Undergraduate Admissions
Sponsor: Office of Academic Affairs
Contact: Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
Category: Academic
Number: 100.018
Effective Date: September 1, 2024
Implementation History: August 2023, policy on admissions assessment approved May 2009; prior
policy on undergraduate admissions approved March 2001.
Keywords: Admission, Orientation,
Background Information:
Purpose
Part of the mission of SUNY Empire is to provide access to higher education for individuals who benefit
from alternatives to the traditional time, place and form of higher education. The college’s admission
policy advances that aspect of the mission.
Definitions
Applicant: An individual who has initiated SUNY Empire’s application process but has not received an
admissions decision.
Dual Admission: Guaranteed admission for a community college student who earns an associate degree
in a program identified in an agreement between the community college and SUNY Empire. Students are
admitted to SUNY Empire upon completion of their associate degree. Such agreements typically require
a minimum grade point average above 2.0 and other academic requirements may be specified in the
agreement.
Joint Admission: The student is admitted simultaneously to a community college and SUNY Empire upon
enrolling at the community college. It provides a guaranteed transfer to SUNY Empire upon completion
of the associate degree program at the community college, so long as specific requirements are met,
such as a minimum grade point average above 2.0, successful completion of specific courses or other
requirements. SUNY Empire often provides academic advisement and counseling during the enrollment
at the community college.
Matriculation: An admitted student’s term of matriculation is the first term of enrollment after
admission. A matriculated student is a student who has begun study toward a degree.
Orientation: SUNY Empire provides an introduction to its educational philosophy, academic and
administrative policies and procedures, and strategies for academic success. Each newly admitted
student is enrolled in orientation. While the orientation process may extend over a new student’s first
year of study, attendance at a pre-enrollment orientation workshop is required before the student is
permitted to enroll for study.
Undergraduate Admission: If an individual has completed the application process and meets all
admissions requirements, the individual is admitted.
Policy Statements
SUNY Empire reviews each application for admission to determine the match between the applicant’s
goals and SUNY Empire’s resources. Admission shall be without regard to sex, age, race and ethnicity,
color, religion, disability, national origin, sexual orientation, military status or marital status.
Admission Requirements
Requirements for undergraduate admission are:
- A completed application with official transcripts, all other required documentation, and the required, nonrefundable orientation fee
- Official transcript of a high school diploma or its equivalent
SUNY Empire’s admissions office makes the admissions decision, consulting as specified in this policy,
and communicates the admission decision to applicants.
SUNY Empire will make clear to applicants which programs we can offer and those we cannot offer due
to specific requirements for certain professional licenses or certificates.
Applicants for undergraduate certificate programs complete the same application form as applicants for
degree programs.
Undergraduate students who have been admitted to SUNY Empire are required to complete the
university’s pre-enrollment orientation process before being permitted to register for credit-bearing
courses.
Admitted applicants may register at any time up to three calendar years from the date of their preenrollment
orientation. After that time, they must reapply.
An applicant has one year from the submission of the application form to complete the admissions
process, which requires that the applicant submit all required documentation and pay the required,
nonrefundable orientation fee. If the application process is not completed within one year, the
application expires. Applicants who are accepted to the university have up to three years from the
acceptance date to complete the pre-enrollment orientation.
Application for a Second Degree at the Same Level
A student seeking to earn a second SUNY Empire associate degree or a second SUNY Empire bachelor’s
degree must complete the entire application process for the second degree. A second associate or a
second bachelor’s degree plan must meet a significantly different educational objective from the first
degree.
Reapplication to sUNY Empire
Students who have engaged in matriculated enrollment may re-enroll up to three calendar years from
the end date of their last enrollment. Students who wish to re-enroll after this time must reapply and
satisfy all the requirements for admission in effect at that time.
An applicant denied admission to SUNY Empire may reapply no earlier than one year after the most
recent application date.
An individual who submitted an application but did not complete the admissions process within one
year may submit a new application. The applicant must satisfy all the requirements for admission in
effect at the time of submission of the re-application.
Joint/Dual Admissions
SUNY Empire may enter an agreement with another college for joint admission (sometimes called dual
admission), in which a student accepted in the partner college is also admitted to SUNY Empire
contingent upon successful completion of the requirements of the partner college. In such agreements,
SUNY Empire applies the same admissions requirements as for general admissions and may include
additional requirements.
Applicable Legislation and Regulations
State the relevant legislation this policy must comply with or is referenced to. Regulations are rules or
orders issued by an executive authority or regulatory agency of government that have the force of law.
State any relevant regulations that affect this policy.