 | |
Former names | List
|
|---|---|
| Motto | Dedicated to Excellence |
| Type | Public university |
| Established | September 13, 1871; 154 years ago (1871-09-13) |
Parent institution | State University of New York |
Academic affiliation | CUMU |
| Endowment | $52.9 million (2019)[1] |
| Chancellor | John B. King Jr. |
| President | Bonita R. Durand (interim) |
| Provost | Amitra Wall |
Academic staff |
|
| Students | 6,405 (Fall 2023)[2] |
| Undergraduates | 5,306 (Fall 2023)[2] |
| Postgraduates | 806 (Fall 2023)[2] |
| Location | , U.S. |
| Campus | Urban, 125 acres (51 ha) |
| Colors |
|
| Nickname | Bengals |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division III,SUNYAC,Liberty League |
| Mascot | Benji the Bengal |
| Website | buffalostate.edu |
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TheState University of New York Buffalo State University[4][5] (colloquially referred to asBuffalo State University,SUNY Buffalo State,Buffalo State, or simplyBuff State)[6][7] is apublic university inBuffalo, New York. It is part of theState University of New York (SUNY) system. Buffalo State University was founded in 1871 as the Buffalo Normal School to train teachers. It offers 79 undergraduate majors with 11 honors options, 11 post baccalaureate teacher certification programs, and 64 graduate programs.[8]
Buffalo State was founded in 1871 as theBuffalo Normal School before becoming theState Normal and Training School (1888–1927), theState Teachers College at Buffalo (1928–1946), theNew York State College for Teachers at Buffalo (1946–1950),SUNY, New York State College for Teachers (1950–1951), theState University College for Teachers at Buffalo (1951–1959), theState University College of Education at Buffalo (1960–1961),State University College at Buffalo (1961), andSUNY Buffalo State University in 2023.[6][5]
Eighty-six students attended the Buffalo Normal School on the first day of classes on September 13, 1871. The school's purpose was to provide a uniform training program for teachers to serve Buffalo's fast-growing public school population. Curricular offerings now include more than 250 undergraduate and graduate programs.
The WWII years were another time of growth for the college; in 1944, the now renowned Special Education program was founded and in 1948, the first dormitory building was erected where the present-day Moot Hall is located. In 1961, Buffalo State was the first institution in the SUNY system to offer a study-abroad program, a semester-long immersion program in Siena, Italy. International study programs now include international exchange and study-abroad programs in Australia, Canada, England, Italy, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, and Spain.
In 1964, the Buffalo State UniversityPlanetarium opened its doors with a 24-foot dome, and Dr. James Orgren became the facility's director in 1966. On November 17, 1978, a fire destroyed the facility, but the community's generosity allowed it to reopen on April 18, 1980. In April 1982, it was renamed the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium in honor of its greatest benefactor. In 1984, Dr. Orgren hired Mr. Arthur Gielow as his successor. Mr. Gielow died in 2010, and after a brief remodeling, the planetarium reopened in 2011 under the direction of Dr. Kevin Williams. In January 2013, the planetarium hosted a closing ceremony that highlighted its 48-year history. Through 2010–2012, staff members Tim Collins, Stephen Dubois and Terry Farrell created several programs. In 2015, a generous donation allowed the planetarium to reopen with a temporary 20-foot inflatable fulldome system. The new 35-foot dome facility is now open in the Science And Math Complex building.
Buffalo State has 29 buildings including student centers, academic buildings, athletics buildings, office buildings, and residence halls. Buffalo State is undergoing a $350 million campus-wide improvement project. In 2011, a $45 million Student Apartment Complex opened on the west side of campus. It is Buffalo State's largest addition to campus student housing since the early 1970s.[9]
Buffalo State has 79 undergraduate majors with 11 honors options and 64 opportunities for graduate study, including 11 teacher certification programs. Fifty-one faculty members have been awarded the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, and seven have been honored as SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professors.[10]
More than 80 percent of all classes at Buffalo State have fewer than 40 students. Classes for undergraduate majors usually have between 12 and 15 students.[11] As of 2016, 49 Buffalo State faculty members have been awarded the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.[12]
Buffalo State is composed of three schools: the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Education, and the School of the Professions.
Programs available at Buffalo State that are not offered at any other SUNY institution includeadult education,applied economics,art conservation,communication design,creativity, fashion and textile technology, fiber design,forensic chemistry, metal/jewelry design, higher education administration,urban and regional planning, and wood/furniture design. Buffalo State was the first school in the world to grant a master of science in creativity.[citation needed] The university also now offers an undergraduate minor in Creative Studies.[13] Both programs are offered through the International Center for Studies in Creativity, which is housed on campus. Buffalo State has 12 centers promoting growth and excellence.
Others include:
Buffalo State was ranked 31 in the category Top Public Schools Regional Universities (North) byU.S. News & World Report's "Best Colleges 2012." When all public and private institutions are included, Buffalo State is ranked 110 in the Top Regional Universities (North) Tier 1, as of 2016.[15] In the same report in 2012, it ranked 73rd nationally for graduate schools inspeech-language pathology.[16]Ranking Web of Universities ranks Buffalo State 4 out of 100 top universities in the Northern Region of the United States and 1,000 out of the top 12,000 in the world.[17] International Colleges & Universities ranks Buffalo State as the 17th best university in New York State out of 145.[18]
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 45% | ||
| Black | 30% | ||
| Hispanic | 13% | ||
| Asian | 7% | ||
| Two or more races | 4% | ||
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 1% | ||
| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income[a] | 54% | ||
| Affluent[b] | 46% | ||
There are 8,082 undergraduates and 1,036 graduate students enrolled.[20] The undergraduate population (Fall 2018) was 43 percent male and 57 percent female. The overall admission rate of new students (2016) was 62 percent.[21]
United Students Government (USG) represents the student body in campus governance and helps administrate student activities and organizations. USG provides activities, services, and student representation at Buffalo State. USG is headed by an executive branch of students elected each year along with a judicial branch and senate elected at the same time. USG manages and disperses money provided by the mandatory student activity fee to the many organizations and clubs on campus.
Buffalo State's sports teams are known as the Bengals. Buffalo State competes in 16 varsity sports withinNCAA Division III.
Buffalo State also has four club sports funded by the United Students Government (USG): men's club hockey,co-edrowing, men'srugby, and women's rugby.[22]
Buffalo State has an Inter-Greek Association to support the operation of fraternities and sororities on campus. There are 14 fraternities and sororities recognized at Buffalo State.[23]
The campus'sBurchfield Penney Art Center, founded in 1966, moved to its new $33 million facility in 2008. The Burchfield Penney features the work of Western New York artists and houses one of the world's largest collections of work by watercoloristCharles E. Burchfield (1893–1967). The historicBuffalo AKG Art Museum, which showcases modern and contemporary art, is located across the street from the campus. Students can purchase discount passes in the Student Union. There are also a number of other art galleries[24] nearby.
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Buffalo State has 100,000 alumni living in 119 countries throughout the world. Ninety-seven percent live in the United States, and 71 percent live in New York State. The five most popular majors among alumni were elementary education (15,538), art education (4,249), exceptional education (4,180), business studies (3,979), and criminal justice (3,911).
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42°56′05″N78°53′02″W / 42.9347°N 78.8839°W /42.9347; -78.8839
