Hofstra University

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Hofstra University
Motto: Je maintiendrai[1]
Archaic French, meaning "I stand steadfast" (I shall maintain, the motto of William the Silent) motto of The Royal Kingdom of The Netherlands coat of armor
Established: 1935
Type: Private, nonsectarian, coeducational university
Endowment: US $226.3 million (ranked 239 out of 765 schools, as of '07.) [2]
Chairman: John D. Miller
President: Stuart Rabinowitz
Provost: Herman A. Berliner
Senior Vice President for Planning and Administration: M. Patricia Adamski
Faculty: 1,256
Students: 13,000
Undergraduates: 8,067
Postgraduates: 4,933
Location: Hempstead, New York, United States
Campus: Suburban, 240 acres (1.0 km²)
Former names: "Hofstra College" & "Nassau College-Hofstra Memorial of NYU at Hempstead, LI"
Colors: Blue, White & Gold
Nickname: The Pride (formerly Flying Dutchmen)
Athletics: NCAA Div. 1(AA)
Affiliations: ABET, ACEJMC, American Art Therapy Association]], AACSB International, ABA, American Chemical Society, American Psychological Association, Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Rehabilitation Education, Inc., Middle States Association of College and Schools, National Association of School Psychologists, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc., Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, American Association of Museums, National Association for The Education of Young Children National Academy of Early Childhood Programs. Colonial Athletic Association, Colonial Academic Alliance
Website: www.hofstra.edu
Hofstra Seal

Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational institution of higher learning located in Hempstead, Long Island, New York (USA) founded in 1935 on the basis of the estate of wealthy lumber magnate William S. Hofstra (1861-1932) and his (second) wife Kate Mason (1854-1933). The school began as a college of New York University and in 1937 became an independent school called Hofstra College,[1] later changing its name to Hofstra University in 1963.

Contents

[edit] Academic programs and the campus

Hofstra University comprises approximately 130 buildings on 240 acres (0.97 km2), and has 17 eateries on campus, 18 varsity sports teams, an average undergraduate class size of 23 students, 30 local and national fraternities and sororities, 37 residence halls, 150 student clubs and organizations, 140 undergraduate programs of study, 155 graduate programs of study, 500 cultural events per year, 1,206 faculty members, 7,762 full-time undergraduates enrollment, and a total of 12,700 students overall, a figure which includes part-time undergraduates, graduates and law students.

[edit] Academic units

[edit] Centers and institutes

[edit] Academic details

Additionally, Hofstra has a school of law, Hofstra University School of Law and an emerging School of Communication. In 2001, the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications granted its accreditation to the program - one of the youngest departments to be so accredited. The School of Communication boasts a highly regarded Department of Radio/Television/Film (RTF) which offers education in the fields of radio, film, and television theory, production, performance, and development. Other school include; School of Education and Allied Human Services, New College of Hofstra, School for University Studies, Honors College, Saturday College, and University College for Continuing Education. Hofstra University is also one of the 283 schools in the country with a Phi Beta Kappa Chapter.[2] Another notable statistic is that Hofstra holds full accreditation in 19 academic areas.[3] Nationally, fewer than 100 colleges and universities match this achievement.[3]

Hofstra also hosts an annual festival of William Shakespeare plays, which have been held for more than half a century. The regular Shakespeare productions are performed in Hofstra's own Globe Theatre replica in the John Cranford Adams Playhouse (named for the educator who served as Hofstra University president during its first period of major growth.) The Joan and Donald E. Axinn and the Hofstra Law Libraries have over 1.4 million volumes and are accessible through 24/7 electronic access to more than 50,000 journals and electronic books. Axinn Library is housed in a ten-floor tower and twin three-story pavilions. Students have free access to the circulating and reference book collections, which are in open stacks.

Hofstra University campus also comprises an arboretum, one of 430 in the United States. The grounds host over 635 different species and varieties of trees. The campus also features a two acre (8,000 m²) bird sanctuary and sculpture garden, [3]. Hofstra's campus has become a registered member of the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta.

[edit] History

In 1912 William Hofstra had booked passage on the Titanic for his return voyage from Europe. However, a business proposition in Canada forced him to change his plans. Instead he took a ship to Halifax, and the events of his personal history took their rightful course. [4]

The Hofstras enjoyed a lifestyle filled with social engagements, travel and business ventures. The society pages and gossip columns of the local papers such as the Hempstead Sentinel as well as papers such as The New York Times reported on these events on a continuous basis. From 1894 through the 1930s, both Mr. and Mrs. Hofstra appeared in print for participation in charity events, departures for vacations, hosting wedding receptions at their estate, and attendance at various recreational activities.

The earliest report of the Hofstras abroad is 1894, when William and Kate Hofstra departed for Liverpool on the ship Majestic. In 1902 a The New York Times reporter in Paris reported that “American visitors in Paris are preparing to return in September,” and included the Hofstras among those who had been to Carlsbad, and were headed for the Hotel Ritz. Also in 1902, an article described the Meadow Brook’s races, and how the “society” set had attended the steeplechase and pony contests. Included among the notables were August Belmont, the Harrimans, a Whitney or two, and Mr. and Mrs. Hofstra. As Mrs. Hofstra was a notable equestrienne, it is possible she was among those who “followed the contestants in the longer races on horseback.”

By 1903 the Hofstras had purchased a 15 acre parcel of land in Hempstead. The land was in the vicinity of such estates as those owned by Edwin Morgan, August Belmont, Mrs. Jane Kernochan, O.W. Bird, and others. Mr. Howard Brower,William Hofstra’s business partner, called the homesite, “a hayfield with a small house.”

A year earlier, William had purchased the J.K. Van Wranken estate for $12,000 in order to run the Nassau Lumber Company. The Hofstras decided to build a home on their land and hired architects H. Craig Severance and Wellington Ward. Severance was both a noted architect and promoter of buildings. He was only 25 when he and Wellington Ward designed the Hofstra home, which later became known as “The Netherlands,” recognizing William’s Dutch ancestry.

During the early 1900s and the Progressive era, women who were socialites looked for “good works” or projects that contributed to the social good. Mrs. Minnie Maddern Fiske, who was a stage actress known as the “First Lady of the American Stage,” was also internationally recognized for her work to prevent cruelty to animals. Mrs. Fiske gave a special performance in New York to help establish the Bide-A-Wee Home for Animals. Kate Hofstra was present at the performance and became the first vice president of this organization. For more than 30 years, Mrs. Hofstra continued her association with Bide-A-Wee, as she raised countless funds for the organization. She also left Bide-A-Wee a sizeable sum in her will.

Mr. Hofstra’s business dealings were often mentioned in the news. In a business dissolution notice of 1913, he is noted as being president of Sea Coast Lumber Company, which had incorporated in 1904 in Hempstead. Mr. Hofstra is also noted as being a director of the Diamond Head Match Company, as well as a director of Price Brothers, a Canadian manufacturer of lumber, building supplies and pulp paper. According to a descendant of Sir William Price, the founder of the company, Mr. Hofstra was the largest shareholder of Price Brothers stock outside of family members. William Hofstra continued to serve as the New York director of the Price Brothers firm, and he had offices in midtown NewYork.

The Hofstras attended many events in New York and stayed at the Ritz or other upscale New York hotels for periods of time. Their home on Long Island showcased their various hobbies and the many different species of trees that they planted on the property.

When Mr. Hofstra died in 1932, he left his estate in his wife’s hands. When she died just over a year later, she made a variety of small gifts to charities and friends but left the bulk of the property and estate to be used for charitable, scientific or humanitarian purposes, and named it in honor of William. It was up to two friends, Mr. Howard Brower and Mr. James Barnard, to decide what to do with the estate. Another Hempstead resident, Truesdel Peck Calkins, remarked to Mr. Brower that he had been looking for a site to start an institution of higher education, and the three men agreed it would be an appropriate use of the estate. Mr. Calkins approached the administration at New York University, and they were extremely interested. Initially called Nassau College – Hofstra Memorial of New York University, the college was founded as a coeducational, commuter institution with day and evening classes.

The first day of classes was September 23, 1935, and the first class of students was made up of 159 day and 621 evening students. Tuition for the entire year was $375. The college obtained a provisional charter, and its official name was changed to Hofstra College on January 16, 1937. Hofstra College separated from New York University in 1939 and was granted an absolute charter on February 16, 1940.

Hofstra's logo flag
Hofstra's logo flag

Hofstra’s seal was created by Professor of Art Constant van de Wall in 1937. The insignia was derived from the official seal of the House of Orange of the Netherlands and is used with the permission of the Crown. At the bottom of the seal are the words, “Je Maintiendray,” meaning “I stand steadfast” in Old French. By 1938, the alma mater was written by English instructor Hans J. Gottlieb.

In 1939, Hofstra had its first four-year commencement, graduating a class of 83 students. The earliest graduates had strong feelings for the new institution, and although they were allowed to choose whether they would receive degrees from New York University or Hofstra, they overwhelmingly chose Hofstra degrees. Academic recognition of Hofstra was affirmed when the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools accepted Hofstra for membership on November 22, 1940. Early in 1941 the college was elected to membership in the American Association of Colleges.

With the advent of World War II, major changes occurred on campus. The armed services and war industries on Long Island brought about a major decline in the size of the student body. After the highs of enrollment of previous years, it plummeted to 159 students in 1944. Varsity sports were suspended for this period as well. When the war ended, record enrollments returned, thanks to the returning GIs and the GI Bill. In 1945 and 1946 intercollegiate sports resumed, and wrestling was introduced as a new sport in 1946, giving Hofstra its first undefeated team. In 1950 Calkins Gymnasium was the site of the first Shakespeare Festival. It was performed on a five-sixths-sized replica of the Globe Theatre.

With the approval of the New York State Board of Regents, Hofstra became Long Island’s first private university on March 1, 1963. Also in that year, the Board of Trustees passed a resolution that launched the effort to make Hofstra architecturally barrier-free for individuals with physical disabilities, stating that all students should have access to higher education. Although this later became federal law, Hofstra was recognized as a pioneer in this regard. Other forward-thinking programs and events followed, including the New Opportunities at Hofstra (NOAH) program, which was established the following year. NOAH is Hofstra’s Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program .

In 1963 Mitchel Air Force Base was closed by the military and was declared surplus property. The University asked for acreage to be used for educational purposes and was eventually granted 110 acres (0.45 km2). Construction soon began on the North Campus, which included Hofstra’s first residence halls. Two towers were completed in 1966, two more in 1967, and by 1968 there were six towers, a Student Center, and a span across the Turnpike, which fed into an award-winning library building. The University reorganized its divisions into “schools” in the 1960s, with the School of Education being formed in 1964, and the Schools of Business and Continuing Education in 1965. Hofstra was authorized by the Board of Regents to offer its first doctoral degrees in 1966. In 1968 the Hofstra stadium added the first outdoor installation of Astroturf in the East, and the New York Jets became affiliated with the University, as the North Campus became home to the New York Jets’ summer training center.

The university operates Long Island's oldest public radio station, WRHU-FM (88.7). The noncommercial broadcaster was founded in 1950 as WHCH, a campus-limited station, and received its broadcast license on June 9, 1959, using the call letters WVHC. The station became WRHU (for Radio Hofstra University) in 1983. Additionally, WRHU-FM was the first college-owned radio station in the nation to have a channel on Sirius Satellite Radio, channel 180.

[edit] Residence halls

  • Netherlands Complex (Freshmen Only)
    • North Court
      • Delft House
      • Groningen House
      • The Hague
      • Rotterdam House
      • Tilburg House
      • Leiden House
    • South Court
      • Utrecht House
      • Orange House
      • Renssalaer
      • Breukelen House
      • Amsterdam House
  • Colonial Square Complex
    • Newport
    • Jamestown
    • Williamsburg
    • Plymouth
    • Dover
    • Portsmouth
    • Salem
    • Quincy
    • Providence
    • Hampton
    • Hempstead
    • New York
    • Norwich
    • Cambridge
  • Nassau/ Suffolk
  • High Rise Towers
    • Bill of Rights Hall
    • Alliance Hall
    • Constitution Hall
    • Estabrook Hall
    • Constitution Hall
    • Vander Poel Hall
    • Enterprise Hall
  • Libery & Republic Halls (Honors House)
  • Twin Oaks (Off Campus Apartment-Style)
  • New Complex (Originally Graduate Student. Fall 2008 All Freshmen)
  • Graduate Residence Hall (Opening Fall 2008)

[edit] Future endeavors

[edit] Medical school

On Tuesday, October 16, 2007 Hofstra University and North Shore-LIJ Health System announced plans to establish a new school of medicine. Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz and the North Shore-LIJ Health System President and Chief Executive Officer Michael J. Dowling appeared together to announce an agreement to plan the establishment of a new medical school on Hofstra's campus in Hempstead, New York.

While not the first medical school in Nassau County (the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine is also located in Nassau County), the Hofstra University School of Medicine, in partnership with North Shore-LIJ, would be the first medical school in Nassau County, NY to grant the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree.[4] There are currently 126 medical schools in the United States that grant MDs, and 28 schools that grant the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree.

Hofstra University and the North Shore-LIJ Health System will work in close collaboration on the plan to establish a medical school, and each institution will provide teaching faculty for the new school. The target date for the admission of the charter class, which will be approximately 30 students, is currently in September of 2010 or 2011.[5]

The first step in moving forward with the medical school is the accreditation process, which has just begun. The medical school must go through two processes: a program registration with the New York State Education Department's Office of College and University Evaluation and the Board of Regents, and an accreditation with the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).[4] The LCME awards initial, preliminary accreditation to programs based on documentation about the program and the institution's readiness to educate a first class. Preliminary accreditation allows the institution to admit a charter class of students, and then the program is reevaluated annually for provisional accreditation until full accreditation is granted, generally in the year that the charter class graduates.

An eleven-acre parcel, located in the northeast section of the campus, bounded by Earle Ovington Boulevard and Charles Lindbergh Boulevard, would be the site of both a new academic facility and residential housing for medical students.

The economic impact of the Hofstra University School of Medicine on Long Island and the surrounding metropolitan area is estimated to exceed $100 million dollars per year once the school is operational, plus at least $100 million in capital construction.[6] On May 30, 2008, the New York State Senate granted Hofstra $25 million in seed money to launch the construction.[6]

[edit] Presidential debate

On November 19, 2007 it was announced that Hofstra would host the third and final 2008 Presidential debate on October 15. [5]

The debate will focus on economic policy and domestic issues, and candidates will be seated at a table with a single moderator.

Hofstra submitted an application in April 2007 to the Commission on Presidential Debates, a non-partisan organization that manages the debates. Hofstra was one of 19 facilities vying for the opportunity to host one of the three presidential debates, or the vice presidential debate.

"We did our homework and followed all guidelines," university President Stuart Rabinowitz said of Hofstra's application. "And we had tremendous support from our public officials."

Rabinowitz said there is a $1.35 million fee to host the debate, and when additional costs are factored in, the debate will cost Hofstra about $2.5 million. University trustees have already committed to cover those costs, or raise the money.

Going forward, Hofstra will have to attend to the many details associated with hosting a presidential debate, including reserving a slate of hotel rooms to accommodate debate visitors.

Rabinowitz also said the school will launch academic seminars scheduled to lead up to debate, most focusing on politics, past presidents and national elections. These seminars will also be open to the public.

The debate will be held in the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex and is not open to the public.

[edit] Athletics and mascots

Hofstra Pride logo
Hofstra Pride logo

Hofstra University long had the unofficial nickname of the Flying Dutchmen (or Dutchmen or just Dutch); the school's official team name is now "The Pride", which refers to the school's booster organization, starting when a pair of lions became the school's athletic mascots in the late 1980s. The official change of the name came in the summer of 2004 as a way to keep pride in the school's roots and its steps toward the future.

The Pride nickname evolved from the Hofstra Pride on-and off-campus imaging campaign that began in 1987, during the university's dramatic recovery and growth. That had followed a major financial crisis in the 1970s that forced the layoff of more than 100 employees. The school's revival was credited in huge part to the man who led the University from 1976 to 2001 -- educator, government official and former Hofstra football star Dr. James M. Shuart. Hofstra Stadium, the school's main outdoor athletic facility, has been named James M. Shuart Stadium since 2002.

The school has featured a pair of lions on its heraldic logo since at least the 1940s -- first two male lions, then (since 1987) a male and female, informally known as Kate and Willy. The school's marketing logo (unveiled in 2005) for its advertising campaigns subs out a shield and an H for the lions, but retains the school colors of blue and gold.

The school currently fields men's teams in baseball, cross country, football, lacrosse, tennis, golf, wrestling, basketball and soccer. The school's women's teams include softball, volleyball, basketball, soccer, field hockey, cross country, golf, tennis, and lacrosse .

Prior to 2008, the New York Jets held summer training camp at their on-campus headquarters before moving to their new headquarters in Florham Park, New Jersey.

[edit] Hofstra Men's Basketball

The Hofstra Pride play in the Mack Sports Complex in Hempstead, New York. During the 2006-07 season, their roster consisted of the highest scoring 3 guard backcourt in the country[citation needed]: Loren Stokes, Carlos Rivera and Antoine Agudio. The team plays in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Pride have never won a game in the Division I NCAA tournament though they have won 2 Postseason NIT Games in 2006 against Nebraska and St. Joseph's. They are currently coached by Tom Pecora. Their first win against a ranked opponent came at home against the 25th ranked team in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, George Mason University, on February 23, 2006. In Hofstra's 2006-2007 season, the Pride finished 22-10, going 14-4 in the CAA. Hofstra lost to the George Mason Patriots in the second round of the CAA tournament, after the Pride got a first round bye as the 3 seed. For their efforts, the Pride were rewarded with a 6 seed in the NIT, in which they lost to the 3 seeded DePaul University Blue Demons, 83-71, in the first round. Hofstra's biggest out of conference rival is Stony Brook University, and some of its CAA rivalries are with George Mason and Drexel University. Notable Guard Kevin Nee no longer plays on the team.

[edit] Greek life

About five percent[citation needed] of the male student population of the university are members of a fraternity, and about six percent[citation needed] of the female students are members of a sorority. Greek lettered organizations were established early in the university's history in the 1930s. The oldest Greek organization on campus is Alpha Theta Beta sorority, founded in 1936. Several local and regional fraternal organizations were formed at the university including: Crown & Lance, Epsilon Sigma, and Manchester House fraternities, along with Alpha Theta Beta, Delta Chi Delta, Phi Epsilon and Wreath & Foil (nationally Phi Sigma Sigma in 1989) sororities. The first chapter of national, historically African American, Greek lettered were charted in the mid-1970s and they included Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Latino Greek lettered organizations established chapters at the university in the 1990s, starting with Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity.

[edit] Presidents of Hofstra University

  1. Truesdel Peck Calkins (1937-1942)
  2. Howard S. Brower (1942-1944)
  3. John Cranford Adams (1944-1964)
  4. Clifford Lee Lord (1964-1972)
  5. James H. Marshall (1972-1973)
  6. Robert L. Payton (1973-1976)
  7. James M. Shuart (1976-2001)
  8. Stuart Rabinowitz (2001-Present)

[edit] Notable alumni/attendees

[edit] Honorary degree recipients

[edit] Notable faculty

[edit] Hofstra Chronicle

The Chronicle [6] is the official student newspaper of Hofstra University, established in 1935. The paper is in tabloid format and publishes 12 times each semester, and once a summer. The Chronicle is supported by the student activity fee and advertising.

[edit] Nonsense Humor Magazine

Nonsense Humor Magazine, Hofstra's only humor publication, was founded in 1983 as a parody of Hofstra's then-newspaper The New Voice. Since then it has become the longest running humor magazine at Hofstra, as well as one of the longest running college humor magazines in the country. Nonsense comes out six times a year, with three each semester. The staff at Nonsense have been praised over the years for their writing with awards from Newsday, National Lampoon, Spy Magazine and elsewhere. Much of its staff has gone on to jobs in media fields including film, journalism, sketch comedy, the internet, TV and comedy writing. Nonsense is supported by the student activity fee and occasionally advertising.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ Hofstra University - Capital Campaign - Dynamic Growth
  2. ^ "Hofstra University - Academics" (HTML). Hofstra University. Retrieved on 2008-02-25.
  3. ^ a b "Hofstra University - Capital Campaign - Dynamic Growth" (HTML). Hofstra University. Retrieved on 2008-02-25.
  4. ^ a b About the School - School of Medicine - School of Medicine - Hofstra University
  5. ^ In Partnership with North Shore LIJ - School of Medicine - Hofstra University
  6. ^ a b New York State's Senate Majority Provides $25 Million Grant to Benefit the Hofstra University School of Medicine in partnership with North Shore-LIJ Health System - Hofstra Un...

[edit] External links

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