The Educational Foundation of Alfred, Inc. is a private foundation comprising faculty, staff, and friends of Alfred State, dedicated to improving the college community through support of educational programs. The Foundation provides monetary support to enhance learning opportunities for students through scholarships, work grants, and academic club and curriculum activities.
The Educational Foundation owns the grounds of the School of Applied Technology campus of Alfred State, which is located in Wellsville, NY, about 15 miles from the Alfred campus. It emphasizes hands-on training and applied skills. Academic offerings lead to the Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS) degree. The campus, which attracts some 800 students annually, is recognized as one of the best applied technology schools in the nation.
The industrial look of the campus reflects the amount of laboratory time students spend. The campus operates a full culinary facility, functional automotive shops, and manufacturing facilities. Building trades students build homes and construct commercial facilities for local not-for-profit organizations.
Since 1996, the Foundation has invested more than $8 million in improvements on the campus.
Home Projects - Houses are built and detailed by the Alfred State building trades students in a subdivision owned by the Educational Foundation of Alfred, Inc. These houses, valued at more than $200,000, are subsequently sold and occupied. Under the supervision of their instructors, tomorrow's craftspeople prove themselves by building for discerning homeowners. For students, it's an unmatched opportunity to put their learning into practice. (view photos or time-lapse video) The result is that students can enter the construction industry with a real-world level of expertise that is not experienced by students who learn in more restricted, less-realistic settings.
Workforce Development Center - This facility is dedicated to training the construction industry's workforce of the future and is made possible by donations from the Alfred State Educational Foundation, Inc.along with additional grants. Students enrolled in the building trades curriculums work both in structured laboratories and on live projects. The building trades programs are known for the beautiful homes constructed in Wellsville and in addition, the building trades programs conduct several community projects each year, allowing local not-for-profits to complete projects for only the cost of materials.
Scholarships - The Foundation has been supporting student scholarships since its inception in 1946. Since 1993, the Foundation has funded Alfred State scholarships totaling approximately $3 million. The college recognizes and rewards outstanding students for their achievements in academics and vocational skills. Students receive scholarships for the duration of their academic careers, provided they maintain the required grade-point-average. Additionally, the Foundation supports college-wide retention efforts through retention scholarships. The Educational Foundation of Alfred, Inc. prides itself on recognizing and assisting deserving students to attain their long-term career goals through these scholarships.
Work Grant - The Educational Foundation of Alfred, Inc. provides $10,000 per year to fund seven to eight Alfred State students through its work-grant program, which allows students to work on campus and experience a variety of real-world situations.
Peer Tutoring - The ongoing support of the Education Foundation of Alfred, Inc. has greatly contributed to student success through a generous annual donation to peer tutoring. Alfred State's peer tutoring program has fulfilled more than 400 student requests in the last three years, providing more than 2,200 hours of support. Students receiving support through peer tutoring have earned a significantly higher GPA (1.12 GPA points on average higher) and report through student surveys a "stronger confidence in the course material."
Student Organization Support - The Foundation contributes support to projects undertaken by students and the campuses. Recent projects include partial support for student participation in the Mini Baja competition, the Bonneville Salt Flats Speed Week competition, and Fireball Run. The Educational Foundation also supports the annual end-of-the-year Hog Wild Day event on the Wellsville campus. Additional projects have included funding for a student photovoltaic solar lighting project at the National Arboretum and partial support for participation in the National SkillsUSA competitions.
Wellsville Campus Beautification Projects - The Foundation supports the architectural master plan for the beautification of the Applied Technology campus. This plan includes facility improvements, such as the Student Activities Center, new facilities, and updated parking areas. General campus beautification efforts also include landscaping, designing sidewalks and feature elements so the views of the surrounding hills have maximum impact, planting of trees, improving exterior spaces, new signage, building entrances, and a timber frame arbor. Much of this work has been and will continue to be accomplished through the efforts of students, affording even more opportunity for hands-on, project-based learning.
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