MCC Daily Tribune
SUNY Chancellor King Announces Launch of Neurodiversity Training for SUNY Student Leaders
Training Program Will Also Launch on April 30 for SUNY Faculty, Residential Life Staff, and Orientation Leaders
Furthers SUNY’s Commitment to Accessibility and Inclusivity Throughout the SUNY System
Albany, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced Wednesday the launch of neurodiversity training for student leaders. The training, developed by Universal Design for Learning at SUNY, in collaboration with Empire State University’s Center for Autism, Advocacy, Research, Education, and Supports (CAARES) and the SUNY Center for Professional Development, will also be available for SUNY faculty, residential life staff, and orientation leaders at all campuses throughout the SUNY System.
"There is a place at SUNY for every student, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible environment for all students on our campuses,” SUNY Chancellor King said. “Ensuring that our students feel supported is a vital part of SUNY’s commitment to student success. This training program will help ensure our student leaders, and campus faculty and staff are equipped with the tools to support neurodiverse students throughout their academic journeys.”
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “SUNY is proud to provide a welcoming and accessible environment on all of our campuses for our students with disabilities. The launch of this new training will play an important role in advancing our commitment to accessibility and inclusivity, and we thank Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature for their continued support of accessibility at SUNY.”
The training will consist of four self-paced online modules covering topics including an introduction to disability and neurodiversity, legal frameworks and campus resources, supporting neurodiversity in digital environments, and practical strategies for supporting neurodiversity. The first version of the training will launch on April 30 to all SUNY Campuses, with a focus on providing support for SUNY faculty, residential life staff, orientation leaders, and student leaders.
State Senator Patricia Fahy said, “This additional training is critical towards improving inclusivity in the SUNY system, and it will inevitably lead to more higher education access to students with disabilities. A SUNY workforce environment trained by UDL at SUNY, CAARES, and the SUNY Center for Professional Development will help more students with developmental disabilities succeed. Thanks to the Trump administration's budget cuts, we are seeing reductions funding that complement the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Those changes would eliminate funding in client assistance, training, supported employment, and advocacy. Under Governor Hochul's leadership and the creative minds at SUNY, we're working to alleviate those cuts and invest in New Yorkers living with disabilities. I'm so grateful to Chancellor King and SUNY for making this a priority by continuing to invest in these effective programs.”
State Assemblymember Angelo Santabarbara, Chair of the Committee on People with Disabilities, said, “This is about more than training—it’s about whether students with disabilities are truly supported in their day-to-day experience on campus. When student leaders, resident assistants, and faculty understand neurodiversity, it reduces barriers and creates a more responsive campus environment. That’s exactly the kind of approach I’ve been pushing for—making sure access and inclusion are built into how systems operate, not treated as an afterthought.”
State Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon said, “This new training recognized that neurodiversity is not a challenge to overcome, but a strength to be embraced. By equipping student leaders, faculty, and staff with the tools to better understand and respond to neurodiverse needs, SUNY is strengthening a culture of inclusion across its campuses. Thank you SUNY for your continued commitment to supporting students.”
The development of the training modules leveraged a vast network and experts from across the SUNY System that have worked with Universal Design for Learning at SUNY, led by Universal Design for Learning at SUNY Associate Director Dr. Christopher D. Hromalik, since 2021, including Empire State University’s Center for Autism Advocacy, Research, Education, and Supports (CAARES), and the SUNY Center for Professional Development.
The neurodiversity training for student leaders program, included in Chancellor King’s 2025 State of the University policy agenda, is part of SUNY’s ongoing commitment to accessibility and inclusivity throughout the SUNY System. In February, Chancellor King announced the expansion of SUNY’s Mental Health Internship Program, a workforce development initiative that provides paid, hands-on learning opportunities for community college students pursuing careers in mental and behavioral health. In December 2025, SUNY announced the launch of the SUNY Disability Support Leadership Institute to help foster the success of emerging campus leaders in supporting students with disabilities, as well as the second cohort of Accessibility Advocates and Allies Faculty Fellows to work to expand digital accessibility and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) practices across their campuses.
In her 2026 State of the State agenda, Governor Kathy Hochul directed SUNY to launch a number of initiatives to increase access to higher education for students with disabilities, including proposals to create a for-credit inclusive post-secondary education (IPSE) at a SUNY campus, and developing a formal transition from high school to college for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in four New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum.
Veronica Chiesi Brown
Community Relations
04/30/2026