Binghamton University
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Binghamton University State University of New York
Motto:	From breadth through depth to perspective
Established:	1946
Type:	Public
Endowment:	$68.9 million (as of 2007) [2]
President:	Lois B. DeFleur
Undergraduates:	11,523
Postgraduates:	2,850
Location:	Vestal, NY, USA
Campus:	Suburban, 887 acres (3.6 km²)
Colors:	Green, Black and White
Nickname:	The Bearcats
Mascot:	Baxter The Bearcat
Athletics:	NCAA Division I
Affiliations:	State University of New York
Website:	Binghamton.edu

Overlooking center of campus.

The State University of New York at Binghamton (SUNY Binghamton) or Binghamton University is one of the four university centers in New York State’s system of post-secondary public education (SUNY). Since its establishment in 1946, it has undergone a number of changes in name and location. Today, the research university’s main campus is located in Vestal, New York, and the school has recently opened a center nearby in downtown Binghamton. Binghamton has grown from a small liberal arts college to a large doctoral-granting institution, presently consists of six colleges and schools and is now home to more than 14,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

History

Binghamton was established in 1946 as Triple Cities College to serve the needs of local veterans returning from World War II. Established in Endicott, New York, the college was a branch of Syracuse University. Originally, Triple Cities College offered local students the first two years of their education, while the following two were spent at Syracuse University, but the inception of the college is dated at 1946 when students could first earn their degree entirely in the Binghamton branch. When the college split from Syracuse and became incorporated into the State University of New York (SUNY) in 1950, it was renamed Harpur College, in honor of Robert Harpur, a Colonial teacher and pioneer who settled in the Binghamton area. Of the four University Centers (Stony Brook, Albany, Buffalo and Binghamton), Binghamton was the first to join SUNY.

In 1951, the college began a move to its current location in Vestal, New York. The 387-acre (1.57 km²) site was purchased from a local farmer, anticipating future growth for the school. Colonial Hall, the original building of the former campus, stands today as the Village of Endicott Visitor's Center.

After Harpur was selected as one of the four university centers of SUNY in 1965, it was renamed State University of New York at Binghamton. As other schools were added, Harpur College retained its name as the liberal arts college core, and largest component, of Binghamton. In 1992, the university adopted the name Binghamton University as its official short-form name. Harpur College is still the largest of Binghamton's constituent schools, with more than 60% of the school's undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in a Harpur degree program.

Thomas J. Watson

Thomas J. Watson is an important figure in Binghamton's fabric. Having founded IBM in Broome, Watson viewed the region as an area of great potential. In the early 1940s he collaborated with a group of local leaders to initiate the creation of Triple Cities College (of Syracuse University), which would later become Harpur College and then finally Binghamton. He donated land at and around the original IBM site in Endicott, NY, where the school called home for just a few years. The campus broke ground at its current location in Vestal, NY, in 1954. In 1967, the School of Advanced Technology was established -- the precursor to the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science that was founded in 1983.

Organization

Binghamton's current president is Lois B. DeFleur, who has served as president since 1990. There are five divisions: Academic Affairs, Administration, External Affairs, Research, and Student Affairs, each of which is managed by a vice president. Binghamton is part of the State University of New York system and is one of four university centers of the SUNY system. The University is governed by the Board of Trustees of the SUNY system. The Binghamton Council also exists to oversee certain aspects of the school's governance such as student conduct, budget, and physical facilities. Nine of the ten members are appointed by the governor of New York, with the remaining member elected by the student body.^[1].

Colleges and schools

Binghamton comprises the following colleges and schools:

• Harpur College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest of Binghamton's schools. It is home to more than 7,000 undergraduates and more than 1,200 graduate students in 29 departments and 12 interdisciplinary degree programs in the humanities, natural and social sciences, and mathematics. As of March 23, 2008, there is a search under way for a new dean; currently Harpur College is served by interim dean Ricardo Laremont.

• The College of Community and Public Affairs offers an undergraduate major in human development as well as graduate programs in social work and public administration. It was formed in July 2006 after a reorganization of its predecessor, the School of Education and Human Development.^[2]. It is currently served by dean Patricia Ingraham.

• The Decker School of Nursing was established in 1969.^[3] The school offers undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees in nursing. The school's current dean is Joyce Ferraro and it is accredited by the Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education.

• The School of Education was formed in July 2006 as part of the same reorganization that created the College of Community and Public Affairs. It offers master’s of science and doctoral degrees and is accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council.^[4]. Its acting dean is Susan Strehle.

• The School of Management is the most selective school on campus. It offers Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate degrees in management, finance, information science, marketing, and accounting. It is currently served by Upinder Dillon, Dean & Koffman Scholar of Finance. It is accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business.

• Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science is one of the fastest growing schools on campus.^{citation needed}. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering and computer science. Its current dean is Seshu Desu. The engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.

Law School

• The University has officially announced plans to launch a law school. This initiative is in its earliest stages and few details have been provided. The administration has been working with SUNY, the governor, the American Bar Association (ABA), and other important organizations, regarding required accreditation, which the school expects by the time the first class graduates. No decision on where the school will be located has been made.^[5]

Residential communities

Mountainview College

Residence halls at Binghamton are grouped into seven communities. The apartment communities used to house graduate students, but now house undergraduates. Of the residential colleges, Dickinson Community and Newing College feature corridor-style double-occupancy rooms, while College-in-the-Woods mixes suites and double- and triple-occupancy rooms, and Hinman College and Mountainview College (the newest of the communities) consist of suites, exclusively. Susquehanna Community and Hillside Community contain only apartments. ^[6]

Community Themes

• Dickinson: Named for Daniel S. Dickinson, a mid-19th century U.S. Senator from surrounding area, important as the "Defender of the Constitution" in pre-Civil War era. Buildings are named after other prominent local figures, including founders of the university.
• Hinman: Named for New York State Senator Harvey D. Hinman. Buildings are named after former New York State governors.
• Newing: Buildings are named for Southern Tier towns and counties
• College-In-The-Woods: Named for its location set into the university's nature preserve. Buildings are named after tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy. The community is popularly referred to as simply CIW.
• Mountainview: The four individual residential halls – Cascade, Hunter, Marcy, and Windham – were named after peaks in the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains and each house up to 300 students. Mountainview is the most recent community to open at Binghamton as of April, 2008. It was completed between 2003 and 2004^[7]
• Susquehanna: Buildings are named for tributaries of the Susquehanna River, which flows through the city of Binghamton.
• Hillside: Named for its location at the highest part of the Binghamton campus. Halls are named for New York State parks. The 16 apartment buildings are ordered in alphabetical order clockwise.

Academics

Binghamton offers more than eighty academic undergraduate majors and more than thirty graduate majors. There also exist interdisciplinary programs that allow individualized degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level. There are also several dual degree programs which allow students to complete both their undergraduate and graduate degrees in five years.The school offers several early assurance programs which guarantee acceptance to graduate/professional schools outside of Binghamton, such as SUNY Upstate Medical School. Binghamton is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

The university requires students to have completed twelve general education requirements in order to graduate, with some exceptions^[8] depending on the school. These include global studies courses, humanities, language and communication, physical activity and wellness, mathematics, and science ^[9] Individual schools within the university have additional requirements^[10]. Students must complete a minimum of 126 credits to graduate. Binghamton uses a four-credit system for most classes.

91% of domestic undergraduate students at Binghamton reside within New York State, with more than 60% from the greater New York City area. 8% of undergraduate students are international students, representing 65 countries. ^[11][12] Binghamton employs close to 600 full-time faculty, 93% of whom have PhDs or equivalents in their fields.^[13].

Research and Endowment

The university is designated as an advanced research institute, thus a number of research opportunities exist for both undergraduate and graduate students. There are more than thirty organized research centers that have been developed in order to facilitate interdisciplinary and specialized research^[14]. The office of the vice president for research publishes an annual magazine that highlights research happening at the university. The university received more than $30 million in outside research grants in fiscal year 2007^[15].

The University has an endowment of approximately $68.9 million as of January, 2008. The endowment and fundraising campaigns are managed by the Binghamton Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation established to further the mission of Binghamton.^[16]

The Campus

Binghamton's New Downtown Campus in July 2007

The Couper Administration Building

Binghamton has grown to include roughly 120 buildings, some of which were recent additions from a $2.2 billion SUNY capital plan. New facilities include a housing complex, academic facilities, an indoor multipurpose Events Center to accommodate the University's commencement exercises, Bearcat athletic events and other activities, an addition to the student union and the partially completed Innovative Technologies Complex. Another significant addition is the new $29 million University Downtown Center in downtown Binghamton which opened for the fall 2007 semester. It houses the newly formed College of Community and Public Affairs. Most recently, the 2007 soccer season saw the debut of a new outdoor soccer and lacrosse stadium.

A unique feature of the main campus is that it is shaped like a brain. The primary road on campus creates a closed loop to form the cerebrum and cerebellum, and the main entrance road creates the spinal cord which leads up to a traffic circle (representing the medula). The main road is thus frequently referred to as The Brain. The campus is spread over 887 acres (3.6 km²) just south of the Susquehanna River. It features a 190 acre (0.8 km²) Nature Preserve, a forest and wetland area that includes a six-acre (24,000 m²) pond that adjoins the campus.

Facilities and Places

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Libraries

The Glenn G. Bartle Library, named after the University’s first president, contains collections in the humanities, social sciences, government documents and collections in mathematical and computer sciences. Additionally, Bartle Library houses the Fine Arts Collection (focusing on works relating to art, music, theater and cinema) and Special Collections (containing the Max Reinhardt Collection, as well as the Edwin A. Link and Marion Clayton Link Archives). The Science Library contains materials in all science and engineering disciplines, as well as a map collection. The University Downtown Center (UDC) Library and Information Commons opened in August 2007 and supports the departments of social work, human development and public administration.

The Libraries offer a number of services including research consultation and assistance, a laptop lending program, customized instruction sessions, and three information commons located in the Bartle, Science and UDC libraries. The libraries offer access to various online databases to facilitate research for students and faculty.[3] The entire campus is also served by a wireless Internet network which all students, staff, and faculty have access to, which is funded in part by mandatory student technology fees. The computing services center supports Windows, Macintosh, and Linux systems, both in public computer labs and for students personal computers.

Anderson Center for the Performing Arts

This theater complex has three main stages: Watters Theater, seating 550; the Chamber Hall, seating 450; and the Osterhout Concert Theater, seating 1,200. The concert theater has the ability to become an open-air venue, with its movable, floor-to-ceiling glass windows that open up to a grassy hill. The Anderson Center has hosted world-class performers such as the Russian Symphony and Ballet, the Prague National Symphony and the Shakespearian Theater Company. In March 2006, an overflow house, filling all of the Anderson Center's theaters, was present to hear guest speaker Noam Chomsky.

University Art Museums

The University's art collection is housed more than one location, but all within the Fine Arts Building. The building's main-level gallery hosts various artifacts which belong to the Permanent Collection, though typically showcases student work on a rotating basis. The Permanent Collection in the basement level of the building showcases ancient art from Egypt, China and other locales. Lastly, the Elsie B. Rosefsky Gallery, just off the Grand Corridor, displays special exhibits and portfolios.

Events Center

The Events Center is the area's largest venue for athletics, concerts, fairs and more. Home court to the Binghamton Bearcats basketball teams, the facility seats about 5,300 people for games. For concerts, Commencement and other larger events, the Events Center can hold up to 10,000 people. Home site for the America East Conference Men's Basketball Championships in 2005 and 2006, the court hosted the women's championships for 2007. Its construction cost over $30M, and was not without controversy.

Other Athletic Facilities

Besides the Event Center, the north end of campus houses the East and West Gym for student recreation and varsity athletic purposes. Other varsity facilities include and baseball field, softball field, the Bearcat Sports Complex (a soccer and lacrosse stadium) and an outdoor track. Other student recreation features are a series of playing fields used for soccer, football, rugby and ultimate frisbee.

Nature Preserve

University Nature Preserve, Vestal, NY

The university's Nature Preserve is a 190-acre (0.77 km²) plot of land on the southern end of campus. Students have actively worked to make sure the space remains untouched. The preserve features miles of maintained paths, a large lake, marsh areas, vernal pools, tall hills and even a hill-top meadow. A popular hang-out spot is the long wooden boardwalk constructed across one of the marshes, overlooking the lake.

Science Complex

The Science Complex is a five building complex (soon to be seven) including four instructional and office buildings, a greenhouse and the science library. Buildings are named sequentially as Sciences I through IV.

Academic Complex

Academic A, School of Management

The Academic Complex is a two building complex which opened in 1999. Academic A houses the School of Management and Undergraduate Admissions. Academic B houses the Decker School of Nursing and the School of Education.

University Union

Clock Tower, University Union

The University Union is divided into two sections, the Old Union and the New Union, sometimes referred to as Union East and West respectively. The Union houses many student organizations, the food court, Susquehanna Room dining area, a number of meeting spaces, the University Bookstore and a branch of M&T Bank.

Innovative Technologies Complex

More commonly known as the ITC, the Innovative Technologies Complex is a new development intended to advance venture capital research in both the support of the university's activities as well as supporting local high technology industry. Currently the complex is a single building, formerly belonging to NYSEG adjacent to the main campus, which has been extensively renovated. Plans have already been released for a second facility on the site which will house the Watson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences; construction is slated to begin in Spring 2008. Early talks indicated plans for a 6 building complex at its completion. Buildings are named sequentially according to the Greek Alphabet.

Future Construction

Currently, Binghamton is planning several projects to facilitate the growth of the university in terms of population.

• The east campus project will reconstruct the Newing and Dickinson residential communities; Construction will start in late Spring 2008 with the construction of one new building in Newing^[17].
• The Innovative Technologies Complex, currently consisting of just one building, will eventually consist of six buildings at completion. The entire complex is dedicated primarily to venture capital research in the areas of science and engineering. The next building is expected to begin construction in 2008.
• Science V is expected to begin construction in 2008 in order to expand the existing science complex on the main campus. The new facility will host the biology and psychology departments. Once completed, renovations will begin to the existing sciences 3 and 4.^{citation needed}
• The old university union is expected to undergo major interior renovations. Roughing replacement has already begun, with interior work expected to begin in 2008, continuing until April 2009.

Rankings and Statistics

Rankings

• According to the 2008 BusinessWeek rankings, the School of Management was ranked 40th overall in the nation. 15th among Public Schools. SOM ranked 11th in the nation by recruiters, 10th by highest median starting salary, 11th for placement, 20th for MBA placement (by percent of students entering a top 35 MBA program), 14th lowest cost and 15th overall school among all public schools/40th among all schools public and private. The school is in the top 4 Business Schools in New York State, along with NYU, Columbia University and Cornell University and has recently moved ahead of schools such as Syracuse University and Boston University. ^[18]The accounting program is top 10 in CPA examination scores and with the finance concentration is the 3rd largest feeder to the Big 4 accounting firms.
• According to Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, Binghamton University was ranked the #1 best value 2007 and #2 in 2008.
• In the Spring 2008, Forbes Magazine ranked Binghamton 16th among all public schools and 57th among all schools public and private. ^[19] This placed them behind such schools as the University of Rochester, Georgetown and Duke, and ahead of such school as Penn State, American University, Ohio State University, Virginia Tech and UMASS-Amherst.
• In August 2007 Binghamton was ranked 82 out of 262 ^[20]schools on the US News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges: National Universities: Top Schools"^[21] (The publication only ranks the top 124 schools). This is the highest rank of all SUNY universities.
• Arts and Sciences: Binghamton is 19th in Chemistry, 13th in Historical Sociology, 15th nationally and 19th world wide in Political Science and 9th in Anthropology.^[22]
• Binghamton is listed on Greene's Guide to Colleges as one of the Public Ivies.
• Fisk Guide to Colleges has labeled Binghamton as, "The Premier Public University in the Northeast," a statement that has become prominent in marketing efforts.
• Binghamton has the third highest four-year graduation rate among public schools (behind University of Virginia and The College of William & Mary).

Admissions and finance

Binghamton has a middle 50 percent SAT Score (Math + Verbal): 1200-1380, 1275 average (the national average is 1017), a four-year graduation rate: 70 percent (third highest among all public schools according to the National Education Trust), an acceptance rate including transfers: 42% and 32% excluding transfers.^[23][24][25] For the Fall 2006 Semester, Binghamton received over 22,000 applications for 2,200 spots, and for the Fall 2007, they received over 25,000 applications for 2,300 spots. The Fall 2008 application pool is expected to be finalized around 1,000 applicant greater yet.

The average debt at graduation is $14,734, and the school is in the Top 15 Lowest debt-load in the country.^[25]

Athletics

Main article: Binghamton Bearcats

Binghamton has been a member of the NCAA since near its inception to the SUNY system. Originally a Division III school, President Lois DeFleur spearheaded an aggressive campaign to become a Division I school. In 1999, Binghamton completed that transition faster than any other school in history^{citation needed}; this was not without controversy, however, due to the perceived cost to the university. Today, they are a member of the America East Conference. Alongside the transition to Division I, a $33.1 million Events Center for basketball, track and tennis was constructed. In 2007, a $3.6 million stadium with turf fields for soccer and lacrosse, as well as a championship-capable baseball field, were completed. Binghamton's mascot is now the Bearcat; the team was known as the Colonials before the transition to Division I.

Transportation

Bus transportation on campus and in local neighborhoods with a high density of students is provided by the student managed and driven Off Campus College Transport(OCCT). OCCT is free to students; it is supported by the student activities fee and funded by the Student Association. Additionally, all students are able to ride the Broome County Transit buses for free as part of their mandatory fees. ^[26]

Student Association and Organizations

The Student Association^[27], also known as the SA, bills itself as "an all encompassing organization that every single student is a member of as soon as they pay their tuition," and functions as Binghamton's student government.^[28] Fashioning itself after the United States federal government, the Student Association is composed of independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches, with members of the executive and legislative branches elected by popular vote of the student body. Members of the judiciary, known as the Judicial Board, are nominated by the Student Association president and confirmed by the Student Assembly, the legislative branch. Members of the Student Assembly, the legislative branch, are elected by the different communities, with off campus students falling into one off campus community. The association is funded by a mandatory activity fee which must be approved by regular student referendums.

The Student Association retains the sole right to charter and recognize groups on campus, other than social fraternities and sororities. Currently, the SA recognizes approximately 160 student organizations.^[29]

Student groups provide a wide range of services, and many are entirely student-run with no faculty supervision or university funding, though Student Association chartered groups are funded through the mandatory student activity fee and disbursed in a yearly budget process developed by the SA Financial Council and approved by the Student Assembly. Student groups must be chartered by the Student Association in order to be able to use university facilities and advertise through university information media. There are also more than forty fraternities and sororities chartered on campus

Press and Radio

Binghamton Television

BTV is a 24-hour closed-circuit television station, entirely run by students.

Pipe Dream Student Newspaper

Founded in 1946 as Colonial News, the name was changed to Pipe Dream in 1971. This paper publishes twice-weekly issues which are free and distributed across campus.

Binghamton Review

Founded in 1987, Binghamton Review is the conservative/libertarian student newspaper at Binghamton University.

Free Press

Founded in 2007 as an alternative to Pipe Dream, the Free Press is a biweekly newspaper.

WHRW

WHRW, an FM radio station staffed by students and community members, is a free-format college and community FM radio station.

In addition, there are several smaller newspapers and magazines published by various student groups.

Economic Impact

According to a 2006 report from the University’s Office of Institutional Research and Planning, University faculty, staff, students and visitors spent more than $400 million in the 2004-05 fiscal year, creating an economic impact of about $700 million in Broome County and $894.5 million in New York State alone.^[30]

The University’s Office of Institutional Research and Planning, also found that:

• For every dollar the state invests in the University, about $8 is returned to Greater Binghamton and New York State.^{citation needed}
• The presence of the University supports 11,900 full-time jobs in New York State, nearly 10,000 of which are in Broome County. The University employs about 1 in 10 residents in the Greater Binghamton area.

From the year 2000, the University's economic impact has increased by about 12 percent and is expected to continue growing substantially.

Alumni

Alumni Association

The Harpur College Alumni Association elected its first officers in 1951, following the first Commencement. As Harpur College grew and became a part of the State University of New York, the Alumni Association has grown and today serves as the umbrella organization for a growing number of alumni groups and activities.

The Association represents more than 90,000 alumni. It is a non-dues paying association and all alumni automatically become members upon graduation.^[31]

Notable alumni

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• William Baldwin, actor
• Bruce Benderson, novelist and essayist
• Andrew Bergman, screenwriter and film director
• Alan Berliner, independent filmmaker
• Harold Cohen, Florida Judge who presided over a multi-billion-dollar case against the tobacco industry in 1997
• Nathan Englander, author
• Norman Finkelstein, political scientist and author of several books on the Israel-Palestine conflict
• Steven Fulop, City Councilman of Jersey City, New Jersey
• Bill T. Jones, dancer, choreographer, dance company founder, Tony Award winner
• Sean Kenniff, doctor, medical journalist and appeared on Survivor: Borneo
• Steve Koren, screenwriter
• Tony Kornheiser, Washington Post sportswriter, host of 'Pardon the Interruption' on ESPN, and co-host of Monday Night Football
• Carol Leifer, comedian, actress, feminist activist
• Arnold Levine, microbiologist, professor at Princeton University, former president of Rockefeller University ^[32]
• John Liu, first Asian Pacific American serving on the New York City Council
• Johnny Logan, Milwaukee Braves shortstop
• Ingrid Michaelson, singer and songwriter
• Matt Ouimet, president of the Hotel Group at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, former president of the Disneyland Resort
• Camille Paglia, philosopher, author, editor, lecturer; featured on Time's top 100 intellectuals list
• Lee Ranaldo, Sonic Youth guitarist
• Karl Ravech, host of Baseball Tonight on ESPN
• Paul Reiser, comedian, actor and writer
• Cliff Roth, filmmaker and editor
• Josh Rosenblum, musician
• Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Tony Award winner
• Thomas Secunda, co-founder and CTO of Bloomberg LP
• Michael Shernoff, psychotherapist who wrote widely on gay men's mental health concerns and HIV/AIDS prevention^[33]
• Madeleine Smithberg, co-creator of The Daily Show
• Dava Sobel, author
• Art Spiegelman, graphic novelist and Pulitzer Prize winner
• Robert H.Swan, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance, eBay ^[34]
• Deborah Tannen, author and professor of linguistics at Georgetown University
• Suzanne Weyn, author
• Jenna Wolfe, journalist with NBC News
• Jillian York, author and journalist with Global Voices Online
  • Karthik Sivakumar, Award-Winning Actor, Tamil Cinema, Tamil Nadu, INDIA

Alma Mater

The university's alma mater, "In the Rolling Hills of Binghamton," was composed by David Engel '86, and is performed at the University's Commencement each May.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

State University of New York at Binghamton

• Binghamton
• Student Association
• Pipe Dream
• BTV
• WHRW

References

Coordinates: 42°05′21″N 75°58′12″W / 42.089250, -75.969890