Iona College ( New York ) Iona College is located in New Rochelle , New York , 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan in suburban Westchester County . The college occupies 45 acres ( 0 . 18 km ) on North Ave . The college also operates a Graduate Center in Pearl River , Rockland County , New York . The College offers BA , BS , BPS , and BBA degrees to undergraduate students , and several master ' s degree programs . The BA , BS , and BPS degrees require a total of 120 credits for completion ; for BBA degrees , a total of 126 credits are required . An honors program , with special courses , seminars , mentoring , advising , and off - campus opportunities , is available to top students . History . Founded in 1940 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers , Iona College is a private , coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of American Catholic higher education . In 1989 , Elizabeth Seton College of Yonkers , New York merged with Iona . Iona College completed renovations of their Ryan Library , and the library was fully operational by the beginning of 2009 ' s fall semester . Iona College opened its doors in 1940 , with nine Christian Brothers and six lay faculty greeting the first class . The Christian Brothers named the College after Iona , the island monastery of St . Columba [ in Irish : St . Colmcille ] located off the west coast of Scotland . Columba founded the monastery in 563 AD . The Congregation of Christian Brothers was itself founded in 1802 by Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice in Waterford , Ireland . In 1940 , the idea of the College ' s founding community of Brothers was to start a small , affordable college for the sons of New York ' s working class . At the time , the Christian Brothers taught in seven high schools in the Archdiocese of New York , including Iona Prep , All Hallows , Rice High School , and Power Memorial . They recognized that many of their graduates could not afford the cost of local universities , and so they started Iona . Iona started small , and shrank further after the U . S . entered World War II with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 . For example , the fall of 1943 began with 94 students , but the spring term ended with fewer than 40 . Only three members of the entering class went on to receive Bachelor of Arts degrees in August , 1944 . Returning veterans , attracted by Iona ' s practical majors like Accounting ( and their tuition underwritten by the G . I . Bill ) , soon stretched the College to its limits . Seventy - one men graduated in 1948 and 300 in 1950 . Guiding the College through its tenuous start and sudden growth were two gifted Presidents : Br . William Barnabas Cornelia ( 1885 – 1955 ) and Br . Arthur Austin Loftus ( 1904 – 1979 ) . One a native of Dublin , the other a native New Yorker , they helped Iona expand and prosper throughout the middle of the 20th century . In 2011 , Iona College admitted that it had reported inflated figures from 2002 – 2011 about " acceptance rates , SAT scores , graduation rates , and alumni who give annually " in a bid to influence college rankings . Mission statement . According to its mission statement , " Iona College is a caring academic community , inspired by the legacy of Blessed Edmund Rice and the Christian Brothers , which embodies opportunity , justice , and the liberating power of education . Iona College ' s purpose is to foster intellectual inquiry , community engagement , and an appreciation for diversity . In the tradition of American Catholic Higher Education , Iona College commits its energies and resources to the development of graduates recognized for their ethics , creativity , and problem solving abilities ; their independent and adaptable thinking ; their joy in lifelong learning ; and their enduring integration of mind , body , and spirit . " This statement was adopted in May of 2012 . Academics . The university is divided into two main academic units : a school of arts and sciences , and a business school . The " School of Arts & Sciences " is one of the two main schools at Iona College . Iona College hired a new dean of Arts & Sciences , Dr . Sibdas Ghosh , PhD to replace former dean , Dr . Jeanne Zaino , PhD . Many students choose to obtain degrees in mass communications , journalism , education , and psychology . Iona boasts excellent scholars and teachers among the faculty in liberal arts and sciences . Some distinguished faculty at Iona ' s history department include Dr . James T . Carroll , Dr . Michael J . Hughes , Dr . Catherine Stratton , Dr . Daniel E . Thiery , Dr . George Bournoutian and Dr . Eugene Sheehan . The School offers degree programs leading to the Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting , marketing , and management . The school also has a fast track MBA program , which is geared toward people who want to gain an edge in their chosen field . The Fast Track MBA shaves 10 months off the length of traditional MBA programs by offering courses in a sequence that guarantees a speedy graduation . On the school ' s website its mission is stated as ' The School ’ s commitment to Catholic Higher Education in the Christian Brothers ’ Tradition coupled with our AACSB – International ( Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business ) accreditation assures that the student is at the core of everything we do . ' Campus . Academic lecture halls at Iona College include Murphy Center , McSpedon Hall , Arrigoni Center , Doorley Hall , Cornelia Hall , Amend Hall , Ryan Library , and Hagan Hall . The most recent additions to the campus include the newly constructed Robert V . LaPenta Student Union and the expanded Hynes Athletic Center . Hynes Athletic Center hosts training centers for the college ' s Division 1 teams in addition to the 2 , 611 - seat multi - purpose arena which hosts year round activities . Ryan Library is the major research and studying center of the campus . It was announced in 2005 that the library would go through an extensive modernization process . The renovation included an expanded print collection and larger spaces for students to study and do research . The project was completed in time for the Fall Semester of 2009 . The library is a prominent symbol of Iona College along North Ave . Iona became the first metro - New York college with a completely wireless Internet campus in September 2001 . In 1998 American Campus Communities was awarded the contract to develop , build , and manage a student housing property at Iona College . Loftus Hall . Iona offers several different housing options for students . Loftus Hall , designed to house first year students only , is a 10 - floor building . Each floor has six suites of two bedrooms ( a double and a triple ) , one handicapped room which houses two people , and the RA ( resident assistant ) room . Loftus features a small computer lab , a kitchen , a laundry room , a quiet meditation room , a study lounge , and a vending lounge / game room . Conese and South Hall . Conese , formally North , and South halls are among the newer residence halls and were built in 2005 . North and South were originally designed for upperclassmen ; since the recent influx of accepted freshmen , Conese hall has become the second , " unofficial " freshman residence hall . North and South are identical buildings , and hold fewer people than Loftus . Both buildings have six floors , with four rooms on each floor : one suite of seven and three suites of 10 . Each suite has two bathrooms , a small kitchenette , and a common room / living room type arrangement . North Hall was renamed to Conese Hall at Homecoming 2008 , October 4 , 2008 , to acknowledge a $ 5 million gift to the college from Anna May and Eugene P . Conese . Rice Hall . Rice Hall , nestled in the quiet back corner of Iona ' s campus , is primarily a single occupant dorm , though there are suites of varying sizes on the ground floor and a few rooms on the first floor can house two students . It is the oldest dormitory at Iona , and was originally used to house the Christian Brothers as well as the brothers in training . The building is four floors , with laundry services being provided in the basement . Amenities include a game room , TV lounge , kitchen , computer lab , and gym . East Hall . East Hall is Iona ' s newest residence hall , located in the very center of campus on the site of the previous Walsh Hall ( an academic building which housed Iona ' s Psychology department ) . East Hall , which is three stories and holds an estimated 112 residents , accommodates students in a traditional corridor - style setting . There is an elevator in the center lobby area and lounges on both the second and third floors . It has rooms for groups of three and four students with a common bathroom on each wing . Each floor is separated by gender . The first and third floors are designated for female students and the second for males . Among its amenities are wireless internet , cable television , and telephone lines in each room . The main floor has a kitchen area , a mail room , and laundry facilities . There are three resident assistants ( RAs ) in the building and one campus minister . Eastchester Apartments . Iona also holds several apartments in the Eastchester Apartment Complex , which is located down the block from the campus . Each building in Eastchester has an RA . Clubs and organizations . There are currently 65 active clubs , Greek fraternities and Sororities , and media organizations on Campus . Greek Life . Iona is home to 4 local sororities and 1 national sorority 1 international fraternity , 1 national fraternity , and 1 local fraternity . Athletics . The Iona College Gaels are part of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference ( MAAC ) and participate in seventeen NCAA Division I programs . Other members of the MAAC include Canisius College , Fairfield University , Loyola University Maryland , Manhattan College , Marist College , Niagara University , Rider University , Saint Peter ' s College , and Siena College . Alumni . Iona has approximately 40 , 000 living alumni worldwide . In the fields of arts & entertainment , Iona College graduates include : Bud Cort , actor starring in " Harold and Maude " and " MASH " ; Terry Finn , Broadway and Hollywood actress ; Don McLean ; singer / songwriter of renowned songs " American Pie " and " Vincent " attended Iona Prep ( but not Iona College ) ; Antonio Broccoli Porto , Italian - Puerto Rican artist , visual artist and sculptor ; and Donald Spoto , best - selling celebrity biographer . In the field of business , Iona College graduates include : Linda Bruno , Commissioner of the Skyline Conference ; Thomas E . Hales , former CEO and Chairman of U . S . B . Holding Co . , Inc . ; Vincent A . Gierer , Jr . , former Chairman and CEO of UST Inc . ; Andy Dolce , Founder , Chairman & Managing Partner of Dolce Hotels and Resorts ; Laurence Boschetto , President & CEO and President of Draftfcb ; Ronald DeFeo , Chairman & CEO of Terex ; Randy Falco , President and CEO of Univision Communications Inc . ; Robert Greifeld current President & CEO of NASDAQ ; James P . Hynes , founder of COLT Telecom Group ; Alfred Kelly , former President of American Express ; Catherine R . Kinney , former President of the New York Stock Exchange ; Brian A . Markison , Chairman , President & CEO of King Pharmaceuticals ; and Peter R . Scanlon , former Chairman & CEO of Coopers & Lybrand In the fields of law and government , Iona College graduates include : Robert J . Corcoran , former Arizona Supreme Court Justice ; Timothy C . Idoni , Westchester County Clerk , former mayor of New Rochelle , New York ; Anthony T . Kane , former New York Supreme Court Justice ; Robert J . McGuire , former New York City Police Commissioner & CEO of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency ; Kevin Sullivan , former White House Communications Director ; and John Sweeney ( labor leader ) , Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient In the field of sports , Iona College graduates include : Richie Guerin , six time NBA All - Star and NBA Coach of the Year ; Jason Motte , 2011 MLB World Champion and Game 7 saving pitcher ; and Jeff Ruland , NBA All - Star