Nov 04, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

General Information



Marist College Mission

Marist is dedicated to helping students develop the intellect, character, and skills required for enlightened, ethical, and productive lives in the global community of the 21st century.

Values Statement

The College fulfills its mission by pursuing three ideals: excellence in education, a sense of community, and a commitment to service. These ideals were handed down to us by the Marist Brothers who founded the College. Now an independent institution governed by a lay board of trustees, Marist continues to embrace the three ideals as an integral part of the College mission.

Excellence in Education

Marist achieves its ideal of excellence in undergraduate, graduate, and professional education by actively engaging each student through exemplary teaching and distinctive learning opportunities.

At the undergraduate level, this begins with a firm foundation in the liberal arts and sciences. Through the core curriculum and major fields of study, students learn to think logically and creatively, to synthesize and integrate methods and insights from a variety of disciplines, and to express themselves effectively orally, in writing, and through media. Students consider the ethical dimensions of the subjects they study and become more aware of their own values, the values of others, and the implications of the choices they make in their public and private lives. They explore diverse cultures through coursework, extracurricular programs, international study, internships, and service opportunities. Students in all programs learn critical thinking and problem-solving skills requisite for effective leadership in a complex and diverse society.

The Marist ideal of excellence in education finds distinctive expression in programs tailored for the graduate and adult learners the College has long served. Study at the graduate level emphasizes breadth and depth of knowledge for career development. In a climate of collegiality, students refine the intellectual and personal qualities they need to contribute to their fields. Graduate, undergraduate degree completion, and professional programs are designed to accommodate the needs of adult students to balance education with work and family responsibilities. Maintaining the high standards that characterize all educational offerings, Marist presents programs for adult students in alternate locations, formats, and methods of delivery.

A distinguishing feature of the Marist education is the manner in which information technology is used to support teaching, learning, and scholarship. The College, a leader in educational applications of information technology, offers students access to advanced technologies to help them develop as lifelong learners and productive members of their communities. Technology resources are combined with flexible and innovative program formats to expand access to higher education for all students.

A Sense of Community

The Marist ideal of community is based on the belief that we become a better institution through the active involvement of faculty, staff, students, and alumni in the life of the College. Seeking to create relationships that will last a lifetime, we nurture the well-being and development of all our community members and cultivate their bonds with the College and each other. Marist encourages students to collaborate with faculty and staff on research, creative, and service projects, and to share the results of their work with a wider community of scholars. We take particular care to ensure that student activities build a sense of community while supporting educational goals. We are a diverse community united by a shared commitment to the free exchange of ideas, consideration of the opinions of others, and civility in all our interactions. As members of the global community, we are committed to the collective stewardship of our environment.

A Commitment to Service

The Marist ideal of service is predicated on our belief in the dignity and value of every human being. The College sponsors and supports programs to meet a wide variety of community needs and to offer broadened access to education. We encourage students, faculty, staff, and alumni to make service an important part of their lives. Both individual students and student organizations engage in service activities, including programs that assist those in need, projects throughout the Hudson River Valley, and other humanitarian initiatives around the world. By sharing their time and talents, students help make Marist a better place to live and learn while developing a sense of personal responsibility and civic engagement.

Introduction to Marist

What started as a school for training future Marist Brothers has developed into one of the leading comprehensive liberal arts colleges in the country. Marist College’s 210-acre main campus overlooks the Hudson River in the heart of the historic Hudson Valley, midway between New York City and the state capital of Albany, NY. In addition, the Raymond A. Rich Institute for Leadership Development is located on a 60-acre estate in the Ulster County, NY, town of Esopus. The College also has a branch in Florence, Italy. Marist’s campus is virtually global, with many degree programs and individual courses offered online.

Recognized for academic excellence by U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, the Princeton Review, and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Marist is noted for its leadership in the use of technology to enhance the teaching and learning process.

The College enrolls 5,178 traditional undergraduate men and women, 310 nontraditional adult students, and 914 full- and part-time graduate students. Its first graduating class, in 1947, consisted of four Marist Brothers. Today, more than 46,000 alumni and alumnae call Marist alma mater.

Marist offers programs leading to bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, professional certificate programs, and a doctoral degree. The College has a longstanding commitment to providing adults with educational opportunities that accommodate their work schedules. A variety of online programs offer opportunities to balance study with career and family responsibilities. Marist has seen tremendous growth in its graduate programs due in large part to its successful online MBA and MPA programs, the first to be accredited by New York State. Marist also offers other online programs at the undergraduate and graduate level as well as the opportunity to pursue a Master of Arts in Museum Studies at the branch campus in Florence, Italy.

Marist has received national attention and a number of awards for its advanced technology. The College is a member of Internet2, providing students and faculty direct access to digital education and research resources across all member institutions. All classrooms employ “smart technology,” and wireless access is available throughout the campus, both indoors and out. A joint study agreement with the IBM Corporation has allowed both partners to develop innovative uses for technology in learning and teaching.

History

Marist can trace its roots to 1905, when the Marist Brothers first purchased property in Poughkeepsie, NY, as the site of a house of studies. In 1929, the state of New York certified the Marist Training School to offer college-level courses. In 1946, the state granted a charter to Marian College as a four-year institution of higher learning under the leadership of founding president Brother Paul Ambrose Fontaine, FMS. In 1956, the College broadened its scope to include the wider community and in 1957 admitted lay male students to pursue undergraduate studies.

Dr. Linus Richard Foy was named president in 1958 and became, at age 28, the youngest college president in the United States. In 1959, the College introduced an evening division to serve the educational needs of the surrounding communities. Marian College was renamed Marist College in 1960, and by 1969 the Brothers transferred ownership to the Marist College Educational Corporation with an independent board of trustees.

In 1979, Dr. Dennis J. Murray was named to the presidency of Marist College, ushering in a period of unprecedented growth in its student body, academic programs, applications for admission, and campus. The College now educates approximately 5,000 traditional-age undergraduate students and 1,200 adult and graduate students from 44 different states and 58 different countries. It offers 53 undergraduate majors and 14 graduate programs, and it has tripled its applicant pool over the past 20 years. Marist’s main campus has expanded to 225 acres and 75 buildings, with more than $600 million having been invested in recent decades. Dr. Murray retired in 2016 but returned three years later to lead the institution once again after the tenure of his successor, David N. Yellen. In October 2021, Dr. Kevin C. Weinman was appointed as the fifth President of Marist. President Weinman previously served as Chief Financial & Administrative Officer at Amherst College.

The Marist/IBM Joint Study

Marist seeks to distinguish itself by the manner in which it uses information technology to support teaching, learning, and scholarship. The College has had a longstanding partnership with the IBM Corporation that has helped place Marist among the most technologically advanced liberal arts colleges in the country. A key component of the Marist/IBM partnership has been a 30+ year joint study collaboration that has benefited both the College and IBM in many ways. Through the Joint Study, IBM has been able to test concepts and technology applications that the company believes can be of value in the 21st century in education, business, communications, finance, security, software defined environments and other fields. The Joint Study has provided Marist with the capacity to acquire and use cutting-edge technology to support instruction, faculty and student research, as well as key college initiatives.

The introduction of computers and computer science courses at Marist began in the mid-1960s, a time when few colleges the size of Marist had moved into this field. From the start, computers have been viewed as a functional tool for everyone at Marist as well as a scientific discipline to be mastered by those in the School of Computer Science and Mathematics.

The Marist/IBM Joint Study began with the installation of a $10 million IBM 3090 mainframe computer in Donnelly Hall to be used for production workloads. Over the past three plus decades, Marist has worked with IBM to carry out several major upgrades of its mainframe computer. In 2012, the College installed a new Z Systems mainframe in the Hancock Center for use in academics and research that provides a level of computing power ordinarily associated with large research universities and Fortune 500 companies. Since that time, Marist and IBM have collaborated on many projects, such as with two IBM Shared University Research grants that have helped to enhance Marist’s e-learning initiatives, building a test bed for software defined networks (SDN) which was used to demonstrate use cases such as disaster recovery within a software defined environment (SDE), implementing a Cybersecurity curriculum in response to the growing need for those critical skills in the IT industry, and deploying cyber honeypots to track and gather information on cyber attacks to develop automated responses to thwart future attacks. In 2019, Marist became the first installation site for IBM’s LinuxONE III.

Most recently, Marist and IBM have embarked on emerging technology research projects with applications in both business and academic worlds. These projects include such technologies as data analytics, cloud computing, trusted identity, cyber security, cognitive computing, and quantum computing. Current and planned activities provide Marist students the opportunity to work closely with faculty and technical experts in the industry from many different disciplines. Marist’s work with IBM has created the infrastructure that is necessary for faculty, students, and staff to engage in leading-edge teaching and research using tomorrow’s technology.

Membership and Approval

Marist is chartered by the Board of Regents of the State of New York, and its academic programs are registered by the New York State Education Department’s Office of Higher Education, Room 975 Education Building Annex, Albany, NY 12234 (518-474-1551) and Office of the Professions, State Education Building - 2nd Floor, Albany, NY 12234 (518-474-3817). Marist College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166, Wilmington, DE 19801 (267-284-5026). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The College is also certified by the Department of Homeland Security for the training of foreign students. It is approved by the New York State Education Department for the training of veterans. The College is also approved for holders of New York State Scholarships, including Regents Scholarships, State War Service Scholarships, and Scholar Incentive Awards.

The College holds memberships in the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, the Council on Undergraduate Research, the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Association of Colleges and Universities of the State of New York, the National Association of College and University Business Officers, the Middle Atlantic Association of Colleges of Business Administration, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Middle States Association of Collegiate Registrars and Officers of Admission, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the National Association of College and University Attorneys, and the Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges and Universities. Marist is also affiliated with the American Association of University Women.

The School of Management has achieved the prestigious program accreditation of its undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The Athletic Training program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, the Medical Technology program is accredited by the National Association for the Accreditation of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, and the B.S. in Chemistry curriculum is approved by the American Chemical Society. For the College’s Education programs leading to teacher certification, Marist is a member in good standing with the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation. The MA in School Psychology program is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists, and the Social Work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Marist’s MPA program is accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration. The MS in Physician Assistant Studies is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), and the Doctor of Physical Therapy program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy. Marist’s Paralegal Certificate program is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA).

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:

  1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day Marist College receives the request for access.
  2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.
  3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. The disclosure exceptions are defined below.
  4. The right to file with the U.S. Department of Education a complaint concerning alleged failures by Marist College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. Complaints may be filed with The Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-5901.
  5. The right to obtain a copy of Marist College’s education records policy. Copies of this policy are available upon request at the Office of the Registrar.

Additionally, Section 99.7 of FERPA requires that schools annually notify students currently in attendance of their rights under FERPA. Students currently in attendance will be provided a statement of their FERPA rights in their registration materials.

FERPA Disclosure Exception: Marist College discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the College has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using College employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.

A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the College. Marist College has designated the National Student Clearinghouse as a college official.

Under FERPA disclosure exceptions, Marist may release information from a student’s education record without prior consent to appropriate parties including:

  • Federal officials in connection with federal program requirements;
  • State and local officials legally entitled to the information;
  • Appropriate authorities in connection with financial aid;
  • Accrediting agencies, in connection with their accrediting functions;
  • Courts or law enforcement in compliance with a lawfully issued judicial order, subpoena, or search warrant;
  • Appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency, if necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals;
  • Testing agencies for the purpose of developing, validating, researching, and administering tests.

Directory Information: Under FERPA, Marist may release the following information at various times unless requested in writing not to do so by the student: student name, campus-wide identification number, address, college email address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, the most recent previous educational institution attended by the student, grade level (including number of credits earned), and enrollment status (e.g.: undergraduate, graduate, full-time, part-time). Students must notify the Registrar in writing should they not want information made available by filling out a form at the Office of the Registrar.

Additional information about FERPA is available on the Marist website: www.marist.edu/registrar.

Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity

Marist College fully complies with all federal, state, and local laws and executive orders, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The College does not discriminate in its admissions, employment, or in the administration of any of its programs or activities on the basis of race, religion, gender, age, color, disability, national origin, veteran status, marital status, or sexual orientation. In addition, the College aggressively seeks and encourages applicants for admission and employment from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

It is the expressed policy of Marist College to operate all of its educational programs and activities and to administer all employee programs including compensation and promotional opportunities in such a way as to ensure that they do not discriminate against any individual on the basis of the characteristics stated above.

Marist College does not tolerate harassment in any form based upon race, religion, gender, age, color, disability, national origin, veteran status, marital status, or sexual orientation, nor does it tolerate any type of sexual harassment. Members of the College community who believe that they have been subjected to such treatment are encouraged to call the College’s Office of Human Resources or the Dean of Student Affairs.

All inquiries concerning the application of this statement should be directed to the Affirmative Action Office, Marist College, 3399 North Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601, (845) 575-3349.

Academic Facilities

New Science and Allied Health Building

Classes began in 2016 in a new four-story science and allied health building on the east side of the campus. The building houses the master’s in physician assistant studies program and the doctor of physical therapy program, as well as undergraduate biology, biomedical science, medical technology, and athletic training programs. The project is designed by Robert A. M. Stern Architects, one of the world’s leading architectural firms.

New Academic Building and Student Center Renovation

Construction of a 24,000-square-foot academic building and an accompanying expansion and renovation of the Student Center was completed in spring 2014. Robert A. M. Stern Architects led the $33 million project. The building houses Marist’s robust Music Department as well as multipurpose space for performances, readings, and lectures. A highlight of the Student Center renovation is a grand dining hall with a three-story cathedral ceiling and an adjacent quiet dining area and terrace, both offering Hudson River views. The project also enhanced the Nelly Goletti Theatre, named in memory of accomplished composer, pianist, and singer Nelly Goletti, a longtime Hudson Valley resident. Additional facilities within the Student Center include a health and wellness center, student lounges, student government offices, space for club activities, a yoga and dance studio, a post office, and a bookstore.

The Hancock Center

The $35 million Hancock Center, which opened in 2011, is home to the School of Computer Science and Mathematics, International Programs, the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, and the Investment Center, a state-of-the-art trading room that provides students in all business fields with access to the same tools and real-time data screens found in professional trading rooms. The Hancock Center also houses the Enterprise Computing Research Lab, Security Operations Center, eSports Training and Competition rooms, and the New York State Cloud Computing and Analytics Center-established with a $3 million state grant-which provides IT services to new and growing businesses. Hancock dedicates space to classrooms, seminar rooms, computer labs, and academic administration offices as well as to Marist’s joint study with the IBM Corporation. The building also features a café, student lounge, and patio overlooking the Hudson River. The center was designed by Robert A. M. Stern Architects and is named in honor of the chair of Marist’s Board of Trustees, Ellen Hancock, and her husband, Jason.

James A. Cannavino Library

The James A. Cannavino Library, through its digital and physical collections, services both residential and online students and supports the College’s teaching, learning, and scholarship missions. The first floor houses the Library’s circulating collection, print periodicals, and Archives and Special Collections. Significant special collections include: the Lowell Thomas Papers, a nationally-recognized historic collection of materials documenting the Modern Environmental Movement, Hudson River Valley history dating back to pre-Colonial times, and Marist College history. The second level features a large reading room overlooking the Hudson River, the library’s largest computer cluster, current periodicals, the reference collection, the graphic novel collection, DVDs, the children’s literature collection, and both research and circulation desks. Academic student support services-the Academic Learning Center, the Writing Center, the Center for Multicultural Affairs, International Student Services and the Center for Career Services-are located on the third floor, along with three classrooms, a number of collaborative student study rooms, and additional study space. Librarians are available to provide research support via classroom presentations, the creation of course-specific resource guides, email, chat, and face-to-face consultation.

The Lowell Thomas Communications Center

The newly renovated Lowell Thomas Communications Center houses classrooms, TV studios, video editing labs, computer labs, faculty offices, and collaborative work space for the School of Communication and the Arts. The building is home to the School of Professional Programs, the Center for Sports Communication, which promotes study and practice in sports communication, and the Media Center, which supports the use of audio and video instructional technologies to enrich the learning experiences of Marist students across all disciplines. The center is named in memory of the legendary broadcast pioneer, who received an honorary degree from Marist in 1981. Lowell Thomas lived in Pawling, NY, 20 miles from Marist’s main campus, for more than 50 years. Lowell Thomas and his ideals are commemorated through the Marist College Lowell Thomas Award, instituted in 1983 and awarded to the top broadcast journalists in the country.

The Margaret M. And Charles H. Dyson Center

The Margaret M. and Charles H. Dyson Center houses the School of Management and the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Used for undergraduate and graduate instruction in all academic disciplines, the center is named in honor of business leader Charles H. Dyson, who received an honorary degree from Marist in 1986, and his wife, Margaret, who together improved the quality of life throughout the Hudson Valley through their philanthropy.

Donnelly Hall and the Steel Plant Studios and Gallery

Donnelly Hall houses several School of Science programs, including state-of-the-art chemistry labs and a two-story greenhouse; a computer center; classrooms; lecture halls; and a variety of student services and administrative offices. The facility is named for Brother Nilus Donnelly, FMS, who supervised construction of a number of buildings on the campus by Marist Brothers during the institution’s early years. In proximity to Donnelly Hall is the Steel Plant Studios Building, an expansive and newly constructed space for the Fashion Program, studio art courses, and several digital media laboratories. Steel Plant Studios has two gallery spaces that regularly host exhibits of fashion and works by contemporary regional artists.

Fontaine Hall

Fontaine Hall, the home of the School of Liberal Arts, contains classrooms, seminar rooms, and a black box theatre for instruction and performances. The building also serves as headquarters for the Hudson River Valley Institute, a national center for interdisciplinary study of the Hudson River Valley. The building is named for Brother Paul Ambrose Fontaine, FMS, president emeritus, who played an integral role in the development of the College.

Information Technology Computer Labs

Marist maintains PC and Mac computer labs located at the main campus in Poughkeepsie and LdM branch campus in Florence, Italy. These include instructional computer labs, multimedia classrooms with podiums, collaborative study spaces, and open labs. In all, Marist provides more than 1,100 computers for academic use throughout these sites. All computers in these lab spaces are configured with a robust common base software configuration, which includes the ability to access the Internet and Marist network, office productivity tools, industry-leading media and content creation and manipulation tools, digital library access, statistical analysis packages, and various utility software. Labs used for specific academic schools contain specialized software applications and packages in addition to this common base. All operating systems and applications are updated yearly to the most recent versions available.

Athletic Facilities

The Marist campus offers a variety of athletic facilities to support extensive intramural, club, and intercollegiate athletic programs. On the north end of campus, bordering the Hudson River, are 10 acres that have been developed for athletic and recreational use through the generosity of the James J. McCann Foundation. Included are two softball fields: one for intramurals and the other for the women’s varsity softball program, which was founded in 1992. The campus also offers the Historic Cornell and Marist boathouses and waterfront facilities for crew activities and sailing.

Tenney Stadium, which was dedicated in 2007, is a lit facility used for varsity soccer, lacrosse, and football games. It is also used for several intramural programs, including flag football, frisbee, and soccer. The stadium hosted the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference women’s soccer championship in 2007 and 2012, the conference’s men’s soccer championship in 2008 and 2012, the conference’s men’s lacrosse championship in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2017 and the women’s lacrosse championship in 2010 and 2013. The stadium has a capacity of 5,000, including 1,744 chair-back seats in the grandstands on the east side of the stadium. A modern press box, which includes VIP seating, sits atop the grandstand. Underneath the grandstand are an athletic training room, team and officials’ dressing rooms, restrooms, concessions, and storage space. The playing surface is FieldTurf Revolution, the industry leader which is also used by the New York Giants, New York Jets, and New England Patriots of the National Football League.

At the south end of the campus is the James J. McCann Recreation Center, which received major funding support from the James J. McCann Foundation. By design, the center is one of the most versatile facilities of its kind in the Mid-Hudson region. Special features include the McCann Center Natatorium, home to Marist’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving and women’s water polo teams. The pool of the natatorium is capable of simultaneously handling 25-yard or 25-meter races, and swimming and diving events, with spectator space for 500. The arena can provide three basketball courts. The main court for NCAA Division I play features a handsome wooden floor donated by Rik Smits, a 1988 alumnus and second overall selection in the 1988 NBA Draft. Seating capacity for games is 3,000.

In addition, the facility includes a weight room, dance studio, and two handball/racquetball courts. Other areas of the complex contain locker rooms for men and women, classrooms, faculty/staff offices, and a lobby/exhibit area.

The McCann Center was renovated in 1996, and an addition containing a new gymnasium, weight room, cardiovascular fitness center, and Hall of Fame room opened in 1997 and was renovated in 2014. The 20,000-square-foot McCann Annex was made possible through the generosity of the McCann Foundation. The McCann addition houses a multipurpose recreational gymnasium, a dual-level strength and conditioning fitness center with a cardiovascular center and aerobics area, as well as additional men’s and women’s locker-room facilities. A spacious student lounge graces the entrance of the facility.

In September 2011, an 11,660 square-foot addition to the South end of the McCann Center was completed. The facility is used exclusively by the men’s and women’s basketball programs and includes player lounges, a team film theatre, coaches’ offices, video editing rooms and conference rooms. Improvements were also made to the McCann Center lobby, restrooms, playing surface and seating. Two high-definition video boards were added to enhance the fan experience on game day.

Also at the south end of the campus is the McCann Baseball Field, opened in 1992 with financial support from the McCann Foundation. The field is used for Division I intercollegiate competition.

Completed in the fall of 2006, the Marist Tennis Pavilion provides the first on-campus home to the highly successful men’s and women’s tennis programs. The Marist Tennis Pavilion, on the East Campus, features eight regulation-sized courts, a center walkway, and a pergola-covered spectator area. The courts are equipped with lights and are available to the student body for recreational use.

In the Fall 2019, a renovation and expansion of the McCann Center was completed, supported by the generosity of the McCann Charitable Trust, which contributed a $2 million grant to the project. The new fitness and recreation wing of the James J. McCann Center provides students and student-athletes alike with state-of-the-art fitness and training facilities. The vision of the expanded McCann Center is to be a student center in the evening hours, and to provide Marist students with excellent space to recreate and socialize, while maintaining an active lifestyle.

The addition includes a pair of weight rooms and fitness centers, an indoor turf facility, recreation gymnasium with two NCAA regulation basketball courts, and a 133-meter elevated track.

Other spaces include a physical therapy facility designed for an athletic and academic partnership with the Doctorate of Physical Therapy program, two multipurpose rooms designed for team meetings, film review and physical education and fitness classes, and a rooftop terrace with a green roof.

Academic Grants

The Office of Academic Grants provides assistance to full-time faculty interested in securing grant awards for research, curriculum development, and other creative activities relevant to the College’s academic mission and strategic plan. Office staff assist faculty in locating funding sources, obtaining and interpreting application forms, developing proposal narratives and budgets, and securing institutional support and approvals.

Alumni

Since 1946, more than 46,000 students have graduated from Marist College. They reside in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and many countries throughout the world.

The Marist College Alumni Association includes all undergraduate and graduate degree recipients of Marist. Its goals are to further the welfare of Marist and its alumni, to keep alumni informed about the College, to offer programs and activities that connect alumni to Marist, to assist in admissions, job development, and career advisement, and to encourage and facilitate alumni support for Marist.

The Alumni Executive Board, comprised of representatives from all eras of Marist graduates, works closely with the Office of Alumni Relations in strengthening the bond between the College and its graduates. Homecoming and Reunion Weekend is held each year, and chapters throughout the country provide opportunities for alumni to network professionally and socially.

In addition to participating in association governance, alumni provide career networking support to Marist undergraduates through the College’s Center for Career Services, promote attendance at athletic events, and participate in organizing class reunions. The president of the Alumni Executive Board is a representative to the College’s Board of Trustees.

Philanthropic support is essential to the College’s future and graduates participate in various ways. Graduates are asked annually to contribute to the Marist Fund and to make special gifts to the College commemorating milestone anniversaries such as their 25th or 30th year since graduation. Alumni provided generous support for the construction and renovation of many facilities on campus and continue to remember Marist through the establishment of endowed scholarships and through their estate plans.

Graduates are kept informed about College developments, alumni services and programs, and activities of fellow graduates through Marist Connect-the Alumni and Friends Web site-social media, and a variety of college publications and communication tools.