday Oct. 17, Dean of Students and Director of Center for Community Leonard Sancilio sent an email to all Geneseo students describing several updates on college-wide policies and procedures. The email pertained mainly to policies and amendments surrounding campus safety, more specifically the Student Code of Conduct, the SUNY Geneseo Hazing Policy, the SUNY Geneseo Policy on Alcohol and Illicit Drugs, and the SUNY Geneseo Academic Dishonesty Policy, as well as SUNY Geneseo policies on sexual misconduct and Title IX policies and procedures.

On Oct. 1, SUNY Geneseo Assistant Professor of Biology Mackenzie Gerringer co-authored an article in Marine Biodiversity, a peer-reviewed biological journal devoted to publications and research on marine ecosystems and the diversity of plant and animal life found there. The paper, “Independent radiation of snailfishes into the hadal zone confirmed by Paraliparis selti sp. nov. from the Atacama Trench, SE Pacific,” identified a new species of deep sea snailfish, Paraliparis selti.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the SUNY Geneseo Title IX Office is offering education on domestic violence and other forms of abuse throughout the month. The office is holding educational seminars and events to show support for victims of domestic abuse and offers resources to students experiencing abuse throughout the year. 

On Tuesday, Oct. 18, Professor Nahid Siamdoust from the University of Texas at Austin (UT at Austin) gave a presentation on the ongoing protests in Iran and the cultural and historical roots of the issue. Siamdoust is an Assistant Professor of Middle East and Media Studies at UT at Austin and previously worked as a Middle East-based journalist. 

SUNY Geneseo has a wide variety of research opportunities for students over a range of majors and interests. Under the guidance and direction of a faculty member, students study topics from cultural anthropology and linguistics to biochemistry. These types and range of research opportunities are rare in undergraduate institutions, and the wide availability of these opportunities is one of Geneseo’s most notable features as an undergraduate-focused college.  

On Monday, Sept. 12, SUNY Geneseo posted a news update that Geneseo was ranked #1 in U.S. News’ list of 2022-2023 “Best Undergraduate Teaching Programs.” The announcement, posted by Manager of Editorial Services Kris Dreessen, explained the importance of this recognition and other achievements that the university has recently accrued.

The Student Association (SA) Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) is hosting a Quiz Bowl trivia competition on Oct. 15 from 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. in Bailey Hall. Students can form teams of up to four individuals and register for the competition via the link that was sent from the AAC in an email to all Geneseo students. Winners will receive prizes including a Nintendo Switch, a Keurig, a JBL Bluetooth speaker, and squishmallows. 

Iris Magazine, a Geneseo student-run queer literature and art magazine, is now accepting submissions for the upcoming “worship” edition. The magazine accepts all forms of art, including writing and poetry, photography, and even music. 

SUNY Geneseo faculty members Professors Kathleen Mapes and Justin Behrend are currently participating in a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant to revise the Gilded Age and Progressive Era SUNY history curriculum. The grant, awarded to SUNY Cortland Professors Kevin Sheets and Randi Storch, includes input from professors and faculty from several other colleges in the SUNY system. 

On Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 4 p.m. Peace Action Geneseo hosted a walk and chalk event on the corner of Main and Park St. to celebrate International Day of Peace. This holiday was established by the United Nations and is celebrated annually all over the world, including right here on Geneseo’s campus. This year, Peace Action’s event was attended by approximately 20 participants; the group was composed of both Geneseo students and members of peace organizations local to the town, Geneseo Valley Citizens for Peace (GVCP) and Veterans for Peace.

Plastic Free Zone, a student-led task force committed to reducing plastic waste and litter in the Geneseo community, is planning a plastic clean up event on Oct. 1. The group plans to clean Orchard and Court Streets and provide residents with resources and tips on how to reduce their plastic waste. Interested volunteers will be meeting at the E-garden across from Monroe Hall on Oct. 1 from 7 a.m. – 9 a.m.

SUNY Geneseo is holding an ongoing series of lectures and discussions throughout the semester on the conflict in Ukraine.  On Thursday, Sept. 29, several Geneseo faculty members will give brief lectures and discuss key developments in Ukrainian history and national identity since 2014 from 5 p.m  – 6:30 p.m. in Newton 201. There will be a question and answer session following the lectures. 

In the fall of 2021, undergraduate students at SUNY Geneseo were invited to take part in the campus climate survey, a comprehensive questionnaire about their experiences at Geneseo. The survey included the kinds of peer and faculty interactions that students had, as well as how well students felt that they belonged and were supported on campus. This data was analyzed by the college and compiled into the Campus Climate Study Report, a publicly available, 51-page report containing the data collected from Geneseo students. 

On Monday, Sept. 19, the Study Abroad Fair was held in the MacVittie College Union. Now that travel is no longer restricted by the COVID-19 pandemic, students are able to explore the opportunities provided by the Study Abroad Office at SUNY Geneseo. From 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., students met with professors and office directors about the various programs available this year.