SUNY at Albany

SUNY at Albany Summary

University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (also known as University at Buffalo or simply UB) is a coeducational public research university having mutiple campuses located on in Buffalo and Amherst, New York, USA. Offering over 100 bachelor’s, 112 master’s and 98 doctoral degrees, it is the largest and most comprehensive campus of the four university centers within the State University of New York (SUNY) system. University at Buffalo, which identifies itself as the “Crown Jewel of SUNY”, houses the largest state-operated medical school and features the only state law school, architecture and urban planning school, and pharmacy school in the state of New York. Fillmore’s name now graces the evening and continuing education school Millard Fillmore College located on the South Campus as well as the Millard Fillmore Academic Center, an academic and administrative services building at the core of the residential Ellicott Complex, located on the North Campus. After many expansions to the college medical programs, including a pharmacy division, UB acquired the Buffalo Law School from Niagara University in 1891 and formed the School of Law. In 1909 the University acquired property (the “Erie County Almshouse”) from the county of Erie, which became the first building on what would later become UB’s initial comprehensive campus. In 1915, the University at Buffalo formed the College of Arts and Sciences, formally departing from their tradition of only teaching for licensed professional fields. In 1959, WBFO was launched as a simple AM radio station by UB’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and run by UB’s students. In the early 1960s, the University of Buffalo was purchased by and incorporated into the SUNY system. It has four main component: University at Buffalo will realign resources, make strategic investments, develop partnerships and recruit new faculty in accordance with their “Strategic Strengths.” University at Buffalo continues to expand its physical presence throughout Western New York. UB has a total student capacity estimated around 30,000 total students, a number which is quite common among other “super university” schools. The University at Buffalo is the largest public university in U.S. northeast (comprising New England and New York State). Student enrollment trends reported by the University at Buffalo’s Office of Academic Planning and Budget reflect UB’s growing student population: UB is in the early stages of a master planning process (known as UB 2020) that is aims to add 10,000 students and 750 faculty members over the next fifteen years. Since early 1998, the State University of New York at Buffalo form has evolved, and there are three names deemed acceptable by the university according to “University at Buffalo Visual Identity”, with a fourth acceptable for reference to athletic programs: The nomenclature change was enacted to clarify the position of the University at Buffalo as one of the leading doctoral-awarding, research-extensive universities within the SUNY system. University at Buffalo is the state’s largest and most comprehensive public university and is spread across three campuses: North Campus, South Campus, and Downtown Campus. Many academic programs, including the entirety of the College of Arts and Sciences, the University at Buffalo Law School, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the School of Management, the School of Pharmacy, the School of Informatics, the Graduate School of Social Work, and the Graduate School of Education, as well as virtually every administrative office and the Lockwood Memorial Library are located at the North Campus in Amherst Township, NY. UB has facilitated the creation of a system of inter-campus buses providing 20 hours a day transportation from the North Campus in Amherst township to the South Campus on Main Street in Buffalo (a distance of 4 miles), and is solely responsible for running the UB transit system. The initial campus located at the edge of the northeastern most part of Buffalo NY, is now the South Campus of the University at Buffalo. Today, it is the home of some of the University’s specialized academic programs including the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the School of Public Health and Related Professions, the School of Nursing, the School of Dental Medicine, and the School of Architecture and Urban Planning. In addition, the University at Buffalo South Campus is the home of the WBFO radio station, the University’s biomedical science research complex, the Health Sciences Library and certain administrative offices. Adjacent to the UB South Campus is the UB Anderson Art Gallery, a former elementary school converted with an all-glass atrium exhibit space. Buffalo University is also one of only two public schools in New York to have a medical school and a dental school, the other being the State University of New York at Stony Brook. The only three private schools in New York to have both a medical school and a dental school are University of Rochester (see: University of Rochester Medical Center), New York University (see: New York University College of Dentistry), and Columbia University (see: Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery). In September of 2006, the 14th Dalai Lama came to the University at Buffalo for a three-day visit to speak about world peace and to meet with select groups of students. Those locations are generally situated in the University Heights district of Buffalo, and other areas close to the North and South Campuses.

Summary content courtesy of Wikipedia.

SUNY at Albany History

The State University of New York is a 64 campus system with a total enrollment of more than 413,000. It was officially founded in 1948 when 29 different colleges statewide were consolidated into a single university system. The campuses are divided into four different types: university center and doctoral granting institutions, university colleges, technology colleges, and community colleges. The mission statement for the university as a whole states that, “The mission of the state university system shall be to provide to the people of New York educational services of the highest quality, with the broadest possible access, fully representative of all segments of the population in a complete range of academic, professional and vocational postsecondary programs including such additional activities in pursuit of these objectives as are necessary or customary.” It is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

Among the university centers and doctoral degree granting institutions are those located in Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo (called the “University at Buffalo”), Syracuse, and Stony Brook. The College of Optometry is located in New York City, the Downstate Medical Center is in Brooklyn, and the Upstate Medical University is in Syracuse. Several colleges within Cornell University are partnered with SUNY to provide doctoral or professional degrees. The New York State College of Ceramics is located within Alfred University.

There are 13 university colleges, which have graduate and undergraduate programs and are located in Brockport, Cortland, Buffalo, Fredonia, Genesee, New Platz, Old Westbury, Oneonta, Oswego, Plattsburgh, Potsdam, Purchase, and Saratoga Springs. The Saratoga Springs campus is known as Empire State College.

Technology colleges include the Maritime College in Throgs Neck near New York City and other campuses in Alfred, Canton, Cobleskill, Delhi, Farmingdale, and Morrisville. The SUNY Institute of Technology is located in Utica.

SUNY at Albany Academics

There are over 5000 academic programs, including certificate, associate, bachelors, graduate, and professional programs. There are Honors programs at most of the university centers and university colleges. All undergraduates are required to complete General Education Requirements in mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, American history, Western civilization, other world civilizations, humanities, the arts, foreign language, and basic communication. Some of the degree programs do not have a language requirement.

Some of the more specialized programs in the SUNY system include the College of Optometry and the medical schools, the Veterinary Medicine Program at Cornell, the Ceramics program at Alfred University, the College of Environmental Science & Forestry at Syracuse, and the Maritime College.

SUNY at Albany Financial Aid

Tuition was $4,350 for the 2004-2005 academic year for in-state undergraduate students at most campuses; fees vary with the campus. Graduate students, professional students, and students from out of state have higher tuition rates. Associate degrees and community colleges were $2,723 for the 2004-2005 academic year. Financial aid is available in the form of grants, scholarships, loans, and employment. 75% of the students in the system receive some form of financial aid. Students who seek financial aid will need to fill out the Federal Student Financial Aid Form, available on-line.

Graduate students may also receive financial aid in the form of teaching or research assistantships, including a stipend and a waiver of some or all of the tuition and other fees. Graduate students should consult with their individual department about what sort of assistantships or fellowships are available and about the details of the application process.