Provost and vice President for academic affairs LeadersHiP ProfiLe
tHe oPPortUnitY Purchase College invites nominations and expressions of interest for the position of Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Purchase motto, “Think Wide Open,” describes the College’s spirit of openness and multi-disciplinary exploration. The College’s distinctive mission is to offer a unique education that combines liberal arts programs with conservatory arts programs in ways that emphasize inquiry, mastery of skills, and creativity. The Purchase education encourages students to push boundaries, challenge the traditional, explore and generate new ideas and art forms. Faculty and students see the College as intimate and non-conventional, with a culture that strives to be participatory. Purchase College graduates and society.
realize the current academic strategic plan and to spearhead enrollment initiatives that will respond to a new generation of students. In these efforts, the Provost will liaise with the Vice President for Student Affairs and the Vice President for Enrollment Management. In addition, s/he will energize fundraising at Purchase, collaborating with distinguished faculty and staff to secure grants and private funding for research activities and scholarships.
full professor, and exhibit a strong record of service and administration. The Provost must have excellent communication skills and a good grasp of the wide range of academic disciplines within the College. S/he must evince a deep appreciation both for the arts and conservatory training and for the importance and value of a liberal arts education. In order to collaborate effectively with the faculty and senior leadership team to achieve institutional goals, the academic vision of the successful candidate must resonate with the mission, values and culture of the College, its faculty and its students. Founded in 1967 as part of the State University of New York system, Purchase College combines professional conservatory programs in the performing and visual arts with rigorous, cutting edge studies in the liberal arts, sciences and social sciences. Its students enjoy success in both arenas: Purchase’s 17,500 alumni include Oscar, Emmy, and Tony Award winners, prominent research scientists, journalists, and academics, as well as CEOs of international through the Performing Arts Center, a four-theatre complex considered one the tenth largest university museum in the country. The College’s 25-building, 500-acre campus in Westchester County, 35 minutes north of Manhattan, hosts a student body of approximately 4,200 students representing 47 states and 67 countries. Review of candidate materials will begin immediately. For full consideration, to purchase@archermartinassociates.com. Purchase College has retained Archer~Martin Associates as its executive search counsel. For further information, please contact Nancy Martin or Barbara Tobey at 508-325-6161. Purchase College SUNY is an AA/EEO employer. Special Note: Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act, mandates that all Title IV institutions, without exception, prepare, publish and distribute an Annual Security Report. This report consists of two basic parts: disclosure of the University’s crime statistics for the past three years; and the availability regarding the University’s current campus security policies. Purchase College’s Annual Security Report is available at http://www.purchase.edu/Departments/UniversityPolice/clery.aspx.
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tHe roLe and oPPortUnities for LeadersHiP for Academic Affairs provides leadership in all aspects of the College’s academic mission as articulated in its institutional mission and the 2010-2015 Strategic Plan. The Provost is responsible for all academic programs and services; general education; the assessment of student learning; faculty and staff recruitment, development and evaluation; and the development and oversight of the academic budget. The Provost collaborates with other members of the President’s cabinet to achieve strategic institutional objectives, especially in the areas of tHe Provost oversees tHe coLLege’s tHree scHooLs, wHose enrollment, fund-raising and student deans rePort to Him/Her: engagement. » the school of Liberal arts and In addition, the directors of the library, sciences including the School of Humanities, computing services, integrative studies, the School of Natural and Social assessment, sponsored research, Sciences, and the School of Film international programs, and the teaching, and Media Studies learning and technology center report to the Provost. For academic purposes, » the school of the arts including the Conservatories of the directors of the College’s Performing Dance, Music, and Theatre Arts, as Arts Center and the Neuberger Museum well as the School of Art+Design of Art also report directly to the Provost. The Provost works closely with the vice » the school of Liberal studies and presidents of Enrollment and Student continuing education Affairs to integrate support services in including programs of degree completion, professional order to ensure student success. and youth/pre-college programs in the arts
The Provost shapes the institution’s delivery of its academic mission by blending a diverse and talented array of specialists and professionals into an effective ensemble that produces and performs outstanding educational work. In that effort, the Provost inspires, encourages, collaborates with, supports, instructs and guides the members of the academic community to achieve their very best possible for the students at Purchase. The Provost is also an enthusiastic ambassador for the faculty and staff within and outside the College. In those contexts, s/he builds effective relationships and partnerships to nourish and to sustain support for the academic enterprise.
the leader accepting this role will have three major areas of opportunity
mobilize vision and action to realize strategic goals The College’s strategic plan (www.purchase.edu/AboutPurchase/ President/StrategicPlan) articulates four major directions: 1. Toward the Learning-Centered Community – develop high-impact pedagogies, including systematic assessment and purposeful use of assessment results 2. Toward Institutional Effectiveness – become more effective and and collegiality
environmental sustainability 4. Toward a Greater Purchase – enhance connections with community and beyond
those ambitions, and work is underway in each area. The new Provost will have the responsibility of completing and institutionalizing initiatives. In some areas, the Provost will also have an opportunity to shape the vision and direction for major mandates, such as projects to strengthen the education of the whole student, in partnership with Student Affairs, to develop an integrated marketing and enrollment plan, in concert with the Enrollment and Marketing division, and to review and renew academic governance structures.
strengthen the development and deployment of resources for academic mission Declining state support has tightened the resources available to the College. The administration has managed this resource squeeze well to ensure a is two-fold: to develop new resources and to deploy limited resources for greatest effectiveness in support of the academic mission.
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The new Provost will have the opportunity to help energize fundraising for the College, collaborating with the faculty and the advancement staff to secure grants and private funding for faculty research, student scholarships, faculty development, new programs, pedagogical experiments, and major educational directions. By focusing attention on these opportunities, telling the distinctive story of a Purchase education, and actively supporting faculty and institutional fundraising efforts, the Provost will make a major contribution to expanding the possibilities for excellence at Purchase. Even with new resources, it will still be imperative for the Provost to advocate effectively for resources, budgetary funding for maximum educational impact. Working closely with the CFO, deans, directors and chairs, the Provost will have the opportunity to manage a budget process that is transparent and academic excellence, and to build a budget structure that balances ongoing academic needs with new strategic initiatives.
implement creative approaches to integrating Liberal and artistic education Purchase College offers a distinctive academic program that combines the liberal arts and sciences with conservatory arts programs, and it aspires to become the leading public institution of that type in the country. Toward that end, it does not simply house the two types of programs side by side on one site, but seeks to create opportunities for transformative learning and training in an integrated academic community where disciplines connect, intersect, and enhance one another. In
the past decade, the College has moved toward that integration in multiple collaborations among students and faculty in different disciplines, both for classwork and in artistic projects. In addition, all students complete a major creative project during their senior year in which they frequently engage
The stage is now set to realize an even greater goal of programmatic integration of the two sets of disciplines and modes of learning. The new Provost will have the opportunity to “think wide open� with the faculty about new opportunities for embedding liberal education in conservatory programs and of enlivening the liberal education with an artistic spirit. In addition, the College seeks to provide access to the arts and interdisciplinary courses hand, rather than having to piece it together for themselves. The spirit of integration is already alive and active at Purchase; now, the new Provost can help realize that spirit in the entire structure and operation of the academic program. As an academic leader, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs achievement in teaching, scholarship or artistic expression, supplemented by service that merits appointment at the rank of tenured full professor. The successful candidate will also have a record of experience in academic administration that demonstrates his/her capacity for effective leadership as
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LeadersHiP QUaLities and caPabiLities Professionally, the Provost will demonstrate, by experience and attitude, a deep appreciation for both the arts and conservatory training and for the importance and value of a liberal education. In addition to displaying a good grasp of the Provost will also embrace a broad and well-developed appreciation of the structure and functioning of the institution as a whole. The Provost’s academic vision will resonate and align with the mission, values and culture of the College, its faculty and its students. It is imperative that the Provost have a track record of effective collaboration with faculty and senior leaders to achieve institutional goals, grounded in a genuine spirit of collegiality and partnership. The College seeks an academic leader who combines academic gravitas with infectious spirit, one who can not only inspire others but also roll up his/ her sleeves and work alongside them. The new Provost will have excellent communication skills, including the ability both to listen to others with understanding and to express his/her own views effectively. The ideal candidate will be one who can help the College see new possibilities and who brings the entrepreneurial spirit necessary to mobilize others for innovation and institutional development. At the same time, the College seeks a Provost who brings a practical orientation and knows how to make things work effectively.
The current provost is retiring after two years in the position, and some previous provosts have had relatively short tenures occasioned by their moving on to attractive new opportunities. The college certainly welcomes candidates who have further ambitions and will support them by nurturing the capacity for larger leadership roles. It is important for the college that the Provost make a commitment of sustained leadership for the academic community at this important juncture. The college will thus expect the successful candidate to commit to a minimum of position.
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PUrcHase coLLege and its resoUrces mission statement Founded on the principle that artists and scholars are indispensable to each other and to an enlightened society, Purchase College combines professional conservatory programs in the visual and performing arts and distinguished programs in the liberal arts. Purchase celebrates creativity and diversity in a climate of intellectual and artistic freedom. The College seeks and supports students of exceptional talent and aptitude for apprentice relationships with artists, performers, scientists, and scholars the intellectual skills, general knowledge, and cultural appreciation that build the foundation for a productive career and meaningful life. Personal endeavor, performance, or independent scholarly research that culminates the Purchase academic experience. The College’s programs and environment promote responsible engagement in a complex and dynamic society. As a public institution, Purchase College promotes lifelong learning for students of all ages, backgrounds, and incomes and extends the arts to the larger community through exhibitions and performances at our Neuberger Museum of Art and Performing Arts Center. As an educational institution, cultural and artistic center, community resource, and gateway to opportunity, Purchase is committed to enriching the lives of the public it serves.
academic Programs Purchase College’s academic study areas include the School of Film & Media Studies; the School of Humanities; the School of Natural & Social Sciences; Interdisciplinary Studies; the Arts Management Program; the Conservatory of Dance; the Conservatory of Music; the Conservatory of Theatre Arts; and the School of Art+Design. Through its School of Liberal Studies and Continuing Coach Training, Social Media Marketing, and, for credit, Arts Management and Early Childhood Development; Personal Enrichment Courses; and Youth & Precollege Programs in the Arts. Purchase College also emphasizes the importance of studying abroad. Students can choose from the College’s summer programs in France, Italy, Spain, and Turkey, as well as hundreds of programs offered through the SUNY
system. Other high-impact educational opportunities offered by Purchase College include learning communities, service learning, and internships that provide a practical connection between academic studies and potential career paths. the following are examples of the innovative programming initiatives offered by Purchase college:
» The Conservatory of Music launched the recording label, Purchase Records, in 2000. This venture allows Purchase students to learn in a professional environment how to write, perform, arrange, orchestrate, produce, engineer, mix, edit, and master the recorded part of musical art, as well as to study postproduction elements, such as design, manufacturing, distribution, Public Domain, was nominated nominations.
» touring and study. Students work at the archaeological site of Khirbet Summeily, which dates to the 10th-8th centuries BCE, and travel to Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, the Mediterranean coast, and northern Israel.
» The Bridges to the Baccalaureate program provides underrepresented minority students with the academic and scholarship support that allows them to complete a baccalaureate degree program in biology, chemistry, environmental science, math and computer science, or psychology. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the PepsiCo Foundation and private donors, this program allows Purchase College to collaborate with regional community colleges. In 2011, the program founder accepted a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring on behalf of Purchase College and this initiative.
» Art+Design programs explore the possibilities of using art to effect social change, such as recognizing food as a common interest and working to integrate traditionally English-speaking and Spanish-speaking bread stores in nearby Port Chester. Purchase students also participate in a program designed to reverse the traditional power structure in which “developed” societies make suggestions for solving problems in “undeveloped” nations; suggestions by people from nations such as Ghana and El Salvador, leading to
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better understanding of contextual problem-solving and the hidden assumptions that underlie cross-cultural interactions.
» A focus for the College’s many activities involving writers and writing, the Purchase Writers Center hosts annually a group of fellows, local writers who conduct workshops at the College and in the community, lead writing groups, and team with other Purchase writers to present readings.
» The facilities of the Performing Arts Center allow Purchase College to host annual collaboration with such groups as the Avon Theatre, the Greenwich Arts Council, the Hillels of Westchester, and the American Jewish Committee (AJC).
faculty Purchase College is the home of an extraordinary community of distinguished faculty: artists and performers, composers and producers, scholars and scientists. They are dedicated to providing a high-quality education in the classroom, the laboratory, and the studio, and in one-on-one apprenticeship relationships with students. Among the current members of the faculty, who number 186 full-time and 220 part-time, are recipients of prestigious national awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News; Emmy, Grammy, ASCAP, Drama Desk, Obie, Bessie, and Tony Awards; American Institute of Graphic Arts design awards; Guggenheim, Fulbright, and Ford Foundation fellowships; National Science Foundation grants; and National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities fellowships.
alumni Purchase College’s greatest accomplishments are evident in its more than 17,500
conservation, medicine, information technology, education, business, journalism, politics, and law. Purchase alumni include Pulitzer Prize recipients; Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Obie, and Drama Desk Award winners; research scientists; CEOs of international corporations; prominent journalists, academics, and teachers; and MacArthur “genius award” winners.
accomplishments of Purchase college alumni include:
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Many Purchase alumni move on to such prestigious graduate and professional schools as Yale, Berkeley, McGill, M.I.T., the University of London–Courtould Institute, Harvard and Columbia Law Schools, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the Juilliard School.
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Purchase College alumni can be found in the Peace Corps, PepsiCo and IBM, the Smithsonian Institution, Lederle Labs, PBS, CBS News, and in a multitude of careers utilizing the College’s emphasis on critical analysis and clear, original thought.
» author of Song for the Living Ocean and a MacArthur Fellow, cancer researcher Jill Bargonetti, and John Ambroseo, president and CEO of Coherent, Inc.
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Liberal arts programs have produced such talents as Adam Nagourney, national political correspondent for The New York Times, Michael Powell, former New York bureau chief for The Washington Post, and Carnegie Scholar Lawrence Malone.
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Alumni of the School of Art+Design pursue careers across the spectrum of visual arts and include sculptor Jon Kessler, former Guggenheim Fellow and current chair of the visual arts graduate program at Columbia University, and, in the interdisciplinary spirit of the College, noted playwright and screenwriter Donald Margulies, recipient of two Obies and the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
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The Conservatory of Theatre Arts alone numbers notable alumni in the hundreds, including Melissa Leo, Stanley Tucci, Susie Essman, Ving Rhames, Parker Posey, Ron
picked up by the press when actress and Purchase alumna, Edie Falco, came to national attention as a result of her role on HBO’s mob drama, The Sopranos.
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From the School of Film and Media Studies, the majority of alumni have found work in Abel Ferrara, Manohla Dargis, Alexander Koch, Nick Gomez, Allyson C. Johnson and Danny Leiner.
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Alumni from the Theatre Design/Technology Program, the Conservatory of Dance (including dance company founder Doug Varone), and the Conservatory of Music (including Dwayne Croft of the Metropolitan Opera and Regina Spektor) routinely work and other laurels.
» Theatre and other performance arts alumni can trace the foundation of their success to the unique Purchase combination: a faculty of working professionals, close and individual mentoring relationships, a cooperative atmosphere, proximity to New York City, and the opportunity for students to be treated as professionals from the start. Purchase College’s alumni stay connected through the Purchase College Alumni Association. In 2012, the Association’s activities included the Purchase-Plus-Thirty
students Tuition and fees for Purchase College are among the most affordable for the quality of the educational experience: $5,570 instate and $14,820 out-of-state. Books and room and board tally out at $3,226 per year.
fast facts Undergraduate Matriculated/Non– Matriculated Students: 3,817/358 Graduate Matriculated Students: 123 Average Class Size: 17
aid, 56% in the form of grants (averaging $5,490 in aid) and 64% in the form of loans (averaging $5,977 in aid). Purchase College is selective, admitting only 34% of its applicants. Currently, the total enrollment at Purchase College is 4,267 (4,147 undergraduates), and the student population is 44% male and 56% female. Full-time students comprise 90% of the student body. The retention rates for Purchase College excellence:
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First-Year Student Retention (full-time students): 81%
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Transfer-Out Rate: 18%
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 17:1 Campus Residents: 67% New York State Residents: 80% U.S. States Represented: 42 Foreign Countries Represented: 27 Black: 5.5% Hispanic/Latino: 11.5% Asian-American: 2.1% Average Age: 21
Total Number: 694
Four-Year Graduation Rate: 51%
Average GPA: 3.3/87
Five-Year Graduation Rate: 60%
Middle 50% SAT Combined Critical Reading & Math Score: 990-1210
campus Life Purchase students enjoy many options for extracurricular activity, including:
» The amenities of the Student Center, a student-funded and -operated facility opened in 2003 by the Purchase Student Government Association (PSGA). gallery, the Student Center features free-use billiards tables, ping- pong tables, a growing videogame arcade, air hockey, foosball, and board games.
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materials to students through recycling. The school’s dedication to the Student of the building.
» PTV, the College’s own television station, which is entirely funded and run by students.
» WPSR, the student-run radio station that broadcasts on AM and is simulcast on the Internet.
» The Purchase Independent, a student-run weekly news publication. » The Brick, a PSGA-funded online newspaper source up and running since 2007 and updated almost daily with articles, videos and photos from around the campus. The Brick also features a weekly TV adaptation, Brick TV.
» The Submission, a student-run interdisciplinary journal of creativity started in 2005.
» The Co-op, a student-run space for lounging and programming that serves a selection of vegan foods and fair-trade coffees and tea.
» The LGBTQU (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Union), Purchase College’s oldest and largest student organization, which is noted for running many popular events on campus and holding informative discussions each week. The following represent some of Purchase College’s featured annual events:
» The Culture Shock Festival is a two-day music festival sponsored by the Purchase Student Government Association (PSGA). The weekend festival, typically held in April, showcases the talents of musical acts and performance artists. Notable performers have included Ween, Dan Deacon, Regina Spektor, Deerhoof, Animal Collective, GZA, Cat Power, Bouncing Souls, Ghostface Killah, Ted Leo, Biz Markie, Kool Keith, Slick Rick, and Destiny’s Child.
» Students dress up as zombies to attend the Zombie Prom. » The musical event, Fall Fest, is held every fall in the student center. » The Fall Ball, sponsored by the LGBTQU, features a competition among drag queens and drag kings to wear the crown for a year.
» Purchase Wide Open is a combination of Alumni Homecoming and Family Day. Its series of visual and performing arts, sciences and humanities events enable both the on- and off-campus communities to share in what Purchase College has to offer.
athletics and athletic facilities 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, swimming & diving, tennis and wrestling; while women’s sports include basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis and volleyball. The Purchase Intramural Program offers a wide range of competitive and non-competitive activities—co-ed team sports, individual events, trips, one-day events, and outdoor activities both on and off campus— that blend lifetime leisure skill development with social interaction. The philosophy behind the Intramural Program is that all students, no mentally and socially by participating.
facilities and Housing The buildings and open spaces of the campus are visually distinctive models of late modernist architecture. The campus features eight academic, seven residential and nine administrative and campus support buildings, in addition to the Performing Arts Center and the Neuberger Museum of Art.
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The Visual Arts Building has 160,000 square feet of studios, exhibition
recital halls, 75 practice rooms, 80 Steinway & Sons pianos, and professional recording studios. Various parts of the campus, including academic buildings, roads and dormitories are currently undergoing renovation. The rehabilitation of the main campus plaza has been completed. This mall and has earned national praise and recognition for its eco-sensitive design. The new Student Services building opened in 2006, providing “one-stop shopping” for most administrative services. Plans are underway for a new “Center for Integrative Technology Learning” that will serve as the new home for the School of Film and Media studies and the Theatre programs. This building will be the new “gateway” to the College and will feature communal open space, a café and bookstore as well as
finances The 2012-2013 total State purpose budget totals $43,349,700, of which approximately 39% is tax dollar support and the remainder is tuition and
as have all SUNY colleges and universities. In increase package that has partially offset the state budget reduction. Purchase College has been successful in managing these budget cuts through retirements, reorganization and energy savings and by modifying operational policies in order to preserve both the academic and faculty hiring programs, consistent with the goals of the strategic plan. Fundraising revenue has become an increasingly more important component
funding have necessitated greater focus on generating additional revenues and maximizing institutional advancement efforts. Within the SUNY system, Purchase College is a leader in obtaining endowed and non-endowed gifts, trailing only the University research centers (Buffalo, Stonybrook and Binghamton). The combined Purchase College Foundation, Performing Arts Center Foundation and Friends of the Neuberger Museum of Arts funds, endowed and non-endowed, total $61 million. The Purchase College alumni giving rate is 5%, comparable to the national average for public baccalaureate-only institutions. The College has begun to focus attention on its development strategies and is in the process of hiring several development directors who will work with the College’s schools and alumni toward the goal to increase annual giving, major gifts and endowment. The Vice President for Institutional Advancement has started preparing for the College’s next capital campaign.
governance As do all 64 campuses of the State University of New York, Purchase College functions under the overall authority and responsibility of the University Board of Trustees, subject to the general guidelines of the Board of Regents of the State of New York. The Board of Trustees delegates administration of the University to Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher and her staff, known as the System Administration, which implements facilities policies. Each campus president, in turn, overall responsibility, authority, and accountability for the campus. Each campus devises its own structures, programs, and procedures within the general goals and policies of the University and within
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Each State-operated campus in the SUNY system has its own College Council, composed of ten members, nine appointed by the governor (who also designates the chair) to seven-year terms, and one elected by and from the students on the campus. Councils invite the faculty, staff, students and alumni to attend regular meetings of their group. On campus, the eligible members of the faculty and administration holding academic appointment vote within the faculty at large. Standing committees of this group include those addressing Educational Policies, Personnel Policies, Professional Standards and Awards, and Academic Standards and Awards. Two Academic Councils, one in the Liberal Arts and Sciences and one in the Arts, serve the broad charge to consider matters of import to their faculties and programs, including matters of curriculum. In addition, the faculty created a College Senate in 2002 to implement a system of campuswide representation that includes the Professional Staff Council and the Purchase Student Government Association. As its formulating body, the faculty holds veto power over the decisions of the College Senate.
administrative team The administrative team at Purchase College is comprised of the President; the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs; the Chief Financial Advancement; the Vice President for Student Affairs; the Vice President for Enrollment Management, and the Assistant to the President.
accreditations Purchase College is accredited through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The School of Art+Design is also separately accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). All majors are listed on the inventory of Registered Programs maintained by the New York State Department of Education. The Neuberger Museum of Art is accredited through the American Association of Museums.
community outreach Civic engagement is a national agenda item to which Purchase College is deeply Attaching substance to the gradual yet assertive implementation of service and civic engagement is a campus-wide effort, with the primary outcome being graduates of both sound character and leadership and ready to contribute Partnerships connects students with opportunities to enhance their leadership potential and to recognize the value of citizenship and social responsibility, both on campus and off. Students run on-campus events, including New Student including six monthly service trips.
the region During the last half of the 20th century, the primarily rural character of Westchester County yielded to its now suburban character. The Metro North railroad, major interstate highway system and regional airport have led to the development of a vibrant network of communities that supports commercial, corporate and retail businesses. White Plains serves as the county center; major cities include Yonkers, New Rochelle and Port Chester.
of New York City’s most desirable suburban communities. Bordering both the Hudson River and Long Island Sound, the county offers many natural attractions, as well as historic, recreational and cultural destinations. In addition to Purchase College, the hamlet of Purchase is also home to the private, liberal arts Manhattanville College, the MasterCard International Global Headquarters, the Doral Arrowwood Conference Center and the PepsiCo headquarters, including the Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Gardens.
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tHe coLLege—a PersPective Purchase College is recognized as a leader in the education of professional intellectual community in the Northeast. In bringing two styles of education— conservatory-based arts programs and traditional liberal arts and sciences programs—into close contact on one campus, the founders of Purchase College inspire an appreciation for both intellectual and artistic talents in all students. Purchase College also ranks highly for its educational value. Few high-quality conservatory programs come with such attractive tuition for either in-state or out-of-state students. The College is highly selective, and enrolled students can expect an intense undergraduate experience. Founded by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1967 as the cultural gem of the State University of New York System, Purchase College today enjoys a worldclass reputation for its arts programs and high rankings for its liberal arts and sciences programs. Purchase College has been named among the “Top 10 Public Liberal Arts Colleges in the Nation” by U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 Edition of Best Colleges and “Best in the Northeast” among the 220 institutions targeted by The Princeton Review.
Graduates of Purchase College rank among the most famous, the most by businesses, social organizations, and cultural institutions throughout the country. The College offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate degrees: BA, BS, and BFA degrees, as well as MA, MFA, MM, and
Purchase College is also the home of an extraordinary community of distinguished faculty: artists and performers, composers and producers, scholars and scientists. Among the current members of the faculty are recipients of prestigious national awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Reporting; Emmy, Grammy, ASCAP, Drama Desk, Obie, Bessie, and Tony Awards; American Institute of Graphic Arts design awards; Guggenheim, Fulbright, and Ford Foundation fellowships; National Science Foundation grants; and National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities fellowships—all dedicated to providing a high-quality education in the classroom, the laboratory, and the studio, and in one-on-one apprenticeship relationships with students. The College attracts students and faculty from around the world to its 500acre suburban campus located just 35 miles north of New York City, where they can develop their talents, expand their minds, and prepare for a life of intellectual and creative independence. The site chosen for the campus was a 500-acre estate, Strathglass Farm, originally the property of American Revolutionary War soldier Thomas Thomas. Parts of this farm are included in the College’s heritage site. To transform the former farm into a College for thousands of students, SUNY engaged some of the most prominent American architects to design the campus. Buildings are located in the center of the property and are isolated from the surrounding community by wooded areas. The College is adjacent to the Westchester County Airport and across the street from PepsiCo’s world headquarters. The campus is not within walking distance to any commercial area but is only 35 miles north of New York City and maintains an hourly shuttle bus system to and from White Plains and Port Chester, New York, both ten minutes away. Purchase College offers its community a wide range of on-campus cultural entertainment. The Performing Arts Center, a four-theatre complex at the southeastern New York and southwestern Connecticut, entertaining more than 200,000 people each year. The Center’s performance spaces include the 1,400-seat Concert Hall with hydraulic lifts for orchestra; the 600-seat Recital Hall with a rear-screen projection bay; the 700-seat PepsiCo Theatre with Hanamichi wraparound platforms along both sides of the house; and the
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of a different type of performance, enabling the presentation of any kind of event at the Center. The Performing Arts Center presents a broad range of performances, offering music, dance, theatre, comedy and cinema to audiences from Westchester and the surrounding communities. The Performing Arts center is also home to the Westchester Philharmonic and the Conservatory of Theatre Arts’ Purchase Repertory Theatre. The Center’s ongoing initiatives also encompass establishing artist partnerships, residency activities, and commissions; creating opportunities for students to participate in the artistic process; increasing educational opportunities in the arts for K-12 students and multi-generational learners; and revitalizing efforts in the community to make the arts more accessible to broad and diverse audiences. The Neuberger Museum of Art, the tenth largest university museum in the nation, houses a permanent collection of more than 7,000 works of art and features a exhibitions from the permanent collections are supplemented by more than a dozen exhibitions each year. In keeping with the spirit of the founders of both the College and the Museum, the Museum awards the semi-annual Neuberger Prize, The Neuberger Museum also offers insights into modern, contemporary and African Art and is well known for its educational outreach programs for all ages. It serves as a valuable resource for students and faculty for study, research and curatorial experience.