Take a comprehensive look at our identity on our here.
Mission
In the proud tradition of SUNY, the State University of New York at New Paltz is committed to providing high quality, affordable education to students from all social and economic backgrounds. We are a faculty and campus community dedicated to the construction of a vibrant intellectual/creative public forum which reflects and celebrates the diversity of our society and encourages and supports active participation in scholarly and artistic activity. SUNY New Paltz is an active contributor to the schools, community institutions and economic/cultural life of our region. We are selective in admitting students who show promise of thriving in a learning environment which is challenging, student-centered, and personalized. Our goal is for students to gain knowledge, skills, and confidence to contribute as productive members of their communities and professions and active citizens in a democratic nation and a global society.
We are the only residential public university in the mid-Hudson region. We offer undergraduate and graduate programs in the liberal arts and sciences which serve as a core for professional programs in the fine and performing arts, education, health care, business, and engineering. Our location in the scenic Hudson Valley midway between the State Capital of Albany and metropolitan New York City provides unique opportunities for enriching our academic programs. We are a diverse faculty of distinguished scholars and artists who collaborate across the disciplines and professional areas to inspire our students to a love of learning, a meaningful engagement with the life of the mind, and an involvement in public service.
Campus-wide Goals We strive to carry out the above philosophy across the campus through:
- Faculty engagement in innovative pedagogy across all disciplines;
- Faculty-student collaboration in research, performance, scholarship, exhibitions and presentations, internships and fieldwork, community service, and international studies and practica;
- Capstone activities through which students can demonstrate expertise in a specialized area;
- Support for risk-taking and innovation in research and scholarly/creative activity;
- Writing intensive courses and seminars;
- Educational and clinical centers that provide professional development and services to the region;
- Library and information technology resources which support the curriculum, independent study, research, and information literacy;
- Lectures, conferences, concerts, gallery shows, theatrical performances (as the largest cultural institution in the Hudson Valley), and other opportunities for life-long learning;
- Leadership opportunities for students in campus and community organizations and college governance;
- A well-rounded program in residence life to support student social, emotional, recreational, and academic needs.
Institutional Learning Outcomes
The motto of the State University of New York is “To Learn. To Search. To Serve.” An education at SUNY New Paltz develops knowledge. More than that, it helps our students recognize that life is complex and worthy of endless curiosity. Our students come away from their classrooms, residence halls, and service activities with an understanding of how the thoughtful application of knowledge and collaborative learning promote active engagement in communities (from local to global), critical reflection, and personal responsibility.
As a student at SUNY New Paltz, you will:
- acquire a foundation of knowledge that will enable you to engage with different aspects of our world. You will gain exposure to the ways in which artists, humanists, mathematicians, and natural and social scientists address questions about the world and ourselves. You will explore and learn to apply quantitative reasoning, qualitative interpretation, and creative activity as means of addressing those questions.
- explore questions of identity and community, including reflecting on who you are and your commonality and difference with respect to others. Through interacting with our diverse student body, studying or visiting regions of the world, exploring the activities and communities within and surrounding the university, and learning about diversity within the US and elsewhere, you will become an informed global citizen.
- learn how to organize, synthesize, and apply many types of information in a variety of formats; make and critique arguments; and express yourself clearly in multiple modes. These analytical, critical, and communicative skills will serve you at the university and beyond.
- specialize in at least one disciplinary area of knowledge so you can succeed in that field, apply your expertise in other arenas, and/or go on to advanced study prepared to engage confidently with other practitioners or scholars.
As a student at SUNY New Paltz, you will have the opportunity to:
- apply your learning within and outside the classroom. Through directed research, internships, and service learning, you experience what you can do with what you know.
- develop the tools to become a lifelong learner and a productive contributor to learning communities, including SUNY New Paltz.
- attain an understanding of yourself as a citizen and community member with the knowledge and ability to engage others in progress toward a more sustainable world.
