The William C. Hine Distinguished Service Award honors Chapter Councilors for their commitment to promoting lifelong learning, dedication to serving adult learners, and leadership to the Alpha Sigma Lambda National Honor Society.
EMILY SNYDER
2019 William C. Hine Awardee

Emily Snyder directs all operations for the Office of Commuter Student Services and Off-Campus Living at Stony Brook University, which serves a commuter student population of over 15,000, approximately 10% of which are identified as non-traditional students/adult learners. Her work focuses heavily on building community and support services that encourage a vibrant and holistic college experience for this substantial cohort, with a spectrum of diverse needs and life circumstances. Offering this valuable group of students a “home away from home”, ways to connect with others who are sharing a similar student experience, and opportunities to be recognized has brought tremendous pride in and confirmation of the importance of this work. Emily’s goal is to connect with the institution’s non-traditional population as early on in their academic journey as possible, a primary motivator while she collaborated to create the University’s non-traditional student specific orientation experience.

Emily established the Phi Omega chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda in 2011, which has provided an essential platform to highlight the incredible academic achievements of Stony Brook University’s adult learners. Engaging adult learners in campus life and fostering relationships with and among the non-traditional student population has been tremendously rewarding, and energizes and inspires Emily to continue her work with and for this demographic. She is eager to support Alpha Sigma Lambda’s Board of Directors this year and to provide any insight that may be helpful to chapters across the country.

To contact Emily email: wchawardee@alphasigmalambda.org

“One of Snyder’s most notable contributions to non-traditional student support was her involvement in the creation of the Non-Traditional Student Orientation Experience, held as part of new student orientation, which launched in 2012. This program introduces students to support services prior to their first semester and offers them a chance to ask questions to a panel of peers comprised of alumni and returning non-traditional students. Students also have the chance to start building community with one another and to network with advocates across campus.”

To this day Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society is not only the oldest but also the largest, chapter-based honor society for full- and part-time students. Its purpose is to provide an association which recognizes academically outstanding adult* students in higher education who come together to celebrate scholarship and leadership. Establish a chapter at your learning institution, honoring the academic accomplishments of adult learners and offer nontraditional students a chance to apply for yearly Alpha Sigma Lambda Scholarships.