Siena College
Encyclopedia
Siena College is an independent Roman Catholic liberal arts college
in Loudonville
, in the town of Colonie
, New York
, United States
. Siena is a four-year, coeducational, independent college in the Franciscan
tradition, founded by the Franciscan Friars in 1937. It has 3,000 full-time students and offers undergraduate degrees in business, liberal arts, and sciences. Tuition for the 2011-2012 academic year is $28,910 and standard room and board is $11,434.
It was named after Saint Bernardino of Siena
, the illustrious 15th century Franciscan scholar and friar.
Siena College, due to United States Army funding, was forced to shut down their ROTC program, on campus. Current enrolled Cadets are now required to travel to other schools in the region, in order to continue participation in the Reserved Officer Training Corps.
(MAAC), with field hockey participating in the Northeast Conference
(NEC).
The college generally only competed against local schools in athletics until being elevated to the Division I level in 1976. At this time, Siena became a member of the ECAC
, and later the North Atlantic Conference, a forerunner to the present day America East Conference
. In 1990, the college moved to the MAAC where it has remained since. Siena has not always been known by its present moniker. Athletic teams were first known as the Golden Hurricanes and later as the Indians. In March of 1989], the school adopted its current nickname, the Saints.
Many of Siena's athletic teams have experienced success at the Division I level. The college's most well known squad is the men's basketball team
. The Saints have appeared in six NCAA Tournaments, advancing to the Round of 32 in 1989
, 2008
and 2009
. Siena has also played in the postseason NIT five times, capturing third place in 1994
. The women's basketball teams has also had a recent run of success, including a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2001
, and appearances in the 1999, 2002 and 2003 WNIT
.
Another team with recent high achievement is men's baseball. The Saints advanced to the 1999 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
and in 2005
saw pitcher John Lannan
drafted by the Washington Nationals
. Lannan has since become a regular starter
in Washington's rotation.
Finally, the men's lacrosse team
has also improved significantly in recent years. The Saints qualified for their first MAAC tournament in 2007 and their first NCAA tournament
in 2009. That season, the Saints secured an automatic berth in the tournament after winning their first MAAC championship during a ten-game winning streak.
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
in Loudonville
Loudonville, New York
Loudonville is a hamlet in the town of Colonie, in Albany County, New York, United States. Loudonville was a census-designated place in the 1970, 1980, and 1990 US Census, but ceased to be in the 2000 Census.The area is not precisely defined...
, in the town of Colonie
Colonie (town), New York
Colonie is a town in Albany County, New York, United States. It is the most populous suburb of Albany, New York, and is the third largest town in area in Albany County, occupying about 11% of the county. Several hamlets exist within the town. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Siena is a four-year, coeducational, independent college in the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
tradition, founded by the Franciscan Friars in 1937. It has 3,000 full-time students and offers undergraduate degrees in business, liberal arts, and sciences. Tuition for the 2011-2012 academic year is $28,910 and standard room and board is $11,434.
It was named after Saint Bernardino of Siena
Bernardino of Siena
Saint Bernardino of Siena, O.F.M., was an Italian priest, Franciscan missionary, and is a Catholic saint.-Early life:...
, the illustrious 15th century Franciscan scholar and friar.
Campus
The college is an urban campus taking up 174 acres (70.4 ha) at the northern edge of Loudonville. The campus includes:- Siena Hall
- The main college building, housing classrooms and administrator and faculty offices. The cupola at the top is used as the symbol of the college, appearing on the college logo and most printed and web material.
- J. Spencer and Patricia Standish Library
- Built in 1999, it has space for 400,000 volumes, seating for 700 readers, networking for 500 computer connections, 100 computer work stations, an audio-visual center, an archive and special collections suite, 11 group study rooms, 16 faculty carrels, and training laboratory and demonstration classrooms.
- Roger Bacon Hall
- Houses the School of Science offices and classrooms as well as the Psychology Department.
- Morrell Science Center
- Attached to Roger Bacon Hall and built in 2001, it houses the chemistry, biochemistry and biology departments.
- Kiernan Hall
- Classrooms and faculty offices. Notable for the design: the first floor consist of two sections separated by an outdoor walkway, with the second floor bridging the two sections.
- Foy Hall
- Home to the creative arts department, campus theatre and studio of Siena College Television.
- Marcelle Athletic Complex
- Athletic offices and facilities.
- Sarazen Student Union
- Houses the post office, campus radio station, Student Affairs office, student government offices, the Pepsi Cafe, O'Leary's Pub, Pandini's, and the Sub Connection.
- There are eight residential living areas on campus: Cushing Village (4 or 6 person townhouses), Hennepin Hall (6 story traditional dorm building), Hines Hall (5 story traditional dorm building), MacClosky Square (6 or 8 person townhouses), Padua Hall (traditional dorm building, second newest hall on campus), Plassmann Hall, Ryan Hall (exclusively for Freshmen), and the New Hall, which was just built in 2010 and as of yet has not been named. The residence halls tend to be concentrated in the middle of campus and at the southern end while the townhouse residences are concentrated along the northern edge of campus off Fiddlers Lane and were at first controversial with the neighboring Newtonville community. When the first townhouses were proposed the Newtonville Homeowners Association unsuccessfully sued to block construction. Subsequent construction has not been controversial thanks to the town board including the Newtonville Homeowners Association in the decision making process.
Siena College, due to United States Army funding, was forced to shut down their ROTC program, on campus. Current enrolled Cadets are now required to travel to other schools in the region, in order to continue participation in the Reserved Officer Training Corps.
Athletics
Siena offers 18 NCAA Division I sports, 17 of which participate in the Metro Atlantic Athletic ConferenceMetro Atlantic Athletic Conference
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. MAAC teams compete in the NCAA's Division I. Most of the members are Catholic or formerly Catholic institutions; the only exception is the private but secular Rider...
(MAAC), with field hockey participating in the Northeast Conference
Northeast Conference
The Northeast Conference is a college athletic conference whose schools are members of the NCAA. The NCAA designates the Northeast Conference to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision for Division I Men's Football and to Division I Sports for all other sports.Founded in 1981 as the ECAC-Metro...
(NEC).
The college generally only competed against local schools in athletics until being elevated to the Division I level in 1976. At this time, Siena became a member of the ECAC
Eastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
, and later the North Atlantic Conference, a forerunner to the present day America East Conference
America East Conference
The America East Conference is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located mainly in the northeastern United States. The conference was known as the ECAC North from 1979 to 1988 and the North Atlantic Conference from the fall semester of 1988 to the end of the spring...
. In 1990, the college moved to the MAAC where it has remained since. Siena has not always been known by its present moniker. Athletic teams were first known as the Golden Hurricanes and later as the Indians. In March of 1989], the school adopted its current nickname, the Saints.
Many of Siena's athletic teams have experienced success at the Division I level. The college's most well known squad is the men's basketball team
Siena Saints men's basketball
The Siena Saints men's basketball team represents Siena College in Loudonville, New York, United States. The Division I program competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Saints are coached by Mitch Buonaguro who just completed his first season as head coach at Siena after serving as...
. The Saints have appeared in six NCAA Tournaments, advancing to the Round of 32 in 1989
1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 1989, and ended with the championship game on April 3 in Seattle, Washington...
, 2008
2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...
and 2009
2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
. Siena has also played in the postseason NIT five times, capturing third place in 1994
1994 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Siena 92, Kansas State 79...
. The women's basketball teams has also had a recent run of success, including a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2001
2001 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-West Regional - Spokane, WA:-Midwest Regional - Denver, CO:-East Regional - Pittsburgh, PA:-Final Four - St. Louis, MO :-See also:* 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament* 2001 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament...
, and appearances in the 1999, 2002 and 2003 WNIT
WNIT
WNIT is the PBS member television station for South Bend, Indiana. Its studios are located in South Bend. WNIT broadcasts on digital channel 35 ....
.
Another team with recent high achievement is men's baseball. The Saints advanced to the 1999 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
1999 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
The 1999 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament was held from May 28 through June 19, 1999. 64 NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in the NCAA Tournament...
and in 2005
2005 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2005 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams...
saw pitcher John Lannan
John Lannan
John Edward Lannan is a left-handed starting pitcher in the Washington Nationals organization....
drafted by the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
. Lannan has since become a regular starter
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
in Washington's rotation.
Finally, the men's lacrosse team
Siena Saints men's lacrosse
The Siena Saints men's lacrosse team represents Siena College in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's college lacrosse competition. The Saints play their home games at the Siena Turf Field, which has a capacity for 1,000 spectators...
has also improved significantly in recent years. The Saints qualified for their first MAAC tournament in 2007 and their first NCAA tournament
2009 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
The 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Tournament was held from May 9 through May 25, 2009. This was the 39th annual Division I NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament...
in 2009. That season, the Saints secured an automatic berth in the tournament after winning their first MAAC championship during a ten-game winning streak.
Notable alumni
Siena College has approximately 28,000 living alumni worldwide.- In the fields of journalism and literature, notable Siena graduates include: William J. Kennedy, 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner; Erich HartmannErich Hartmann (photographer)Erich Hartmann was an American photographer.-Life in Germany:Erich Hartmann, was born 29 July 1922 in Munich, Germany, the eldest child of parents who lived in Passau, a small city on the Danube near the Austrian border in which they were one of a five Jewish families...
, international award-winning photojournalist and former President of Magnum PhotosMagnum PhotosMagnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices located in New York, Paris, London and Tokyo...
; David HeppDavid HeppDavid Hepp is an American journalist and reporter. He and Lise Bang-Jensen created the Albany, New York-based Inside Albany news television program, which ran for several decades until it ceased production on December 31, 2006.Hepp received the Alfred I...
, award-winning journalist and creator of Inside AlbanyInside AlbanyInside Albany was a weekly half-hour public affairs television program that aired on public television stations in New York State.Unlike its sister newsweekly TV program New York Week in Review, Inside Albany aired every week and did not go on hiatus in the summer or during the Christmas season...
and Ed HenryEd HenryEdward "Ed" Henry is the senior White House correspondent for Fox News Channel, and is based in the network's Washington, D.C. bureau. He was born in Queens, New York and lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland.-Background:...
, senior White House correspondent for FoxNews. - In the fields of law and government, notable Siena graduates include: Francis BerganFrancis BerganFrancis Bergan was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:He was the son of Michael Bergan and Mary Bergan. He was educated at the New York State College for Teachers. Then he worked as a court reporter for the Knickerbocker Press, and studied law. He graduated LL.B...
, former Presiding Justice of the New York Court of Appeals; Constantine George Cholakis, former Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York; George DeukmejianGeorge DeukmejianCourken George Deukmejian, Jr. born June 6, 1928) is an Armenian American politician from California who as a Republican served as the 35th Governor of California and as California Attorney General .-Early life:...
, 35th Governor of California; former United States Representatives from New York Jack Quinn and Gerald B. H. Solomon; and Henry F. ZwackHenry F. ZwackHenry F. Zwack is a lawyer and politician, most notable for having served as Rensselaer County, New York county executive and as a New York State Supreme Court Justice....
, Justice of the New York Supreme Court, 3rd Judicial District. Also, teaching government and international studies, is Chris J. Dolan, professor of political science.