SUNY Brockport

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Chapter I

Chapter 1 Graphic

The College President's Welcome

President Yu

Welcome to SUNY College at Brockport and its graduate studies program. As the College's president, I would like to be among the first to congratulate you on your decision to pursue an advanced degree with us. I am exceedingly proud that Brockport has the largest graduate program among the SUNY comprehensive colleges. That enables us to offer you a remarkable depth and breadth of programs and coursesspecifically

26 graduate programs and teacher certification in 17 areas.

However, it is the caliber of the graduate studies program that really distinguishes SUNY Brockport. You will study and work closely with the finest of faculty, whose research and scholarship has earned them stellar national and international reputations in their respective disciplines. Likewise, our facilities will support your academic endeavors. I have always been particularly impressed, for example, with SUNY Brockport's Drake Memorial Library, which is worthy of a much larger university and serves as a federal repository.

Finally, the faculty, staff and administration at SUNY Brockport have made an uncommon commitment to our graduate students: Whether through teaching, research, creative endeavors, or service, our highest priority is your success.

Sincerely,

President Yu's Signature

President Paul Yu

Our College Heritage

The beginning of SUNY Brockport can be traced back to the 1820s, a time when the Village of Brockport blossomed thanks to the then recently constructed Erie Canal. The first educational institution on the site opened its doors in 1835. The Brockport Collegiate Institute welcomed its first class in December 1841 and received its charter from the Regents of the University of the State of New York several months later. The institute trained teachers for elementary classrooms. The yearly cost of enrollment was approximately $80, covering, according to the catalog, "tuition, board, wood, lights, and washing." After weathering heavy debt and a mortgage, a near-devastating fire in 1854, and the effects of the Civil War, the school became a Normal School in 1867.

The first of four new sites in the state for schools devoted to the education of teachers, SUNY Brockport was only the third such school in the state's history. The school continued for the next 70 years or so with a steady population of students. World War II reduced Brockport's student population to approximately 300, the majority of whom were women. By the end of the war in 1945, GIs swelled the enrollment numbers and strained the physical facilities: Quonset huts were built to provide classroom space. With the creation of the State University of New York in 1948, we became the State Teachers College at Brockport. The first master's degree was awarded in 1950, beginning an era of steady growth in graduate education. Today SUNY Brockport's 26 graduate programs constitute the largest graduate division among the SUNY comprehensive four-year colleges.

Increased College-wide enrollment and expansion of facilities continued into the 1970sthe net result is a stable student population of approximately 9,000 served by the large, modern campus in Brockport with off-campus classes taught at a variety of Western New York locations.

The Village of Brockport

Brockport, a village of approximately 9,800 residents, is 16 miles west of Rochester and 60 miles east of Buffalo. The village lies along the banks of the New York State Barge Canal, and is a 15-minute drive from Lake Ontario.

The campus is located at the Village's edge; stores, shopping plazas, churches, cinemas and restaurants are within easy walking distance.

Nearby Rochester has been judged one of the best cities in the United States for quality of life. Its myriad attractions include a nationally known philharmonic orchestra, outstanding museums, an ultramodern planetarium, and professional baseball and hockey teams. Both Rochester and Buffalo are a short flight from New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC, and within easy driving distance of Toronto.

The College Campus

The campus is spacious and uncluttered, with 66 buildings and structures, and athletic playing fields occupying about one-quarter of the 435-acre campus. The remaining area is gently rolling open or wooded land. The College mall, which stretches from traditional Hartwell Hall to contemporary high-rise residence halls, is bordered by trees, lawns and striking contemporary architecture. Near the midpoint of the mall is Seymour College Union, the center of campus life. In warm weather, the mall itself becomes the hub of activities for students as they socialize and recreate.

The buildings along the mall house classrooms, lecture halls, seminar rooms, faculty members' offices, science laboratories, dining halls, a bookstore, the health center, counselors' offices and residence halls, all conveniently located. North of the mall is the Donald M. Tower Fine Arts Center, set against the bank of the New York State Barge Canal. The site of cultural activities and the home of the Departments of Art, Theatre and Foreign Languages and Literatures, it houses a 400-seat theater, two art galleries, studios, rehearsal halls, practice rooms, listening laboratories and classrooms fully equipped for sculpture, ceramics, photography, jewelry making, painting, scene designing and stagecraft.

South of the mall are the Gordon F. Allen Administration Building, Drake Memorial Library and a large physical education complex known as the Ernest H. Tuttle Building. Two monumental sculptures by Soviet artist Zurab Tsereteli are situated in this area, one of which is dedicated to the International Special Olympic Games, held at SUNY Brockport in 1979.

The College Mission

The State University of New York College at Brockport

Is committed to providing a liberal arts and professional educationat both the undergraduate and graduate levelfor those who have the necessary ability and motivation to benefit from high quality public higher education;

Has the success of its students as its highest priority, encompassing admission to graduate and professional schools, job placement, civic engagement in a culturally diverse society and in globally interdependent communities, and especially student learning; and

Is committed to advancing scholarship, creative endeavors, and service to the College community and the greater society by supporting the activities of an outstanding faculty and staff.

Graduate Education Mission

The mission of Graduate Education at SUNY College at Brockport is to support student success by providing a high quality education that:

Leads to advanced knowledge and technical skills in the graduate field of study and prepares graduates for doctoral studies and/or professional practice;

Stimulates and supports excellence in scholarly and creative pursuits among faculty and students;

Fosters excellence in teaching, supervising, and mentoring; and

Develops thoughtful and articulate individuals with the integrity and adaptability for dealing with a culturally diverse and changing world and for contributing substantially to their communities.

College Faculty

The faculty of SUNY Brockport is characterized by a dedication to excellence in teaching, research and service. Almost 90 percent of SUNY Brockport's more than 282 full-time faculty members hold doctoral degrees or higher in their field, and more than 68 have received the prestigious Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching since its inception in 1973. Additionally, 21 professional staff and six librarians have received Chancellor's Awards for Excellence in Professional Service or Librarianship since 1973. Twenty-one faculty and emeriti have been awarded the title Distinguished Professor, SUNY's highest faculty rank and a statewide recognition which places our best faculty among the top in New York and nationwide. Five of SUNY Brockport's faculty members have been Fulbright Scholars in the past five years. Also in the past five years, our faculty and staff have received 361 grants totaling $17.9 million. In addition, Brockport's faculty and staff are widely published scholars in disciplines ranging from poetry and literature to history, sociology, the environment, zoology, criminal justice, and philosophy.

Part-time faculty, drawn primarily from Rochester-area practitioners in business, industry, and the professions, assist in keeping SUNY Brockport students aware of current practices in rapidly changing fields. Academic advisement is provided for students by faculty within their major fields.

Finally, our faculty and staff are dedicated to building a better world community. They serve on the boards of national and international scholarly organizationsand as volunteers in their local and professional communities.

Student Body

SUNY Brockport draws undergraduate students from every county in New York state, from 32 other states, and from a number of foreign countries. Approximately 70 percent of our undergraduates come from the cities, suburbs and villages of Western New York; one in 22 comes from the metropolitan New York City area and adjoining Long Island. Nearly 1,800 graduate students are seeking advanced degrees, pursuing teacher certification, or otherwise upgrading their professional skills. Adult students (25 and older) represent nearly 35 percent of the student body.

Faculty-Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Expectations

The Faculty Senate of SUNY College at Brockport has adopted this statement to promote academic excellence, to establish reasonable expectations for both students and faculty, and to ensure fairness and equity throughout the College.

I. Mutual Obligations and Responsibilities

Education is a two-way process. Students have the right to expect faculty members to be available during their published, regularly scheduled office hours, to be concerned with each student's academic problems, and to be ready to help students to the best of their ability. Students have the right to expect faculty members to be prepared for class and to present material reflecting the current state of their discipline(s). Students have the right to expect faculty members to indicate assignments clearly, to provide printed syllabi or other materials indicating their expectations at the beginning of the semester, and to offer timely feedback to each student on his/her progress.

Faculty members have the right to expect students to attend class regularly and to be prepared to engage in whatever discussion or discourse is appropriate to the assignment. Faculty members have the right to expect each hour of classroom time to be matched by at least two hours of study outside class by each student including activities such as reading, research, writing, and/or other forms of creative activity. Both students and faculty have the right to expect that the foregoing standards will be maintained on a consistent basis throughout the College.

II. Support for Quality

Students are admitted to SUNY Brockport with a variety of backgrounds and achievement levels. Therefore, students have the right to expect a broad range of programs at Brockport, each offering a balanced blend of theoretical and practical knowledge. The College and its faculty are committed to providing the instructional techniques and academic support services needed to enable all students to maximize their academic potential without compromising appropriate standards. Academically outstanding students have the right to expect standards and programs that will encourage them to meet their full potential. To assist in meeting this end, the faculty has established an Honors Program as well as scholarships that are awarded on the basis of merit alone. The faculty has the right and the responsibility to establish an admissions policy that encourages a continued and growing presence of academically outstanding students.

III. Academic Integrity

Education cannot exist in the absence of trust. Faculty members have the right to expect that students will be familiar with and abide by the Academic Honesty Code as published in the Your Right to Know & Academic Policies Handbook. Students have the right to expect that the provisions of this Code will be enforced uniformly by all faculty members.

IV. Education: More than the Classroom

SUNY Brockport recognizes that student rights extend beyond the classroom. Students have the right to an atmosphere conducive to learning, including a clean, quiet place to conduct their studies. Students have the right to expect a variety of co-curricular or extracurricular events to supplement and enrich their academic and social lives with faculty participation and support for these activities. Students have the right to expect appropriate academic, personal, career, graduate school, and transfer advisement and/or counseling.

Faculty rights also extend beyond the classroom. The faculty has the right to expect that students have interests in the world around them, that students are informed about current events, and that students take seriously their responsibilities as citizens.

This statement is not intended to bind faculty members to any single set of standards or mode of teaching or to express the entire range of faculty and student rights, responsibilities, and expectations. The statement has been designed only to make clear a common attitude and a common assumption about the nature of education at SUNY Brockport and to clarify and strengthen the relationships that must exist between faculty and students if the educational process is to take place in an effective manner.

Student Participation in Assessment Activities

SUNY Brockport is engaged in several types of activity referred to as "the assessment of student learning outcomes" or simply "assessment." The broad purpose of the College's assessment project is to demonstrate that the goals of the College, departments, programs, and student services with respect to student learning outcomes are being met.

Students enrolled at SUNY Brockport may be asked to participate in assessment by taking special tests, by allowing the College access to scores on nationally standardized examinations, by completing questionnaires and surveys, and by serving as members of focus groups or other discussion groups designed to obtain information.

Some assessment work requires statistical sampling of the student population so it is important that students be willing to help with assessment when asked. The cost to the student is a small amount of time but the benefits are improved instruction and services.

Students should be aware that programmatic assessment information is used in the improvement of college instruction at the curricular or programmatic level and may not reflect personally on individual students.

In addition to assessment instruments used solely for programmatic assessment, the College is developing some tests of individual academic skills competency such as the Computer Undergraduate Skills Examination. These tests may be used both as assessment devices for the College and to evaluate the skill level of individual students. Students will always be informed in advance of the purpose of any assessments in which they are asked to participate.

Any questions on assessment can be directed to the Office of the Assistant Vice President for Undergraduate Education, (585) 395-2504.

Centers and Institutes for Research, Learning and Service

Center for Applied Aquatic Science and Aquaculture

The Center coordinates the research program in applied aquatic biology, aquaculture and related sciences. Its efforts are directed toward research, education, extension, and commercial development. Various facilities are available, including aquatic research laboratories, boats and other field equipment, and aquaculture research ponds. SUNY Brockport is a recognized leader in freshwater aquaculture and aquatic science in New York and the Northeastern United States.

Garth Fagan Dance

The internationally recognized Garth Fagan Dance is affiliated with the College through its director, Garth Fagan, who is a Distinguished University Professor of the State University of New York.

Despite the demanding international schedule of company rehearsals, travel and performances, Fagan and company member Norwood Pennewell continue to regularly teach in the Department of Dance. The company has received a long list of awards, including four Bessies, the Oscars of dance. Garth Fagan, the recipient of the 1998 Tony Award for Best Choreography for the Walt Disney Theatrical Productions of The Lion King, started his company when he moved to Rochester in 1970 to take a teaching post at SUNY Brockport. The association provides a unique opportunity to Brockport dancers to experience both the trademark Fagan Technique, and the Fagan ethic of always striving, always risking. The public concerts and workshops offered by Garth Fagan Dance at SUNY Brockport enrich the College and the community.

Child and Adolescent Stress Management Institute

A variety of preventive programs are offered by the Institute on campus, and by arrangement, at off-campus locations, including worksite settings. These programs help young people, and the adults who work with them, to control the stress in their lives. Programs range from one to 10 days and are presented to groups of 10-;15 children and 15-;25 adults. The workshop participants learn how to recognize stress; identify the sources of stress in their lives; develop a strategy to control stress; create an action plan to execute a stress control strategy; and master techniques for managing stress. Faculty of The Child and Adolescent Stress Management Institute also offer undergraduate and graduate courses for college credit in the Department of Health Science.

Community Research Center

This center is a coalition of study groups and research projects united by a common theme of study of the economic, political, cultural, and social institutions in the Rochester metropolitan area.

International Business Institute

The International Business Institute, located in the Department of Business Administration and Economics, supports SUNY Brockport's commitment to preparing new students for global opportunities in the 21st century. The Institute serves as a link between the College and the greater Monroe County business community. Its role is to serve students, faculty and the community by contributing to the understanding of the forces that impact international business in Western New York. The Institute coordinates internships designed to provide interested students with firsthand experience in international business and employers with graduates trained in export marketing. For more information, call (585) 395-5467.

Monroe County Historian's Office

The Historian's Office of the County of Monroe is affiliated with the College. This association meets the needs of a wide range of constituents, including area teachers who need assistance with local history projects, the County's town and village historians, as well as the general public. The County Historian's Office also actively supports historical research by offering summer research seminars and historical presentations. For hours, please call (585) 428-8352.

Visual Studies Workshop

As an affiliate of SUNY Brockport, the Visual Studies Workshop offers both undergraduate- and graduate-level courses, as well as an MFA program in Visual Studies for Brockport art students.

The Workshop is located in the heart of Rochester's museum district at 31 Prince Street. Facilities include black-and-white, color, and special-process darkrooms; offset production printing facilities; a Macintosh computer lab; small-format video production and post-production, computer imaging and computer audio systems; the VSW Research Center with extensive collections, library and Independent Press Archive; exhibition galleries and a bookstore. The Visual Studies Workshop serves visual artists and the general public with diversified programming in education, exhibitions, and publishing. VSW is an internationally recognized center for photography, visual books, video, and independent film. For additional information, call the Visual Studies Workshop at (585) 442-8676.

Writers Forum and Videotape Library

The Writers Forum seeks to advance the appreciation and practice of the art of writing by bringing to the SUNY Brockport campus for public readings poets, dramatists, fiction writers, and writers of non-fiction prose (scholars, critics, biographers, and editors) who have established local, national, and international reputations, as well as promising new writers. The Videotape Library is a scholarly archive of some 300 "discussions of craft" with contemporary writers. It is a nationally known scholarly and educational resource. The Writers Forum Summer Writing Workshops is a week-long program for writers with participants from around the country. It can be taken for credit (with permission).

Last Updated 7/21/22