Dutchess Community College (also known as SUNY Dutchess, Dutchess, or DCC) is one of 30 community colleges within the State University of New York system (SUNY). It is located in Dutchess County, New York, United States on a hill above the town of Poughkeepsie. The main campus covers 130 acres (53Â ha). DCC also operates a satellite campus, called DCC South, approximately 12 miles (19Â km) south, in Wappingers Falls.
Over 60 academic programs are offered, the majority of which are geared towards associate degrees or certificates. In addition, the Office of Community Services and Special Programs provides non-credit courses, High School Equivalency completion through preparation for the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) exam, ESL classes, and work-force training to residents of Dutchess County and beyond.
One-third of all Dutchess County college-bound high school graduates attend Dutchess Community College each year. The majority of alumni live and work in the Hudson Valley, and many have become civic and community leaders.
History
In 1957 Â (1957), the college was founded on the site of a former tuberculosis hospital, which is now Bowne Hall, the campus's main administrative building.
In 2007 Â (2007), Dutchess Community College marked its 50th anniversary of operations. Since enrolling its first class in 1957, DCC has awarded degrees and certificates to over 30,000 graduates and has provided educational opportunities for many thousands of other students.
On 25 August 2012, Conklin Hall was opened, becoming the college's only on-campus residence hall. At 132,000 square feet (12,300Â m2; 1.23Â ha), it houses 467 students in 98 suites.
Academics
Academic departments
The academic offerings of Dutchess Community College are organized into ten main departments:
- Allied Health and Biological Sciences
- Behavioral Sciences
- Business
- Engineering, Architecture, and Computer Technologies
- English and Humanities
- History, Government, and Economics
- Mathematics and Computer Sciences
- Nursing
- Performing, Visual Arts and Communications
- Physical Sciences
Academic support services
Dutchess Community College has a variety of academic support services available to its student body. These services range from tutoring to programs geared towards helping minority students succeed, and include:
- The Math Center
- Student Academic Success Center
- The Writing Center
- Office of Accommodative Services
- Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)
- The Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP)
Main campus
Nearly all of DCC's eleven main campus buildings are situated on top of a large hill.
- The Allyn J. Washington Center for Science & Art, which also contains the campus' only art gallery
- Bowne Hall, which holds all the central administrative offices on the campus
- Conklin Hall, the only on-campus residence hall, which also contains a secondary dining hall for the exclusive use of Conklin Hall residents
- Center for Business & Industry, commonly referred to as CBI
- Drumlin Hall, the main dining hall on campus
- Dutchess Hall, which contains the only theater, the campus bookstore, as well as multiple student lounges
- Falcon Hall, housing the campus gymnasium as well as a fitness center
- Hudson Hall houses the only library on campus, as well as the campus Writing Center
- Louis Greenspan Day Care Center
- Orcutt Student Services Center
- Taconic Hall
Conklin Hall, the Louis Greenspan Day Care Center, and Falcon Hall are the only three buildings not to be situated on top of the hill.
DCC South
Dutchess Community College operates a satellite center called DCC South approximately 12 miles (19Â km) south in Wappingers Falls, which serves residents of the southern part of Dutchess County. Nearly 20% of Dutchess Community College students attend school here.
DCC South has many of the features of the main campus. DCC South has 22 multi-purpose classrooms, a distance-learning classroom, an emergency medical technologies lab, and three networked computer classrooms.
Student life
Dutchess Community College has a variety of departments and programs dedicated to engaging students and promoting success, all of which are operated by the Department of Student Services. The Department of Student Services has, under its operating umbrella, offices including Health Services, Student Activities, Intercollegiate Athletics, Admissions, and Counseling Services, including many others. Health Services operate the on-campus health center and offers minor medical treatment to DCC students free of charge. The Office of Intercollegiate Activities is responsible for operating and maintaining all sports teams on campus. Sports available for men include soccer, basketball, and baseball. Women's sports include volleyball, softball, basketball, and starting in the fall of 2017, soccer. The Office of Student Activities manages student trips, guest speaker lectures, family festivals, on-campus events, the Student Government Association (SGA) and all on-campus clubs. The complete list of clubs offered at DCC is below:
- Accommodative Services Club
- Alpha Beta Gamma
- Anime and Gaming Society
- Anthropology Club
- Architecture Club
- Association for Health & Research Professionals
- Business Club
- Campus Activity Board (CAB)
- Christian Fellowship
- Criminal Justice Club
- The Dinner Theater Rejects (Improv Club)
- Dutchess Student Media Group (formerly the Dutchess Radio Station)
- Early Education Club
- Engineering Club
- Exercise Science & Wellness Club
- Falcon Free Press (the DCC newspaper)
- Fire Science Club
- Hudson Valley Aviation Club
- Human Services Club
- Masquers' Guild (Theater Club)
- Nursing Club
- Outdoor Adventure Club
- Phi Theta Kappa
- Political Science Club
- Pride Alliance Club (PAC)
- Rap, Poetry, & Music (RPM)
- Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
- Speech & Debate Coalition
- TV Production Club
- Ultimate Frisbee Club
- Veterans Club
- Visual Arts Club
Presidents of Dutchess Community College
Since the founding of DCC in 1957, five people have held the title of President of Dutchess Community College. They are listed below in chronological order:
- Dr. James Hall (1957-1972)
- Dr. John Connolly (1972-1982)
- Dr. Jerry A. Lee (1982-1992)
- Dr. D. David Conklin (1992-August 2014)
- Dr. Pamela R. Edington (August 2014 â€" present)
Community involvement
The Bridge Program
In an effort to more effectively prepare students for college, as well as to draw more students to the college, DCC instituted the Bridge Program. This allows local high school students to take certain DCC classes on the campus. These classes are primarily entry-level English classes, but can range from government to calculus courses, depending on the proficiency of the student. While the majority of local high schools allow their students to travel to DCC for these classes, a few do not. One notable exception is Poughkeepsie High School, which only allows its students to take the college courses in the high school building itself. Teachers must be specially certified by both Poughkeepsie High School and by DCC in order for the classes to be counted as college credit.
The Charles E. & Mabel E. Conklin Scholarship for Academic Excellence
Established in 2003, the Charles & Mabel Conklin Scholarship provides students with the full cost of tuition for four semesters at DCC. the scholarship is open to any graduating senior attending a high school in Dutchess County, provided that student places in the top 10% of their graduating class. Due to the high draw of this scholarship, Dutchess Community College attracts more top-10% students from Dutchess County than any other single college or university. 43 students were awarded the Charles E. & Mabel E. Conklin Scholarship in 2016.
Notable alumni
- Bill Duke
- Marcus Molinaro
- Bryan Zobre
See also
References
Bibliography
External links
- Official website
- Hudson River Valley Heritage website â€" photos and other documents from DCC's first 50 years