Utica School of Commerce was a for-profit

business college A business college is a school that provides education above the high school level but could not be compared to that of a traditional university or college. Unlike universities and even junior and community colleges, business colleges typically ...

with three locations in upstate New York. Its main campus was in

Utica, New York Utica () is a Administrative divisions of New York, city in the Mohawk Valley and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The List of cities in New York, tenth-most-populous city in New York State, its population was 65,283 ...

and it had branch campuses in

Canastota, New York Canastota is a village located inside the Town of Lenox in Madison County, New York, United States. The population was 4,804 at the 2010 census. The village of Canastota is in the southern part of the Town of Lenox. Canastota High School is loc ...

and

Oneonta, New York Oneonta ( ) is a city in southern Otsego County, New York, United States. It is one of the northernmost cities of the Appalachian Region. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, Oneonta had a population of 13,079. Its nickname is "City of the Hil ...

. The college was founded in 1896 and closed at the end of 2016.

History

USC was founded by Thomas J. Risinger in 1896 in response to an early demand for specialized training in commerce and finance. His son, William S. Risinger, joined him in 1904 and, in 1919, became the head of the school. He retained this position until his retirement on March 1, 1966, at which time a new partnership was formed by Eleanor P., granddaughter of the founder, and Roger L. Williams. On July 1, 1976, they incorporated the school under the laws of New York. Philip M. Williams and John L. Crossley, sole stockholders of the Utica School of Commerce, Inc., are two of the Trustees on the Board of Trustees of the Utica School of Commerce, Inc. The Utica School of Commerce, at its founding in 1896, was located on the third floor of the Oneida National Bank Building on the corner of Genesee and Bleecker Streets. In 1915, the school expandedÂ its facilities and moved to the Mayro Building in which it had its facilities for 63 years. On September 11, 1978, the Utica School of Commerce moved to its current location at 201 Bleecker Street. In February 1985, the Utica School of Commerce opened its Madison County Branch at the Washington Avenue Community Center in Oneida, and in March 1986, moved to the New York State Jaycees' Building on Route 5 in Canastota. The college opened its new campus adjacent to its former location in September 1992. USC opened its Oneonta Branch in September 1985 in the Verizon Building at 17 Elm Street, Oneonta. Enrollment peaked in the 2009-2010 school year and declined afterwards. Before its closing, USC had two-year and certificate programs for business administration, administrative specialist, health service management, non-profit agency management, and information technology. USC closed on December 23, 2016, due to low enrollment numbers. Students were given the option to transfer to Bryant and Stratton College in Syracuse or to make arrangements with local community colleges.

References

{{authority control School of Commerce Defunct private universities and colleges in New York (state) Former for-profit universities and colleges in the United States Universities and colleges in Madison County, New York Universities and colleges in Otsego County, New York Universities and colleges in Oneida County, New York