Office of the Provost

August 2026 Senate Report

August 31, 2026

Provost’s Initiatives and Leadership Appointments

  • Karin Gwinn Wilkins was appointed the next dean of the School of Communication and Journalism in July. She comes to Stony Brook from the University of Miami, where she oversaw the UM School of Communication’s rise in national rankings to become one of the top in the country; strengthened the student experience through additional degree programs, community building, and new study abroad and study away programs; and recruited, retained, and supported faculty. Read Wilkins’ announcement.
  • Ludmil Katzarkov, an international leader and researcher of advanced geometry took the helm of the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics at Stony Brook University this fall. Katzarkov is well known for his work and its far-reaching implications in geometry, number theory, and physics. He has worked in the following areas: uniformization, where he was instrumental in proving the Shafarevich conjecture in the nilpotent, linear and quasiprojective case; and homological mirror symmetry, where he proved this string theory-induced conjecture in many cases. He also used ideas from homological mirror symmetry to prove the nonrationality of generic four-dimensional cubic.
  • Reuben Kline, associate professor of political science, this summer was appointed interim vice provost for climate and sustainability programming and interim director of the Collaborative for the Earth. Kline is serving in this role while Kevin Reed, who has served as Associate Provost for Climate and Sustainability Programming and this spring oversaw the work of the Collaborative for the Earth (C4E), will take a much-deserved sabbatical to focus on his research this academic year. Read Kline's announcement.
  • Searches are ongoing for the next director of the Turkana Basin Institute and the next dean of the College of Business. Finalists for the TBI search will be on campus in early September, and we anticipate finalists for the CoB dean to visit campus this fall. Visit our executive search page for more information.

Faculty Affairs

  • Feedback on the June draft of the Provost/EVP-SBMHS promotion and tenure guidelines was collected from Deans, Chairs, and ATCs, analyzed, and incorporated into revised guidelines set for campus-wide circulation. The office will also host several listening sessions for faculty.
  • The PRODiG+ fellowship framework and documentation were revamped, distributed to departments with current or prospective Fellows, and supported with scheduled departmental steering sessions.

Academic Programs 

  • Life Sciences Innovations and Entrepreneurship AGC (Revision, 08/2026)
  • Artificial Intelligence AGC (New program, 08/2026)
  • Anatomical Sciences PhD & MPhil (Revision, 08/2026)
  • Respiratory Care BS (Revision, 07/2026)
  • English BA & Adolescence Education: English BA (Revision, 07/2026)
  • Asian and Asian American Studies BA, Adolescence Education: Chinese BA, Adolescence Education: Japanese BA, & Adolescence Education: Korean BA (Revision, 07/2026)
  • Economics PhD & MPhil (Revision, 07/2026)
  • History PhD & MPhil (Revision, 07/2026)
  • Psychology MA (Revision, 06/2026)
  • Neuroscience MS (Revision, 06/2026)
  • Population Health and Clinical Outcomes Research PhD & MPhil (Revision, 05/2026)

Climate & Sustainability Programming

  • C4E’s 2026–2027 theme explores the intersection of AI, sustainability, and our shared environmental future. This initiative has three pillars: AI for the Earth, highlighting AI’s role in improving climate forecasting, promoting conservation, and developing green materials, infrastructure, and institutions; AI’s Footprint, identifying the energy, water, and resource demands of data centers and other environmental impacts of AI; and AI Governance, centering on environmental justice, community participation, and benchmarking and standards for responsible and sustainable AI development and use.
  • In collaboration with the AI Innovation Institute, C4E will host the Institute’s Director, Lav Varshney, for a discussion of his own experience working in the AI and sustainability space at IACS’ Laufer Center on September 23.
  • Along with the Peconic Estuary Partnership (PEP) and the Nature Conservancy, C4E will lead a field trip on November 13th to several sites in Accabonac Harbor. Those who join will get the opportunity to explore the diverse tidal marsh systems that the Nature Conservancy is helping to preserve and observe the amazing work that PEP and its partners are doing in Eastern Long Island. This includes programs aimed at reducing insecticide use through a citizen-science mosquito monitoring program, identifying and conserving critically endangered seagrass and eelgrass beds, and helping protect land critical to the health of Long Island’s coastal communities.

Continuing, Professional, and Online Education

  • SBU’s Pre College Summer program (designed for rising high school juniors and seniors) ran for 4 weeks from June 28 - July 24, offering more than 20 courses in areas including Health Professions, Dental Medicine, Cancer Biology, Biotechnology, Social Media, Biomedical Engineering, Robotics, e-Commerce/Entrepreneurship, Engineering Innovation, Math, Engineering and Generative AI, Computational Linguistics, and  Pharmacology among others. The program grew 60% from summer ‘25, with 504 total enrollments, 328 of which were residential (44% of these were out-of-state) and 176 commuters. The program will run again in summer ‘27 for four weeks from June 27 - July 23. For more information, contact breanne.delligatti@stonybrook.edu 

Faculty Development

  • New Faculty Orientation was held on August 17 with 53 new faculty participants from across Stony Brook University. The program introduced faculty to the SBU community, university history and resources, and key areas of faculty development. Sessions included navigating success at Stony Brook, a faculty panel on resources, wellness, research, and faculty perspectives, best practices in research mentoring, teaching support, library resources, and an introduction to the promotion and tenure process.
  • A post-orientation survey received 30 responses, with overwhelmingly positive feedback. All respondents agreed that the orientation helped them feel welcomed as members of the Stony Brook community, with 18 strongly agreeing and 12 agreeing. Similarly, all 30 respondents agreed that the orientation contributed positively to their transition into the Stony Brook community, with 15 strongly agreeing and 15 agreeing.

Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) 

Workshops and Resources 

All of our workshops for 2026-27 can be found on CELT’s Calendar of Events! Join us for topics such as AI, accessibility, assessment, and neuroinclusive teaching. If you would like to schedule an individual consultation or a workshop for your department, contact CELT

Syllabus Support

CELT recently updated our Syllabus Templates in June. Interested in additional syllabus statements? We have sample AI Statements and other Optional Statements including a new statement for Technology-Enabled Wearable Devices. 

Share your questions, challenges, and inspiration

Join CELT and fellow colleagues for Brain Food, a new bite‑sized, campus‑wide series designed to nourish your teaching and spark lively conversation. Each session is a relaxed, facilitated gathering where faculty can swap high‑impact strategies, trade classroom stories, and chew on emerging challenges together.

Access: A Quest Toward Inclusion

Access: A Quest Toward Inclusion is a course that was new this past spring and is meant as an introduction to digital accessibility. Topics include: presenting auditory and visual information, developing alt text, and designing course content for cognition. To enroll, use the direct course enrollment link. You'll be prompted to log in to Brightspace, and select Enroll in Course to gain access. Once enrolled, the course will automatically appear in your My Courses widget on the homepage of Brightspace for easy access.

While you can always submit requests for PDF remediation to CELT, instructors who complete Access: A Quest Toward Inclusion will be entered into a monthly raffle. Winners will receive a prize of 50 pages or slides (Microsoft or Google) of their choice, or two hours of video transcription, to be remediated by CELT. 

Enrollment Management

Office of Financial Aid & Scholarship Services 

Fall 2026 Financial Aid Disbursement

Completed the first round of financial aid disbursements on August 19, with more than $47 million in aid disbursed to students.

Federal Loan Changes

We are actively working with students impacted by the One Big Beautiful Bill/OB3 changes, particularly the new requirements related to legacy loan status and the Schedule of Reduction. Approximately 7% of our students are currently enrolled less than full-time, and only about 400 of those students have federal student loans, which significantly narrows the population directly affected by the enrollment-based loan changes.

Start of the Semester

The Financial Aid team is focused on final preparations for the first day of classes, including resolving outstanding student issues, completing remaining aid processing, and ensuring students are prepared for the start of the semester.

Office of the Registrar

A new Registrar’s Office website has been launched. Faculty and staff now have a dedicated resource page on the Office of the Registrar website. We've collected topics ranging from Attendance Policies, FERPA, to Systems Access and Scheduling Support all in one convenient location. 

The Registrar's Office has launched a 2026–2027 FERPA Training for West Campus Faculty/Staff. The course is available via Brightspace with an expected completion date of September 30. Stay tuned for additional training launches including East campus.

Fall 2026 Academic Calendar
  • Mon, Aug. 24  Semester Start: First day of classes (Day 1).
  • Fri , Aug. 28  (Day 5)
    • Major Minor Changes End: Last day to submit changes effective Fall Semester.
    • Waitlist: Last day to waitlist a class. 
  • Thur, Sep. 3   Waitlist Process Ends: Last day to be enrolled from the waitlist process.
  • Fri, Sep. 4   Late Registration Ends (Day 10): 
    • Last day to add, drop or process enrollment changes (adds,swaps, credit changes, etc.) via SOLAR. Last day to drop or submit LOA/Term Withdrawal without a "W" (withdraw) recorded on transcript. Full/Part time statuses will be locked in after this date.
  • Mon, Sep. 7 Labor Day: No Classes in session.
  • Tues, Sep. 8 to Mon, Sep. 14 (September 14 -Day 15 Final Snap Shot)
    • Swaps by Petition Only: Graduate School and SPD students must petition to the respective school.

Undergraduate Admissions 

We are on track to enroll our largest first year and transfer classes for the Fall 2026 semester. Final numbers will be confirmed with 15th Day Census Report. 

The applications for Spring 2027 and Fall 2027 semesters opened on August 1. The Spring 2027 application deadline is November 1. The Fall 2027 application first year, early action deadline is November 1. 

Seawolf Preview Days (fall open house programs) are scheduled for September 19 and October 12. 

Global Affairs

Visa and Immigration Services 

On July 17, 2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule that replaces duration of status (D/S) with fixed periods of admission and introduces significant changes affecting international students, scholars, and University processes. The rule is scheduled to take effect on September 15, 2026.

To support the campus community, VIS hosted two informational sessions in August:

  • Understanding the New F-1 & J-1 Rules: What Students & Scholars Need to Know - August 3
  • What Campus Partners Need to Know About the New F-1 & J-1 Rules - August 4

Recordings, presentation materials, and FAQs are available on the VIS website.

VIS is also developing a Planning for Success Under the New Rule series with targeted sessions for F-1 undergraduate and graduate students, students on OPT/STEM OPT, J-1 students, and J-1 scholars.

In parallel, VIS is working with campus partners to update policies, procedures, and resources ahead of the September 15 effective date.

International Student Success 

  • ISS is offering a shuttle bus to the Social Security office on Sept. 1 & 2.  Registration is required and students will be notified of the registration process when they receive their SSN authorization from VIS.
  • ISS welcomed 65 new international freshmen for the International Student Pre-Orientation (ISPO) program. ISPO is a 3-day extended orientation open to new undergraduate freshman international students to support their transition to university life in the US. Participants met with academic advisors, attended focused sessions on life and academics at SBU, connected with peers and student mentors during social events, and took a guided tour to New York City.
  • ISS updated the International Student Handbook to an accessible website, which served as a guide for over 1,000 new international undergraduate and graduate students. 
  • ISS is looking for motivated international students (undergraduate and graduate) to participate in the International Student Advisory Council. Applications are open Aug. 24 - Sept. 4. Please share this opportunity with any students you feel would make a good candidate.
  • iCafe and iGrad International Student Success Workshops kick off on Wednesday, September 9. Sessions focus on developing academic, interpersonal, career, and adjustment skills for international students. A full list of events, dates, and times, can be found on the ISS website and in SB Engaged.

Graduate School

Sloan Centers for Systemic Change

The Graduate School received a 2026 Sloan Centers for Systemic Change (SCSC) seed award from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. SCSC supports universities that demonstrate a commitment through meaningful action toward addressing all significant barriers in STEM graduate education within their own programs and contexts with an emphasis on systemic approaches to change at the college and departmental levels. 

Inaugural Doctoral Student Convocation

On Monday, August 17, the Graduate School hosted a convocation for new doctoral students. Students were welcomed by the President, Provost, and college leadership and learned about the variety of schools and colleges on our campus. A resource fair followed. 

Optimizing Mentor Training for Faculty

Friday, September 11 and Friday, September 18 | 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM | Wang 201: Stony Brook faculty are invited to an interactive two-day workshop to enhance their research mentoring skills. Over two half-day sessions, participants will refine their mentoring philosophies and develop strategies for inclusive mentoring, aligning expectations, and effective communication. This in-person workshop also helps faculty gain evidence of mentoring expertise for grant applications. Participants who engage with all modules will receive completion certificates and digital badges. Register for Optimizing Mentor Training

Postdoc LINK Research Symposium

Thursday, September 17 | 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM | Stony Brook Union Ballroom: Postdoc LINK is Stony Brook University’s research symposium celebrating the work, ideas, and impact of postdoctoral scholars across disciplines. LINK stands for Leadership, Innovation, Networking, and Knowledge — the core values reflected in the postdoctoral experience and in the contributions postdocs make to the university’s research community. The symposium brings together postdocs, faculty, campus partners, and university leaders for a day of research presentations, interdisciplinary exchange, professional connection, and recognition of postdoctoral achievement. Register and review agenda for the LINK symposium

GRD 600: Rigor and Reproducibility

Graduate students from across disciplines are invited to enroll in GRD 600, which prepares them to engage in strong research methods and to consider the practical, professional, and ethical aspects of research design. Registration available via SOLAR. 

Graduate Student Hardship Fund

Thanks to Fast Impact Funding from the President’s Office, the Graduate School awarded $100,000 to 61 graduate students in the month of June. Students who were struggling with housing and food insecurity, transportation to campus, and other issues received support. We hope to offer another round of such funding in the future. 

SUNY Notices

Apply for SUNY’s Supporting Faculty in the Responsible Use of AI

SUNY is seeking 100 faculty from across the 64 campuses to join a community of practice about integrating discipline-specific AI-enabled skills in course-level student learning outcomes. If you are interested in joining the group, please discuss this opportunity with your department chair.

Explore the community of practice

Explore SUNY’s Conversations in the Disciplines grant program

This program brings SUNY faculty together to examine trends, address changes and challenges, and review promising research findings and pedagogical practices in a wide range of disciplines and fields. Proposed conversations focusing on scholarly, pedagogical and/or creative activities are welcome. During this application cycle, proposals are encouraged that focus on discipline-specific exploration and integration of artificial intelligence. SUNY will host an information session at 1 p.m. Tuesday, September 22. Proposals are due in January.

Explore the CID program

Undergraduate Education

Unit name updates in Undergraduate Education

The Undergraduate Colleges (UGCs) has changed its name to First- and Second-Year Advising, and Academic and Transfer Advising Services (ATAS) will now be Upper-Class and Transfer Advising. The change is intended to better reflect the services being provided to students. The structure of population-specific advising services remains the same, including CEAS, Honors Programs, EOP, Simons STEM and Athletics. Please see the new Undergraduate Academic Advising landing page, which can also help direct students to their appropriate advising unit.

The Transfer Services Office will now be known as Credit Evaluation Services, and will continue to support credit evaluation and articulation as a distinct university service. 

Student Progress Reports

Student Progress Report dates have been scheduled for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027. Faculty feedback through progress reports is a critical component of supporting students. 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 progress report FAQs.

  • Fall 2026 Progress Reports will run from Wednesday, September 16 to Wednesday, October 14. 
  • Spring 2027 Progress Reports will run from Wednesday, February 17 to Wednesday, March 17.