Mercy College (Mercy or Mercy NY) is a private, non-sectarian, non-profit, coeducational research university with its main campus located on 66 acres in Dobbs Ferry, New York, alongside the Hudson River, with additional locations in Manhattan, Bronx and Yorktown Heights. Mercy College has five schools: Business, Education, Health & Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts and Social & Behavioral Sciences, and offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs. Mercy College became a doctoral degree-granting institution in 2006. The university enrolls about 11,000 students. The student body comes from 43 states and 54 countries.
History
Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1950, Mercy College became a four-year college offering programs leading to the baccalaureate degree in 1961. The College was accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in 1968. In the next half-decade, Mercy College set a course for its future with a series of actions including declaring itself independent and co-educational. In addition, it doubled the size of the existing physical plant and initiated the first of many community outreach efforts. Mercy College in the 1970s broadened its outreach through the establishment of extension centers and branch campuses throughout communities in Westchester County and New York City.
Mercy College was authorized to offer its first graduate program, nursing, in 1981. Since then, 30 diverse graduate programs have been introduced, and in 2006, the College was granted authorization to offer its first doctoral program in physical therapy. The College expanded its offerings to include online programs in the 1990s, and was soon granted the ability to offer entire degree programs online. Thousands of Mercy College students take one or all of their courses online through the more than 40 undergraduate and graduate programs offered.
Campus
Dobbs Ferry main campus
The main campus is in Dobbs Ferry, New York, overlooking the Hudson River. The campus encompasses 66 acres alongside the Hudson River in Dobbs Ferry, New York, a suburb of Westchester County, 25 miles north of New York City. In addition to academic and administrative buildings, it houses the College’s residence and athletics programs. Dobbs Ferry students enjoy all the nearby shopping and restaurants, just steps from campus, as well as biking, jogging or walk along the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail that runs through campus. A Metro-North train station, located on campus, makes New York City accessible in less than 30 minutes. In December 2015, the College opened a new 350-bed, state-of-the-art residence hall and student commons.
Sites
The Manhattan site is situated in the heart of Manhattan at Herald Square. The Bronx site occupies 125,000 square feet at the Hutchinson Metro Center, a rapidly developing complex of corporate and health care organizations and businesses. In Yorktown Heights, students have access to Northern Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Dutchess and Fairfield Counties. The Campus is close to Franklin Delano Roosevelt State Park, which offers extensive outdoor recreational activities.
Academics
Mercy College has five schools:
- School of Business
- School of Education
- School of Health & Natural Sciences
- School of Liberal Arts
- School of Social & Behavioral Sciences
Mercy College offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, including more than two dozen that can be completed online. The faculty comprises 210 full-time professors with a significant majority holding the highest degree in their respective fields, Fulbright Scholars, published and national best-selling authors, and experts.
Mercy College runs the Personalized Achievement Contract (PACT) Program, a mentoring program that aims to maximize students’ success through comprehensive collaboration between students and professional mentors, and to address the national agenda to raise the number of college graduates in America. PACT students are provided professional mentors who facilitate integrated support for academic, career, and personal growth. Together, student and mentor create a customized plan. Mercy offers an Honors Program for high achieving students.
Reputation and rankings
- Mercy College has been recognized as providing one of the top online learning programs by U.S. News & World Report.
- Barron's ranks Mercy College a "best buy" and “competitive†in college education.
- AffordableCollegesOnline.org rates Mercy College among the top 15% of New York colleges and universities in return on investment (ROI).
- Mercy College's MBA program has been listed in Princeton Reviews Best 296 Business Schools.
- Mercy College is among universities and colleges nationwide named a "best buy" in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2016.
Admissions
Undergraduate acceptance rate in Fall 2014 was 77%, and Peterson's described Mercy College's admissions process as "moderately difficult". Undergraduate acceptance rate fell to 66% in Fall 2015.
Demographics
As of 2014, the undergraduate population includes 7,157 full-time and 2,942 part-time students with 31 percent of freshmen and 12 percent of all full-time undergraduates residing in campus-affiliated housing. While the majority of students are New York residents, students represent 43 states and 54 countries. Mercy College offers small class sizes with an average student/faculty ratio of 20:1. 88% of students are commuters; 12% live in campus housing. Mercy College has 71% female students and 29% male students.
Accreditation
All campuses of Mercy College are accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Among others, Mercy College holds professional accreditations with:
- Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education
- Accreditation Review Commission for Physician Assistant
- Accreditation Council for Business Schools & Programs
- American Association for Paralegal Education
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing Mercy College
- American Physical Therapy Association
- American Speech, Language and Hearing Association
- American Veterinary Medical Association
- Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- Council on Social Work Education
- Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education (In candidacy for NCATE accreditation, late 2013)
Research
Some highlights of research at Mercy College include:
- In the “Race to the Top†competition, the School of Education received the largest grant in New York State for the education of next generation math teachers.
- The Bronx Parent Center is an innovative program empowering parents to support their children’s education through workshops, resources and leadership development. The Center also serves as a training ground for the School of Education students to engage with parents in educational decision-making, as well as a research base for faculty to investigate best practices in parent engagement.
- The Veterinary Technology Program is the only 4-year program of its kind in the Tri-State area and graduates have achieved a 100% pass rate on their National Boards for more than 18 years (the national average is 70%).
- The state-of-the-art Roy Disney Studio for Animation Studies exposes students to some of the most influential names in animation and design.
- Thomas Culhane, a faculty member, was named as a National Geographic Emerging Explorer of the Year in 2009.
- Students, faculty and the community are further enriched by a number of centers including the Center for Global Engagement, Cybersecurity Education Center, Speech and Hearing Center, and Centers of Excellence within the Business School including the Strategic Consulting Institute, Center for Entrepreneurship, Center for Business Communication, Center for International Business, Women’s Leadership Institute and Lifepath Coaching Institute.
Libraries
Mercy College houses four university libraries. Its main flagship library is on the Dobbs Ferry Campus.
Athletics
Mercy College sponsors an intramural sports program as well as intercollegiate competition in 10 varsity teams compete at the Division II level. The College is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the East Coast Conference (ECC). Varsity men’s programs include baseball, basketball, lacrosse and soccer. Women’s athletic teams compete in basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball and volleyball. The baseball, lacrosse, soccer and field hockey teams, in addition to numerous local community high school and youth groups, play on a new, eco-friendly turf field on the Dobbs Ferry campus, overlooking the Hudson River.
In 2007 the college changed its athletic nickname from "Flyers" to "Mavericks" after the administration reviewed and narrowed suggestions from students and faculty members.
Notable people
Notable faculty
- Boria Sax, American author and lecturer
- Hind Rassam Culhane, lawyer, social and behavioral scientist
- John J. McGrath, businessman and professor
- Barbara Boucher Owens, American computer scientist
- Alfred S. Posamentier, American author and educator
- Kimberly R. Cline, former president of Mercy College, and current president of Long Island University.
Notable alumni
Mercy College has more than 57,000 alumni as of 2017.
- Mark Zuckerberg, self-made billionaire, chairman, chief executive officer, and co-founder of Facebook
- Walter Anderson, former Publisher and CEO of Parade Magazine
- Gabourey Sidibe, Academy Award-nominated actress
- David Rosado, American politician from New York
- Stan Jefferson, former center and left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds.
- Anthony Mullen, 2009 National Teacher of the Year award winner.
- Dewey Bozella, former amateur boxer
- Brian Sweeney, former MLB pitcher
- Wesley Walker, former NFL wide receiver
- Mookie Wilson, former MLB outfielder/ coach.
- Gregory Howard Williams, 27th President of the University of Cincinnati (2009 to 2012) and the 11th President of the City College of New York (2001 - 2009).
- Joan Wolf, author of more than 15 historical novels.
- Laura Creavalle, professional female bodybuilder
- Simone Forbes, Jamaican sportswoman, having represented Jamaica in no less than five sports, including netball, volleyball, basketball, football and softball
- Donna Hylton, Jamaican-American activist
- Leopoldo Minaya, Dominican-American poet.
- Olivia Peguero, contemporary landscape and botanical artist
References
Bibliography
- Martone, Eric; Perrota, Michael (2013). Mercy College: Yesterday and Today. The History Press. ISBNÂ 9781609497309.Â
External links
- Mercy College official website
- Mercy Mavericks official athletics website