SYRACUSE — Columbia College’s Syracuse campus expects to grow enrollment in the years ahead. The school recently opened a new 12,000-square-foot building in a different section of Hancock Field, where the college is located. Historically, Columbia has had close ties to the military with a number of campuses located at armed-forces sites like the one […]
SYRACUSE — Columbia College’s Syracuse campus expects to grow enrollment in the years ahead.
The school recently opened a new 12,000-square-foot building in a different section of Hancock Field, where the college is located. Historically, Columbia has had close ties to the military with a number of campuses located at armed-forces sites like the one in Syracuse, says Scott Vinciguerra, director of the local campus.
The new building opened earlier this year.
“We just want to see levels of consistent growth and with that growth we want to see expansion of services,” Vinciguerra says. “Students will let us know what they need.”
The school relocated to a less secure area of the base, Vinciguerra says, and now has its own access point to the base. That means students can come to campus anytime.
Previously, they mainly came just for class. The new building features a student lounge and library along with administrative offices, nine new classrooms, and two labs.
Because students can now get to the college anytime, new programming can be created, Vinciguerra says. That includes groups like a new student advisory council that meets monthly.
“We have very much now, a community,” Vinciguerra says. “We’re building those important collaborative relationships.”
The school is aiming to strengthen its ties with the local community, he adds, and get students involved in efforts like cell-phone drives for soldiers overseas and food drives for local organizations. The school is also planning to work with the Toys for Tots program during the holidays.
Columbia College, which began in Missouri in 1851, has since expanded to 35 campuses around the country. In upstate New York, the college also has a campus at Fort Drum.
The Syracuse branch has about 1,000 students. While Columbia College has strong ties to the military, it serves a broader base of students, Vinciguerra says. About 800 of the students at the local campus are civilians.
The school offers degree programs ranging from the associate level to master’s.
Business is the school’s top program with students focusing on areas like marketing and management, Vinciguerra says. The college also offers typical liberal-arts classes in areas like human services, history, psychology, and more, he adds.
The campus serves mainly adult learners. Only a small percentage of its students are in their typical college years. The average is 34, Vinciguerra says.
The college may look to add more academic programming at some point, but for now the focus is on boosting enrollment.
“We want to increase enrollment and make the community aware that we’re here and we’re committed to the community,” Vinciguerra says.
Columbia College’s Syracuse campus employs 70 faculty members and an administrative staff of 10 people.
Contact Tampone at ktampone@cnybj.com
