The Back to School Edition – Welcome Back!The Association of Proprietary Colleges (APC) represents New York’s degree-granting proprietary colleges — one of the state’s four sectors of higher education.

Governed by New York’s two higher education oversight bodies – the Board of Regents and the State Education Department – APC institutions have blossomed. APC member colleges maintain above-average student outcomes, with

graduation rates outpacing any other higher education sector.

Every eight years, the Board of Regents develops New York’s Statewide Plan for Higher Education. The most recent plan praises the sector for giving nontraditional students a chance to succeed. The plan suggests that since one of the state’s priorities is preparing students for the workforce, “the resources of institutions such as proprietary colleges

SUNY CUNY Independent Proprietary

Source: NYS Education Department, 2012 Data

On-Time Associate Degree GraduationRates for All Students, 2012

28.6%

19.8%

3.0%

11.7%

and their business partners should be called upon.”

LIM College’s “Welcome Week” The phrase “Back to School” can conjure up many emotions in all of us. For LIM College first-year student Marissa Barnard, it’s excitement.

“I couldn’t sleep, I was too excited about making the trip into the city and moving into my dorm room,” said Barnard. “I knew I wanted to have a career in the fashion industry. So when I heard about all of the significant internship opportunities LIM offers in the U.S. and abroad, I knew it was the college for me.”

LIM’s “Welcome Week” officially kicked off on Tues., Aug. 18, with Move-In day [cont. on next page]

LEFT: Freshman Marissa Barnard, and her mother, Morena Barnard, prepare to transport Marissa’s belongings into LIM College’s residence hall on Third Avenue in Manhattan. For Marissa, an international business major, the move is bittersweet. Going to college and obtaining a marketable degree was very important to her father, who passed away three years ago. “Furthering my education was extremely important to my Dad,” said Barnard. “I know he

would be proud of how far I’ve come and the opportunities that are ahead of me at LIM. It feels as though he’s right here with me.”

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TOP: Nicole Porras, a director on LIM College’s Student Leadership Council, takes a short break from assisting the new students move-in to pause for a photo. Nicole is one of 22 student Orientation Leaders (OLs), involved in the Move-In Day festivities. They also serve as mentors and share their experiences to help new students navigate LIM and New York City.

Preparing Students for the WorkforceFaculty at APC member institutions are experienced in their fields, bringing real-world experience in to the classroom.

LIM College provides a well-rounded education through the combination of in-class instruction and required internships. The college requires students to complete 130-hour internships in

both their freshman and sophomore years, as well as a full-time internship during their senior year—ensuring students graduate with a full resume.

As part of orientation, current students and alumni shared a video segment they developed titled, “I Am LIM.” The video provides new students with helpful tips and

advice, covering everything from how to navigate New York City and what to look for in an internship through the sharing of internship experiences.

Welcome Back to SVA!Through the Fall 2015 Orientation week, SVA welcomed more than 1,000 students from 37 states and 36 countries. Among the many scheduled orientation events were a series of local tours called Navigating Your Neighborhood; Flaunt Your Flavor, a frozen yogurt social; a student leadership open

and the start of the college’s New Student Orientation (NSO) program. Comprised of an interactive series of activities for students and their families, the program is designed to help new students successfully transition to LIM College. These important information sessions introduce concepts of college culture and assist students in navigating the campus, the city, transportation, services and resources.

The NSO program included presentations from current LIM students, faculty,

administrators and alumni on topics including curricular offerings and academic advising, extra-curricular activities, advice for new students, financial aid, and internships/career development.

Welcome Week included a Day of Service on Sat., Aug. 22, where new students volunteered at various locations throughout the city, performing activities such as preparing and serving food for the elderly and homeless, as well as helping to clean up local parks.

house; a SVA Chelsea Gallery open house and tour and the concluding blowout Groove-a-thon, held at the SVA Student Center.

SVA Campus Store – Like No Other In conjunction with new students’ arrival, the SVA Campus Store reopened after a summer-long redesign and renovation. New features include an expanded Apple demo space, a video wall, listening stations for headphones and speakers and a book section that highlights faculty, staff and alumni publications.

According to Bennett Yee, manager of the SVA Campus Store, the store is more than your typical on-campus bookstore.

“Many students attending SVA are taking courses in film, video or animation,

which require high capacity computers to operate the various graphics programs,” said Yee. “Here at the SVA Campus Store, we customize computers to meet the needs of the student. Student computers often require more memory than any computer you can purchase in an electronics retail store.”

The SVA Campus Store is an Apple-authorized service provider, offering: Comprehensive Apple computer diagnostics; in warranty and non-warranty

repair of Apple computers; data recovery and migration; RAM memory installations; hard drive upgrades; and quick and efficient service by on-site technicians.

“At the SVA Campus Store, we provide complete computer solutions to students and faculty,” said Yee. “When you have devoted countless hours to a class project, the last thing you need is to have your computer freeze. Having access to a computer technician for assistance is invaluable.”

SVA Launches Blog Series Featuring New StudentsTo celebrate orientation week and welcome the incoming class of 2019, SVA is featuring a Close Up blog series, introducing new students who have traveled across the country to pursue their creative passions. See their journey at Welcome Back to SVA.

L to R: Amanda DiMartino, president of the Visual Arts Student Association (VASA) and Samantha Mottola, student senate chair of VASA, test new software at the SVA’s renovated Campus Store. VASA is the governing body designed to represent the student body at SVA.

SVA Students and Library Staff Prepare ResourcesStudents and members of the SVA Library staff gathered in SVA’s Visual Arts Library in Manhattan, before the semester got underway to inspect and ensure all resources were up-to-date for students.

Tailored to the needs of aspiring art and design professionals, the library has 72,000 books and current subscriptions and 450 magazines and journals. It provides online access to 10,500 full-text periodicals and hosts a Visual Resources Center (VRC). The VRC is the central resource for images and imaging technologies used by instructors and students at the college for teaching and study purposes.

Library staff offers a variety of services to the SVA community, including maintenance of the college’s online collection of images as well as training and technical

support. The collections include nearly 52,000 local digital records as well as 150,000 35mm slides and access to online databases of images.

Bryant & Stratton College Athletes on the Move(-In) For Health Services Administration Major Amanda Belsito, cutting short her summer vacation to move in to the campus dormitory and play soccer for Bryant & Stratton’s Lady Bobcats in Syracuse was a no-brainer.

“I couldn’t wait to get back to school,” said Belsito. “Soccer is a passion of mine; I have been playing since I was very young. There’s a lot of potential in our team this

year and I find that extremely motivating.”

The Bryant & Stratton Bobcats United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA)men’s and women’s soccer, cross country and men’s and women’s track & field teams all call the Syracuse campus home, along with a wide variety of career focused degree programs.

“This is an important and

exciting time in the college’s athletics program,” said Nick Dimitrievski, head coach and athletic director. “In 2014, Bryant & Stratton joined the USCAA, which enables our student athletes to compete at the highest level. And since then, they have proven that they are up to the challenge.”

Last year, the college’s men’s soccer team went 8-0-1, with five shutouts in their first six games of the season. And at

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the time of this publication, the Bobcats are 4-1. The team is currently ranked #2 in the nation in the USCAA national poll. The Bobcats woman’s soccer team is currently 3-1.

“Bryant & Stratton has enabled me to enjoy soccer

Amanda Belsito, Health Services Administration program major and Captain of the Bobcats Women’s Soccer Team unpacked and ready to go — on and off the field.

Soccer standout, Rockfeller Fixe and track star, Rebecca Browne, pause for a photo as they wait for practice to begin. Browne said Bryant & Stratton’s personalized attention is what has kept her in school and has helped her focus on completing her degree.

while working toward my bachelor’s degree,” said Belsito. “The personalized support I have received from my professors and coaches has made all of the difference. From the first day I stepped on campus, I knew this was the right college for me.”

In addition to offering the opportunity to live on campus, the downtown college grounds provide students with a number of computer labs which are available for daily use, along with an on-campus bookstore, library, and a Student Union and dining area.

Bryant & Stratton in Syracuse Adds Occupational Therapy Assistant DegreeBryant & Stratton College in Syracuse has received approval from the New York State Board of Regents to offer an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Associate of Applied Science Degree program. Bryant & Stratton

College identified a need for trained OTA graduates in the Syracuse community and developed the program to fill rising demand within the local healthcare industry. The College accepted its first students in May 2015.

According to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for certified OTAs is expected to increase by 41 percent nationally by 2022. Bryant & Stratton College’s OTA program offers

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a functional degree that can be used in traditional and non-traditional settings and serves needs across a wide continuum of care—including autism, geriatric, veteran care, hospice and palliative care.

The fifth and final term of the program consists of full-time fieldwork, giving students the real-world skills and hands- on education that, will help them secure licensure and will allow them to immediately join the workforce.

The OTA program exemplifies Bryant & Stratton College’s commitment to providing students with a unique educational experience that connects their classroom learning with practical workplace capabilities.

“We have a growing elderly population, and occupational therapy often can allow these individuals to remain in their homes longer to age in place,” said John Patro, director of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program. “This not only relieves some of the financial burden of care, but it allows families to make their loved ones more comfortable and provide meaningful care. Bryant & Stratton has a history of successful medical programs, and I feel fortunate to be able to build on that.”

Bryant & Stratton College names Felser as CEO Bryant & Stratton College has appointed Francis Felser as its new president and CEO. Felser has been with Bryant & Stratton College for nearly 25 years, serving in many roles, including chief academic officer, and most recently as executive vice president and chief administrative officer.

He is credited with helping to lead the college’s transition from a nationally accredited college focused on skills-based training, to a regionally accredited college that develops career-ready graduates, school leaders said.

“Today’s students are faced with increasingly specialized demands from employers. It is our mission to arm them for success,” Felser said.

Felser holds a doctorate of management in organizational leadership from the University of Phoenix, an MBA from SUNY Buffalo and a B.S. in accounting and mathematics from Canisius College.

Monroe College’s Move-In DayApproximately 250 first-year students from 16 states, including Arizona, North Carolina, and Texas, arrived on Tues., Sept. 8 at the New Rochelle campus of Monroe College to begin their college years. Upper classmen returned Wed., Sept. 9.

Student athletes from Monroe College’s various teams were on hand to help families unload cars and bring the new students’ belongings up to their dorm rooms.

Approximately 75 international students arrived from roughly 25 different countries (including Ireland, China, Venezuela, Bahamas, Norway, St. Marten, Paraguay, Sweden, Brazil, Kenya, and India, among others).

Among them are a group of business students from a brand new student exchange program initiated with a university in Belgium. This semester marks the inaugural student exchange.

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Monroe College Offers Passport to Success

L to R: Student Life Coordinators Athena Zambrano and Kendra Scott man the Student Life table and assist students during the Around the World orientation for upper classmen, which took place on Thurs., Sept. 9.

This year’s program, The Passport to Success, encourages students to take advantage of Monroe’s robust career and student services as well as the colleges’ academic and technology resources. At the start of the event, students received a passport to be stamped as they visited various stations representing different college departments. Information on how each department can help students achieve success was provided.

“From academic departments to student life and activities, all of the staff at Monroe College is actively engaged in assisting students with all aspects of career development,” said Charez Weste, coordinator of Student Life at Monroe College’s New Rochelle Campus. “We are determined to help every single student achieve his or her dream of a college degree.”

Providing Opportunity for All StudentsStudents attending APC institutions are more likely to be financially independent, minorities and female. Of the more than 45,000 students currently enrolled in APC member colleges, 57 percent are black or Hispanic, compared to 50

Students received a hardy back-to-school welcome with a College Success BBQ in the Monroe Athletic Complex. Executive Vice President, Marc Jerome, praised students for choosing to continue their education and encouraged them to take advantage of all that Monroe College has to offer.

percent for CUNY and 18 percent for both SUNY and independent colleges. African American, Hispanic and disabled students pursing an associate degree at APC member colleges succeed at a rate higher than the statewide average.

APC Fast FactIn 2012, New York’s proprietary colleges

exceeded the statewide average (15.8%) for on-time Associate degree graduation rates for Black/Non-Hispanic,

Hispanic and Disabled students.

Using Technology to Connect to Students: MyMonroe Mobile AppMyMonroe Mobile app enables students to have on-the-go access to Monroe news, information and events happening on campus. The more connected a student is, the greater the chance for success.

Five Towns College Student Leaders Get InvolvedThis year, Five Towns College enlisted the help of several Student Leaders to greet the incoming class of 2015. Coined #WeCreateFTC by returning students, the 2015 orientation team welcomed 187 students with teambuilding and “game show” events. Welcome remarks were offered by Interim President Susan Barr and Provost Carolann Miller.

“Five Towns College is known for excellence in music, business, and the performing arts. Creativity is

nurtured here,” said Student Government President and Orientation Team Leader, Branden Andrade. “I’ve found the best way to stay on top of my studies is to get involved with college activities; immerse myself in what I love. As a Jazz Commercial/Music Business major, I have a band called Benevolent & Devine, and a competing A Cappella group called The Major Leagues – both started at Five Towns College. Being involved also is a great way to make new friends.”

TOP AND LEFT: Student Leaders, Branden Andrade and Marcus Lewis stand ready to show new students to the residence halls on the Five Towns College campus. As Student Leaders, Branden and Marcus moved into their rooms early to enable them to better assist the new students and help lead orientation activities.

The College of Westchester Kicks Off Fall SemesterStudents were greeted by Mary Beth Del Balzo, president and CEO of The College of Westchester (CW) as the college welcomed a new class. “What you learn here will become yours forever… what you learn here will help shape your destiny,” Del Balzo said. September’s orientation marked the college’s 100th year of bringing education closer to home for hundreds in Westchester and surrounding counties. As part of orientation, students participated in a panel presentation in which they shared their own personal experiences that brought them to CW. They also discussed the benefits of joining clubs and gave time-management tips.

Mary Beth Del Balzo congratulates Student of Semester, Kemique Jacobs, on his outstanding achievements. Jacobs, who has consistently been on the Dean’s and President’s list, will graduate this December with a BBA in accounting.

The College of Westchester Receives Congratulatory Letter from President Obama

President Obama, congratulated The College of Westchester (CW) as the college celebrates its 100th anniversary. “I am pleased to join in celebrating your school’s 100th Anniversary,” Obama said. “Since your school’s founding, faculty and staff have prepared students to meet the challenges of their time. And by cultivating passion

for learning, schools like yours help ensure the doors of opportunity continue to open wide for all who are willing to dream big.” CW was founded in New Rochelle in 1915, opening its doors on Sept. 7. The college was originally known as Westchester Commercial School, then The Westchester Business Institute and,

since 2003, The College of Westchester. “I am pleased that we have received this letter. As a stellar proprietary college, I am glad that we have been recognized for the good work which we have, in fact, been doing for 100 years,” said Mary Beth Del Balzo, CW president and CEO.