SUNY Canton Resets Deposit Deadline for In-Person Fall 2021 Semester

The deposit deadline for new SUNY Canton students has been extended until June 1 as SUNY Canton prepares for an in-person fall semester.

SUNY Canton’s Admissions Office extended the deadline by a full month from the previous May 1 date. The college will be continuing its traditional rolling admissions policy and will be reviewing applications throughout the summer months. The semester is scheduled to begin Monday, August 30.

“Students who deposit by June 1 have better flexibility with their course selection and financial aid,” said Executive Director of Enrollment Melissa J. Evans. “Space in our selective programs like Veterinary Science Technology, the Physical Therapist Assistant program and Nursing tend to fill up the earliest. Students who are considering those programs should not wait.”

Enrollment is currently trending as projected, but Admissions professionals indicated that some first-time students may be awaiting word on the college’s fall plans before committing.

“We’ve asked our faculty to prepare for a normal, in-person fall semester and we will resume the majority of our face-to-face instruction,” said SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran. “Classes that would normally meet in person will be available in that format once again. We’ll continue with those plans as long as it’s safe for our students, faculty, staff and community.

Currently, courses are offered both online and on campus, with the greater majority of classes presented virtually. College officials are optimistic that COVID-19 cases will continue a downward trend as vaccinations increase. All college employees are eligible for vaccination, as are all New York State residents age 16 or older. Students have also demonstrated that they are able to adapt to face masks, maintaining distance and avoiding large social gatherings to help stop the spread.

The college will use lessons learned during the pandemic and continue to capitalize on online group meeting platforms including Zoom, Microsoft Teams in addition to Blackboard Collaborate to supplement in-person instruction. Approximately 30 percent of students enroll in online programming through popular majors including Health Care Management, Applied Psychology and Legal Studies.

“As a SUNY leader in online education, we are well-known for our quality programming,” said SUNY Canton Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Peggy A. De Cooke. “We have the ability to seamlessly switch to remote instruction should the need ever arise again.”

The college is also expanding its web-equipped classrooms to offer Flex Courses for the fall semester. Flex courses are offered in-person and online at the same time, which allows students to pick the method that they would like to participate.

The college continually reviews its policies for in-person instruction based on guidance from SUNY, the state and local health officials.