Onondaga Community College

Onondaga Community College

Type	Public community college
Established	1961;64 years ago (1961) [1]
Parent institution	State University of New York
President	Warren Hilton [2]
Academic staff	148 full-time, 348 part-time [3]
Undergraduates	7,320 [3]
Location	Onondaga , New York , United States 43°00′22″N76°11′50″W / 43.006167°N 76.197306°W / 43.006167; -76.197306
Campus	Suburban 280 acres (110 ha)
Colors	Light blue and white
Nickname	Lazers
Sporting affiliations	National Junior College Athletic Association, Region III, Mid-State Athletic Conference
Mascot	Blaze
Website	sunyocc.edu

Onondaga Community College (OCC) is a public community college with its main campus in Onondaga, New York, United States. The college serves Onondaga County and Central New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system.

History

Onondaga Community College welcomed its first class of students in the fall of 1962 and its first graduating class in 1964. The first classes occurred in the college's downtown Syracuse location, the now-demolished Midtown Plaza. In 1970 the college moved to its new and current location in the Town of Onondaga. Residence halls were opened in 2006, and a new arena began hosting intercollegiate, scholastic, and community-based events in 2011. ^[4]

Campuses

The college has two campuses. The main campus is on West Seneca Turnpike in the hamlet of Onondaga Hill, west of Syracuse; OCC@Liverpool (formerly called the North Site) is on County Route 57 in Liverpool, New York.

Organization and administration

Coulter Library Building

The baseball field during a Syracuse Salt Cats game, 2021

Onondaga Community College is a 2-year college. ^[5] It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system ^[5] and one of 30 locally sponsored community colleges throughout New York State.

Academics

OCC offers numerous areas of study for career or transfer programs. Some of these areas are: Art, Design, Media & Music; Business; Computing & Applied Technologies; Education; Health; Liberal Arts; Math, Science & Engineering; Public Safety & Community Service. ^[6] The college is a training center for the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium.

Student life

In 2001, OCC started the Arts Across Campus program that showcases artists from various art fields. Each year they may have a variety of art exhibits, concerts, performances, and lectures. ^[7]

Athletics

OCC has 19 varsity intercollegiate athletics teams, which are nicknamed The Lazers. ^{[8] [9]} OCC offers 8 men's sports, which are: baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, track and field, and wrestling; 10 women's sports, which are: basketball, cheerleading, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, volleyball, and wrestling; while also offering ESports, which is Co-Ed. ^[10]

OCC teams have won a combined 17 team national championships across: Men's Lacrosse (12 championships), Women's Lacrosse (2 championships), Men's Basketball (1 championship), Men's Tennis (1 championship), and ESports (1 championship). Additionally, OCC athletes have won a combined 25 individual national championships across: Men's Tennis (15 championships), Men's Track & Field (4 championships), Women's Track & Field (4 championships), Men's Cross Country (1 championship), and ESports (1 championship). ^[11]

The Lazers newest athletics teams are men's and women's wrestling which will both begin during the 2024–25 school year. ^[9]

The SRC Arena & Events Center is a multi-purpose facility that serves as the home of OCC's men's and women's basketball teams, and numerous NYSHPSAA section III championships for several sports. The facility possesses a six-lane track as well as three flex courts to host basketball, tennis, volleyball, and other sports. The facility is also used for community and scholastic events, and concerts. It is 60,000 square feet (5,600 square meters) and seats up to 6,500 people. ^{[12] [13]}

The college's official mascot is Blaze, and is described as OCC's "biggest fan." ^[14]

Notable alumni

• Laurie Halse Anderson, author
• Grace Jones, singer, model and actress ^[15]
• Mike Randall, actor and meteorologist

References

1. McMahon, J. Ryan. "2019-2020 Onondaga Community College Tentative Annual Budget" (PDF). pp. 20–92. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
2. "Office of the President". Onondaga Community College. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
3. "College Navigator - Onondaga Community College". National Center for Education Statistics. 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
4. "Onondaga Community College Historic Photographs | New York Heritage". Archived from the original on June 20, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
5. "About the College". SUNY OCC. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
6. "Search Programs". SUNY OCC. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
7. "Arts Across Campus". SUNY OCC. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
8. "About the College". SUNNY OCC. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
9. "Onondaga Community College to Add Men's and Women's Wrestling Program in Fall of 2024". National Wrestling Coaches Association. April 22, 2024. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
10. "Onondaga Community College Athletics - Official Athletics Website". Onondaga Community College Athletics. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
11. "National Championships". Onondaga Community College Athletics. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
12. "SRC Arena". sunyocc.edu. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
13. "SRC Arena & Events Center". Onondaga Community College Athletics. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
14. "Blaze Named Street Characters' Mascot of the Month". October 2014.
15. Jones, Grace (2015). I'll Never Write My Memoirs. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 45.

External links

• Official website