Did you know this is our school’s first full year as a university?
SUNY Old Westbury has been a “college” for almost 60 years. Since the founding of Old Westbury in 1965, the school’s official title has been “State University of New York College at Old Westbury.”
“College” has been removed as O.W. proudly evolved to a university. Around the time of the name change, according to President Sams, “some 27 schools across the state of New York changed their name from college to university” and Old Westbury felt it necessary to change as well.
Credit: Photo by Samantha Robinson
In front of student union on SUNY Old Westbury Campus
You may be asking, “What’s the difference between a college and a university?” According to President Sams, being recognized as a university comes down to what educational opportunities are offered at the school. President Sams told me, “Universities typically offer far more graduate programs than colleges,” and since SUNY Old Westbury offers three separate standalone graduate programs to students, and the opportunity to fund a doctorate program, it meets all the criteria to be recognized as a university under the State of New York.
In order to achieve this status, Old Westbury had to fill out an application to the SUNY Board of Trustees signifying that it met the criteria, and, safe to say, the case was accepted. According to Sams, offering these research programs and intellectual opportunities not only brings in graduate students, but it also tends to create “a more favorable experience” for faculty, leading them to stay longer.
There are benefits to the name change that are more subtle as well. For instance, the potential increase of foreign exchange students attending because, per Sams, “a university is of higher status in their eyes.”
For the future of O.W. as a university President Sams wishes for our accessible programs to reach more students. “We want our doors to be open to people with challenges, because we firmly believe challenges don’t prevent excellence,” he said. Helping make sure communities are no longer left behind through university infrastructure is important because as a public institution we are obliged to be able to respond to the evolving needs of society.
