Undergraduate Bulletin, 1999-2000

General Information

Officers

President: Karen R. Hitchcock

Vice Presidents: Judy L. Genshaft, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs; Christopher F. D'Elia, Vice President for Research; Paul T. Stec, Interim Vice President for Finance and Business; James P. Doellefeld, Vice President for Student Affairs; Robert R. Ashton, Vice President University Advancement.

University Council: John R. Fallon, Jr., Esq., New York City; The Honorable A. Rita Chandellier Glavin, Waterford; Richard A. Hanft, Esq., Troy; The Honorable John E. Holt-Harris, Jr., Albany; Dr. Thomas J. Malesky, Schuylerville; George M. Philip, Esq., (Chair), Albany; David M. Tallcott, Loudonville; Daniel C. Tomson, Esq., New York City; Carolyn Gillis Wellington, Schoharie; Ashwani Prabhakar (student representative); Dr. Louis W. Roberts (faculty representative); Vivian Hillier Thorne (alumnae/i representative).

Undergraduate Education:

Dr. John S. Pipkin, Dean of Undergraduate Studies
Dr. Carson Carr, Jr., Associate Dean of Academic Support Services and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. Gary Gossen, Distinguished Teaching Professor, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Director of Honors Programs
Dr. James Wessman, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Director of the General Education Program
Mr. Richard L. Collier, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Editor, Undergraduate Bulletin
University at Albany, State University of New York is the senior campus of the SUNY system. As one of four university centers in that system, Albany offers undergraduate and graduate education in a broad range of academic fields at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree levels.

Three traditional responsibilities guide the University: teaching, research, and community service.

Instructional excellence is assured through the quality of the faculty and the fact that the University has designed its academic programs to allow students to achieve maximum intellectual growth, as well as thorough training to help meet career objectives. Students are encouraged to challenge themselves, to explore freely the world about them, and then to accept the responsibility that comes with challenge and freedom.

An active research program reflects the awareness of a responsibility to contribute to the expansion of knowledge and understanding. The University assists and encourages its undergraduate students as well as faculty to participate in scholarly and creative research and to make the results widely available. The University enjoys a Carnegie Research II Public Research University rating, and is one of the top 140 educational institutions in the country in annual external funding.

Albany also understands its special role as an intellectual resource for the community. Scholars are encouraged to share their skills and competence, and the University regularly invites the community to use its talents, resources, and facilities.

To meet each of these responsibilities, Albany maintains a wholehearted commitment to all of them.

The University is ranked 7th in research and scholarship among the nation's top public universities. (Source: The Rise of American Research Universities.)

Nationally ranked programs include:

Location: Located in the state capital, the University is within minutes of the State Legislature, the courts, and headquarters for all service agencies of the largest state government in the nation. The city itself has been undergoing a rapid redevelopment in recent years and its centerpiece is the Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza, a governmental center which includes the New York State Museum and Library and major performing arts and convention facilities. Albany County has also opened a 15,000-seat arena for entertainment and sports events.

The Capital District (Albany, Schenectady, and Troy) with a population of 750,000, is near Saratoga, the Berkshires, the Catskills, and the Adirondack Mountains, areas noted for recreational and cultural opportunities.

The University is 150 miles from New York City, 165 miles from Boston, and 242 miles from Montreal. The main campus is located near the intersection of the New York State Thruway, the Adirondack Northway, and Interstate 90. Within five miles of the campus are an AMTRAK rail station, the Greyhound and Trailways bus depots, and the Albany County Airport, served by several major airlines.

Unless otherwise noted, the information provided in this bulletin should be utilized in the following manner:

Academic regulations are in effect for all students during 1999-2000. Courses are described as they will be offered during 1999-2000.

The general degree requirements, requirements for majors and minors are effective for students who matriculate during 1999-2000.

The University at Albany does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, creed, disability, marital status, national origin, race, or sex. Inquiries concerning this policy should be directed to the Affirmative Action Office.

The calendars, curricula, and fees described in this bulletin are subject to change at any time by official action of the University at Albany.

Description: The University at Albany, the largest of 15 colleges in the Capital Region, enrolls approximately 17,000 students including over 5,200 graduate students. Almost half of the University's undergraduate students pursue post-baccalaureate study. The University now awards more than 120 doctorates a year in disciplines in the arts and sciences and professions.

Nationally and internationally renowned scholars are among the more than 650 full-time faculty members who are committed to maintaining the high academic standards which have characterized Albany since its founding in 1844. A large number of our faculty have earned the rank of Distinguished Professor, the highest academic honor for a faculty member in the State University of New York System. Additionally, many of the academic departments have gained national prominence. Finally, many of the faculty are integrally involved in meaningful community service efforts in the Capital Region and throughout the state.

Accreditation: The University enjoys unusual accreditation privileges. It is chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State. All of its degrees and programs are registered and its professional programs fully approved by the Board of Regents through the New York State Education Department. It is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States. It is fully accredited by:

Organization: The University enrolls students in eight degree-granting schools and colleges. The College Arts and Sciences and the Schools of Business, Criminal Justice, Education, Information Science and Policy, Public Affairs, and Social Welfare offer undergraduate and graduate programs. The School of Public Health offers graduate programs only. The Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy is composed of four independent schools: the School of Criminal Justice, the School of Information Science and Policy, the School of Social Welfare, and the Graduate School of Public Affairs. There are opportunities for joint degrees between the three schools and with other graduate programs. The offices of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies jointly work with the academic units in curricular and research areas. On the undergraduate level, the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Studies is responsible for the coordination of the academic experience of undergraduate students and works closely with the deans and faculty of the individual schools and colleges in developing, coordinating, and implementing undergraduate academic policy and curricula. Nondegree study at the undergraduate level is coordinated by the Office of General Studies.

The Campus: The main campus, designed by noted architect Edward Durell Stone and completed in the mid-1960s, is located on the west side of the city. The setting is highlighted by the "Academic Podium," of 13 academic buildings on a common platform, all connected by a continuous roof and a lower-level corridor. Although most classrooms and laboratories are on this campus, the schools of the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy are located on the downtown campus. Extensively renovated, the downtown campus also includes residential, instructional, clinical, and research facilities. Shuttle service between the campuses is available.

In addition to the classrooms and laboratories on the Academic Podium of the main campus, there are the University Library and the Performing Arts Center, with several theatres, recital halls, rehearsal rooms, and instructional areas.

Five residence quadrangles on the main campus, each housing approximately 1,200 students, include eight three-story halls and a 23-story tower in each quadrangle. Besides living quarters, each quadrangle has lounges, recreation areas, dining facilities, and classrooms. Housing is also available on Alumni Quadrangle, located in down town Albany near the downtown campus.

Other special facilities on the campus include the Fine Arts Building, which houses one of the finest museums in the Northeast, a meteorological laboratory equipped comparably to a National Weather Service first-order observing station, a Computing Center, and a linear accelerator for physics research. The hub of student activity is the Campus Center and its new extension, opened in September 1994, with its lounges, meeting rooms, ballroom, cafeteria, snack bar, dining room, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and bowling lanes. The Campus Center Extension houses the barbershop, banking facilities, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Cee Cee's convenience store, bookstore, computer store, and sub shop. Outdoor recreation facilities include 24 tennis courts (12 with lights), 4 basketball and 6 volleyball courts, an all-weather running track, and several multipurpose playing areas. In the Physical Education Center are a pool, handball and squash courts, and team sports areas.

The newest addition to the athletic and physical education facilities is the Recreation and Convocation Center (RACC). With an arena seating capacity of nearly 4,800 the facility also houses a running track for indoor competition, a modern fitness center, a fully equipped and modern athletic training complex with whirlpools and other rehabilitative equipment, four additional handball/racquetball courts, four squash courts and two main locker room facilities, as well as 10 smaller team locker rooms. All facilities are handicapped accessible and have designated seating areas for handicapped spectators.

Libraries: The University maintains library facilities on both campuses. Library collections, organized by the Library of Congress classification system, number over 1.3 million volumes. Current periodical and newspaper subscriptions number 6,500 and the library has extensive back files. A selective depository for U.S. government publications, the library also collects documents of local, state, foreign, and international governmental agencies. The University Libraries also have archival collections on particular subjects. Membership in the Center for Research Libraries provides access to the centers three-million-volume collection. The University is also a member of the Association of Research Libraries and The Research Libraries Group.

Computer Search Services librarians assist users to develop computer produced bibliographies using research data bases, including those covering chemistry, biology, psychology, sociology, education, medicine, dissertations, and government reports. These databases are particularly useful for searches requiring an interrelationship between two or more subjects. The library also has many databases available on CD-rom which users may search by appointment.

Collection Development bibliographers assist faculty and students in the selection and use of library materials. Other available services include tours, films, orientation sessions, and instruction in the techniques of bibliographic research. In addition, there are special facilities to aid the visually handicapped. The library on the uptown campus provides individual student carrels and study rooms for faculty and doctoral research.

The Dewey Graduate Library of Public Affairs and Policy, on the downtown campus, serves the Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy and the Rockefeller Institute of Government. The Dewey Graduate Library facilitates and assists cross disciplinary, doctoral-level research. It provides both materials and access to information in a variety of formats and locations. Cooperative agreements on the local, regional, and national levels facilitate this flow of materials and information.

Computing User Services: Campus computing is rapidly changing and continually growing to meet the needs of all users. The University at Albany offers a wide variety of computing services to students, faculty, and staff including access to large central computer systems, microcomputers, workstations, laser printing, and regional national and world- wide computer networks. Information and courses on how to use these facilities is also available.

Computing User Services currently provides access to and support for three very different centralized computing environments: a Digital Equipment Corporation VAX cluster running the VMS operating system, a Unix Cluster, and an IBM running VM/CMS. In addition, Macintosh and IBM compatible microcomputers and a wide variety of software products are supported. Undergraduate students may apply for computing accounts on the VAX and IBM. In addition to local resources, the campus systems provide access to several educational networks linking sites around the world.

Computing User Services maintains several areas called "User Rooms" which contain terminals and microcomputers that can be used to access the systems. These areas include LC-3 and LC-4 in the lecture center area of the podium, and Draper 15 on the downtown campus.

Computing User Services provides consulting services online to user-id QUEST or by phone to 518-442-3730, including advice and answers to questions about how to use any of the computer facilities or services. Questions regarding facilities or services may be directed to 518-442-3706.

U-Kids Child Care Center: U-Kids Child Care Center is a satellite of Campus Children's Center, Inc. and is located at the uptown Albany campus. Its mission is to provide the University community with the highest quality care. The center provides a diverse, educational, friendly, nutritional, and safe environment that meets the needs of its children. The center's atmosphere encourages children to learn through discovery, providing care with concern for each individual child's needs, interests, and ability levels. Qualities of independence and interdependence are fostered as the children are guided through a program rich with stimulating learning centers and creative activities. A special emphasis is made to foster these qualities in a culturally, socially, and economically diverse environment.

The center operates Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. For further information, please call 518-442-2660, or write to U-Kids Child Care Center, 1400 Washington Avenue, Dutch Quad, Albany, NY 12222.

"Just Community" Principles:

"The University at Albany, State University of New York, is an academic community dedicated to the ideals of justice. A university is above all a place where intellectual life is central and where faculty, staff, and students strive together for excellence in the pursuit of knowledge. It is a particular kind of community with special purposes. Moreover, this academic community, if it is to support our broader ideals, must also be just.

"There is no definitive theory of justice. The differences in these theories are to be respected. However, among all democratic theories of justice, the principles of equality and liberty are basic. These principles are no less central to a free university.

"Equality is a necessary part of any university that claims to be a democratic institution. Distinctions based on irrelevant differences are ruled out. Ascriptive characteristics such as race, religion, gender, class, ethnic background, or sexual preference, determine neither the value of individuals nor the legitimacy of their views. Only the merit of the individual as a participant in the life of the academic community is worthy of consideration. Bigotry in any form is antithetical to the University's ideals on intellectual political, and moral grounds and must be challenged and rejected.

"Liberty is an equally precious academic principle because the free expression of ideas is the central part of university life. To sustain the advancement and dissemination of knowledge and understanding, the University must allow the free expression of ideas, no matter how outrageous. Protecting speech in all its forms, however, does not mean condoning all ideas or actions. The University sets high standards for itself and denounces the violation of these standards in unequivocal terms. Harassment and other behavior that intrudes upon the rights of others is unacceptable and subject to action under the guidelines of the institution.

"There is no guarantee that the principles of justice, once stated, are realized. The University must constantly remind itself that its mission and ethos must evolve within the context of justice. A just community is always on guard against injustice, always struggling to move closer to the ideals of justice, always asserting its dedication to justice. The assertion of justice takes place in every part of the community: in the classroom, the lecture hall, the library, the residence hall, wherever members of the University come together. It is the responsibility of all faculty, staff and students to keep the ideals of justice uppermost in the minds of the members of the University so that they may be achieved."

KEY DATES

For more information concerning the rich history, traditions and achievements of the University at Albany, please visit the University's web page:

www.albany.edu

University at Albany