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College of Saint Rose

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The College of Saint Rose was a private Catholic college in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1920 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet as a women's college. It became fully co-educational in 1969. The following year, the college added laypersons to its board and became an independent college sponsored by the sisters. The college was in the Pine Hills neighborhood of Albany. It was a Division II member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The College of Saint Rose
Emblem of The College of Saint Rose
MottoIn Tuo Lumine Videbimus Lumen (Latin)[1]
Motto in English
In Thy Light We Shall See Light[1]
TypePrivate college
Active1920–2024
Religious affiliation
Catholic Church (Sisters of Saint Joseph)
PresidentMarcia White[2]
Academic staff
118 full-time and 169 part-time[3]
Students2,791[3]
Undergraduates1,432[3]
Postgraduates1,359[3]
Location
Albany
,
New York
,
United States

42°39′50″N 73°47′12″W / 42.663981°N 73.786781°W / 42.663981; -73.786781
CampusUrban
ColorsWhite, Black, Gold
     
NicknameGolden Knights
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division II – Northeast-10
MascotFear, The Golden Knight[4]
Websitestrose.edu

In June 2023, after many years of financial difficulties, the college's accreditor, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, publicly warned the college that it was in danger of losing its accreditation.[5] In November 2023, the college's trustees voted to close the college in June 2024.[6][7]

History

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The idea for The College of Saint Rose was conceived by Monsignor Joseph A. Delaney, the vicar general of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany in 1920. Delaney contacted Sister Blanche Rooney, a member of the local chapter of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet, located in the Provincial House on Eighth Street in Troy, New York. Rooney and her sisters were receptive to the idea and, with the permission and support of Bishop of Albany Edmund F. Gibbons and Rooney, Delaney purchased the William Keeler estate at 979 Madison Avenue. Upon granting of a provisional charter from the Board of Regents, The College of Saint Rose was established as a college for women with a liberal arts curriculum in Albany, New York on June 28, 1920.[8]

The college's founders selected its name to honor the first canonized saint in the Americas, Saint Rose of Lima. Initially, emphasis was placed on the professional training of teachers, but it quickly expanded to include preparation for business and other professions.[9][10]

The college created an evening division in 1946 to serve World War II veterans. By 1950, the college opened a graduate school.[9][11] Men were allowed to enter the evening and graduate divisions. The college became fully coeducational in 1969. Campus housing was made available to male students in the 1970s.[9][better source needed] The evening division was re-instituted in 1974.

In 1970, 10 laypersons were added to the board of trustees, and the college became an independent college sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet.[12]

Financial challenges

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In December 2015, the college announced plans to eliminate 27 academic programs and 23 faculty positions. The eliminated programs enrolled just four percent of the student body, and 12 of the academic programs contained no enrollees.[13][14] The college asserted that the cuts were necessary to ensure the college's future viability.[15] Two months later, the faculty of the college passed a "no confidence" motion in regard to college President Carolyn J. Stefanco,[16] who remained in her post until 2020.[17][18] An investigatory committee of the American Association of University Professors concluded that the college's layoffs "violated shared governance and undermined tenure and academic freedom" and "violated the association's principles and standards".[19]

In 2020, the college made $8 million in administrative budget cuts.[20] In December of that year, the college announced that it would eliminate 16 bachelor's degree programs, six master's degree programs, and three certificate programs as a cost-saving measure in an effort to achieve a balanced budget by 2023. In December 2021, four professors who were terminated in connection with the 2020 downsizing won a lawsuit against the college and were reinstated. A New York state court found that the college had not acted in accordance with its own faculty handbook.[21] However, in October 2022, this decision was overturned by the Appellate Division of the state Supreme Court's Third Department.[22]

In June 2023, the college's accreditor, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, warned the college that its accreditation was "in jeopardy" due to financial difficulties. The commission gave the college six months to address the commission's concerns.[23] By October, Fitch Ratings assessed the school's bond rating as "BB"[24] which is described as "non-investment grade speculative". In November, the college asked lawmakers for emergency funding in a late effort to avoid a closure, including $5 million from the New York State Legislature.[25]

Closure

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On November 30, 2023, press accounts indicated that because of financial difficulties, the board of trustees voted to close the College of Saint Rose after the Spring 2024 term.[6][25] President White cited challenging factors that she said were affecting many small independent institutions, particularly in the Northeastern United States, such as years of declining enrollment and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education.[26] Students protested the planned closure.[27][28]

On February 15, 2024, the college submitted a "Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification" ("WARN") filing to the New York State Department of Labor confirming the shutdown and advising that all 646 employees would lose their jobs in the coming months.[29] In addition, the closure led to 87 properties in Albany sitting vacant.[6]

The last day of instruction was June 21, 2024, with all operations ceasing by the end of December 2024.[30] On October 10, 2024, the college filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it proceeds in winding down operations and settling with affairs.[31]

Presidents

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  1. Edmund Gibbons (1920–1949)[32]
  2. Rose of Lima Dolan (1949–1953)[32]
  3. Catherine Francis Soulier (1953–1966)[32]
  4. Margaret Keeshan (1966–1970)
  5. Alfonse R. Miele (1970–1972)
  6. Thomas Manion (1973–1983)
  7. Louis Vaccaro (1983–1996)
  8. R. Mark Sullivan (1996–2012)
  9. David Szczerbacki (2012–2013)
  10. Carolyn J. Stefanco (2014–2020)
  11. Marcia White (2020–2024)[33]

Campus

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The campus of The College of Saint Rose was located in the Pine Hills neighborhood of Albany, the capital city of New York. The 46-acre campus was bounded by Western Avenue to the north, Partridge Street to the east, Morris Street to the south, and Main Avenue to the west, although there was college property north of Western and east of Partridge. Over the years the college had gradually acquired many of the Victorian-era homes adjacent to the main campus. Many of these structures, most of which are located on Partridge Street and Western and Madison Avenues, had been converted into offices and student housing. The slow expansion of the college into the surrounding neighborhood had occasionally led to conflict with local neighborhood and historic conservation associations.[34][35]

 
979 Madison Ave., now known as Moran Hall, was the first building acquired by the college.

St. Joseph Hall was a four-story English brick building with limestone trim fronted by six Corinthian columns. It was located at 985 Madison Avenue between the Science Center to the west and Moran Hall to the east. The structure was built in 1922 at a cost of half a million dollars due to a need for classroom and dining space to house the growing student body. As the first academic building constructed specifically for the college, St. Joseph Hall originally included an auditorium, classrooms, chapel, dormitory, a dining area and kitchens in the basement.[36]

The Massry Center for the Arts featured the Kathleen McManus Picotte Recital Hall, the Esther Massry Gallery, and the William Randolph Hearst Music Wing. This building served as the primary venue for concerts and exhibitions by the college's students and faculty, and as a performance and exhibition space for artists, musicians, vocalists and orchestras. The Massry Center had received a LEED gold award for being one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the Capital Region.[37][38][better source needed]

Athletics

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Main article: Saint Rose Golden Knights

The College of Saint Rose was a Division II member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), offering 19 varsity intercollegiate sports at the NCAA Division II level.[39][better source needed] Shortly before 2000, Saint Rose became a member of the Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10). The school's primary colors were white and gold, but black and gold were used for marketing purposes. The school's NCAA Division II sports teams were referred to as the Golden Knights. This led to controversy when the Vegas Golden Knights joined the National Hockey League in 2017, when the College of Saint Rose raised objections that led to Vegas's trademark application being initially denied, though it was later approved on appeal.[40]

In 2009, the Saint Rose women's soccer became the third team in Northeast-10 Conference history (1985) to win three consecutive postseason league titles. The team's season record was 24–1, and it was ranked fourth in the United States at season's end.[41]

Sports complex

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The college's Christian Plumeri Sports Complex was constructed at a cost of $4.7 million.[42] The college's funding for the complex included a $1 million challenge contribution from Joe Plumeri, chairman and CEO of Willis Group Holdings and the college's 2006 commencement speaker. The complex was named in honor of Plumeri's deceased son.[43][44][45]

Notable faculty and alumni

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Notable alumni

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Notable faculty

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References

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  1. ^ a b "The College of Saint Rose". ACSSJ.
  2. ^ "The College of Saint Rose – Office of the President".
  3. ^ a b c d "College Navigator – the College of Saint Rose".
  4. ^ "mascot Archives". The College of Saint Rose.
  5. ^ Moore, Kathleen. "College of Saint Rose accreditation 'in jeopardy'". www.timesunion.com. Albany Times Union. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Moore, Kathleen; Hughes, Steve. "College of Saint Rose board votes to close school". www.timesunion.com. Albany Times Union. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  7. ^ "FAQs". The College of Saint Rose. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  8. ^ Manory, RoseMarie. Of Glory, Of Praise: A 75-Year History of The College of Saint Rose. Albany, New York: The College of Saint Rose, 1994. p. 4-5.
  9. ^ a b c "Student Handbook" (PDF). 2014-03-24. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-03-24. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  10. ^ "History & Mission – The College of Saint Rose | Office of the President". Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  11. ^ "The Wikipedia Library". wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  12. ^ Manory, Of Glory, Of Praise, p. 147
  13. ^ "Times Union". 12 December 2015.
  14. ^ "Saint Rose Cuts 23 Faculty Jobs, 27 Programs". Inside Higher Ed. December 14, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  15. ^ "AAUP report condemns College of Saint Rose for cutting more than 20 tenure-line faculty positions with insufficient faculty input". Retrieved 2016-12-28.
  16. ^ Bethany Bump (February 10, 2016). "Saint Rose faculty vote "no confidence" in president". Times Union. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  17. ^ Levulis, Jim (3 March 2020). "Saint Rose President Stefanco To Step Down In June". www.wamc.org.
  18. ^ Orchard, Jackie (7 July 2020). "Interim President White Responds To Black At St. Rose Social Media Bias Complaints". www.wamc.org.
  19. ^ Schmidt, Peter (May 4, 2016), "AAUP Investigators Slam College of Saint Rose Over Faculty Layoffs", The Chronicle of Higher Education
  20. ^ "Citing Financial Struggles, College Of St. Rose Ending Academic Programs". WAMC. December 8, 2020.
  21. ^ Silberstein, Rachel (December 16, 2021). "Saint Rose music professors win lawsuit, keep jobs — for now". Times Union.
  22. ^ Gavin, Robert (2022-10-20). "Appeals court reinstates layoffs of tenured Saint Rose professors". Times Union. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
  23. ^ Moore, Kathleen (June 30, 2023). "College of Saint Rose accreditation 'in jeopardy'". Times Union.
  24. ^ "Fitch Affirms and Withdraws College of Saint Rose's (NY) 'BB' Ratings". Fitch Ratings. 2 Oct 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  25. ^ a b Lucas, Dave (November 30, 2023). "College of Saint Rose in Albany to close in 2024, according to reports". WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Albany, NY. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  26. ^ "President White's Message to the Saint Rose Community" (Press release). The College of Saint Rose. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  27. ^ "Saint Rose students protest college closure, demand answers". WSYR. 2023-12-04. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  28. ^ "Saint Rose students protest college closure, demand answers". WUTR/WFXV - CNYhomepage.com. 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  29. ^ https://dol.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2024/02/warn-college-saint-rose-capital-2023-0246-2-16-2024.pdf
  30. ^ "Closures of Degree-Granting Institutions". New York State Education Department. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  31. ^ "College of Saint Rose files for bankruptcy after closure". Times Union. October 10, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  32. ^ a b c "Saint Rose Archives – College Presidents Exhibit". faculty.strose.edu. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
  33. ^ Silberstein, Rachel (2020-03-18). "Marcia White named interim president of Albany's College of Saint Rose". Times Union. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
  34. ^ Benjamin, Ian (March 2, 2011) "At Common Council Community in Favor of New Dorm". The Saint Rose Chronicle. Retrieved July 14, 2012. Vl. 79, Issue 19
  35. ^ Carleo-Evangelist, Jordan (November 4, 2012) "College expansion concerns neighbors". Times Union. 4 November 2010. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
  36. ^ Manory, Of Glory, Of Praise, P. 7-8
  37. ^ "St. Rose building springs up one of the greenest". Troyrecord.com. January 12, 2010. Retrieved 2014-03-24.
  38. ^ "How green is your valley?". The Business Review (Albany). April 14, 2008. Retrieved 2014-03-24.
  39. ^ "History and Knowledge Brochure". The College of Saint Rose. Retrieved July 25, 2012. p. 9
  40. ^ Carp, Steve (August 9, 2017). "Vegas Golden Knights get approval for name trademark". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  41. ^ Purks, Scott (2009-12-04). "Sports report". Albany Times-Union. Retrieved 2014-03-24.
  42. ^ "Field of golden opportunities – troyrecord". 14 September 2010.
  43. ^ "New complex a home run". 26 September 2010.
  44. ^ Crow, Kelly (December 29, 2006). "In Bonus Season, a Cut for Charity". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  45. ^ "Citigroup executive, jazz pianist to get honorary Saint Rose degrees". The Business Review. May 1, 2006. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
  46. ^ a b Gottlieb, Jane (2014-02-13). "Good to Know: Jimmy Fallon '09, Saint Rose was his muse". The College of Saint Rose. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
  47. ^ "Jon Mueller". Albany Athletics Communications. Archived from the original on May 1, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
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