State University of New York at Oswego facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
State University of New York at Oswego

Former names	Oswego Primary Teachers Training School (1861–1942) Oswego State Teachers College (1942–1948) State University of New York College at Oswego (1948–2023)
Motto	To Learn, To Search, To Serve
Type	Public university
Established	1861; 164 years ago (1861)
Parent institution	State University of New York
Endowment	.8 million (2024)
President	Peter O. Nwosu
Academic staff	600+ (2023)
Students	6,756 (2023)
Undergraduates	5,652 (2023)
Postgraduates	1,104 (2023)
Location	Oswego, New York , U.S.
Campus	Rural, 700 acres (280 ha)
Colors	Hunter green and gold
Nickname	Lakers
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division III – SUNYAC

The State University of New York at Oswego (often called SUNY Oswego or Oswego State) is a public university located in Oswego, New York. It is part of the large State University of New York (SUNY) system. The university has about 6,756 students and its campus covers 700 acres.

SUNY Oswego offers many different study programs. Students can choose from over 120 undergraduate (first degree) and graduate (advanced degree) programs. These programs are offered through four main colleges: the School of Business, the School of Communication, Media and the Arts, the School of Education, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

History of SUNY Oswego

SUNY Oswego started in 1861 as the Oswego Primary Teachers Training School. It was founded by Edward Austin Sheldon. He created a new way of teaching called the Oswego Movement. This method changed how teachers were trained in America.

In 1942, the school became a teachers' college. This meant it could give out college degrees. It was then called Oswego State Teachers College. In 1948, it became a founding member of the State University of New York system. The university grew even more in 1962. It started offering a wider range of subjects, becoming a liberal arts college.

Exploring the Campus

Sheldon Hall was built in 1913.

The campus as seen from Glimmerglass Lagoon.

Most of the SUNY Oswego campus is in the Town of Oswego. Some parts are also in Oswego City.

The university first started in the city of Oswego. Its main goal was to train teachers. In 1913, SUNY Oswego moved to its current spot. This new location is right on the shore of Lake Ontario. The first building there was Sheldon Hall. The campus today covers about 690 acres along the lake. The famous architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed many of its main buildings.

Today, the campus has 46 buildings. These include classrooms, science labs, student homes, and sports facilities. In recent years, the university has spent $700 million to update and improve the campus. A new Campus Center now serves as the main social spot for students.

Science and Innovation Hub

The Shineman Center for Science, Engineering, and Innovation.

In 2013, a new building opened for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students. This is the Richard S. Shineman Center for Science, Engineering and Innovation. It replaced an older science building. The Shineman Center is connected to Piez Hall. It offers great views of Lake Ontario from its weather observation deck.

The Marano Campus Center

The Marano Campus Center Complex is the main social area on campus. It opened in 2007. This complex includes new buildings and updated older ones. The new part of the center is very large. It has the Deborah F. Stanley Arena and Convocation Hall. This is a big space for events and sports. There is also a food court, a box office, and comfy lounges.

The updated parts of the building offer many student services. These include The Compass (for student help) and The Point (for student activities). There is also a student media center. Here, students work on the radio station WNYO, the TV station WTOP, and the newspaper The Oswegonian. Some academic departments are also in the Campus Center. These include English, creative writing, and philosophy. The University Honors Program is also located here.

Tyler Art Gallery

The Tyler Art Gallery is inside Tyler Hall. This gallery shows art from local artists and traveling exhibits. It also displays work by university teachers and students. The Tyler Art Gallery is a teaching gallery. It helps students learn how museums work. Students can get involved in the daily tasks of the gallery. A student committee even chooses the art for the annual student exhibition.

The gallery has a permanent collection of art. This includes drawings, prints, paintings, and sculptures. They come from Europe, Africa, and America. Some pieces are by the artist Sacha Kolin. There is also a special collection of over 500 prints by American artists. Tyler Hall has been updated, with the first part finished in 2016.

Other Campus Buildings

A sunset view over Lake Ontario from the SUNY Oswego campus.

The SUNY Oswego campus is on the shore of Lake Ontario. This picture was taken near Waterbury Hall.

Some parts of the campus are a bit separate. Across New York State Route 104 is the south campus. Here you'll find Laker Hall, which has indoor sports and training rooms. Romney Fieldhouse is also there, used for sports. There are also several outdoor sports fields. The Rice Creek Field Station is also on the South Campus. It covers over 400 acres and is used for biological research and public programs.

West Campus has several buildings built in a style called Brutalist architecture. These include Hewitt Hall, Tyler Hall, Culkin Hall (the main office building), Penfield Library, Lanigan Hall (with big lecture halls), and Mahar Hall. These buildings were mostly built in the early 1970s.

Student Homes on Campus

SUNY Oswego offers many places for students to live. There are 13 different residence halls:

• Lakeside Area: Scales, Waterbury, Riggs, and Johnson Halls. These have been recently updated. Johnson Hall is where many first-year students live.
• West Campus: Cayuga, Seneca, Oneida, and Onondaga Halls. Onondaga Hall has "suite-style" rooms. This means up to six students can live together in a connected set of rooms.
• Main Campus: Hart Hall Global Living and Learning Center, Funnelle Hall, and Sheldon Hall.
• Mackin Complex: Lonis and Moreland Halls. These are across the street from Sheldon Hall. Lonis has single rooms for older students. Moreland has traditional double rooms for all students.
• The Village: This is a newer area with townhouse-style apartments. It opened in 2010 and is south of Glimmerglass Lagoon.

Close to Johnson Hall is Shady Shore. This was the home of the university's founder, Edward Austin Sheldon. It has often been the home of the university president over the years.

University Accreditations

SUNY Oswego is officially recognized by the Middle States Commission. This means it meets high standards for education. Many of its specific programs also have special accreditations:

• The university's MBA program is recognized by AACSB around the world.
• The School of Education is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.
• Engineering programs in Electrical and Computing Engineering and Software Engineering are accredited by ABET.
• SUNY Oswego is one of the few universities in New York state where the art, music, and theater departments are all nationally accredited.

Academic Schools and Colleges

SUNY Oswego is divided into four main schools and colleges, each offering many different subjects:

• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: This college has departments like Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, History, Mathematics, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology. It also includes English and Creative Writing, and Modern Languages.
• School of Business: Here you can study Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, Marketing, and Risk Management.
• School of Communication, Media and the Arts: This school includes departments for Art, Communication Studies, Film Studies, Music, and Theatre.
• School of Education: This school offers courses in Counseling, Curriculum and Instruction, and Technology.

University Library

Penfield Library is the main academic library on campus. It is named after Lida S. Penfield, who used to lead the English department. The current library building opened in 1968. It has many books and resources for students. The library also holds special collections, like papers from former President Millard Fillmore.

Sports at SUNY Oswego

The university has 24 different sports teams that compete against other colleges. SUNY Oswego's sports teams are called the Great Lakers. They are part of NCAA Division III. Most teams play in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC). The women's ice hockey team plays in the ECAC West league.

Oswego has a strong sports rivalry with Plattsburgh State. This rivalry is especially big in ice hockey. In the past, Oswego fans would throw bagels onto the ice when their team scored against Plattsburgh. This was a fun response to Plattsburgh fans throwing tennis balls. The bagel tradition stopped in 2006 because it caused game delays. The new Campus Center arena also made it easier to stop fans from bringing bagels. A common cheer is "Puck Flattsburgh!"

Oswego also has a rivalry with Cortland State in Women's Field Hockey. They play every year for the "Dragon Sword" trophy.

National Championships

On March 18, 2007, the Oswego State men's ice hockey team won the 2006–07 NCAA Division III ice hockey National Championship. This was the first NCAA championship ever for the school!

Student Clubs and Organizations

SUNY Oswego has over 180 clubs and student groups. Many of these are supported by the Student Association. Some popular groups include:

• The Division I Men's Rugby team.
• WTOP, the student-run television station.
• The Oswegonian, the student-run newspaper.
• SAVAC, the student-run volunteer ambulance corps.
• The Oswego State Esports Association, for video game competitions.

Greek Life at Oswego

Oswego has many Greek organizations, which are like social clubs. These include fraternities (for men), sororities (for women), and co-ed groups. Students can choose to join one of these groups each semester.

Fraternities

• Kappa Sigma
• Theta Chi
• Delta Kappa Kappa
• Delta Sigma Phi
• Lambda Sigma Upsilon
• Psi Phi Gamma
• Phi Beta Sigma
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon
• Tau Kappa Epsilon
• Phi Iota Alpha
• Mu Beta Psi
• Sigma Tau Chi
• Sigma Gamma
• Lambda Upsilon Lambda

Sororities

• Alpha Delta Eta
• Alpha Epsilon Phi
• Alpha Sigma Chi
• Omega Phi Beta
• Omicron Xi
• Phi Lambda Phi
• Phi Sigma Sigma
• Sigma Delta Tau
• Sigma Lambda Upsilon
• Mu Sigma Upsilon
• Delta Phi Epsilon
• Kappa Delta Phi N.A.S.

Other Greek Organizations

These groups are often focused on service or academics:

• Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity (co-ed).
• Beta Alpha Psi, an honor society for accounting, finance, and information systems (co-ed).
• Beta Beta Beta, a national honor society for biological sciences (co-ed).
• Beta Gamma Sigma, an international business honor society (co-ed).
• Delta Phi Alpha, a national German language honor society.
• Lambda Pi Eta, a national communications honor society (co-ed).
• Mu Beta Psi, a national honorary musical fraternity (co-ed).
• Omicron Delta Epsilon, a national economics honor society (co-ed).
• Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society.
• Phi Kappa Phi, a national honor society for all subjects.
• Pi Delta Phi, a national French honor society.
• Pi Sigma Alpha, a national political science honor society.
• Psi Chi, a national honor society in psychology.
• Phi Alpha Theta, a national honor society in history.

University Traditions

• Bridge Street Run – This is a fun tradition that happens in the spring semester. Students wear white T-shirts and walk down Bridge Street in Oswego. They stop at different places to have their shirts signed. This event has been a tradition at SUNY Oswego for over 30 years. The university encourages students to be safe during this event.

University Presidents

Here is a list of the leaders who have served as president of SUNY Oswego:

• Edward Austin Sheldon (1st), 1861–1897
• Isaac B. Poucher (2nd), 1897–1913
• James C. Riggs (3rd), 1913–1933
• Ralph Waldo Swetman (4th), 1933–1947
• Harvey M. Rice (5th), 1947–1952
• Foster S. Brown (6th), 1952–1963
• James E. Perdue (7th), 1965–1977
• Virginia Radley (8th), 1977–1988
• Stephen L. Weber (9th), 1988–1995
• Deborah F. Stanley (10th) 1995–2021
• Mary C. Toale, Officer in Charge (interim), 2022–2023
• Peter O. Nwosu (11th), 2023–present

Notable Faculty Members

Many talented people have taught at SUNY Oswego:

• Soma Mei Sheng Frazier, author and editor.
• Kenneth O. Hall, who was the Governor-General of Jamaica. He taught history at Oswego.
• Doug Lea, a computer scientist.
• Roy Lichtenstein, a famous pop artist. He taught in the Art Department from 1958 to 1960.
• Robert O'Connor, an author known for Buffalo Soldiers.
• Leigh Allison Wilson, an author and creative writing professor.

Famous Alumni

Many successful people have graduated from SUNY Oswego:

• The actor Al Lewis (who played Grandpa in The Munsters) claimed he went to the school from 1927 to 1931. However, many of his stories about his early life are not believed to be true.

Campus Demographics

The SUNY Oswego campus area is also a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's a special area defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The CDP is part of the Oswego City School District.

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

See also

In Spanish: Universidad Estatal de Nueva York en Oswego para niños