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The State University of New York at Geneseo—also known as SUNY Geneseo, the State University of New York College at Geneseo, or, colloquially, Geneseo State University—is located in Geneseo, Livingston County, New York. It is a constituent college of the State University of New York. The school began as the Wadsworth Normal and Training School, a "teacher's college" in 1871 and became a state liberal arts college in 1948.

Academics

This highly selective school is classified as a four-year public liberal arts college. Geneseo is consistently ranked as a top undergraduate college in the SUNY system. Geneseo has 48 undergraduate majors, six graduate programs (Master's only), and 25 interdisciplinary minors. Of these, Business Administration, Biology, Communications, Education, Political Science and Psychology are the most popular majors. The student population is approximately 5,000 with a student/faculty ratio of 17:1 and the average class size is 25. Nearly 90% of Geneseo's full time faculty holds a Ph.D. or other terminal degree.
The Humanities and Core
One of the differentiating hallmarks of SUNY Geneseo's curriculum is the requirement that each student take two 4 credit survey courses in western humanities in addition to a wide distribution of arts and sciences core courses. Humn 1 and Humn 2, as they are called, are taught by faculty members from various departments. Individual course syllabi share many historical, philosophical, and literary texts with other courses creating a common knowledge base within the undergraduate student body. A distribution of core courses in the humanities, languages, and sciences further ensures that Geneseo students are well versed in the liberal arts tradition of education.

Study Abroad
SUNY Geneseo also believes that a "study abroad" experience is an essential element of a quality liberal arts degree. 25% of Geneseo's students participate in Study Abroad programs either through the College or the SUNY system (21% above the national average.) One of Geneseo's most popular study abroad programs is its offering of Humanities I and II in either Rome, Italy, or Oxford University.

Administration
The current President of the College is Christopher Dahl, who is also a member of the English department faculty. Representative of Geneseo's dedication to undergraduate teaching, Dahl still teaches a course in British Romanticism every other fall semester.

Admissions

Geneseo is the most selective of the SUNY undergraduate colleges. There were 8861 applications made for positions in the Class of 2009. Admissions were offered to 3639 applicants. Generally, about 1000 students finally enroll in each class. For the Class of 2009 the middle 50% range of high school averages was 91.3 - 95.9, and the middle 50% range of SAT I scores was 1220 to 1350. 83% of the Class of 2009 graduated in the top 20% of their high school class. SUNY Geneseo Admissions Quick Facts, http://admissions.geneseo.edu/?pg=quick

National Distinction and Rankings

In 2006 Kiplinger's Personal Finance listed the college as the number one "Best Value Public College" in the nation for out-of-state students, and number seven in the nation for in-state residents. US News & World Report’s 2005 edition of Guide to America’s Best Colleges: Geneseo is ranked No. 12 in the category “Best Universities-Master’s” for all colleges, public or private, in the northern region. Geneseo is also ranked No. 2 among the top public universities in the north. Geneseo was ranked in the 2005 “Fiske Guide to Colleges,” a guide published annually by former New York Times Education Editor Edward B. Fiske. In the Fiske guide, Geneseo is highlighted as a “Best Buy” school, and is lauded for its academic programs, accessible professors and hometown atmosphere. The 2005 Princeton Review profiled Geneseo in the 2005 edition of “The Princeton Review’s Guide to the Best 357 Colleges,” and the college was ranked No. 3 on that publication’s list of “Best Bargains – Public” among all public colleges and universities nationwide.

Geneseo has been regularly profiled in at least one of these four major US college guides (Princeton Review, Kiplinger's, Fiske, US News and World Report) since 1985.

Other national distinctions include recognitions from Money Magazine and Yahoo! Internet Life's 100 "most wired" campuses list (#90 in 1998, #49 in 1999, and in 2000 the list was divided by type of school and Geneseo placed #82 in the "larger universities" category). Geneseo In National Publications, http://www.geneseo.edu/areas/national_pub_list.pdf.

Phi Beta Kappa
Geneseo has joined 270 colleges and universities in the nation with chapters of the oldest academic honor society in the United States, Phi Beta Kappa.Phi Beta Kappa Establishes Eight New Chapters, August 19, 2003, http://www.pbk.org/news/releases/newchapters_2003.htm Geneseo was the first SUNY undergraduate college to receive a chapter of ΦΒΚ.Geneseo Faculty Granted Charter for Phi Beta Kappa Chapter at the College: First Undergraduate Institution in SUNY To Achieve This Honor, August 26, 2003, http://www.geneseo.edu/news/nrap.php?pg=PhiBetaKappa.html SUNY's four university centers in Buffalo, Binghamton, Albany, and Stony Brook also have chapters, but Geneseo's entry into the elite fraternity is significant because of the difference in size, scope, and mission between a liberal arts college and a large research university. In April 2004 the inaugural ΦΒΚ class was inducted to Geneseo's Alpha-Gamma of New York chapter.

SUNY Rankings

All "SUNY schools" are actually a part of the same university system, the State University of New York. Despite this fact, different schools are radically different in character, program, quality, and prestige. SUNY, however, does not overtly rank its different schools. The lack of such an official ranking has resulted in contention between students and alumni of the different schools as to which is the "top" school at which one can earn a four year baccalaureate degree. Ultimately, this is difficult, if not impossible, to decide because of the difference between a research university (like UAlbany or Binghamton University) and a liberal arts college (like SUNY Geneseo or SUNY Fredonia). Of all of the schools in the system, SUNY Geneseo and Binghamton University consistently rank the highest in national publications. In the 2006 Kiplinger's report, for example, Geneseo and Binghamton University were both in the top 10 of the national 100 Public College Values list. These two schools cannot easily be compared head to head in academic rankings because of their categorical difference. Binghamton is a doctoral-granting research university and is ranked among like peers, and Geneseo is a master's-granting college. Geneseo has been dubbed a "Public Ivy", and also refers to itself as the "honors college" of the State University of New York, and is lobbying the SUNY system to be officially recognized as such. The "honors college" distinction denotes a small liberal arts college with highly selective admissions, small class sizes, and student centered teaching faculty and courses. The strengths of research universities are different, typically highlighting strong research agendas, publishing faculty, and larger size. Therefore, prospective students or interested parties seeking "the top" SUNY school should consider both national rankings and the type of institutional experience they are searching for, or value most.

The Campus

Overview
SUNY Geneseo is located on the east side of the Genesee Valley which gives the campus spectacular views and often remarkable sunsets. Letchworth State Park, sometimes known as the "Grand Canyon of the East" is located just five miles west of campus. The rural area and rolling countryside provide a serene, safe setting for a college community. Of the approximately 5,000 full time residents in Geneseo, some 70% work at, or are in some way affiliated with the College, making Geneseo truly a "college town."

The student body has a 3:2 female/male ratio, though for the first time in the College's history, the incoming class of 2005 had an even ratio. More than half the Town Fire Department and Emergency Squad are Geneseo students, further embodying the link between campus and community. Geneseo has the 3rd largest college run Big Brothers/Big Sisters program in the nation.

The Campus is divided between the Academic Quad, the "North Village" and "South Village," with all academic buildings contained within the Academic Quad. The "South Village" has five residence halls and a dining hall. The "South Village" complex was designed by architect Edgar Tafel, one-time apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright. Tafel also designed the Brodie Building, home of the School of the Arts on the Academic Quad. Additionally, 45 on campus townhouses, known as Saratoga Terrace, provide a connective corridor between the "South Village" and the Academic Quad. The "North Village" contains ten residence halls, two dining halls and the Lauderdale Health Center. The Academic Quad comprised of the Upper and Lower Campuses contains all academic buildings, the College Union, Merritt Athletic Center, Wadsworth Auditorium and the Milne Library that provides amazing views of the Genesee valley.

Greene Hall, the current science facility (soon to be integrated with the new Center for Excellence in Science, due for completion in Spring of 2006) is equipped with a nuclear accelerator. The new science building, the Center for Excellence in Science, is a $50 million dollar state of the art facility (the largest single capital improvement project in the SUNY system) that will combine all science departments.

One of the main attractions of SUNY Geneseo's campus beside the breathtaking views of the valley is the stunning architecture of many of the older buildings. The James B. Welles building was constructed in 1932 and is the oldest building on campus with beautiful arches and gables and broad-leaf collegiate ivy draping its stone and brick facade. Formerly known as the Winfield Holcomb School, it served as the laboratory school for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. It now houses the departments of Philosophy, Political Science, Foreign Language, and English. The James V. Sturges building here [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Image:DSCN1184.JPG&redirect=no, the central clock tower of the main Sturges Quad is Geneseo's signature building and contains the Alumni Carillon which chimes on the hour and plays songs at various times during the day. Constructed in 1938 it formerly served as the administration building and now contains the offices of the History, Psychology, Anthropology, Speech Pathology, and Sociology departments. Sturges also holds classrooms and laboratories as well as the Geneseo Speech and Hearing Clinic. Wadsworth Auditorium, here [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Image:Wadsworth.JPG&redirect=no is also one of the oldest buildings on campus.

East of the Academic Quad up a slight hill is Geneseo's Main street that compliments the quaint campus with a variety of shops, restaurants and bars that some of the students frequent throughout the week. Beyond Main Street is the quiet village of Geneseo marked by English architecture, well kept mansions, fraternity and sorority houses and an old church.

Residence and Dining Halls

=North Village
= Jones Hall, Livingston Hall, Monroe Hall, Steuben Hall, Erie Hall, Allegany Hall, Wyoming Hall, Putnam Hall, Genesee Hall, Ontario Hall, Mary Jemison Dining Hall, Letchworth Dining Hall
=South Village
= Onondaga Hall, Nassau Hall, Wayne Hall, Suffolk Hall, Niagara Hall, Red Jacket Dining Hall
=Other
= Saratoga Terrace Townhouse Community

Academic Buildings

=On the College Green
= Brodie Hall, Welles Hall, Wadsworth Auditorium, Erwin Administration Building, Bailey Hall, Integrated Sciences Facility/Greene Hall, Newton Lecture Hall, Milne Library

=On Academic/Sturges Quads
= Sturges Hall, South Hall, Fraser Library, Knightspot Club (formerly The Hub), Blake Hall (formerly a residence hall, now offices and home of student radio WGSU The Revolution)

=Other
= Robert McVittie College Union, Lauderdale Student Health Center, Student Interfaith Center (another Tafel designed structure).

Traditions / Geneseoana

Geneseo's students celebrate many longstanding traditions and campus legends. Geneseoana refers to anything related to Geneseo's unique traditions, legends, and lore.

The Bronze Bear
Just off campus, in the center of Main Street in Geneseo sits the famous Bronze Bear statue. School legend has it that if a virgin ever graduates from Geneseo, the bear will come down off of the fountain and run away. "The Bear" also plays host to any number of spontaneous decorations and pranks throughout the academic year. A story also circulates that one of the wealthy Wadsworth daughters saw the bear fountain in a small town in Germany, fell in love with it, bought it, and sent it back to Geneseo in the early 19th century. This story remains unverified, but an excerpt from a history of the family that settled the valley implies that this is not true, but that the fountain was designed and built for its current location: "Street is still dominated by a drinking fountain for horses dedicated to Mrs. Emmeline Austin Wadsworth. For some obscure reason its designer placed a short pole in its center on top of which sits a cunning little iron bear, who is generally known as 'Aunt Emmeline'" Hatch, The Wadsworths of the Genesee, 1959, p. 305.

The Painted Tree
In the Sturges quad, students from different Greek organizations, sports teams, and clubs sneak about late at night to paint advertisements, boasts, and shout-outs onto the "painted tree" or "Greek tree" here [http://www.geneseo.edu/~ago/photos/alumni/1980s/1980_ago_tree.jpg. There are so many layers of paint on the tree that the original contours of the bark and trunk are obscured. Despite the years of paint, the tree continues to grow and produce leaves. The exact date when this practice began is unknown, but alumni report that it began sporadically during the 1950's and became regular practice in the mid to late 1960's.
The Seuss Spruce

Also in the Sturges quad is the famous "Seuss Spruce," so called because it looks like a Dr. Seuss illustration. It is said that the tree's shape was due to being weighed down by ice and snow during a particularly tough winter, and now the tree simply grows in a crooked and slightly spiral shape. Adding to the Seussian quality of the tree is the fact that the bottom branches "fan out" along the ground.

Sunsets

Sunsets on campus are also legendary, so much so that students and alumni say the sunset at Geneseo was once ranked by National Geographic Magazine as one of the top ten in the world. This claim has been verified as false, but lives on in campus lore. Just off the Sturges Quad there is a Gazebo providing panoramic views of the Genesee Valley and its sunsets. As is tradition on many college campuses, it is said that a couple that kisses in the Gazebo at sunset is destined to be engaged and wed.

Ice Hockey Games

In recent years, Men's Ice Hockey games in the Ira S. Wilson Ice Arena have become major campus events drawing sell-out crowds of students and community members. A pep band has been formed and student groups often offer promotions, such as handing out noise makers to the capacity crowds.

Alma Mater
The lyrics to the school song, sung at convocation, commencement, and other formal events are as follows:

Shine the sun down on her halls of wisdom, where memories linger and our thoughts remain. Sing her praises out across the valley, that echoes our refrain: Geneseo! Geneseo! send us on our way, Geneseo! Geneseo! with our life's work we'll repay. Geneseo Alma Mater, Geneseo Student Handbook, http://handbook.geneseo.edu/?pg=hb5-Geneseo-2.html

An older and longer version of the Alma Mater from a 1929 student handbook has three verses and a chorus:

1. Ploudly it stands on the hillside so firm, with its banners floating on high. The finest Normal in the land, for you we'll do or die.

Chorus: Then cheer for Alma Mater, our foster mother dear. May her sons and daughters ever, love her from year to year. May they her memory cherish. In duty never fail, nor let her honor perish. To Geneseo all hail!

2. Let us strive to all our standards raise in sport and studies too. Show all the world we're fighting clean, in all that we may do.

3. Others may cheer for their orange and black, or to other colors be true. But we shall ever hold out love, for you our white and blue. Student Cooperative Government, Geneseo State Normal School, 1929

College Seal and Logotype
The Geneseo college seal, featured in the infobox above, was unveiled in July 1968. According the college's office of publications, the seal is a visual representation of the college's location and mission: "The circular design features a flame from the torch of knowledge surrounded by leaves symbolic of the bucolic setting of SUNY Geneseo and its growth. Both are atop waves symbolizing the historic Genesee River."

In 1986, the college designed a logo to "provide the College with an identity mark that was more readily identifiable than the College Seal and was not meant to replace the College Seal." Again drawing on the college's unique surroundings, "the graphic underneath the word "Geneseo" symbolizes the rolling and rural character of the surrounding Genesee Valley." Geneseo Office of Communications Graphic Standards, http://commpubs.geneseo.edu/areas/?pg=graphics.html

Notable Student Organizations

  • The Lamron: Geneseo's student newspaper published since 1922. The title "Lamron" is the word Normal in reverse, recalling the school's founding as a State Normal school, or teacher training institution. The Lamron is published once a week, and is usually delivered on Thursday to locations around campus and in town.

  • Federal Reserve Challenge: In November 2005, students from Geneseo's Jones School of Business placed second in the national Federal Reserve Bank College Fed Challenge held at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington D.C.. The team won individual and institutional cash prizes. Though they placed second to Northwestern University, they defeated teams from Harvard University, Cornell University, Rutgers University, and a dozen others to advance to the national competition. SUNY Geneseo Students Win Federal Reserve Bank of New York Competition, Advance to Nationals, November 18, 2005. http://www.geneseo.edu/news/nrap.php?pg=GeneseoFedReserveWins.html

  • WGSU 89.3FM "The Revolution": Student-run radio station specializing in independent music.

  • Pep Band: The Pep Band formed in 2003 to play at men's ice hockey games. They have the distinction of being the first pep band in the SUNYAC conference.

  • Geneseo Chamber Singers: The very select choral ensemble on campus. They tour internationally every three years with a domestic tour in the off years. Their conductor is Gerard Floriano.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

Alumni

Faculty

Athletics

Teams and Programs
Geneseo's athletic program is part of the NCAA Division III. They are a member of the State University of New York Athletic Conference.

Geneseo has 15 varsity sports programs including:

Basketball (Men's and Women's), Cross Country (M, W), Equestrian (W), Field Hockey (W), Ice Hockey (M), Lacrosse (M, W), Soccer (M, W), Softball (W), Swimming (M, W), Tennis (W), Track (M, W), Volleyball (W).

Although they are not NCAA program, Geneseo has several very competitive club sports teams that compete in intercollegiate play. These include club teams in Rowing (M, W), Rugby (M, W), Baseball (M), Water Polo (M, W), Volleyball (M), Tennis (M), Fencing, Ultimate Frisbee, and Cheerleading.

There are also many intramural sport offerings, including a perennial college classic: broomball

Athletics Highlights
In 2005, the Geneseo Women's Cross Country team won the NCAA Division III Championship. It was the school's first NCAA championship.

In the 2004-2005 season, the Geneseo Men's Ice Hockey team (Ice Knights) won the SUNYAC conference championship and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament, but lost in the first round of play to Trinity College. In 2005-2006 they repeated their success, claiming the SUNYAC Championship again. Their NCAA Tournament success was again limited, however, losing in the first round to University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth.

In 2001, the Women's Varsity 4+ (of the Women's Rowing Team) won the gold medal in their event at the 1st Annual SUNY Regatta.

External links

References

Livingston County, New York | State University of New York university colleges

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "State University of New York at Geneseo".

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