Siena College

This article is about the college in Loudonville, New York. For other schools with a similar name, see Siena College (disambiguation).

Siena College

Former names	St. Bernardine of Siena College (1937–1968) [1]
Motto	The Education for a Lifetime
Type	Private college
Established	1937
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic (Franciscan)
Academic affiliations	AFCU CIC MSA ACCU
Endowment	$139 million (2010). [2]
President	Charles "Chuck" Seifert
Academic staff	317
Administrative staff	150
Undergraduates	3,500 [3]
Postgraduates	33
Location	Loudonville, New York , U.S. 42°43′06″N73°45′13″W / 42.71833°N 73.75361°W / 42.71833; -73.75361
Campus	Suburban, 174 acres (70 ha) [4]
Fight song	"When the Saints Go Marching In"
Colors	Green and gold [5]
Nickname	Saints
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I – MAAC
Mascot	Baloo "Saint" Bernard (St. Bernard Dog)
Website	www.siena.edu

Siena College is a private Franciscan college in Loudonville, Albany County, New York. ^{[6] [7]} Siena was founded by the Order of Friars Minor in 1937. The college was named after Bernardino of Siena, a 15th-century Italian Franciscan friar and preacher. ^[8] St. Bernardine of Siena Friary is located on campus. The college has 3,000 full-time students and offers undergraduate degrees in business, liberal arts, and sciences. ^[4]

History

In the late 1930s, Thomas Plassmann, president of St. Bonaventure University in Western New York, sent seven Franciscan friars to New York's Capital Region to found another college. ^[9]

A new rugby pitch was opened in fall 2016 and a new bookstore opened in fall 2014. The Siena College Grotto opened in October 2014. ^[10] The college was listed as a census-designated place (Siena College CDP) in 2020. ^[11]

Academics

Siena College students attend three schools within the college:

• School of Business: All programs in the school are accredited by AACSB International. ^[12]
• School of Liberal Arts
• School of Science

Within the three schools, Siena offers 43 majors, over 80 minors, certificates, concentrations, and 12 graduate programs. ^[13]

Athletics

Main article: Siena Saints

See also: Siena Saints men's basketball and Siena Saints women's basketball

Siena guard Ronald Moore dribbles toward the basket in a game against Loyola in January 2010.

Siena offers 21 NCAA Division I sports, all of which participate in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). ^{[16] [17]}

The college generally only competed against local schools in athletics until being elevated to the Division I level in 1976. At this time, Siena became a member of the ECAC, and later the North Atlantic Conference, a forerunner to the present day America East Conference. In 1990, the college moved to the MAAC where it has remained since. Siena has not always been known by its present moniker. Athletic teams were first known as the Golden Hurricanes and later as the Indians. In March 1989, the school adopted its current nickname, the Saints.

Many of Siena's athletic teams have experienced success at the Division I level. The college's most well known squad is the men's basketball team. The Saints have appeared in six NCAA tournaments, advancing to the Round of 32 in 1989, 2008 and 2009. Siena has also played in the postseason NIT five times, capturing third place in 1994. In 2014, Siena competed in their first College Basketball Invitational tournament and won the championship defeating Stony Brook, Penn State, Illinois State and Fresno State two games to one in the best-of-three championship series. The women's basketball teams has also had a recent run of success, including a trip to the NCAA tournament in 2001, and appearances in the 1999, 2002 and 2003 WNIT. They finished second in the 2015 WBI.

Another team with recent high achievement is men's baseball. The Saints advanced to the 1999 NCAA Division I baseball tournament and in 2005 saw pitcher John Lannan drafted by the Washington Nationals. ^[18] Lannan has since become a regular starter in Washington's rotation. ^[19] They also participated in the 2014 NCAA Division I baseball tournament, after winning the MAAC Championship over Canisius.

Finally, the men's lacrosse team has also improved significantly in recent years. The Saints qualified for their first MAAC tournament in 2007 and their first NCAA tournament in 2009. That season, the Saints secured an automatic berth in the tournament after winning their first MAAC championship during a ten-game winning streak. ^{[20] [21]}

Siena College Research Institute

Siena College Research Institute, an affiliate of Siena College, conducts expert and public opinion polls, focusing on New York State and the United States, on issues of public policy interest.

Student life

Residential life

As Siena College grew in size, so did the demand for on-campus housing. Siena provides a range of on-campus housing options including traditional residence halls, private bathroom rooms, and townhouse units. These housing options are spread across eight residential communities. Community assistants, residence directors, and Friars are located in these residential communities to support students. The college has study lounges, fitness centers, and communal areas for social activities. ^[22]

A significant percentage^{[ quantify ]} of Siena students live on campus, with housing assignments based on class year. Freshmen are typically housed in traditional residence halls such as Hines, Plassman, and Ryan Halls. Sophomores are placed in Plassman, Hennepin, and Padua Halls. Upperclassmen, including juniors and seniors, reside in Hennepin, Padua, and Snyder Halls, as well as in the townhouse communities of Cushing Village and MacClosky Square. ^[23] Additionally, some students opt for off-campus housing at the College Suites or commute from nearby areas.

Activities

Students can engage in over 90 clubs and organizations, ranging from academic and professional groups to cultural and recreational clubs. ^[24]

The college’s student events board organizes events throughout the year such as food trucks, giveaways, trivia, open mic nights, and more ^[25] .  One of the most anticipated events is Siena Fest, a major weekend celebration featuring concerts, games, and other festivities. ^[25]

Campus demographics

Student body composition as of May 2, 2022

Race and ethnicity [26]	Total
White	76%	76
Hispanic	9%	9
Black	4%	4
Asian	4%	4
Other [lower-alpha 1]	4%	4
Foreign national	3%	3
Economic diversity
Low-income [lower-alpha 2]	24%	24
Affluent [lower-alpha 3]	76%	76

Notable alumni

Main article: List of Siena College people

Siena College has approximately 28,000 living alumni worldwide, including former college president Kevin J. Mullen. In the fields of journalism and literature, notable Siena graduates include William J. Kennedy, 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner; Erich Hartmann, international award-winning photojournalist and former president of Magnum Photos; David Hepp, award-winning journalist and creator of Inside Albany and Ed Henry, senior White House correspondent for Fox News. In the fields of law and government, notable Siena graduates include Francis Bergan, former presiding justice of the New York Court of Appeals; Michael Botticelli, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy; Constantine George Cholakis, former judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York; George Deukmejian, 35th governor of California; former United States representatives from New York Jack Quinn and Gerald B. H. Solomon; and Henry F. Zwack, justice of the New York Supreme Court, Third Judicial District.

• 
  Erich Hartmann,
  President,
  Magnum Photos
• 
  George Deukmejian,
  35th Governor of California
• 
  Jack Quinn,
  US Representative,
  New York
• 
  Gerald B. H. Solomon,
  US Representative,
  New York

Notable faculty

• Mark A. Heckler, professor of fine arts

Notes

1. Other consists of Multiracial Americans & those who prefer to not say.
2. The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.
3. The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.

References

1. "HISTORY OF SIENA". siena.edu. Siena College. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
2. Siena Collegeusnews.com Archived 2011-01-05 at the Wayback Machine
3. "Siena College". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
4. "FAQs: The Facts About Siena : Siena College". Archived from the original on 2007-06-13. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
5. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
6. 'About Siena', Siena College website Archived 2009-03-23 at the Wayback Machine ; "Siena is...located in Loudonville, New York, a suburban community just outside the state's capital."
7. "Colonie town, New York ^{[ permanent dead link ]}." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on December 4, 2010.
8. Siena College Mission and History Archived 2010-03-06 at the Wayback Machine - Siena College website.
9. "History of Siena College | Siena College (New York)". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
10. "The Grotto at Siena College Wins Chamber of Commerce Award for Curb Appeal". Siena College.
11. "State of New York Census Designated Places - Current/BAS20 - Data as of January 1, 2019". tigerweb.geo.census.gov. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
12. "College Maintains AACSB Accreditation | Siena College (New York)". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
13. "Siena Value". Siena College. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
14. "The Grotto". Siena College. 2024.
15. McGuire, Mark (2010-01-22). "Streaking Siena". Times Union (Albany). Hearst Newspapers. p. B1. Archived from the original on 2012-07-11. Retrieved 2010-06-22.
16. "FAQs for Athletics". Siena College. Archived from the original on 2008-09-28. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
17. "Siena Field Hockey Selected Ninth in NEC Preseason Poll". Siena College. Archived from the original on 2009-08-18. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
18. "Mission Statement". Siena College. Archived from the original on 2009-03-25. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
19. "John Lannan". Major League Baseball. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
20. Saints Face-Off with Syracuse in NCAA tournament Archived 2009-05-11 at the Wayback Machine , Siena College, May 8, 2009.
21. Siena College Men's Lacrosse 2009 Quick Facts ^{[ permanent dead link ]} (PDF), Siena College, 2009.
22. "Community Living". Siena College. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
23. "Living on Campus". Siena College. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
24. "Siena's Clubs and Organizations". Siena College. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
25. "Events and Activities". Siena College. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
26. "College Scorecard: Siena College". United States Department of Education . Retrieved July 17, 2024.

External links

• Official website
• Siena Saints Athletics website