University at Albany, The State University of New York
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The University at Albany, The State University of New York, or simply the University at Albany, located in Albany, New York, USA, is one of four university centers of the State University of New York.
Established in 1844 as a normal school, it evolved into a four-year institution and was officially renamed to the New York State College for Teachers in 1914. The college merged with the other state teaching colleges into the SUNY system in 1948 and became a University Center in 1962. Currently, the University comprises three campuses, 11,953 undergraduates, 5,473 graduate students, and a faculty of about 650.
The school's name is abbreviated UAlbany. Prior to that, it had gone by the names: Albany State, SUNY Albany and SUNY A.
Colleges and schools
The university comprises nine colleges and schools:
College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences, comprising 25 departments and 59 programs, forms the largest academic division at the university.
Departments of the College of Arts and Sciences include Africana Studies, Anthropology, Art, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Classics, Communication, Earth and Atmospheric Science, East Asian Studies, Economics, English, Geography and Planning, History, Judaic Studies, Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Mathematics and Statistics, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, Theatre, and Women's Studies.
College of Computing and Information
The College of Computing and Information at the University at Albany, State University of New York, was created in 2005.
It is composed of three founding faculties:
- The Department of Information Studies (previously known as the School of Information Science and Policy), which offers programs in library and information science, including an American Library Association-accredited Master-level program suitable for later work as a librarian.
- The Department of Computer Science.
- The Faculty of Informatics (the home of campus-wide inter-disciplinary Ph.D. Program in Information Science and the IT Commons).
The College of Computing and Information commits itself to supporting world-class, discipline-based research and educational programs related to computing and information.
Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy
The Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, named for former US Vice President and Governor of New York Nelson Rockefeller, was created in 1981 and is home to the university's Departments of Political Science and Public Administration and Policy.
Rockefeller College offers degree programs that range from bachelor's level study in Political Science and Public Policy, to masters programs in Political Science, Public Administration and Public Policy, to doctorates in Political Science and Public Administration. Research centers within the College include the Center for Legislative Development, the Center for Policy Research, the Center for Women in Government & Civil Society, and the Institute for Traffic Safety Management & Research. University Centers such as the Center for Technology in Government also work collaboratively with Rockefeller College faculty and students on key issues facing governments and nonprofits.
In U.S. News and World Report magazine's America's Best Graduate Schools 2005 Edition, Rockefeller college was ranked 10th overall, 4th in "Information technology & management," and 6th in "Public administration & management" out of 253 schools of public affairs.
School of Business
The School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
The School of Business is one of the more difficult schools to enter into with a strict 3.0 Grade Point Average requirement and numerous pre-requisite courses. Undergraduates in the School of Business graduates with a Bachelors of Science in either Business Administration or Accounting. Business Administration majors concentrate in one of four fields, Finance, Marketing, Information Technology Management (ITM, formerly Management Systems Information Science, or, MSIS), or Management. Students are also permitted to combine concentrations as to further expand their knowledge and education. Both Accounting and Business Administration majors are 60 credit majors, as opposed to the normal 40 credit majors in nearly every other field.
The School of Business also offers Masters and Doctoral level courses of study.
The current dean of the School of Business is Paul A. Leonard, Ph.D., who was formerly a professor of finance with a long history in Bond and Bond Analysis, and Municipal Lending.
School of Criminal Justice
The School of Criminal Justice was formed in 1966, and covers all aspects of criminal justice. The School was ranked #2 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report
School of Education
The School of Education is home to the Departments of Educational Administration and Policy Studies, Educational and Counseling Psychology, Educational Theory and Practice, and Reading.
School of Nanosciences and Nanoengineering
The School of Nanosciences and Nanoengineering deals with the growing field of nanotechnology.
School of Public Health
The School of Public Health was created in 1985, and offers programs in biomedical sciences, biometry and statistics, environmental health and toxicology, epidemiology, and health policy, management, and behavior. It is accredited through the Council on Education for Public Health. Through a partnership with the New York State Department of Health, the School offers a research oriented approach for faculty, and valuable professional experiences for students. Degrees offered include MPH, MS, DrPH and PhD in four academic departments.
Research interests of over 200 doctoral-level faculty include AIDS, GIS, maternal and child health, hospital epidemiology, infectious diseases, environmental and occupational health, eldercare, minority health and health disparities.
School of Social Welfare
The School of Social Welfare was created in 1965, and offers programs in Social Work.
Campuses
Uptown campus
Image:Ualbany uptown front 01.jpg
The main (Uptown) campus, located at 1400 Washington Avenue, is Modernist in style and based on a symmetrical plan. All of the campus' academic buildings are on the "Podium" in the center of campus (which is the second-largest poured concrete structure in the world; only the Pentagon is larger). The uptown campus is also known for its large fountain centerpiece.
The uptown campus is home to six of the university's seven dormitory complexes. Four of these—Indian Quad, Dutch Quad, Colonial Quad, and State Quad—sit at the Podium's corners; each consists of eight three-story low-rise buildings encircling a 22-story tower. The other two, Freedom Quad and Empire Commons, are reserved for juniors, seniors, graduate students, or those at least 21 years of age (though Freedom Quad is home to some athletes and foreign students regardless of year); these are "apartment-style" and include kitchens, washers and dryers.
The uptown campus is also home to two of the university's three libraries, the University Library and the Science Library.
Downtown campus
The Downtown campus, located at 135 Western Avenue, is the site of the original New York State College for Teachers. Construction began in 1909 on the first two buildings, Draper and Husted halls, after the previous location had burned down. Later editions to the campus were Richardson Hall, Paige Hall, Milne hall and Hawley Hall, along with additions to Draper and Richardson halls.
It is home to the University's Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, School of Criminal Justice, College of Computing and Information, and School of Social Welfare. The downtown campus is also home to one of the university's three libraries, the Thomas E. Dewey Graduate Library, located in Hawley Hall.
The Downtown campus is located just one mile uptown from the State Capitol building and Empire State Plaza.
Alumni Quad, one of the university's seven dormitory complexes, is a short distance away from the downtown campus. The quad is usually reserved for transfer students and foreign exchange students (who are placed in Waterbury Hall).
East campus
The East campus, located in East Greenbush, New York, is home to the School of Public Health.
Noted faculty
- Gordon G. Gallup, Evolutionary psychologist; developed the mirror test.
- Thomas Galvin, Pioneering Information Science scholar.
- William Kennedy, Pulitzer Prize-winning professor, William Kennedy, taught creative writing and journalism as an instructor from 1974 to 1982 at the University. In 1983, Kennedy was awarded the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. Part of that award went to the institution of Kennedy's choice, which was UAlbany. The University made a commitment to match the funds he donated—fifteen thousand dollars for five years (each), to create a writers institute. The following year, Governor Mario M. Cuomo signed into law the legislation creating the New York State Writers Institute.
- Jon Mandle, Philosopher. Author of several books. Chair of Philosophy Department.
- Paul Pimsleur (deceased), Linguist and educator. Author of Pimsleur Language Series.
- Richard E. Stearns, Turing award winner for computational complexity theory.
- Bernard Vonnegut (deceased), Atmospheric scientist. Older brother of author Kurt Vonnegut.
Noted alumni
- Chuck Bennett (1997), Reporter, amNewYork amNewYork
- Mike Clancy (1994), City Editor, amNewYork amNewYork
- Dr. Tom Clarke (1973), former president and CEO of Nike, Inc.
- Randy Cohen (B.A., Music 1971), former writer for Late Night with David Letterman, currently writes 'The Ethicist' column for The New York Times Magazine and regularly answers ethical questions from listeners of All Things Considered
- Harold Gould (1947), actor ("The Sting", "Rhoda", "Golden Girls")
- Steve Guttenberg, actor ("Police Academy," "Three Men and a Baby," "Cocoon")
- John Kourakos (B.S. 1971), president of Tommy Jeans
- Phil Lewis (B.A. 1986), sportcasting great
- Gregory Maguire, author of the books Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and Wicked (which was made into a Broadway musical)
- Harvey Milk (1951), gay rights figure, former San Francisco city supervisor
- Susan Molinari (B.A. 1980, M.A. 1982), former congressperson,
- Joseph Persico famous author and historian
- Norman E. Snyder Co-Founder of SoBe
Athletics
The school's sports teams are called the Great Danes and, with one exception, participate in Division I sports in the America East Conference; the one exception, football, participates in the division I-AA Northeast Conference.
On March 11, 2006, the men's basketball team won the America East conference tournament, earning the school (and the SUNY system) its first ever berth to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The Danes were seeded #16 in the Washington, DC region and were matched up against top-seeded UConn.
On Friday, March 17th, 2006, the Danes nearly became the first #16 seed to defeat a #1 seed in the Division I tournament (#16 seeds were 0-87 before Albany took the floor). The Danes, down only 1 at the half, went on a 13-0 run early in the second half to take a double-digit lead over the Huskies. With almost the entire nation watching on CBS, the Danes lead 50-38 with just over 11 minutes left in the game. Ultimately, the Huskies' stifling defense stopped the Danes' offense, and the Huskies averted the upset, winning 72-59.
The University has hosted the New York Giants summer training camp since 1996.
Libraries
The University at Albany Libraries provide over two million volumes. Users from around the world can access services and collections through the Libraries' online systems and website. The university's libraries offer a program of information literacy and user education with instruction that ranges from a focus on traditional bibliographic access to collaborative classes integrated into the curriculum.
Miscellaneous
The school's colors are purple and gold.
Transportation on the uptown campus, and between campuses, is partially facilitated by buses run by the university and by the Capital District Transportation Authority.
In academic years ending in 1998 and 2004, the Princeton Review ranked UAlbany as "The #1 Party School in America." This ranking is contested by the University which claims that the ranking is based upon a non-scientific survey, and that the reality of the school is more academic.
On the University Seal is Minerva, the Roman goddess of crafts and wisdom. But because Minerva was also identified with the Greek goddess Athena, she also became the goddess of war and victory. This famous statue and landmark for all at the University at Albany is presently on display in the Uptown Campus' Electronic Library foyer. While there is no official record of where the statue of Minerva came from, remembrances have it that the statue was purchased with funds from a $1 student fee collected for make-up exams.
As UAlbany is located in the capital city of New York State, and is one of the four University Centers of New York, its unofficial nickname is the "College of the Empire State," which is in the first line of the University's Alma Mater.
UAlbany is also home to one of the oldest independent college newspapers in the nation, the Albany Student Press. Published continuously since 1916, the newspaper has a circulation of over 10,000 and serves the students and surrounding area.
External links
- University at Albany
- Downtown Campus
- East Campus
- UAlbany Athletics, website of the Great Danes, UAlbany's sports teams
- The New York State Writers Institute, located and housed at UAlbany
- UAlbany Hillel, Jewish group on campus at UAlbany