The State University of New York College at Old Westbury is a public college that is part of the State University of New York system. The college is in Old Westbury, New York, with portions in the neighboring town of Jericho, New York. With nearly 4,500 students, SUNY College at Old Westbury serves as the only public liberal arts college on Long Island.
History
The State University of New York College at Old Westbury was founded in 1965 by the State University of New York Board of Trustees. It began in 1968 at Planting Fields, the former Coe Estate and arboretum in Oyster Bay, New York. In 1971, the College moved to its present Old Westbury site in Nassau County on Long Island â€" an estate, known as "Broad Hollow," formerly owned by agriculturist, industrialist, sportsman and philanthropist F. Ambrose Clark.
Academics
There are over 50 degrees available at the college.
Of the College’s 160 full-time professors, approximately 80% hold the highest degree in their discipline. Eight members of the faculty have been named Distinguished Teaching or Service Professors by the State University of New York, which are among the highest ranks available in the University system.
Old Westbury faculty members are engaged in research, publication, and public service. In the 2009-10 academic year, the College faculty earned approximately $1,345,000 in research and service funding from such sources as the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Institutes for Health.
Academic offerings are housed in three schools.
- The School of Arts and Sciences is home to the following departments: American Studies/Media & Communications; Biological Sciences; Chemistry and Physics; English; History and Philosophy; Mathematics, Computer and Information Science; Modern Languages; Politics, Economics and Law; Industrial and Labor Relations; Psychology; Sociology, which offers the BS in Criminology, and the BS and the BA in Sociology; and Visual Arts.
- The School of Business is composed of the Accounting, Taxation and Business Law Department; and the Management, Marketing and Finance Department.
- The School of Education in 2006 was accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, which describes itself as "the profession’s mechanism to help establish high quality teacher preparation."
The College's current president is Calvin O. Butts, III.
Four-day school week
The college's school week runs on a Mondayâ€"Thursday schedule, instead of Mondayâ€"Friday as at most colleges and universities. Students taking science courses usually (but not always) have labs scheduled on Fridays.
The College also has a "dry campus" policy â€" no alcohol allowed.
Student government
The Old Westbury Student Government Association consists of an Executive Board which includes a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, public relations officer, executive staff officer and a governor of social affairs who is responsible for managing clubs and organizations on campus as well as organizing student activities. The Student Government also has a student senate and a judicial court.
In addition, there are many clubs and organizations on campus serving student interests. For a full list, visit http://www.oldwestbury.edu/life/csli
Media and print
The College's media outlets include Old Westbury Web Radio (aired online and via FM signal on campus), the College's on-campus television station, and The Catalyst, the student newspaper. OWWR, the campus webcasting station, also has its own online news department hosting a weekly newscast and posting short news items, campus events, and podcasts on Web Radio News.
Athletics
SUNY Old Westbury teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III. The Panthers are a member of the Skyline Conference. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and swimming & diving; while women's sports include basketball, cheerleading, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving and volleyball.
Athletic facilities
The F. Ambrose Clark Physical Education & Recreation Center, aka the Clark Athletic Center, houses a 25-meter swimming pool; a gymnasium with seating for 2,000; a strength and conditioning facility; and an aerobic workout room complete with physical fitness accessories.
The Clark Center is a venue for the Nassau County, New York high school men's basketball playoffs as well as some women's tournament games. The events are shown on local Cablevision TV outlets News 12 Long Island and Telecare. Other Nassau high school basketball events are staged at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University's Pratt Center, north of the Clark Center in the neighboring region of Brookville, New York.
The neighboring Jackie Robinson Athletic Complex, dedicated in 2006, adjoins the Clark Center. It includes a baseball stadium and softball field. The baseball stadium seatings more than 1,000 fans and a press box is available for game announcers and media personnel. Lights designed to meet NCAA tournament specifications offer one of the few outlets for night baseball in Nassau County.
The College features two soccer fields, eight tennis courts, and two outdoor recreational basketball courts. Runners in cross country competition train on European-styled courses that traverse Old Westbury’s 604-acre (2.44 km2) wooded campus.
Greek life
Notable alumni
- Craig S. Harris (trombonist), Noted avant garde jazz musician .
- John McTiernan, Producer: Predator, Die Hard 1 & 2, Thomas Crown Affair and Hunt for Red October
- David Liederman, Founder David's Cookies
- Maryann DeLeo, Academy Award Winning Documentary 2004: Chernobyl Heart
- Andrea Navedo, Actress: Jane the Virgin, Superfast! and Bright
References
External links
- Official website
- Official athletics website