Colleges of Distinction 2010 - 2011 Guide. Tyson Schritter

       Cazenovia’s First Year Program helps students successfully transition from high school to college by fully integrating First Year students into the academic community. Hallmarks of our First Year Program include First Year Seminars that engage students through intensive small-group study on a topic of special interest to them, and Living Learning Communities where students study, play, live and learn within a supported community of students with common interests.

       Experiential learning opportunities are part of the curriculum at Cazenovia College. Successful completion of an internship is a graduation requirement for most Cazenovia College majors. Last year, 98% of all graduating seniors completed at least one internship as part of their Cazenovia College education.

       Recent internship sites include USA Today, Seventeen Magazine, Lockheed-Martin, Morgan Stanley, Bloomingdale’s, New York State Police, Northrop Grumman, the Office of U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Saratoga Race Track, John Madden Sales, Inc., Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Washington Internship Institute, and Disney.

       Students are encouraged to experience the world by taking advantage of the College’s collaborative relationship with Canterbury Christ Church University in the United Kingdom. Cazenovia’s Study Abroad Program affords students the opportunity to live in England and attend Canterbury Christ Church University where students live and study with their British counterparts and students from many other nations.

       Student-driven research is standard at Cazenovia College. Each major requires a Senior Capstone course, in which students design and conduct a research project on a topic of interest to them. The Senior Capstone is a culmination of students’ work both within the major and the general education program.

       Cazenovia College students are dedicated to serving the campus and greater community. A sampling of local and national projects include participating in the Adopt a Highway Program; organizing a Haiti relief program; rebuilding houses in New Orleans on multiple post-Katrina relief efforts; trail building and conservation work at several state parks in the Southern United States; and numerous Habitat for Humanity endeavors.

       With an average class size of only 16 and a student-to-faculty ratio of 12:1, professors really get to know students and know them by name. 94% of alumni surveyed within the last 5 years say that their interaction with faculty members contributed to an overall successful college experience.

       Faculty members are professionals in their fields who work to engage students to the fullest. 80% of full-time faculty members have a doctorate or terminal degree. At Cazenovia, professors care about helping students learn to think for themselves.

       Cazenovia professors often expand their courses by taking learning outside of the classroom. Interior Design students recently worked with community members and the local McDonald’s to design a new modern McDonald’s restaurant. The Fashion Studies Department sponsors the annual professional caliber juried Fashion Show. The show features Senior Collections and an illustration display, allowing students to showcase their designs, participate in the planning, promotion and production of the show.

       Opportunities for students to collaborate with faculty on research and scholarly works evidence faculty commitment to teaching. Students in one of Dr. John Robert Greene’s United States History classes were given the opportunity to write profiles on major world figures during the George H.W. Bush administration to be included in the book, “Presidential Profiles: The George H.W. Bush Years.”

       The Center for Teaching and Learning is a unique facility staffed with both professional educators and students who provide service to all students who need extra help in their college work. Assistance developing writing, reading, mathematics, and study skills are available at The Center for Teaching and Learning. One-on-one and small-group tutoring is available at the Center.

       More than 90% of all full-time students live on-campus facilitating student interaction and a lively residential learning community. Campus living environments include traditional residence halls, suites, living-learning communities, and apartments.

       Collaboration between academic programs and Student Development link classroom and experiential learning.

       Students in a Contemporary Ethnic Families class collaborated with local charities to help two Burmese families from a refugee camp in Thailand learn American customs, language and culture. Students underwent training that certified them to work with refugees, and made them eligible for other volunteer opportunities.

       The College hosts a number of lectures and conferences designed to facilitate and complement student learning. One example is the Reisman Lecture Series, which features thoughtful discourse on topics surrounding contemporary societal issues by authors and scholars, leading public figures and experts from business and the professions. The inaugural Reisman Lecture featured Pulitzer Prize-Winning journalists from the St. Petersburg Times, Lane DeGregory and Melissa Lyttle.

       54 student organizations and clubs at Cazenovia provide a diverse range of student activities. Co-curricular & Leadership Development Programs help students discover and tap into their interests and passions.

       30% of Cazenovia College students are student-athletes. The College competes in NCAA Division III sports and offers a wide range of intramural and club sports, providing student-athletes more opportunities than ever to compete in the sports they love.

       There is plenty to do in the area surrounding Cazenovia. The Finger Lakes Region lies just west of Cazenovia; the foothills of the Adirondacks rise just an hour north; and to the south the rolling hills of Central New York’s farm country are home to several ski resorts and state recreation areas.