William E. Macaulay Honors College

Infobox_University
name = William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY


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established = 2001, graduated first class in 2005
type = Public
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provost =
principal =
rector =
chancellor = Matthew Goldstein
vice_chancellor =
dean = Dr. Ann Kirschner
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students = 1,300
undergrad = 1,300
postgrad =
doctoral =
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city = New York City
state = NY
country = USA
campus = Urban
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colours = Red color box|#f05033 White color box|#FFFFFF Gray color box|#7e8083 Black color box|#000000
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nickname = Macaulay
affiliations = City University of New York
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website = [http://www.macaulay.cuny.edu/ www.macaulay.cuny.edu]
address = 35 West 67th Street, New York, NY 10023
publictransit = 66th Street–Lincoln Center (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)
telephone = [phone]
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William E. Macaulay Honors College, commonly referred to as Macaulay Honors College, or simply Macaulay, is a flagship program for 1,300 high achieving students at The City University of New York, U.S.A.. Drawing upon the resources of CUNY and New York's cultural, scientific, political, and business communities, Macaulay Honors College aims to provide a broad-based and rigorous liberal arts education. [ [http://www1.cuny.edu/forum/?p=838 "William E. Macaulay, City College Graduate And Chairman and CEO of First Reserve, Donates Record $30 Million To CUNY Honors College"] , The CUNY Newswire, Wednesday, September 13, 2006]

Founding and History

The brainchild of CUNY chancellor Matthew Goldstein, CUNY Honors College was first conceived as an independent institution within The City University of New York. The aim of its creation was to increase educational standards and foster university-wide collaboration and excellence. However, support for existing honors programs at CUNY colleges and institutional opposition resulted in its launch in 2001 as CUNY Honors College in collaboration with a number of CUNY's senior colleges. Initially, there were five college partners--Baruch, Brooklyn, City, Hunter, and Queens Colleges; Lehman College and College of Staten Island were added later. Now known as the Macaulay Honors College University Scholars Program, it graduated its first class in 2005, attracting students with a mean high school GPA of 93.5 and SAT scores of 1365 for the Class of 2009.

In July 2006 Dr. Ann Kirschner, a graduate of SUNY Buffalo, UVA, and Princeton University, was appointed Dean of Macaulay Honors College after a nationwide search. The standards of Macaulay continued to rise as well, with incoming freshman having an average of 93.8 GPA and SAT scores of 1381. Graduating high school students with Ivy League-caliber academic records have given Macaulay a closer look as a result. Rising standards have had a trickle-down effect on improving the image of CUNY as a whole, which, prior to the inception of Macaulay Honors College, had been criticized as "an institution adrift" by the Giuliani administration.

Later, in September 2006, The City University of New York received a $30,000,000 gift from philanthropist and City College alumnus, William E. Macaulay, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First Reserve Corporation. It is the largest single donation in the history of CUNY and has been used to buy a landmark building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan that has become the permanent home of Macaulay Honors College, and will add support to its endowment. [ [http://www1.cuny.edu/forum/?p=838 "William E. Macaulay, City College Graduate And Chairman and CEO of First Reserve, Donates Record $30 Million To CUNY Honors College"] , The CUNY Newswire, Wednesday, September 13, 2006] [ [http://macaulay.cuny.edu Macaulay Honors College Website] ]

Building

After building completion in 1904, 35 West 67th Street subsequently housed the Swiss Benevolent Society for numerous years. In 1999, it became known as the Steinhardt Building after undergoing extensive restoration and renovation under the direction of philanthropist Michael Steinhardt. Following the completion of the Steinhardt Building's refurbishment, the 92nd Street Y received the building as a donation in 2001 from Steinhardt.

The Gothic revival building was purchased with the donation of the Macaulay family and underwent extensive renovations to prepare it for students and staff. Renovations are now complete and the building is in use by the students and staff of Macaulay Honors College. [ [http://www1.cuny.edu/forum/?p=838 "William E. Macaulay, City College Graduate And Chairman and CEO of First Reserve, Donates Record $30 Million To CUNY Honors College"] , The CUNY Newswire, Wednesday, September 13, 2006] [ [http://macaulay.cuny.edu Macaulay Honors College Website] ]

Academics

Program

Each Macaulay student is designated a "University Scholar" and receives: :*A full-tuition scholarship :*Eligible for $7500 grant from Opportunities Fund to pursue global learning, internships, and other service and learning opportunities :*Apple® MacBook laptop :*Cultural Passport providing free or reduced-price admission to arts and educational institutions throughout New York City :*Dedicated, specialized advisors through the [http://macaulay.cuny.edu/prospective-students/advising.php Macaulay Advising Program (MAP)] [ [http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2008/03/10/2008-03-10_what_does_college_really_cost.html|Chin, George and Alice Murphy. "What Does College Really Cost?" "NY Daily News". March 10, 2008.] ]

Admissions

Macaulay Honors College accepts applications from high-achieving high school seniors applying for the first time to be freshman immediately following their senior year. Macaulay does not accept transfer students or applicants applying for mid-term entry. The college advises applicants to research CUNY's seven senior colleges (Baruch, Brooklyn, City, Hunter, Lehman, Queens Colleges, and College of Staten Island) prior to submitting their applications, which is available online. Applicants to Macaulay are then considered for acceptance to the the undergraduate degree program at the CUNY campus designated on their application. Early Decision is an option; the deadline is November 1. Regular applicantion deadline is December 15. [ [http://www.macaulay.cuny.edu/includes/viewbook.pdf|Macaulay Viewbook. (original: print format; also in downloadable pdf format). 2008. p. 33.] ]

tats

According to a recent release of facts and figures, applications to Macaulay Honors College have tripled since its founding in 2001. Between 2007 and 2008 alone applications increased a notable 20%. For fall 2008 entry, Macaulay Honors College received 3,846 applications--the largest applicant pool to date--while there were only 340 openings in the Freshman Class of 2013. [ [http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2008/03/02/2008-03-02_top_cuny_school_sees_surge_of_applicants.html|Melago, Carrie. "Top CUNY School Sees Surge of Applicants." "NY Daily News". March 2, 2008.] ]

Demographic statistics for 2008 point to applications coming largely from New York City high schools, however high school seniors were ultimately submitting applications from all over the USA. Applications came in from 477 high schools around the nation, and locally, 275 different high schools within the New York City limits. New York City's Stuyvesant High School had a 6% increase in applications to Macaulay over the previous year; Bronx Science applications increased by 4.6%. [ [http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2008/03/02/2008-03-02_top_cuny_school_sees_surge_of_applicants.html|Melago, Carrie. "Top CUNY School Sees Surge of Applicants." "NY Daily News". March 2, 2008.] ]

Campus

Located at 35 West 67th Street, Macaulay Honors College is half a block from Central Park and three blocks from Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and considered a part of Manhattan's Upper West Side. The building is accessible by MTA bus or subway. The building's renovation was completed Spring 2008 and dedicated under the new name of William E. Macaulay Honors College on April 17, 2008. [ [http://www1.cuny.edu/forum/?p=2380|CUNY News Wire. "MEDIA ADVISORY: April 17 Dedication for Macaulay Honors College New Home." April 14, 2008.] ] Inside, the ground floor houses a commons area replete with a stage for student concerts, readings, guest lectures, and other events. The main floor consists of a reading room, the Wall of Fame, and a large multi-purpose lecture hall. The reading room contains a small library comprised of books donated to Macaulay by students, faculty, staff, NYC dignitaries, and friends of Macaulay, available for in-house reading. On the second and third floors are classrooms, meeting rooms, informal gathering spaces, visiting professor offices, the dean's office, and a fully-equipped film screening room with traditional movie theater seats for seventy-two viewers. Also, the building centers around a three story open-roof, internal courtyard, painted bright red after the college's colors. The courtyard is open to all and serves as a multi-purpose space within the college; it has been the site for gatherings and events, student theatre performances, and a temporary visiting artist-student collaborative installation. The fourth floor houses the staff offices. The campus is equipped with Wifi throughout the building. [Student Handbook 2008-2009, Macaulay Honors College at CUNY. p.12.]

tudents

Macaulay Honors College students have won numerous local and national awards, such as the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, the $100,000 Intel Science Talent Search [ [http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2008/03/28/2008-03-28_city_student_who_won_intel_award_strikes.html|Melago, Carrie. "Twice Brain Power: City Student who won Intel award strikes again with 30G scholarship." "NY Daily News". March 28, 2008.] ] , the Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship, Fulbright Fellowship, Bienecke Fellowship, Salk Fellowship, and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. [ [http://www1.cuny.edu/forum/?p=2380|CUNY News Wire. "MEDIA ADVISORY: April 17 Dedication for Macaulay Honors College New Home." April 14, 2008.] ]

Faculty

*Dr. Lee Quinby - Visiting Professor at Macaulay, distinguished interdisciplinary scholar, author, [http://books.google.com/books?id=gxm7r5Q_O4EC editor] , and inaugural [http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/spotlite/news/index.php?link=092505 Zicklin Chair] at Brooklyn College (2005-2007).

*Edward Burrows - Research historian, author, Distinguished Professor at Brooklyn College (History Department).

*Charles Liu - Astrophysicist, Associate in Astrophysics with the Department of Astrophysics at the Hayden Planetarium of the American Museum of Natural History, Associate Professor of Astrophysics at College of Staten Island, winner of the 2001 American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award.

*Robin Rogers-Dillon - Sociologist, author, recipient of 2003 President's Award for Excellence in Teaching, Associate Professor of Sociology at Queens College, political science and religion researcher, Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Scholar at Yale University, Congressional Fellow on Women and Public Policy.

*Ned Regan - Distinguished Professor in the Political Science Department at Baruch College, Immigration researcher, President of Baruch College 2000-2004.

*Michael Lubell - Director of Public Affairs of the American Physical Society, science lobbying pioneer, highly published author in the fields of high-energy, nuclear, atomic, molecular, and optical physics, Professor of Physics at City College.

External links

* [http://www.macaulay.cuny.edu/ Official website]

References

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