Medaille College News

Representatives from WNYHeroes meet at Medaille's Amherst Campus to pick up toys for WNY military families

WNY Heroes, Inc. and Medaille College teamed up in December to collect and deliver toys to local veterans and their families. On December 18, 2009, representatives from WNY Heroes, Inc. arrived at the Medaille College Amherst Campus to pick up boxes of children’s toys, collected over several weeks by faculty, staff and students.

Judith M. Horowitz, Associate Vice President and Dean for Medaille’s School of Adult and Graduate Education, organized the event within Medaille’s Amherst and Rochester Campuses. Dr. Horowitz says, “Some of our Amherst classes are having ‘competitions’ with each other to see who can bring the best presents; faculty and staff have been contributing as well. I’m incredibly proud of how generous our students and my colleagues have been.” Medaille also worked with several Rochester- and Buffalo-based businesses to collect toys for the drive. Pictures are available on Flickr.com.

WNY Heroes, Inc. will deliver the toys to the homes of local veterans and military personnel just in time to bring smiles for the holidays. WNY Heroes is a nonprofit formed to assist local veterans and military personnel. For additional information, please see their website at www.wnyheroes.org.

With the holiday season approaching, the Campus Safety Office has compiled a list of safety tips for students, faculty, and visitors to Medaille’s campuses in Buffalo, Amherst and Rochester. Please review the list at the Campus Safety web page.

Following two months of planning and construction, Medaille College’s Rochester Campus will officially open its doors at its new location on Monday, June 29, 2009. (pictures)

Located at 1880 South Winton Road, the new campus contains nine classrooms, each with a capacity of 24 students, and each with its own technology package. A 700-square foot library includes computer workstations, and a multi-purpose room provides space for meetings and workshops of up to 60 people.

“Medaille’s relocation to the Town of Brighton is a reinvestment in the campus and an investment that will contribute to economic growth in the Rochester region,” says Richard T. Jurasek, Ph.D., Medaille College president. “We’re developing new degrees with the needs of adult students in mind, and this larger facility will support those expanded programs and larger student base.”

“Like our current site, the Brighton location will be close to Rochester’s Outer Loop (Rte. 390/590), keeping it convenient for current and future students who travel to class after work,” adds Dr. Jenifer Bavifard, executive director for the Accelerated Learning Program. “The design of each classroom and inclusion of technology will give faculty more options when developing lessons and will be planned to accommodate adult learners.”

Since Medaille College opened its Rochester Campus in 2002, nearly 400 graduates have received associate, bachelor’s or master’s degrees in business through the Accelerated Learning Program. These degrees are designed to allow adult students to complete a degree through a flexible, interactive and cohort-based structure.

Medaille College has received approval from the Town of Brighton Planning Board for a special use permit, allowing construction to begin on a new Rochester Campus, with a move to a South Winton Road location as early as mid-June 2009.

The new campus will contain nine classrooms, each with a capacity of 24 students, and each with its own technology package. A 700-square foot library will include computer workstations, and a multi-purpose room will provide space for meetings and workshops of up to 60 people.

“Medaille’s relocation to the Town of Brighton is a reinvestment in the campus and an investment that will contribute to economic growth in the Rochester region,” says Medaille College President Richard T. Jurasek, Ph.D. “We’re developing new degrees with the needs of adult students in mind, and this larger facility will support those expanded programs and larger student base.”

“Like our current site, the Brighton location will be close to Rochester’s Outer Loop (Rtes. 390/590), keeping it convenient for current and future students who travel to class after work,” says Dr. Jenifer Bavifard, executive director for the Accelerated Learning Program. “The design of each classroom and inclusion of technology will give faculty more options when developing lessons and will be planned to accommodate adult learners.”

Since Medaille College opened its Rochester Campus in 2002, over 400 graduates have received associate, bachelor’s or master’s degrees in business through the Accelerated Learning Program. These degrees are designed to allow adult students to complete a degree through a flexible, interactive and cohort-based structure.

Medaille College has announced the availability of a Veterans Education Tuition Scholarship (VETS) of up to $10,000, available to current and former military service members at its Rochester Campus.

With scholarships up to $10,000 to qualified veterans, Medaille will provide support to individuals pursuing associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree through its traditional day, evening and weekend programs. Medaille’s administrative and academics offices will partner with active duty U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard soldiers, National Guard or Reserve members, and all veterans with prior service in any military branch to determine the federal and state benefits available to them.

Kai Chitaphong, Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Program Manager at the Canandaigua Veterans Administration Medical Center, stated, “The dollars given to veterans, especially retired veterans, are substantial. Deployments shape veterans, and sometimes they come back with a new perspective on life. For them, college is an option.”

“New York State has programs for veterans, but they often don’t cover the entire cost,” noted New York State Senator Joseph Robach. “Anything we can do to support veterans in this technology- and knowledge-based economy is helpful.”

With Medaille’s academic programs in Rochester, veterans can take the skills and experience they received during their military service and apply them to professional degrees, preparing them for careers in high-demand fields, like accounting, marketing, organizational leadership and business development. Upon graduating from Medaille, veterans will join a growing network of alumni in Rochester and throughout Western New York.

Previously: Medaille VETS Program in Buffalo