Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 49.37
Liaison Beth Klein
Submission Date Feb. 5, 2025

STARS v3.0

State University of New York at Cortland
EN-8: Shared Facilities

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Megan Swing
Energy and Sustainability Engagement Coordinator
Sustainability Office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

8.1 Publicly shared facilities

Does the institution have on-site space for meetings or events that is publicly accessible?:
Yes

Does the institution provide free or low cost access to the meeting or event space?:
Yes

Description of the institution’s publicly accessible space for meetings or events:

SUNY Cortland permits groups and organizations to host events on campus but requires that such events and meetings to be scheduled in advance for facilities to be used. SUNY Cortland does not rent to individuals as we do require organizations to sign a revocable permit and have liability insurance in case anything happens. Any public group can ask about a certain space and if we have the ability to host during the date/times requested we do our best to work with them. There is also two designated public forum spaces on campus. The requirements on that are laid out in the Cortland Handbook 440.26. Local organizations such as Cortland County and the Cortland High School are not charged a fee to host events on campus. Most of these groups are given big discounts for being non-profits or when SUNY Cortland must bid out the event years in advance. The current policy allows for non-profit organizations to rent our facilities for a 40% discount. Some charges cannot be waived including any charges involving university staff to cover the event. SUNY Cortland is frequently a host of athletic events to the local high schools including New York State Section 3 and Section 4 championships and other high school sporting events. Another example is SUNY Cortland being the host of the New York State Envirothon, in 2024 and will host again in 2025.   

 

 


Does the institution have at least one on-site facility that helps people meet their basic needs and is publicly accessible?:
Yes

Does the institution provide free or low cost access to the basic needs facilities?:
Yes

Description of the institution’s publicly accessible facilities that help people meet their basic needs:
 

SUNY Cortland Child Care Center 

  • Our center is located on the SUNY Cortland campus and was opened in 1993 to serve students and staff of the college, New York state employees, SUNY Cortland alumni and members of the community. Everything within the center was designed and built with the young child in mind, so the facility is child-centered and appropriately furnished. 

  • We're a New York state licensed child care center, licensed for up to 98 children. Our center has seven classrooms: two infant rooms, two toddler rooms and three preschool rooms. We have extensive infant, toddler and preschool playgrounds directly outside our building with covered patios for rainy day play. We also have two indoor gross motor spaces where the children can expend their energy and use their large muscles when the weather is not conducive to outdoor play. Daily activities and routines are geared to promote development of children cognitively, physically, socially and emotionally.  

  • Our staff are all professionals in the early childhood field. Our teachers all have appropriate credentials in early childhood education or a related field. And all our staff are required to participate in ongoing training to keep abreast of current trends in child development and education. 

  • One of the best benefits of being on campus is the involvement of the SUNY Cortland students in the center. Our early childhood department collaborates with our program, involving students through fieldwork placements and practicum experiences.  


Community Clinic Services
SUNY Cortland’s Center for Speech, Language and Hearing Disorders provides services to children and adults with a variety of speech, language, voice, swallowing, cognition, and hearing disorders. Graduate student clinicians provide free evaluation and therapy services under the supervision of certified speech-language pathologists across the following areas:

  • Pediatric and School-Aged Speech and Language Disorders
  • Brain Injury Related Speech, Language, and Cognitive Disorders
  • Voice Disorders
  • Stuttering and Cluttering Disorders
  • Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
  • Swallowing Disorders
  • Gender Affirming Voice Services
  • Parkinson Voice Project® SPEAK OUT!®

Does the institution have at least one on-site facility that provides cultural services and is publicly accessible?:
Yes

Does the institution provide free or low cost access to the cultural service facilities?:
Yes

Description of the institution’s publicly accessible facilities that provide cultural services:
  1. Rozanne Brooks Museum 
    • The Rozanne M. Brooks Museum came about as the result of Professor Brooks' lifelong dedication to educating undergraduates about our diverse world. Professor Brooks taught in the Sociology/Anthropology Department from 1956 until 1992. While at SUNY Cortland, her love of travel took her to numerous points across the globe. Many of these were places few tourists had ever visited. During her travels she was diligent about purchasing ethnographic objects from their makers or owners.When Professor Brooks passed away in 1997, she bequeathed her collection of ethnographic objects to the Sociology/Anthropology Department, with the hope that they would form the basis of a teaching museum. Professor Brooks' hope was realized in October of 2001 when this teaching museum opened to the public. At present, the museum houses a collection of nearly 200 items, approximately half of which are on display at any given time. New donations of ethnographic items, and objects available for long-term loan, are already enhancing the museum collection.
    • Programs for the Public: The Brooks Museum seeks to serve as a cultural center for SUNY Cortland, as well as for local schools and the public at large. Presently, the museum hosts two types of programs:
      • The Brooks Museum Lecture Series: This lecture series, featuring up to five speakers annually, highlights a geographical region such as Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Speakers offer presentations on topics ranging from history and art history, archaeology and anthropology, to literature and contemporary arts. The lectures offer the opportunity for students and community members to learn about global culture from the experts who have made such subjects their life's work.
      • Hands-on Educational Programs: The museum staff is eager to provide educational programs for visiting school or after-school groups. Educators and group leaders can tailor a program in coordination with our student teachers and the museum director. Programs can focus on specific regions, featuring the objects from the region, on topics such as religion or music, or on broader fields suitable to global studies. Program participants have the opportunity to see, close-up, and in many cases, handle, objects from regions they are studying in school or in other learning communities. The mission of the Brooks Museum is to bring the excitement of our multicultural world into the hands and minds of every child and adult. 

  1. Bowers Science Musuem - The Bowers Science Museum is an academic and public space for students, faculty and visitors to the SUNY Cortland campus. The museum exhibits informative displays that inspire and educate through discovery and appreciation of the natural world. It highlights the four science departments at the College: biological sciences, chemistry, geology, and physics and includes exhibits on molecular biology, evolution, chemistry, prehistoric life, geology and physics as well as a digital planetarium. Open to the public and free of charge, the Bowers Science Museum is registered and chartered with the New York State Education Department. The museum space in the lobby of Bowers Hall was renovated in 2015 and department exhibits were completed in 2017. 

  2. Dowd Gallery- Founded in 1967, the Dowd Gallery presents up to seven exhibitions each year featuring work primarily by nationally and internationally acclaimed contemporary artists and maintains a permanent collection of over 900 objects dating from the 13th through the 21st centuries.  The gallery’s mission is to enrich and intellectually broaden viewers’ notions about the nature of art and to display, interpret, collect and preserve art for the benefit of the SUNY Cortland community and the New York State region.  Educational programs, such as artist’s talks, lectures, performances, and workshops, accompany all exhibitions in order to deepen intellectual engagement with the artwork on view and foster an appreciation for art and its cultural importance in general.  All exhibitions and programs are free and open to the public. 
  3. Planetarium - Free and open to local school groups

Does the institution have at least one on-site facility that provides recreational services and is publicly accessible?:
Yes

Does the institution provide free or low cost access to the recreational service facilities?:
Yes

Description of the institution’s publicly accessible facilities that provide recreational services:

 

Campus Walking Trails- SUNY Cortland offers seven campus walking trails ranging from 0.4 to 2.3 miles. There is an upper campus trail head located at The Bookmark, the cafe in Memorial Library, and a lower campus trail head located at the bus shelter on Folmer Drive by Park Center. The Downtown Loop trail takes you to Main Street so you can do some errands while getting some fresh air and exercise.

Outdoor Tennis Courts - publically accessible and at no costs

Outdoor grass fields surrounding South Campus - pubilcally accessible and at no costs 


The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:

Points earned for indicator EN 8.1:
2

Optional documentation

Notes about the information provided for this credit:

440.26 Use of Facilities By Third Parties for Free Speech

The following constitutes the State University of New York College at Cortland’s “time, place and manner” policy on the use of SUNY Cortland-owned (the university) facilities by third parties (non-university or sponsored by recognized student organizations) for free speech purposes as by the University Council pursuant to a delegation of authority by the SUNY Board of Trustees. See SUNY Policy #5603 “Use of Facilities by Non-Commercial Organizations.”

Reasons for this Policy

As an institution of higher education, the university respects and fully supports the rights granted to individuals under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution regarding free speech. The university has adopted free speech policies with respect to its students, faculty, and staff, but not for third parties, who are not sponsored by the university or a recognized student organization, but want to use the campus for free speech purposes.

As a public entity, partially funded by New York state tax dollars, the university will provide a designated public forum to third parties outside of the campus community for their exercise of free speech rights. To comply with existing law, the university recognizes that it will be dedicating its scarce resources to the third parties, including staff time for the management of the designated public forum, the cost associated/loss of revenue with the use of space itself, and possibly utilizing university police and other administrative offices’ staff, to provide for the public safety of participants.

In adopting this policy, the university weighed its competing obligations and responsibilities: to meet its legal obligations as a public entity to provide a designated public forum for free speech by third parties; to meet its audit and control obligations in managing New York state property under its jurisdiction; and to meet its obligations for the orderly and safe operation of its campus, while responsibly managing and allocating its scarce resources in pursuit of its education mission for its students.

Policy Application

This policy shall apply to all third parties, who are not sponsored by the university and/or a student group, who want to use the university’s designated public forum for free speech purposes. This policy does not apply to students, speakers officially sponsored by recognized student groups, faculty or staff as other reservation and use policies apply to those campus community members.  Policies for students can be found in Chapter 370.

Definitions

Black-out days: The university has blacked-out certain days on its calendar wherein the use of the campus and its facilities, including outdoor spaces are reserved exclusively for campus-related activities that are at the very core of its primary educational mission. During these blackout periods, no third party shall be allowed to use the designated public forum for free speech purposes. The university defines the blackout periods to include the following:

  1. During opening weekend for the commencement of fall and spring semester;
  2. During reading periods and examination periods as set forth on the then-current academic calendar.
  3. During graduation-related activities and events, including undergraduate and graduate commencements;
  4. During major fall or spring campus-wide celebrations, such as concerts, Homecoming, and Spring Fling; and Open Houses.
  5. During such times that the university is hosting major campus events which require significant staff resources such as New York Jets training camp.
  6. During the conservation shut down of educational buildings and administrative offices as defined on its calendar when the temperature of the offices shall be below 60 degrees Fahrenheit — typically between the end of the examination period when students leave campus for the winter holiday break and a few business days after the first of the year. This timeframe is included in the black-out period because the offices are typically closed for the receipt of applications and the campus is virtually vacant to conserve energy and to save money to meet state budget reductions.

Designated Public Forum: The university identifies the following area as its designated public forum: the outside area of Corey Union beginning on the south side of the southern tree, extending 12 feet south on the sidewalk, encompassing a rectangle area that is 10 feet in width.

The university designates this outdoor space for its designated public forum as this space is the most highly pedestrian trafficked area on the university main campus by students, faculty, staff and visitors. Corey Union houses the food court and several other student services offices, as well as the Function Room and frequently used meeting rooms for the university campus community. The use of this space is also not likely to interfere with classroom instruction or residence halls.

Additionally, the university has identified an outdoor space by the university’s athletic fields. This space is due east of the 281 Parking Lot on the grass area. This area is approximately 20’ by 30’, and will be roped off if appropriate. 

An auxiliary area could also be available should the university deem it necessary. This area would be due east of the Lankler and Stratton intersection. This area may also be roped off, approximately 20’ by 30’. 

Please bring a completed Designated Public Forum application with you. The application will be reviewed. If approved, you and/or your group will be escorted to the designated outdoor space. 

Third Party: A person(s) who wishes to use the designated public forum for free speech purposes and the person(s) is not a student, faculty or staff member at the university, and the person(s) is not officially sponsored by either the university and/or a recognized student group to speak at the university.

Policy

A. The university is providing a designated public forum for use by third parties for their free speech purposes.

B. Reservation and Record Keeping of the Use of Space:

1. Third parties who seek to use the designated public forum must:

  1. Complete a designated public forum application; and
  2. File the application with the director of Campus Event Management four business days before the date the applicant wishes to use the designated public forum. Applications received after 3 p.m. on a given business day shall be considered as having been received on the morning of the next business day. The applicant assumes responsibility for proper and timely delivery of an application to the director of Campus Event Management. The office is open 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday, for deliveries, except for holidays and certain university black-out days as noted within this document.

2. The university shall review the application and respond to the applicant no later than the close of business on the second business day following the receipt of the application.

  1. If the application is completed fully and signed by the applicant and the date and time are available for use, the university shall inform the applicant of its approval to use the designated forum on the date and time requested.
  2. If the application is not complete and/or it is not signed, the university shall return the application to the applicant for completion. The three business days’ time period will begin running again once the completed and signed application is received by the director of Campus Event Management.
  3. If the space is already reserved to its capacity for the date and time requested, or if the date and time requested is during a blackout period as defined below, the university shall inform the applicant and offer the applicant the next available date and time for the use of the space.

C. The university shall not:

  1. Inquire as the nature or content of the free speech;
  2. Charge the applicant an application fee to reserve the designated public forum;
  3. Charge the applicant/third party for the use of the space;
  4. Impose insurance requirements on the applicant/third party; or
  5. Charge the applicant for any additional costs to the university that the university may incur due to the use of the space by the applicant/third party, such as security.

D. The applicant/third party shall:

  1. Be responsible for any costs for parking on the campus as all students, faculty, staff and visitors are charged for parking.
  2. Be responsible for picking up from the designated public forum any brochures, pamphlets, leaflets or other handouts or goods that the third party speaker brought with him/her to disseminate during their speech, and properly disposing of the same in public garbage receptacles or taking them with him/her. The university has a regulation against littering on the campus that applies to all students, faculty, staff and visitors. Failure to comply with this provision may result in future denial of use of the designated public forum; and
  3. Not use megaphone equipment for the amplification of the speech without prior express permission. Determination of permission will be based on the potential disruption of classes or other legitimate business uses.

E. The university reserves the right to terminate any use of the designated public forum in the event either the speaker or a member(s) of any audience engages in conduct that violates the SUNY Rules for the Maintenance of Public Order, adopted in accordance with Education Law Section 6430 and 8 NYCRR 535, in order to secure the orderly and operation of the campus for the safety of the entire campus community.

All applications must be reviewed and approved by the director of Campus Event Management or designee with input from UPD, Emergency Management, Facilities Operations and Services, and any other affected department.


Additional documentation for this credit:
shared-facilities-AASHE-fromT-Malone.xlsx

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.