Utica Pioneers Football

Utica University is a private university in Utica, New York. The university dates back to the 1930s when Syracuse University began offering extension courses in the Utica area.

In 2016, the university enrolled 3,084 undergraduate students and 1,379 graduate students. There are 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.

Campus

Utica University was originally located in downtown Utica in what is now called Oneida Square. In 1961, the school moved to its current campus, located in the western area of the city. Close to its borders are the towns of Whitesboro, and New Hartford. The campus can be accessed from Burrstone Road and Champlin Avenue.

Academics

Utica University offers 40 undergraduate majors, 29 undergraduate minors, and 21 graduate programs. 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.

Utica University was the first institution in the world to offer a master's degree in economic crime management.

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 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 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 athletic 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 1,200 seat venue was completed in 2001 and has a modern field turf playing surface. 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 diverse student population, 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.

Utica University Emergency Medical Services

Utica University Emergency Medical Services, commonly referred to as Utica EMS (UCEMS before 2020), is a student organization that responds to over 100 medical emergencies yearly. Providing Basic Life Support (BLS), rapid cardiac defibrillation, and special event standby services, Utica EMS utilizes a 2018 Kawasaki Mule with a custom-built Stryker Stretcher ambulance bed for non-hospital campus-based transports. The unit is known as Mule-1 (UTV- 1)

Anthony Scalise founded Utica EMS in 2014 because of a need for emergency medical services on campus. Starting with only four members, the organization has grown to include 15 EMTs that receive Incentivisation from the school but has remained a student-run organization. The agency has responded to over 400 emergencies on campus since its inception. Utica EMS is a branch of the Emergency Management Division of Utica University. Their funding is derived from the Student Activity Fee via Student Government.

As of 2020, EMTs in good standing with the agency after a year of probation are eligible to receive discounted or free housing, priority parking, priority registration, and priority housing selection. The Incentivisation program was spearheaded by Chief of Operation Colby Kusinitz and Chief of Training Corey Evans in partnership with President Casamento and the Office of Emergency Management. The program was formed to reward the EMTs for their hard work and dedication on campus.

Student Government Association

Founded in 1947, the Student Government Association (SGA) represents undergraduate students. Full-time undergraduate students paying the student activity fee elect a President and Chief Justice as well as Class Officers and Senators each academic year. The Student Government is made up of made up of the Student Senate Assembly and the House of Organizations. SGA serves as the voice for all the students at Utica University by listening to issues and concerns. The Senate Assembly includes the President's Cabinets, Senators, and Class Representatives. The House consists of a representative from each of the recognized student organizations on campus. SGA meets every Wednesday, the Senate on one week and the House on the other weeks, to discuss topics ranging from funding proposals to organization recognition. The SGA receives a portion of the Student Activity Fee that the Senate distributes to Clubs and Organizations on campus.

A Graduate Senator represents the graduate students at Utica University. The Student Government also appoints two students to sit on the Faculty Senate Academic Standers committee. The Academic Standards Committee reviews matters related to academic standards, including but not limited to academic credit, grading, academic dishonesty, and the academic standing of students.

Notable alumni

* David Ancrum (born 1958), basketball player, top scorer in the 1994 Israel Basketball Premier League
* 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. 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.

References

External links

*
Official athletics website

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Private universities and colleges in New York (state)
Former Syracuse University satellite colleges
Educational institutions established in 1946
Universities and colleges in Oneida County, New York
1946 establishments in New York (state)