# Utica University

Utica University is a private university in Utica, New York. The university has a main campus in Utica; the Robert Brvenik Center for Business Education, in downtown Utica; and satellite locations in Syracuse, New York; Latham, New York; and St. Petersburg, Florida.
Utica University offers 59 majors leading to bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. The university consists of the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business and Justice Studies, and the School of Health Professions and Education.
There are currently over 32,000 Utica University alumni.

## History

The history of the university dates back to the 1930s when Syracuse University began offering extension courses in the Utica area. Syracuse University established the university as a four-year institution in 1946. At the time, it was known as Utica College of Syracuse University. In 1995, it became a financially and legally independent institution, operating as Utica College without the Syracuse University affiliation. The university began offering its own graduate degrees in 1999 and its own undergraduate degrees in 2011. By approval of the New York State Board of Regents, Utica College officially changed its name to Utica University on February 17, 2022. The change followed an amendment to the board's definition of "university" passed the previous month, in which schools are no longer required to offer doctorates in at least three subjects to qualify for university status.

### Presidents

| Name | Tenure | Notes |
| Winton Tolles | 1946–1947 | |
| Ralph F. Strebel | 1947–1959 |
| James W. Harrison | 1959–1962 | |
| Kenneth Donohue | 1963 –1970 | |
| Ambrose J. deFlumere | 1970–1976 | |
| Harold J. Rankin | 1976–1977 | |
| Thomas D. Sheldon | 1976–1982 | |
| Lansing G. Baker | 1982–1987 | |
| Michael K. Simpson | 1988–1997 | |
| Thomas G. Brown | January 1998 – July 1998 | Interim President |
| Todd S. Hutton | 1998–2016 | |
| Laura M. Casamento | 2016–2023 | First female president |
| Todd Pfannestiel | 2023 – Present | |

## Campus

Utica University's 128-acre campus is located in a largely residential section of west Utica, directly across Champlin Avenue from the St. Luke's campus of Faxton-St. Luke's Healthcare. The campus has a number of distinctive features, including expansive lawns and green spaces, walkways lined flower beds and ornamental plantings, a large number of mature trees, examples of outdoor sculpture, and significant new construction and recently completed facilities.

## Academics

Utica University offers 40 undergraduate majors, 29 undergraduate minors, and 21 graduate programs including a Doctor of Physical Therapy. The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The chemistry program is approved by the American Chemical Society. Utica University also offers programs in teacher education which lead to certification. The Department of Nursing offers baccalaureate, graduate, and advanced practice certification (Family Nurse Practitioner) options. The nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
The university has been designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security, designated a National Center of Digital Forensics Academic Excellence (CDFAE) by the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center and designated an Academic Center of Excellence (ACE) by the EC-Council.

## Athletics

Utica University offers 29 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports. Teams are known as the Pioneers and compete in the Empire 8 athletic conference, along with Elmira College, Alfred University, Hartwick College, Nazareth College, Stevens Institute of Technology, and Saint John Fisher College. The men's and women's hockey teams compete in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference. The women's water polo team competes in the Collegiate Water Polo Association's Northern Division.
The student body's overall interest in athletics was significantly bolstered by the addition of football and ice hockey teams in 2001, and the addition of men's/women's wrestling and women's gymnastics beginning in 2023–24.
The football, field hockey, soccer and lacrosse teams play in Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. The ice hockey teams compete at the Adirondack Bank Center. The Aud, as it is commonly called, was built in 1959 and provides seating for 3,850 fans. The men's hockey team led the nation in Division III home attendance in the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons. The basketball teams play on campus at the Harold Thomas Clark Jr. Athletic Center, which also has a pool and racquetball courts.
In November 2007, the Utica University football team set an NCAA football record, the highest combined score (142 points) by two teams, in their 72–70 loss to Hartwick in four overtimes. In this game, Utica also set the NCAA record for most points scored (70) by the losing team.
Utica University has a women's basketball team which won the Empire 8 championship in 2008. In 2009, they tied with Ithaca as the regular season Empire 8 champions. In 2010, they regained their Empire 8 championship title.

## Student life

Utica University has a majority white student body and smaller populations of ethnic minorities, Black Non-Hispanic 228 (10.1%), White Non-Hispanic 1648 (72.8%), Hispanic/Latino 207 (9.1%), American Indian or Alaskan Native 9 (.4%), Asian 67 (3.0%), Pacific Islander 1 (.04%), International 64 (2.9%), Multiple Races 57 (2.5%), Unknown 23 (1.0%). In the Fall of 2020, 50% of that class was women. The Office of International Education actively updates and maintains the flags in Strebel to reflect the home countries of the current international students and the university study abroad partners.

### Media

WPNR, also known as Pioneer Radio, is Utica University's student-run 24/7 hour radio station featuring a variety of music, live sports broadcasting and public service announcements. WPNR broadcasts games and posts highlight reels on their website, along with various player and coach interviews. WPNR-FM and 90.7 MHz has been the licensed call letters and frequency of Utica University radio since October 22, 1977.
The Tangerine is Utica University's student-run newspaper. The newspaper began the same year as the institution in 1946. Originally called the Utica College News, the newspaper's name changed to the Utica College Oracle, then finally settling on the current name The Tangerine, a nod to Syracuse University's school color and athletic moniker, as well as their newspaper The Daily Orange.

## Notable alumni

* Marilyn E. Jacox, B.S. 1951, research chemist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
* Sherwood Boehlert, B.A. 1961, United States Congressman from January 1983 to January 2007.
* Frank Lentricchia, B.A. 1962, literature professor at Duke University.
* John M. McHugh, B.A. 1970, United States Congressman from January 1993 to 2009; Secretary of the Army from 2009 to 2015.
* Andy Rubin, B.S. 1986, technology pioneer, co-founder and former CEO of both Danger Inc. and Android Inc. He was the Senior Vice President of Mobile and Digital Content at Google.
* David P. Weber, B.S. 1995, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation Fellow and former Inspector General for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), whistle blower, concerning Bernard Madoff, Allen Stanford, cyber-compromise matters. Presently a professor in the University System of Maryland.