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Marist College

Poughkeepsie, New York

Marist College

Founded in 1929, Marist College is a mid-sized private liberal arts and sciences institution located in the historic Upper Hudson River Town of Poughkeepsie New York. The footprint of the site is split into 2 large geographical open spaces, one being the main campus on the western edge of the college’s footprint with academic, student life, housing, and athletic fields, the east side of campus has upper classman residence villages off Route # 9. These relatively large areas are separated by Route # 9 and each side of the campus can be reached within 5 minutes. The school’s athletic facilities including the McCann Athletic Complex, and Tenney Stadium are located on the main campuses south end, while upperclassman apartments and town homes are located on the north end. The main campus is linked together by the academic quad, student center, and Cannavino Library in the middle of the school’s suburban landscape. Marist College is also located on the Hudson River, which gives students, employees, and visitors a beautiful view of one of the state’s largest natural resources. The school also has several large grassy, and tree lined areas on all four sides of the campus which highlights it’s suburban campus landscape.

Marist is unique because it has a small suburban school feel to it, while still being large in regard to physical geography and student activities. The school is located in a relatively large suburban community on the Hudson River with local residents enjoying several transportation links to New York City, which is approximately 90 minutes away by car or train. The college has a large footprint of approximately 180 acres of park like property within the school’s Hudson Valley Region campus in northern New York State. The physical layout observes historic academic buildings, along with several new campus life facilities shared by students, local residents, and Marist employees.

The campus itself has approximately 50 buildings including lecture, residential, research, performing arts, athletics, and dining facilities. The overall campus map is typical for a college setting with wide sidewalks, grass field meeting places, and park like benches. The pedestrian flow of traffic within the facility was centered between the academic quads, student housing, and several student life facilities including the Cannavino Library, McCann Athletic Center, and the Student Center (Marist Rotunda) due to the time of day.

Marist’s student center, library, and campus quads are linked together by a maze of side walks that allows for quick access to student housing, academic, and student life buildings. The school is also unique because tree-lined pathways surround all of the internal sidewalks, and scenic views of the Hudson River, which gives students a more relaxed campus feel to it. The overall design helps a mid-sized campus feel smaller than it’s geographical footprint, which really helps in the winter months. The school also has several large green areas behind it’s residence halls that students refer to as “Green Beach’s that gets busy at all hours of the day when school is in session according to my student guide.

The campus buildings and open spaces were very clean and well maintained during my observations. These open spaces allow students the ability to interact with each other in a non-educational manner due to the high number of observed meeting places on campus. Marist students, faculty, and employees enjoy a community, within a community lifestyle in regard to on, and off campus activities and resources. The college also provides several critical student resources including student housing on campus for upperclassman, which helps students connect with each other throughout the year. The issue of upperclassman housing at Marist is also interesting because there is no housing lottery, the college uses an academic/student involvement point system for placement. Marist has developed a large campus community to offer students a Liberal Arts and Sciences educational format to enhance it’s commitment to different types of career endeavors. The school also enjoys it’s geographical relationship with IBM corporate headquarters in regard to technology services, and student internships.

The College is home to a mid-sized campus population of approximately 1,887 male, and 2,594 female full, and 184,male, and 186 female part time students enrolled. Marist also has a graduate school population of 400 male, and 476 female students. The average age of a freshman is 18 years old. 59% of students are from New York; the other students are from 39 states, and 9 foreign countries. Students on campus provide a diverse multi-cultural makeup including 75% of students are white, 4% Asian Americans, 5% are Black, and 8% are Hispanic. 8% is unknown.

Published Academic Standards for Admission

Marist College has a large educational system for a mid-sized private school, which offers Liberal Arts, and Sciences programs. Below is a specific list of under graduate admission requirements.

Student Housing

The purpose of student housing is to provide safe and reasonable accommodations for students living away from home. The issue of housing and dormitory life is a critical element of overall campus life because students spend a large amount of time in their rooms. Student housing units historically come in 3 different styles including traditional corridor, suite, and apartment style units. Marist College provides on campus housing for all four years through a points system. Students who have filed their intent to reside on campus by the stated deadline and who have continuously registered as full time students receive housing.

Currently the college has 2,858 students living on campus with approximately 96% of it’s freshman student population living on campus. The total number of students living on campus is approximately 72 %. Marist College has several different housing facilities including the main freshman housing buildings (, Champagnat, Leo, Marian, and Sheahan Hall). Marist also has a sophomore residence hall called Mid-Rise, as well as Foy Town House Village, Lower Town House, and the Gartland Apartments on the north side of the main campus. Another interesting housing observation is the buildings themselves. Champagnet and Mid-Rise residence halls are attached to the student center thru a common hallway, which makes them very convenient for students during the winter months. And finally, Marist has several upperclassmen housing facilities located across the street from the main campus including the Upper & Lower Cedar Town Houses, and the Fulton Street Town houses. Information about housing can be found on the quick links page of this document.

Off Campus Housing

Marist has been described as a mid-sized private college within commuting distance to New York City. The reason I have mentioned the overall community is to re-assert the point that Marist’s network of facilities has encapsulated it’s real estate holdings within the riverfront area. The campus footprint allows almost every student to have housing within walking distance to college facilities. The issue of off campus housing has a different feel to it compared to other college housing demands. The college itself has 72% of it’s student population living on campus which reduces the need, or demand for off campus housing. Information about available off campus housing resources can be found on the quick links page.

Campus Life

The Marist College campus environment provides students with an excellent social, and educational atmosphere due to it’s level of commitment to student life and activities. The college has an above average number of student activities for a small school including football, lacrosse, soccer, baseball, basketball, swimming, and tennis to name a few. The college also has a relatively large athletic facility for students to enjoy including an indoor pool, and McCann Athletic Center. The school’s location within New York State also makes several outdoor activities popular including skiing in the winter, and boating on the Hudson River in the spring and summer. My student guide told me the school provides a campus shuttle to the ski areas during the skiing season for a small fee, which makes the winter more enjoyable. Student activities in New York City are also popular including trips to Broadway, and New York sporting events throughout the year.

Marist also has several student studio arts, Fashion, and student multi-purpose centers to listen to, and participate in fashion shows, local music, comedy, and theatre productions. The college understands that developing excellent student facilities year round helps students navigate the winter season because the first thing you learn at Marist during freshman orientation is to love the State of New York. The college is also known for it’s communication arts programs including it’s Institute of Public Opinion (Marist Political Poll) and student run radio and television stations. New students participate in several team leadership activities during their first weeks at the school including hiking to help them embrace the outdoor culture. Students that aren’t inclined to enjoy the great outdoors usually participate in several community workshops within the City of Poughkeepsie.

The local area of Poughkeepsie can be considered a popular suburban community because it’s located between one the state’s largest city (New York City) about 90 minutes away, and the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains about 45 minutes away. The city can also be considered a student friendly transportation resource because Metro North Rail System, and Amtrak links to Poughkeepsie on a regular schedule. These rail systems link to NYC, and the entire east coast through New York’s Grand Central Station. Stewart International Airport also makes travel easier in this area of the state with several national airline carriers located within 40 minutes from the college. The Town of Poughkeepsie can also be considered a small college town with several retail and restaurant resources within 10 minutes of the college. These local facilities have improved campus life for students because they are close to the school, and they can be accessed by a short walking, and driving distance.

Marist College students enjoy a unique local transportation resource called the independent Poughkeepsie Cab Service for the Town of Poughkeepsie. Marist doesn’t have a student shuttle but it does have a network of authorized cab drivers available to take students to downtown Poughkeepsie, metro North Train Station, or anywhere they want to go for a very reasonable fee, usually 2-4 Dollars according to my student guide. The local car service network is vital to students who don’t have cars, or don’t want to shovel out their cars to go to town. The local cabs make trips to several shopping, retail, and entertainment resources including movie theatres in the area on a regular basis. The emotional climate of the entire community is also positive because students are involved with outdoor activities including hiking in the fall, skiing in the winter, and water sports in the spring.

Students are also actively involved in local community television, Greek Life, school sports, politics, and performing arts groups during the entire year. An observation of this very positive emotional climate can be found by looking at the endless student flyers posted throughout the campus on walls, doors, and the Student Center. These flyers describe upcoming activities and they invite all students to enjoy the clubs, athletics, performing arts, and public discussions on world events. Students went as far as hanging banners outside residence halls to invite students to attend social events on campus, which was very nice to see.

Marist also addresses the issue of ecology in a positive way, the physical campus borders the Hudson River with several park like areas within the Town of Poughkeepsie, which gives students a great way to get away to enjoy New York State’s natural environment. College students at Marist also have the luxury of enjoying several student art pieces within the Steel Plant Art Studio, and student television programs within Lowell Thomas Communications Center. Finally, the college has a music & performing arts facility within the Student Center (Nelly Goletti Theatre) for students to perform, and enjoy throughout the year.

This issue of school culture and emotional attachment is also a very important part of campus life because everyone wants to have a connection and emotional fit to their new school and community. Marist has done a great job developing positive social systems with it’s students by providing a series of coordinated programs including workshops, outdoors leadership activities, and seminars for freshman students. This type of process provides a foundation for learning and personal growth providing over 81 academic clubs, student organizations, and 8 intramural sports activities. Marist also has 23 NCAA Division I teams for men, and for women including football, soccer, lacrosse, baseball, and basketball within the Metro Atlantic Conference (MAC). The school also has a small Greek population of male and female students enjoying 3 national fraternities, and 3 national sororities. Finally, students at Marist enjoy several reasonably large athletic facilities including a new athletic complex throughout the year.

Student life on campus at Marist can be considered very active due to several notable on campus venues including the McCann Center, Tenney Stadium, and the outdoor tennis courts, which are the main student recreational, and athletic centers on campus. The Student Center can also be considered a popular destinations for nightly, and weekend entertainment activities, along with the campus coffee house. These on campus facilities allows students to enjoy more than academic excellence, it gives them the opportunity to develop social relationships by experiencing school sports, performing arts, history, cultural events, restaurants, and local museums together. The Local Town of Poughkeepsie also allows for additional campus life activities within a 10-minute drive from the campus gates.

Social networking beyond the campus walls is also a very important issue to be observed at Marist. Students at the college are encouraged to participate in intern, and externships with alumni to gain real world experience. These programs, along with internships and global learning centers offer important information about studying abroad. These types of programs help to round out educational activities on campus. Marist understands the importance of building relationships in the real world and has taken steps to help it’s students with the transformation. The college is developing a state of the art computer technology center called the Hancock Center through a partnership with IBM. The idea behind the new facility is to develop new technologies within an academic, and real world setting to give students a home court advantage in regard to applying for intern, and externships with national, and international technology companies.

Public Transportation

Marist College students use Poughkeepsie’s local taxi companies for reliable transportation to Stewart Airport, Metro North Regional Trains, and service to New York City via Amtrak within downtown Poughkeepsie. The college has a large number of students who don’t, or can’t have vehicles on campus as well as, a large number of out of state students who don’t know the streets and highways very well. Knowing the area is key because students who come from local states may know the area better and may be able to walk or drive to local destinations. Foreign, and out of state students might opt to take a bus or train to their destination because they don’t want to risk getting lost on local roads. In formation about this service can be found on the quick links page of this document.

Regional Public Transportation Resources: Student transportation to the Town of Poughkeepsie New York can be found within the Donnelly Hall parking lot (Local taxi drivers) in the evenings, and weekends. Students can sign-up for paid transportation links (Car & Bus Services) to the airport, ski resorts, and regional train service for Amtrak. The State of New York also has several highway networks that links students to several northeast states including Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York City within Interstate Routes 87, 84, & 86. Local highway networks that connect Poughkeepsie to local towns and cities include State Highway # 9, 9W, 44 and 55. These major highway systems connect the entire northeast from Canada, to New York City. Major hotel & restaurants, as well as retail shopping centers can be found along these highways.

Local weather

Weather is also an issue to consider for students preparing for a college experience. The town of Poughkeepsie enjoys all four seasons of weather including rain and snow. Northeast weather patterns sometimes allow for temperatures to drop below 32 degrees for a considerable amount of time during the winter. Northern New York also receives a large amount of snow due to it’s geographical relationship with the Canadian border. The state also gets it’s share of rain during the spring and summer months as well.

Community Profile

The City of Poughkeepsie has been described as an active suburban community that has grown around it’s historic Hudson Valley landscape and it’s local tourist locations including FDR’s home in nearby Hyde Park. Marist College and the community have grown together over the years with students, tourists, and local residents enjoying the Hudson Valley college town landscape. The area has also been described as a family centered suburban community within striking distance to New York City and the Catskill Mountains. The town also has an intellectual side due to its historical neighborhood architecture and close physical relationship to Vassar, and Marist Colleges. Poughkeepsie has become favorable to students over the years because the area has gone through a re-investment stage with the old buildings being converted into new restaurant and retail spaces. The local area has also become popular with students, and local residents because it offers parking and pedestrian walkways within downtown, which links students, and local residents to a several restaurants and local shops. Some of the areas around downtown Poughkeepsie along Main Street are still distressed, but the overall area can be considered student friendly.

The drive from Marist College to the above-mentioned meeting places is approximately 10 minutes. The city itself is located within the northeastern area of the state, which makes it convenient to several suburban communities and local highway networks. The community culture of Poughkeepsie is also very interesting because the town hasn’t lost it’s commuter town reputation. This culture is clearly expressed within several areas of downtown with restaurants and retail establishments located within walking/parking distance to the Metro North Train Station. The outlining areas of the city provide residents several large farming resources for fresh vegetables and dairy products. The area also provides visitors with several outdoor activities throughout the year including skiing in the winter, and sailing on the Hudson River in the spring and summer.

The following demographics for the City of Poughkeepsie describe a multi-cultural community within a total population of 30,050 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Vassar College has strong relationships with the town because they share community services including public safety, and cultural resources. An example of this commitment can be observed through the college’s community services handbook that describes educational programs, health care programs and services to local residents who may require community help.

A Census Bureau community survey highlights several characteristics to describe the population including: 48% residents are male, 52% are female. 53% of residents are white, 36% is African American, 8% is Hispanic or Latino, and 2% is Asian. The median age of population is 32 years old. 74% of residents are 18 years old or over, 69% age 21 and over, and finally 13% of town residents is over the age of 65. The issue of housing in Poughkeepsie is also interesting. 91% of all housing units within the city are occupied. 63% of housing units are renter-occupied, while 37% of units are owner-occupied. 9% of total available housing was vacant.

Marist College Quick Links

Poughkeepsie Area Hotel Quick Links

Courtyard by Marriott
2641 South Road (Route # 9)
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 12603
Hampton Inn Poughkeepsie
2361 South Road (Route #9)
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 12601
Holiday Inn Express
2750 South Road (Route #9)
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 12601
Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel
40 Civic Center Plaza
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 12601

Newburgh/ Stewart Airport area Hotels approximately 40 minutes from Marist

Hilton Garden Inn
15 Crossroads Court
Newburgh, N.Y. 12550
Courtyard by Marriott
4 Governor Drive
Newburgh, N.Y. 12550
Homewood Suites by Hilton
Breuning Road, (Inside of Stewart Airport)
Newburgh, N.Y. 12550
Comfort Inn
5 Lakeside Road
Newburgh, N.Y. 12550

Below is a sample list of local restaurants in Poughkeepsie N.Y. National restaurant chains & shopping resources can be found off Interstate 87 & 84 in Poughkeepsie & Newburgh New York. Additional resources can be found in Hyde Park, and New Windsor New York on State Highway # 9 & 9W.

Poughkeepsie Restaurants

Additional student friendly restaurants around the Marist College campus can be found at www.campusfood.com/campus.asp?campusid=424

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