http://www.oldwestbury.edu/ Campus News Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:49:39 EST SUNY College at Old Westbury has for the third consecutive year been named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll' The Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a college or university can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement' Honorees for the award were selected based on a series of factors, including scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses' "Community engagement and global citizenship are values embedded in the mission of Old Westbury," said College President Calvin O' Butts, III' "For us, service to the community is a core belief and central to our educational process' To be named for a third straight year to this honor roll is testimony that we are succeeding in our efforts to prepare our students to build a more just and sustainable world'" Old Westbury was recognized for its mandatory First Year Student Engagement program, an initiative of the College's Community Engagement and Partnership Center' The First Year Experience Student Engagement Program places all freshman students in community service positions with area not-for-profits as part of a required course offered through the curriculum of the College's Office of First-Year Experience' For 2009-10, nearly 400 students are engaged in community service placements during the spring semester with area human service, educational, recreational, health care, environmental justice, governmental and other organizations' "By challenging students to learn about, and help address, the needs of our community early in their collegiate careers, we are providing them a valuable opportunity to learn about potential career paths, to face issues of social and economic inequity head on, and to experience the power change can make for ourselves and our community," said Dr' Butts' Unlike many college programs where service learning is a volunteer effort, the Old Westbury CEPC First Year Student Engagement Program is unique in that it is directly tied to the academic structure of the institution' Through this program, every freshman student enrolling in the College is required to study the importance of civic engagement in their own lives and in the life of a community' Then, they are each required to take part in 50 hours of service with pre-selected regional not-for-profit partners or on campus' Through class discussion, reflective journals, essays and other assignments, they share their experiences with classmates and faculty' A multifaceted evaluation system, including the assessment of learning outcomes, partnership and student questionnaires has guided program improvements and expansion' Private support for the Old Westbury CEPC First Year Student Engagement Program has been provided by the Horace and Amy Hagedorn Fund of the Long Island Community Foundation, the Keyspan Foundation and the TD Charitable Foundation' The recognition was announced by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a program sponsored by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, and the USA Freedom Corps and U'S' Departments of Housing and Urban Development' The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering' The Corporation administers Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America, a program that supports service-learning in schools, institutions of higher education and community-based organizations' For more information, go to http://www'nationalservice'gov' http://www.oldwestbury.edu/administrative/news_pop.cfm?id=454 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST The College Council of SUNY College at Old Westbury has scheduled a regular meeting on Friday, February 12, 2010 at 10:30 a'm' in Student Union Multipurpose Room' This meeting is open to the public' The agenda for the meeting will include a report from the Council Chair and a report from the College President' A live webcast of the meeting will be available from the College website, available at www'oldwestbury'edu' http://www.oldwestbury.edu/administrative/news_pop.cfm?id=449 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST U'S' Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced the appointment of Calvin O' Butts, III, president of SUNY College at Old Westbury, to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA)' Dr' Butts is one of 24 new members of PACHA, which is charged with providing advice, information, and recommendations to the President through the Secretary of Health and Human Services on domestic and global HIV/AIDS policy issues' "We often speak about HIV/AIDS as if it's only going on somewhere else, but we face a serious HIV/AIDS epidemic in America' That's why last year my administration began crafting a new National HIV/AIDS Strategy' Today, I'm pleased to have a new group of experts joining PACHA; and I look forward to hearing from the council about our continued efforts to prevent the spread of HIV infections in the United States and to provide care and treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS around the world," said President Barack Obama' As the president of SUNY College at Old Westbury, senior pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church, and chair of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, Dr' Butts has dedicated himself to mobilizing the community in support of programs that provide assistance to AIDS patients and their families' "We must compassionately embrace those who are infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS," said Dr' Butts' "I look forward to working with my PACHA colleagues to ensure we care for the physical, mental and spiritual needs of all people in our communities whose lives are being devastated by this insidious disease'" Currently, there are an estimated one million individuals living with HIV in the United States, and a new HIV infection occurs every nine-and-a-half minutes in America' Of those currently infected, one in five does not know he or she has the condition, and the majority of new infections are spread by people who are unaware of their own status' Globally, there are over 33 million people living with HIV, and AIDS remains a leading cause of death worldwide' Women and children around the world are particularly vulnerable due to gender inequalities, gaps in access to services, and increases in sexual violence' PACHA is composed of a diverse group of researchers, service providers, and community leaders from around the country, including people living with HIV' The Council also includes people who are from community-based organizations that cater to the medical, legal, or mental health needs of people living with HIV and AIDS' PACHA also serves to further the policy goals of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) and will play an important role in providing input for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy' http://www.oldwestbury.edu/administrative/news_pop.cfm?id=448 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST More than 500 mathematics educators from the primary through college levels will gather on April 16, 2010 when SUNY College at Old Westbury presents LIMAÇON, the 24th Annual Long Island Mathematics Conference' Among the largest single-day math education conferences in the nation, the LIMAÇON program begins with a keynote address by Henry S' Kepner, president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' The theme of this year's LIMAÇON is: "Reasoning, Sense Making and Connections'" "This conference provides an opportunity for professional interaction and offers a forum for the exchange of concerns, innovative ideas, and achievable skills," said Conference Coordinator Dr' Jong Pil Lee, distinguished service professor at Old Westbury and founder of the L'I' Mathematics Conference' "LIMAÇON is intended to form a linkage among regional mathematics educators that enables them to seek a common goal - improving the effectiveness and vision of mathematics education'" Kepner's presentation will highlight a daylong series of sessions and workshops addressing mathematics education, pedagogy, and problem solving' Among the 48 titles being offered are: "Algorithm is Not a Bad Word," "Transforming with Hands-on Geometry," and "Is a SMART Board Really that SMART?" The registration fee for LIMAÇON is $50 for member of the Nassau County Mathematics Teachers Association, the Suffolk County Mathematics Teachers Association and the Nassau County Association of Mathematics Supervisors' The registration fee for non-members is $60 and $25 for full-time students' Participants should register by March 15, 2010, however, there will be on-site registration on a limited basis for an additional $10 fee' The conference is scheduled to run from 7:45 a'm' - 2:35 p'm', and all sessions will be held in the College's Campus Center' For more information, call (516) 876-3261' Partially funded by a grant from the New York State Department of Education, the conference is being co-sponsored by The Nassau County Mathematics Teachers' Association, The Suffolk County Mathematics Teachers' Association, The Nassau County Association of Mathematics Supervisors, and the Association of Teachers of Mathematics  New York City' http://www.oldwestbury.edu/administrative/news_pop.cfm?id=447 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST Following her sixth Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week honor, SUNY College at Old Westbury freshman Krystina Agard of Queens, New York, was named to the D3Hoops'com National Team of the Week for the first time this season' The Team of the Week is D3hoops'com's weekly honor roll, in its 13th season of recognizing the top performances at each of the five positions from the previous week' Agard's inclusion recognized her performances during games played from January 11-17' Agard averaged 32'0 points, 7'0 rebounds and 3'0 assists while firing away at 59'3 percent from the field and 83'3 percent from the free throw line' She scored 30 points and grabbed nine boards against Farmingdale State and followed with 34 points, four assists, two blocked shots and a pair of steals against Sage' Entering the week, Agard was ranked 3rd in the nation in scoring with 23'4 points per game and averages 4'67 assists, 4'27 steals and 1'73 blocked shots' Agard is also shooting 86'5 percent from the free throw line and 43'6 percent from the field' Also named to the women's team were: Christopher Newport's Cheslie Schweers (Jr', G), Cortland State's Jessica Laing (Sr', F), Wittenberg's Stephanie Boardman (Sr', F) and Gallaudet's Easter Faafiti (Jr', C)' http://www.oldwestbury.edu/administrative/news_pop.cfm?id=446 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST College President Calvin O' Butts, III, has joined SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher in supporting the Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act, legislation proposed recently by Governor David A' Paterson to reform the states higher education system' "The Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act is a welcome and necessary step towards enabling our campus to adapt, serve and grow in a marketplace that is in flux," said President Butts' "This legislation offers financial predictability for students, cuts bureaucratic red tape without eliminating necessary oversight, and provides our campuses with needed flexibility'" Dr' Butts noted that, with those conditions in place, "Old Westbury can use its resources and entrepreneurial skills to better collaborate with, and react to, the communities and students that we serve'" Announced as part of the Governor's 2010-11 Executive Budget, the proposed legislation would take politics out of tuition setting and institute a rational policy that makes the cost of public higher education more equitable and predictable for students and families' The reforms would also provide SUNY and CUNY with greater operational independence consistent with their mission and eliminate numerous over-regulations on contracting, procurement, land use, and other areas, while still maintaining appropriate accountability and State oversight' "I will work in the coming weeks to rally the students, faculty, staff, alumni and local community to garner support for this important legislation," said Dr' Butts' According to SUNY estimates, these reforms would create more than 2,200 faculty positions, 7,000 staff positions, and 43,000 construction jobs on SUNY university and medical centers statewide' The reforms would also expand access to higher education by allowing campuses to accommodate an additional 20,000 students above planned targets' "Through the strength of SUNY's faculty and research and the engagement of its campuses in the lives of the communities they serve, SUNY colleges and universities can be a catalyst for our state's recovery and future success' The Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act is a strong attempt to ensure that spark occurs'" http://www.oldwestbury.edu/administrative/news_pop.cfm?id=445 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST Dr' Lisa Whitten, an associate professor of psychology and director of the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities at SUNY College at Old Westbury, has been named Distinguished Psychologist for the 2009-10 year by the Association of Black Psychologists, one of only two such awardees nationwide this year' A member of the psychology faculty at Old Westbury since 1986, Dr' Whitten earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology and Anthropology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a Ph'D' in Clinical Psychology from the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University' Her scholarship has emphasized bringing race and culture to the center of the undergraduate psychology curriculum' In 1996, she was awarded the State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching' Since 2005, she has served as director of the Colleges Office of Services for Students with Disabilities, which provides services to students with visual impairments, learning disabilities, mobility impairments, hearing impairments, chronic health problems and psychological disabilities, so they may enjoy a complete range of academic and non-academic opportunities at the College' In addition to her scholarly and professional efforts, Dr' Whitten has been an active in ABPsi for 30 years, including her two terms as chair of the New York chapter, her service as Eastern Regional Representative from 1988 to 1990, and as national Rules Chair from 2004 to 2007' Headquartered in Washington, D'C', the Association of Black Psychologists is a professional association of African American psychologists that, through its educational and charitable efforts, seeks to promote and advance the profession of psychology, influence and affect social change, and develop programs whereby psychologists of African descent can assist in solving problems of African-American communities and other ethnic groups' http://www.oldwestbury.edu/administrative/news_pop.cfm?id=443 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST Lighter debt loads for its graduates and its ongoing commitment to serving a diverse student body have earned SUNY College at Old Westbury two laudable rankings from U'S' News & World Report' The magazine's annual report on best colleges was released this week, including Old Westbury for the second consecutive time among the list of colleges whose students graduate with a low debt load and maintaining for an 11th year the College's position as one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in America' "Providing the highest caliber academic experience is what we at Old Westbury seek to accomplish," said College President Calvin O' Butts, III' "Being able to do so while ensuring our students begin graduate school or their work life with a low debt load is especially rewarding' At the same time, we are equally proud to make a high-quality, liberal arts education available to students from a diverse array of backgrounds and to create a learning environment that offers interactions with people from all walks of life'" The Old Westbury Class of 2008 completed their degrees with less debt than students at most of the nation's other liberal arts colleges, ranking 12th among 265 national liberal arts colleges' Among the Class of 2008, 46 percent accrued some student debt' Of those graduates who do have student loans to repay, the average amount of debt is $13,941' That compares to an average debt load of $41,000 for students at Tougaloo College in Mississippi, the liberal arts college with the largest average student debt' The U'S' News data includes loans taken out by students from financial institutions, federal, state and local governments, and from the colleges themselves' Parents' loans are not included' The average amount of debt is the average cumulative amount borrowed by those students who incurred debt, not the average for all students' "The low debt load of Old Westbury students speaks volumes about the investment made by the State of New York in keeping public education an affordable, attractive option for students," said President Butts' In relation to campus diversity, the College was ranked second among liberal arts colleges nationwide, based on the statistical likelihood of any student interacting with other students from different racial and ethnic backgrounds' Old Westbury earned a 0'67 score on the U'S' News index, which factors in both the total proportion of minority students at each school - not including international students - and the mix of racial and ethnic groups' The closer a school's number to 1'0, the more diverse the student population' Population groups measured included American Indians and Alaskan Natives, Asians and Pacific Islanders, African-Americans, and Hispanics' http://www.oldwestbury.edu/administrative/news_pop.cfm?id=436 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST Click here for information on the H1N1 virus' http://www.oldwestbury.edu/administrative/news_pop.cfm?id=439 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST Jewish American activist Anna Baltzer will discuss her first-hand experience documenting human rights abuses in the West Bank and supporting Palestinian and Israeli nonviolent resistance to the Israeli occupation during "Eyewitness View: Israeli/ Palestinian Conflict Today," a program being held between 10:30 a'm' and 2 p'm' Tuesday, November 10, at SUNY College at Old Westbury' Baltzer, an award-winning author who has given hundreds of presentations across the country, is a Columbia graduate, Fulbright scholar, International Women's Peace Service volunteer and the granddaughter of Holocaust refugees' The focus of "Eyewitness View: Israeli/ Palestinian Conflict Today" will be Baltzer's life-changing experiences in the Middle East' In her lectures and media appearances, Baltzer has noted that she was raised in California with a traditional positive view of Israel as a peace-seeking democracy that was faced with fearsome challenges caused by its Arab neighbors' Upon visiting the region, first in 2003 and many times subsequently, she found that the history and present of Israel and Palestine were significantly different from the what she had learned growing up in the United States' Through her lectures and her book, "Witness in Palestine: A Jewish-American Woman in the Occupied Territories," Baltzer today actively promotes Palestinian human rights and works to educate others about what can be done to support a just peace for all people in Israel and Palestine' Baltzer's appearance at Old Westbury is latest of her more than 400 lectures at universities, schools, churches, mosques, and synagogues around the world' She has also appeared in more than 100 media interviews, including most recently her much-publicized appearance Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" in late October' In 2009 Baltzer received the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee's prestigious Annual Rachel Corrie Peace and Justice Award' To be held in the College's Student Union Building, "Eyewitness View: Israeli/ Palestinian Conflict Today" is being presented The Forum, a student organization of the American Studies Department at the College, along with co-sponsors the School of Arts and Sciences, the Honors College, the Division of Student Affairs and the Muslim Students' Association' http://www.oldwestbury.edu/administrative/news_pop.cfm?id=442 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST