It's not how you start... it's where you finish
Institutional Profile
SUNY EOCs represents a system of enterprises that serve eligible adult learners. Our EOCs deliver comprehensive, community based academic and workforce development programs. Further, we provide supportive services to students and community residents that lead to enhanced employment opportunities, access to further education, personal growth and development.
Our Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center (Buffalo EOC) is committed to providing an educational and personal growth experience that annually empowers over 1,900 students to realize their dreams and turn efforts into achievements.
In 2013, the Buffalo EOC moved to its new downtown state-of-the-art Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) facility as a part of the University at Buffalo’s Gateway Complex. Locating the Buffalo EOC in downtown allows the University to extend its resources and footprint in the city’s downtown community.
For 44+ years, the Buffalo EOC has made a difference in the lives of thousands of students and community residents alike throughout our Western New York communities. Eighty Four (84) Buffalo EOC faculty and support staff have provided educational and training programs facilitating personal empowerment and economic self-sufficiency to members of our service community. Our range of instructional programs are managed by these talented and highly capable individuals. The Center further supports its students and refers them to support service organizations throughout the community, when appropriate, as these referrals enhance student retention in our programs. The Buffalo EOC carries forth a rich tradition of commitment and dedication to its mission and to the students that we serve.
Our Buffalo EOC relies on multiple community, corporate, and educational collaborations to meet the needs of our students. These collaborations open access and opportunity for students and offer significant resources and job training.
Our diverse student body comprises individuals age 17 to those past retirement age. Our students rely on a full complement of life experiences that enable them success in their pursuit of educational opportunity and vocational job training.
The Buffalo EOC offers students the opportunity to obtain industry-recognized certification upon completion of many of their vocational training programs. Businesses value job applicants who obtain these certifications, as they enhance the employability of the workforce they seek to employ. In addition, through a special legislative appropriation, the Buffalo EOC coordinates the delivery of accessible computer technology via two (2) Advanced Training and Information Network (ATTAIN) Labs: The Arthur O. Eve ATTAIN Lab at the Martha Mitchell Community Center which is part of the Buffalo Municipal Housing Development, and a second Lab is housed at the Buffalo EOC. These Labs were developed for the disadvantaged communities of Buffalo and Western New York so that they can keep pace with the technology-driven digital age we live in. The Buffalo EOC also offers its community partner participants training and certification for the National Work Readiness Credential, an industry-recognized skills profile and assessment tool that measures employee ‘soft skills’ for the work place.
Our students who are enrolled in vocational-technical programming, are required to satisfy an externship commitment as part of their program completion requirements. In addition, all students are exposed to opportunities that encourage them to participate in college campus tours, student engagement activities, career fairs, and job seeking related events.
In all, we have efficiently harnessed the resources of the State of New York and effectively supported the public mission of the State University of New York. Those of us who are members of the Buffalo EOC community carry a deep commitment to our constituency, share pride in the work that we accomplish, and are visibly committed to excellence.
