About the University - University at Albany-SUNY

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# About the University

#### Senior Administrative Officers

Robert J. Jones, President
James R. Stellar, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
Leanne Wirkkula, Chief of Staff
Michael N. Christakis, Interim Vice President for Student Success
James A. Dias, Vice President for Research
Christine Haile, Chief Information Officer
Tamra Minor, Chief Diversity Officer and Assistant Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion
John H. Reilly, Senior Counsel
Fardin Sanai, Vice President for University Development
James R. Van Voorst, Vice President for Finance and Business

#### 2014-2015 University Council Members

Michael J. Castellana, (Chair) Guilderland
Pierre L. Alric, (Vice-Chair) Schenectady
Robert P. Balachandran, Esq., New York City
Patricia A. Caldwell, New York City
James M. Clancy, Delmar
Mark Eagan, Menands
John R. Fallon, Jr., Esq., New York City
James O. Jackson, Albany
Abner JeanPierre, Latham
Nick Butler (Student Member), Binghamton
Faculty Representative
Cynthia Fox, Glenmont
Graduate Student Representative
Bryant E. Barksdale, Amsterdam
Alumni Representative
Timothy P. Murphy, Ballston Lake

#### Undergraduate Education

Jeanette Altarriba, Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education
Jeffrey J. Haugaard, Associate Vice Provost and Honors College Director
Richard S. Fogarty, Associate Dean for General Education

#### About the University

Located in New York's capital city, the University at Albany offers its more than 17,000 students the expansive opportunities of a major research university and an environment designed to foster success.

Students choose from 120 undergraduate majors and minors and 137 graduate programs that prepare them to succeed in a wide range of fields.

Life-Enhancing Research and Scholarship

In every area of study, students are instructed by faculty who are world-class scholars and teachers ─ many actively engaged in life-enhancing research that contributes profoundly to the public good. As mentors, they provide numerous student-research opportunities at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, inspiring students to advance their skills and aspirations.

More than 500 Ways to Study Abroad

UAlbany students take advantage of the more than 500 study abroad opportunities in over 50 countries available through the UAlbany and SUNY networks. These are valuable opportunities for young scholars to enhance their education, increase independence and self-awareness, and gain international experience that prepares them for today's global marketplace.

Diversity that Enriches Learning

The varied perspectives and life experiences of a student body and faculty which represent more than 100 nations provide a diversity that enriches learning at UAlbany.

Excellence at a Great Value

The excellence of a UAlbany education is recognized by many independent sources, such as the rankings published yearly by U.S. News and World Report. Its great value results from the world of opportunities that are available to students at an affordable price.

Strategic Location

The University's location in the state capital of New York provides students with limitless opportunities for internships and public service through which they gain experience, test their skills, and prepare to launch brilliant careers. The area is also a vibrant center for culture and entertainment. Among its attractions are the New York State Museum and Library and the Times Union Center, a major Northeast entertainment and sports venue. Close by are the Berkshires, the Catskills, Saratoga, and the Adirondack Mountains, areas famed for recreational and cultural opportunities.

Nationally Renowned Programs

U.S. News and World Report's latest rankings places many of our graduate programs among the top 50 in the United States. This includes programs in clinical psychology, criminal justice, library and information studies, public affairs, public health, sociology and social work. And our School of Business was ranked #1 by U.S. News for its outstanding MBA student job placement record for a second year in a row.

Accreditation

The University is chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State, which has registered all of its degrees and programs and fully approved its professional programs through the State Education Department. UAlbany is also a member of the Council of Graduate Schools in the U.S., and is fully accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education. UAlbany enjoys specialized program accreditation from the following accreditors:

- American Chemical Society
- American Library Association
- American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- Council on Education for Public Health
- Council on Social Work Education
- National Association of School Psychologists
- National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration
- New York State Office of Professions
- Planning Accreditation Board
- Teacher Education Accreditation Council, Accreditation Committee

Organization

The University enrolls students in eight degree-granting schools and colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Computing and Information, Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, School of Business, School of Criminal Justice, School of Education, School of Public Health, and School of Social Welfare. The Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Office of the Vice President for Research jointly work with the academic units in curricular and research areas.

The Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education is responsible for the coordination of the academic experience of undergraduate students and works closely with the deans and faculty of the individual schools and colleges in developing, coordinating, and implementing undergraduate academic policy and curricula. Non-degree study at the undergraduate level is coordinated by the Office of General Studies.

The Campuses

The Uptown Campus, the University’s main campus, is located at 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, and has been described as “a distinctive work of modern art.” Designed in 1961-62 by renowned American architect Edward Durell Stone (1902-1978), the campus reflects Stone’s signature style of bold unified design, expressed by its towers, domes, fountains, soaring colonnades and sweeping canopy. The result is dramatically different from traditional university campuses with dispersed buildings and disparate architectural styles. In recent years, an aggressive program of new construction has expanded the Uptown Campus with a second major library facility (the Science Library), a Life Sciences Research Building, a sculpture studio, apartment-style residence halls, and a new administration building. A new home of the School of Business opened in the fall of 2013. Expansion and renovation of the Campus Center are currently underway.

The Uptown Campus also features the Performing Arts Center — boasting several theatres, recital halls, and rehearsal instructional space — and the University Art Museum, one of the finest regional museums in the Northeast.

Each of four residence quadrangles on the Uptown Campus house approximately 1,200 students and include eight three-story halls and a 23-story tower. Each quadrangle also has lounges, recreation areas and dining facilities. Nearby Freedom Apartments has apartment-style living, and Empire Commons provides single-room apartment-style living for 1,200 students. Liberty Terrace opened in Fall 2012 and provides another 500 new apartment-style beds. Housing is also available on Alumni Quadrangle, located near the Downtown Campus.

Other special facilities on the Uptown Campus include a National Weather Service meteorological laboratory, a linear accelerator for physics research, and a new Data Center that supports high-performance computing and networking. The hub of student activity is the Campus Center, which is being expanded by 76,000 square feet. It currently includes lounges, meeting and dining rooms, a ballroom, a cafeteria, banking facilities, a convenience store, a Barnes & Noble bookstore, and a variety of fast-food eateries.

Outdoor recreation facilities include lighted tennis courts, basketball and volleyball courts, and several multipurpose playing areas.

Indoor athletic facilities are dominated by the SEFCU Arena. With an arena seating capacity of nearly 4,800, the facility is home to NCAA Division I Great Dane basketball, and also houses a running track, a modern fitness center, a fully equipped athletic training complex with whirlpools and other rehabilitative equipment, two main locker rooms, and several smaller team locker rooms. All facilities are handicapped accessible and have designated seating areas for handicapped spectators. In the Physical Education Center are a pool, locker rooms, weight and wrestling rooms, a dance studio, and basketball, handball and squash courts.

A new 8,500-seat multi-sports stadium, home to football and men's and women's soccer, opened in the fall of 2013. The new home venue for UAlbany's championship track and field program opened in 2014. It features a nine-lane track surface, and complete reconditioning of the natural turf infield for field events.

The Downtown Campus is a classic Georgian-style complex that served from 1909-66 as the main campus. Recently renovated, it houses the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, the School of Criminal Justice, and the School of Social Welfare.

The East Campus, a former pharmaceutical complex purchased in 1996, marked UAlbany's expansion to Rensselaer County. It is home to the School of Public Health, the Cancer Research Center, and established and start-up biotech firms.

Libraries

Three campus libraries comprise the University Libraries, which house more than two million print volumes and provide access to hundreds of thousands of online resources. As a member of the Association of Research Libraries, UAlbany's Libraries rank among the largest and most comprehensive research libraries in North America. Users from around the world access services and collections through the Libraries' online systems and website, library.albany.edu. The 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.

Two of the campus libraries, the University Library and the Science Library, are located on the Uptown Campus. The third, the Dewey Graduate Library, is on the Downtown Campus.

University Library contains the largest collection of circulating volumes, the Interactive Media Center, a collection of computer hardware and software that support the curriculum, and the Government Documents Collection, a selective depository for U.S. documents. The Science Library houses the M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives. The Dewey Graduate Library supports graduate research in the fields of public affairs, public administration and policy, criminal justice, political science, social welfare, and information science and policy.

Information Technology Services (ITS)

Information Technology Services offers a sophisticated IT environment commensurate with UAlbany's position as a nationally recognized public research university. This environment includes an extensive array of technology systems, services, tools and training for students, faculty and staff. These resources are designed to enrich learning experiences and advance UAlbany's teaching, service, and research programs. ITS manages UAlbany's state-of-the-art Data Center.

For more information, visit the ITS website at www.albany.edu/its. Requests for assistance can be directed to the ITS HelpDesk. Visit LC 27, submit a Help request electronically at http://www.albany.edu/its/svc_help.php or call (518) 442-3700.

For more information concerning the rich history, traditions and achievements of the University at Albany, please visit the University’s website: http://www.albany.edu.

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### Schools & Colleges

- College of Arts & Sciences
- School of Business
- College of Computing & Information
- School of Criminal Justice
- School of Education
- Nanoscale Science & Engineering
- School of Public Health
- Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy
- School of Social Welfare