The Undergraduate Community
The first universities were founded in Europe, in the Middle Ages, by students who wished to form communities in which they could live and learn together. The modern university continues this tradition. Faculty, students, and staff together have one central goal: learning together in a community.
The Stony Brook Campus
Close to thirty-five thousand people work and study at Stony Brook, making it larger than the capital cities of several states. Like many small cities, Stony Brook is not only a community in itself; it is a community of communities. Most people who work and study here belong to more than one of the University’s many communities. Students at Stony Brook belong to academic communities, co-curricular communities, and social communities, and many of our communities encompass all three aspects of university life. All undergraduates are required to complete an academic major, which is itself a community; but many majors have clubs to provide further opportunities for students to build connections with other students with similar interests.
An undergraduate student, for example, may be a member of a sports team or one of our many social clubs, be a resident of a Living Learning Center, and have an academic major. Stony Brook has launched a variety of efforts to build a strong sense of community within the University, the capstone of which is a new effort to build a comprehensive system of undergraduate colleges organized around themes of general interest to incoming undergraduates that we envision will transform the way in which students experience the University. The colleges will provide the core for an array opportunities for students to live, laugh, and learn together.
Years of Community
In 1999, Stony Brook launched the Campus Community Initiative as a direct result of discussions that emerged during the Student Faculty Staff Retreat, an annual event which brings members from all parts of the University together to look at ways to improve where we live and learn.
The first year initiative adopted the theme of the Year of Community and events were organized around that theme. During that year we transformed the Academic Mall into a welcoming gathering place and capped off the achievement with a Fountain Festival in the spring. The Campus Statement of Community, at right, was developed that year as well, by a group of students, faculty, and staff.
In each subsequent year, a new theme, with community at its core, is chosen and events are organized to promote that theme and encourage student involvement and commitment.
Academic year 2000-2001 was designated the Year of Community Service. Students, faculty, and staff participated in increased volunteer and local outreach efforts, such as working with Habitat for Humanity to construct homes for those in need here on Long Island. We also included a Diversity Fair in our second Fountain Festival celebration.
Academic year 2001-2002 was designated the Year of Community Leadership. The goals were to build awareness of the role of leadership in building community, to continue to contribute to the development of the spirit of community at Stony Brook University and to increase understanding of the role that the University plays in the lives of surrounding communities. We created the Ray of Light Awards ceremony to recognize community leaders and established the first campus Women’s Leadership Symposium. In addition, we initiated a campus-wide competition for faculty, staff and students to define leadership; submissions were displayed on banners defining leadership that hang in the Academic Mall.
Stony Brook Communities
Stony Brook originated the learning community program over thiry years ago with its seminal Federated Learning Communities program. The program has since evolved into several different programs available at the University, some of which are listed below. Within the broad university community, smaller communities of such diversity are available to meet the needs of every student. And for the student who wishes to build his or her own social or academic organization or club, academic departments and the Student Activities Center office provide support.
Below is merely a sampling of the many communities students may join at Stony Brook.
Undergraduate Colleges
Stony Brook is in the process of transforming the way in which undergraduate students experience University life. By 2004, every first-year student will enter Stony Brook as a member of one of six undergraduate colleges organized around themes of general interest to students.
The Undergraduate Colleges are designed to support and develop the interests of students and assist them in taking advantage of the vast resources Stony Brook has to offer. In Fall 2002, the University established the first Undergraduate College, the College of Information and Technology Studies. Fall 2003 will see the creation of two more Colleges, and by Fall 2004, all six Undergraduate Colleges will be in place.
Faculty members participate in the undergraduate colleges through various events organized within the college, through college dinners, and most especially, through special one-credit seminars designed to introduce students to what it means to be a University student and a member of a community of learners. Each seminar addresses some aspect within the broad theme of the college, based on the faculty’s expertise and interests, and is limited to no more than 20 students. As a result, the Colleges provide opportunities for students and faculty to meet both inside and outside the classroom.
All undergraduate colleges include individualized advising and support, special educational and social programs, and opportunities for close interaction with faculty and fellow students around themes of common interest.
Each undergraduate college will have both a commuter and a residential focus. First-year resident members of each college are housed together in the same residential quadrangle. First-year commuters have a centrally-located home on the Academic Mall.
The academic themes of the first three colleges are described below. The three remaining colleges, scheduled to begin operation in Fall 2004, will focus on the following themes: Leadership and Community Service; Human Development; and Global Studies.
On admission, students will be asked to indicate their College preferences, but most students will find that each College resonates with some area of the student’s own interests. For instance, a student might be a fan of computer games, so the College of Information and Technology Studies might be of interest; but if that student also is concerned about environmental issues, the College of Science and Society will be appealing as well.
College of Information and Technology Studies
The College of Information and Technology Studies is designed for students interested in the growing areas of technology development and information processing and management. The College seeks to infuse students with a sense of wonder as they discover the power of information and technology and consider their own role in shaping the future. ITS provides an enriched first-year experience by creating a learning community focused on leadership, scholarship, integrity, and creativity.
College of Arts, Culture, and Humanities
The College of Arts, Culture, and Humanities is designed for individuals who are interested in the wide scope of human activity--the making of art, the study of behavior, the varieties of language, society, and culture that make up our world. Through programs that point the way to opportunities to think, make, do, and perform, the College is intended to encourage students to stretch their imaginations, hone their skills, and enrich their minds. The College will also boast a newly refurbished arts and cultural center, scheduled for completion in summer 2003, including a performing arts space and digital media, broadcasting, music and art-making facilities.
College of Science and Society
The College of Science and Society emphasizes imagination, research, and discovery in a social context. Students explore the power of creativity to transform the modern environment in which we live. Students are given opportunities to visit laboratories at Stony Brook and elsewhere where cutting-edge research is carried out. The College focuses on developing a well-rounded student who is intellectually prepared to meet the challenges of today’s complex and changing world.
Other Communities
Academic majors
Academic majors allow students to take courses in common and develop a shared sense of knowledge and understanding, and relations with a core of faculty and students. For information about each major, see the alphabetical listings of majors in the chapter "Majors, Minors, and Academic Programs."
Academic minors
Minors often enroll smaller numbers of students than majors, in which students can explore a field other than their major specialization, and broaden their understanding and connection to students from diverse intellectual backgrounds. For information about each minor, see the alphabetical listings of majors in the chapter "Majors, Minors, and Academic Programs."
Living Learning Centers (LLCs)
Each LLC also leads to an academic minor, in which students take courses with others living in the same residence halls. Residence hall events are also geared to the theme of the living learning center. These are typically upperclass programs. For more information about living learning centers, see the entry in the chapter "Special Academic Opportunities."
University Learning Communities
Learning Communities programs are designed to provide an enhaanced academic component to the undergraduate colleges. Students take several classes in common, and have a small seminar conducted by a faculty member or graduate student who also serves as the students’ mentor. For more information about learning communities, see the entry in the chapter "Special Academic Opportunities."
Peer Mentoring
This is an upperclass program in which interested students are trained and serve as mentors to other students. For more information about the peer mentoring program, go to the Peer Advising website at http://ws.cc.sunysb.edu/aadvising/apa.htm.
Residential Tutoring
This is an upperclass program in which students are trained in assisting other students in their residence halls in study skills and and succeeding in particular courses. For more information about the residential tutoring program, go to their website at http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/rtc
Other Social and Academic Clubs and Organizations
The academic programs listed above, while primarily organized around an academic theme and with an academic purpose, usually include a social aspect. For instance, major and minor programs often host social get-togethers for students to meet other students and the faculty in the program. Similarly, Stony Brook’s many social clubs and organizations often have a related academic theme, and Stony Brook also offers clubs specifically dedicated to learning. The following is only a sampling of the many communities available to students include:
Asian Students Alliance
Badminton Club
Buddhism Study and Practice Group
Caribbean Students Organization
Club India
Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance
Golden Key International Honor Society
Math Club
Minorities in Medicine
Native American Cultureal Club
Science Fiction Forum
Shelanu, a student newspaper
Sigma Beta Honor Society
Sororities and fraternities
Statesman, a student newspaper
Stony Brook Gospel Choir
WUSB, the campus radio station
A more extensive listing of Stony Brook’s clubs and organizations is available at http://www.ic.sunysb.edu/Clubs/
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