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Campus Buzz
Embracing a Community Service Model
NYIT announced in November plans to reorganize the Central Islip campus into a community service model beginning with the 2005-06 academic year.
Designed to ensure the highest quality education for all students, support NYIT’s investments, and maintain an educational presence in the community, the new model evolved naturally from the community service programs the college now provides and will maintain, including: the accredited culinary arts program and its award-winning restaurant, the Epicurean Room; the Vocational Independence Program for students with learning disabilities; the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine family medical clinic; the Technology-Based Learning Research Center; and the BOCES and Head Start programs.
Combined, these programs serve more than 5,000 local residents and businesses each year.
Simultaneously, most academic programs will relocate to the Old Westbury and Manhattan campuses. This will resolve the issue faced by more than 60 percent of Central Islip students who currently spend two hours a day traveling by bus to take classes at Old Westbury or even longer by train to Manhattan.
According to President Edward Guiliano, Ph.D., this is an all-important step toward assuring a vibrant, healthy future for NYIT. “I believe our institution is stronger than it has ever been, and by taking this proactive step, we will be putting focus and funds on quality educational programs for all our students.”
During the transition period, student affairs officers are working with Central Islip students to arrange a smooth transfer to the other campuses or arrange other degree completion options, such as finishing their course work online. Also, every NYIT student currently living at the campus will have housing available to them in time for the fall 2005 academic year.
Most faculty and staff members will relocate to the Old Westbury or Manhattan campus in tandem with the transfer of students.
As a community service campus, NYIT will continue to provide local residents and businesses with valuable academic and community outreach programs.
Each year,
NYIT sees 3,500 patients at its NYCOM family clinic; provides food and catering services at its restaurant for hundreds of local businesses, community organizations and residents; and brings educators and researchers from across the nation to its well-known Technology-Based Learning Research Center. These important community activities will continue, along with employment for a large number of people on the campus.
A Central Part of NYIT’s History
NYIT acquired 503 acres of the former Central Islip Psychiatric Center site from New York State in 1984. The property had been vacant for more than 20 years.
According to Town of Islip’s Gene Murphy, NYIT started the revival of the area when “no one else would even come here.”
In recent public forums, Murphy said, “In the early 80s, we were looking at acres of abandoned buildings. At that time, we were marketing the site to the world. They [NYIT] were the only ones interested, and they put a tremendous amount of investment in there.”
One of the largest benefactors in the town’s history, NYIT has donated more than 133 acres — 26 percent of its property — to local government agencies to help spur economic development, including 57 acres to Suffolk County for building the federal courthouse. For the Town of Islip, NYIT donated 15 acres for recharge basins and 61 acres for the community golf course. |
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