State University of New York at Cortland
Encyclopedia
The State University of New York College at Cortland, also officially called SUNY Cortland or informally known as Cortland State, is a coeducational university located in Cortland
, New York
. Cortland is located off of Interstate 81, between Syracuse
and Binghamton
.
College at Cortland
was founded in 1848 as the Cortland Normal School, which included among its earliest students inventor and industrialist Elmer A. Sperry of Sperry Rand Corp. fame. It became a full 4-year college in 1868
Over time, the campus continually grew, and in 1941, by an act of legislature and the Board of Regents
, the institution officially became a four-year college providing courses leading to the bachelor's degree and soon was widely acknowledged as Cortland State Teachers College. In 1948, Cortland was a founding member of the State University of New York.
Today, approximately 7,000 students are pursuing degrees within the College's three academic divisions — arts and sciences, education and professional studies. Twenty-eight academic departments with a faculty of more than 500 offer the SUNY Cortland student body 63 majors and 44 minors from which to choose.
The College's main campus covers 191 acres (773,000 m²) and includes 30 traditional and modern buildings. Fourteen of these structures are residence halls providing on-campus housing for approximately 3,000 students. SUNY Cortland also operates its Outdoor Education Center at Raquette Lake
in the Adirondacks, the Hoxie Gorge Nature Preserve outside Cortland, and the Brauer Education Center on the Helderberg Escarpment
near Albany
.
The U.S. Department of the Interior in 2004 designated Camp Pine Knot, now known as the Huntington Memorial Camp and part of its Outdoor Education center at Raquette Lake, N.Y., as the first and only National Historic Landmark within the State University of New York (SUNY). Camp Pine Knot was the first Great Camp of the Adirondacks and the birthplace of what is now known as the Adirondack style of architecture. SUNY Cortland has 55,000 alumni living in all 50 states and in more than 40 countries.
SUNY Cortland is also home to one of the oldest local sororities in the country, Nu Sigma Chi (NEX or Nu Sig) founded in 1928
. The house located at 52 Prospect Terrace, is the original house that was built for the purpose of being a sorority house hence its unique structure. The other three sororities on campus live in converted old Victorian style houses.
for most sports - women's ice hockey plays in the ECAC West
, football plays in the New Jersey Athletic Conference
and wrestling competes in the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference, as those sports are not offered by the SUNYAC.
SUNY Cortland has had the most nationally successful men's and women's intercollegiate athletics program in New York over the past decade. In 1995, the Sears Directors' Cup was established to gauge and recognize the most successful intercollegiate athletics programs in the nation. SUNY Cortland is one of only five colleges and universities in the U.S. to have finished every year among the Top 20 NCAA Division III programs. Cortland placed 16th out of approximately 440 schools during the 2010-11 competition that is now known as the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup. The competition is sponsored by USA Today, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, and Learfield Sports. The standings are based on schools' national finishes in different sports.
The Cortland Red Dragons annually play Ithaca College
Bombers for the Cortaca Jug
, which was added in 1959 to an already competitive rivalry. The match-up is one of the most prominent in Division III college football.It was called the "biggest little game in the nation" by Sports Illustrated in 1991. Since the inception of the Cortaca Jug, Ithaca College has owned SUNY Cortland, with a record of 34-17.
Cortland snapped Salisbury University's 69-game win streak to capture the 2006 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div. III National Championship. The team reached the 2007 and 2008 national championship in rematch games against Salisbury University. The lacrosse team cemented its spot as a premier team with their second Division III national championship in 2009, defeating Gettysburg in the finals.
In 2006 as part of its Silver Anniversary of sponsoring women's sports, the NCAA named the SUNY Cortland women's cross country program as its top cross country program of the past 25 years. The Cortland women captured seven NCAA Division III national championships in a nine-year span between 1989 and 1997 (1989, 1991–95, 1997). In addition, the Cortland men's cross country team won the 2008 NCAA Div. III championship.
In all, Cortland teams have won 23 national titles, including 17 NCAA crowns. Along with the titles mentioned above, the field hockey team won NCAA Div. III titles in 1993, 1994 and 2001, the women's outdoor track and field team won an NCAA Div. III title in 1985 and the women's indoor track and field team was the 1991 NCAA Div. III champion. The men's lacrosse squad won the NCAA Div. II title in 1975 and the USILA College Division championship in 1973. The women's soccer won the 1992 NCAA Div. III tournament and captured the first-ever U.S. National Women's Soccer Championship in 1980, defeating UCLA in the finals. The men's gymnastics team won USGF Div. II-III titles in 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1990.
42°35.820′N 76°11.363′W
Cortland, New York
Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 18,740. It is the county seat of Cortland County.The City of Cortland, near the west border of the county, is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandville....
, 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...
. Cortland is located off of Interstate 81, between Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
and Binghamton
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
.
History
The State University of New YorkState University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
College at Cortland
Cortland, New York
Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 18,740. It is the county seat of Cortland County.The City of Cortland, near the west border of the county, is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandville....
was founded in 1848 as the Cortland Normal School, which included among its earliest students inventor and industrialist Elmer A. Sperry of Sperry Rand Corp. fame. It became a full 4-year college in 1868
Over time, the campus continually grew, and in 1941, by an act of legislature and the Board of Regents
Board of Regents
In the United States, a board often governs public institutions of higher education, which include both state universities and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual colleges and universities, or both. In general they operate as...
, the institution officially became a four-year college providing courses leading to the bachelor's degree and soon was widely acknowledged as Cortland State Teachers College. In 1948, Cortland was a founding member of the State University of New York.
Today, approximately 7,000 students are pursuing degrees within the College's three academic divisions — arts and sciences, education and professional studies. Twenty-eight academic departments with a faculty of more than 500 offer the SUNY Cortland student body 63 majors and 44 minors from which to choose.
The College's main campus covers 191 acres (773,000 m²) and includes 30 traditional and modern buildings. Fourteen of these structures are residence halls providing on-campus housing for approximately 3,000 students. SUNY Cortland also operates its Outdoor Education Center at Raquette Lake
Raquette Lake
Raquette Lake is the source of the Raquette River in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, USA. It is near the community of Raquette Lake, New York. The lake has 99 miles of shoreline with pines and mountains bordering the lake. It is located in the towns of Long Lake and Arietta,...
in the Adirondacks, the Hoxie Gorge Nature Preserve outside Cortland, and the Brauer Education Center on the Helderberg Escarpment
Helderberg Escarpment
The Helderberg Escarpment is an escarpment in eastern New York, roughly west of the city of Albany....
near Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
.
The U.S. Department of the Interior in 2004 designated Camp Pine Knot, now known as the Huntington Memorial Camp and part of its Outdoor Education center at Raquette Lake, N.Y., as the first and only National Historic Landmark within the State University of New York (SUNY). Camp Pine Knot was the first Great Camp of the Adirondacks and the birthplace of what is now known as the Adirondack style of architecture. SUNY Cortland has 55,000 alumni living in all 50 states and in more than 40 countries.
SUNY Cortland is also home to one of the oldest local sororities in the country, Nu Sigma Chi (NEX or Nu Sig) founded in 1928
. The house located at 52 Prospect Terrace, is the original house that was built for the purpose of being a sorority house hence its unique structure. The other three sororities on campus live in converted old Victorian style houses.
Notable alumni
- George T. Breen, Olympic Swimmer
- Mick FoleyMick FoleyMichael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
aka "Mankind", professional wrestler and author. - Ted DemmeTed DemmeEdward K. "Ted" Demme was an American film director and producer.- Early life and career :Born in New York City, Demme grew up in Rockville Centre on Long Island, New York and attended South Side Senior High School. He graduated from SUNY-Cortland in 1985. His media career likely began with a...
, film director and producer - Ann E. DunwoodyAnn E. DunwoodyGeneral Ann Elizabeth Dunwoody, USA , is the current Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command. She previously served as Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command from June 17, 2008 to November 13, 2008. On June 23, 2008, U.S. President George W. Bush nominated her to serve as the...
, first female four-star general in the history of the U.S. Armed Services (U.S. Army) and 2011 NCAA Theodore Roosevelt AwardTheodore Roosevelt Award (NCAA)The Theodore Roosevelt Award is the highest honor the National Collegiate Athletic Association may confer on an individual. The award is awarded annually to a graduate from an NCAA member institution who earned a varsity letter in college for participation in intercollegiate athletics, and who...
winner - Nathan L. Miller, 43rd GovernorGovernor of New YorkThe Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
of New YorkNew YorkNew 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... - R-Kal TruluckR-Kal TruluckR-Kal K-Quan Truluck is a retired American professional football player. His full name translates to "ruler of the lake" in Swahili.-Early life:...
, professional football player - Bill Dong, inventor of the microwave.
- C.B. Bucknor, current Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
umpire - Catherine Samali KavumaCatherine Samali KavumaCatherine Samali Kavuma is a novelist and a prominent Ugandan personality.She was born in Nkokonjeru. At the age of eight she moved with her family to Great Britain where her father was employed by the Uganda Coffee Marketing Board. In the early 1970s, her family moved to Ethiopia...
, UgandaUgandaUganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
n author, World BankWorld BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
executive, and former Ugandan ambassador to the United States - John StigallJohn StigallJohn Stigall was an American poet, Associate Professor of English, and poet-in-residence at Chattanooga State Technical Community College.-Life and Academic Career:...
, poet - Zane LampreyZane LampreyZane Lamprey is a comedian, actor, editor, producer, and writer for television and movies. He grew up in Syracuse and attended SUNY Cortland in Cortland, New York where he majored in fine arts and minored in theatre.He has had a varied career in entertainment...
, television host, actor, and writer - Sid JamiesonSid JamiesonSid Jamieson was Bucknell University's initial head coach for the men's college lacrosse team, serving from the inception of the program in 1968 until his retirement in 2005. He compiled a record of 248 wins and 240 losses to rank 15th among all Division I collegiate lacrosse coaches in victories...
, noted head lacrosse coach at Bucknell UniversityBucknell UniversityBucknell University is a private liberal arts university located alongside the West Branch Susquehanna River in the rolling countryside of Central Pennsylvania in the town of Lewisburg, 30 miles southeast of Williamsport and 60 miles north of Harrisburg. The university consists of the College of... - Kevin James, comedian, television and film actor (did not graduate)
- Jake SteinfeldJake SteinfeldJake Steinfeld is an American actor and fitness personality. He has a line of fitness equipment called "Body by Jake" and also once hosted a Body by Jake TV show. He also starred on a sitcom on the Family Channel called Big Brother Jake. In 1985, he played a small role in the Jeff Goldblum comedy...
, actor and television personality (did not graduate) - Stuart Millstein, King of All Media
- Michael J. WaldvogelMichael J. WaldvogelMichael J. Waldvogel is a member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and currently the head coach of the Fairfield University women’s lacrosse team.-Playing career:...
, National Lacrosse Hall of Fame member - Brian GiorgisBrian GiorgisBrian Giorgis is the current head coach of the Marist Red Foxes women's basketball team. He is currently in his ninth season as head coach. He graduated from SUNY Cortland with a bachelor's degree in health education in 1977, and earned a master's from Virginia Tech in 1982. He has been highly...
, Marist College women's basketball head coach - Brandon Dawson, Dean of Students at Manhattanville College
Notable faculty
- Thomas Blanchard StowellThomas Blanchard StowellThomas Blanchard Stowell was a distinguished American educator.Stowell was born on March 29, 1846 in Perry, New York. In 1865, at the age of 19, he graduated from Genesee College . He went on to earn a Master's degree in 1868 and a Ph.D...
, Chair of Natural Sciences (1869–1889) - Robert S. NewmanRobert S. NewmanRobert S. Newman is an anthropologist based in Marblehead, Massachusetts, USA, primarily known for his contribution to studying post-1961 Goa, India.-Early life and education:...
, anthropology (1973) - Robert SpitzerRobert Spitzer (political scientist)Robert J. Spitzer is an American political scientist.-Education:Spitzer attended high school in New Hartford, New York. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from SUNY Fredonia , a Master of Arts degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Cornell University.-Career:Spitzer is Distinguished...
, political science (current) - Robert ThompsonRobert Thompson (professor)Robert J. Thompson is an American educator and media scholar.Thompson is the Trustee Professor of Television and Popular Culture at the S.I...
, communications (now at Syracuse UniversitySyracuse UniversitySyracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
)
Other
- NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
star Dikembe MutomboDikembe MutomboDikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo , commonly referred to as Dikembe Mutombo, is a retired Congolese American professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the NBA...
received an honorary Doctor of Humane LettersDoctor of Humane LettersThe degree of Doctor of Humane Letters is always conferred as an honorary degree, usually to those who have distinguished themselves in areas other than science, government, literature or religion, which are awarded degrees of Doctor of Science, Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Letters, or Doctor of...
(L.H.D.) degree from SUNY Cortland on May 15, 2004 for his philanthropic efforts in his native country, the Democratic Republic of Congo and other African nations.
Colleges
- School of Arts and Sciences
- School of Education
- School of Professional Studies
Athletics
The Cortland Red Dragons are the athletic teams for SUNY Cortland. The college competes in NCAA Division III in the State University of New York Athletic ConferenceState University of New York Athletic Conference
The State University of New York Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III athletics conference consisting of schools in the State University of New York system...
for most sports - women's ice hockey plays in the ECAC West
ECAC West
ECAC West is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division III as a hockey-only conference.-Members:* Nazareth College will join the league with a men's team starting in 2012....
, football plays in the New Jersey Athletic Conference
New Jersey Athletic Conference
The New Jersey Athletic Conference , formerly the New Jersey State Athletic Conference, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Full members are located in New Jersey, track-only and football-only members are located in Connecticut and New York.-Member...
and wrestling competes in the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference, as those sports are not offered by the SUNYAC.
SUNY Cortland has had the most nationally successful men's and women's intercollegiate athletics program in New York over the past decade. In 1995, the Sears Directors' Cup was established to gauge and recognize the most successful intercollegiate athletics programs in the nation. SUNY Cortland is one of only five colleges and universities in the U.S. to have finished every year among the Top 20 NCAA Division III programs. Cortland placed 16th out of approximately 440 schools during the 2010-11 competition that is now known as the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup. The competition is sponsored by USA Today, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, and Learfield Sports. The standings are based on schools' national finishes in different sports.
The Cortland Red Dragons annually play Ithaca College
Ithaca College
Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is...
Bombers for the Cortaca Jug
Cortaca Jug
The Cortaca Jug is the trophy given to the annual college football game played between the Red Dragons of the State University of New York at Cortland and the Bombers of Ithaca College. The match-up is one of the most prominent in Division III football....
, which was added in 1959 to an already competitive rivalry. The match-up is one of the most prominent in Division III college football.It was called the "biggest little game in the nation" by Sports Illustrated in 1991. Since the inception of the Cortaca Jug, Ithaca College has owned SUNY Cortland, with a record of 34-17.
Cortland snapped Salisbury University's 69-game win streak to capture the 2006 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div. III National Championship. The team reached the 2007 and 2008 national championship in rematch games against Salisbury University. The lacrosse team cemented its spot as a premier team with their second Division III national championship in 2009, defeating Gettysburg in the finals.
In 2006 as part of its Silver Anniversary of sponsoring women's sports, the NCAA named the SUNY Cortland women's cross country program as its top cross country program of the past 25 years. The Cortland women captured seven NCAA Division III national championships in a nine-year span between 1989 and 1997 (1989, 1991–95, 1997). In addition, the Cortland men's cross country team won the 2008 NCAA Div. III championship.
In all, Cortland teams have won 23 national titles, including 17 NCAA crowns. Along with the titles mentioned above, the field hockey team won NCAA Div. III titles in 1993, 1994 and 2001, the women's outdoor track and field team won an NCAA Div. III title in 1985 and the women's indoor track and field team was the 1991 NCAA Div. III champion. The men's lacrosse squad won the NCAA Div. II title in 1975 and the USILA College Division championship in 1973. The women's soccer won the 1992 NCAA Div. III tournament and captured the first-ever U.S. National Women's Soccer Championship in 1980, defeating UCLA in the finals. The men's gymnastics team won USGF Div. II-III titles in 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1990.
Records and rankings
- KiplingerKiplingerKiplinger is a Washington, D.C.-based publisher of business forecasts and personal finance advice, available in print, online, audio, video and software products ....
's ranked SUNY Cortland among its 100 Best Values Among Public College and Universities in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. - Home to the largest teacher education program in the Eastern United States and the fourth largest in the nation.
- SUNY Cortland has one of the nation's largest undergraduate programs in physical education.
- SUNY Cortland has been named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
- SUNY Cortland, with its 28 academic departments, offers 61 undergraduate majors, 33 graduate majors and four certificates of advanced study.
- Current enrollment is 7,234 students (Fall 2009)
- SUNY Cortland has over 100 student clubs and organizations.
External links
- SUNY Cortland
- SUNY Cortland Athletics
- Google Map of SUNY Cortland campus buildings (note: best viewed in Satellite view)
42°35.820′N 76°11.363′W