SUNY Orange (Orange County Community College) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior se ...

with two campuses, one in Middletown, New York and one in

Newburgh, New York Newburgh is a city in the U.S. state of New York, within Orange County. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area. Located north of New York City, a ...

. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system and offers almost 40 associate degrees and certificate programs. SUNY Orange is accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The college employs an open enrollment policy to all applicants who are graduates of an accredited high school or recipients of a state high school equivalency diploma.

History

In 1945, Orange County did not have a public college. Except for the military academy at

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

and what would become SUNY New Paltz, there was no college on the west side of the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

from

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

to the state capital at Albany. The research for a permanent college began after World War II in 1948, and a site needed to be chosen for the college. The

Webb Horton House The Webb Horton House, is an ornate 40-room mansion in Middletown, Orange County, New York, Middletown, New York, United States, designed by local architect Frank Lindsey. Built 1902-1906 as a private residence, since the late 1940s it has been p ...

and property, now the 'mansion' at the Middletown campus, was chosen for founding the college. Built by Webb Horton, the mansion was left to his cousin, John H. Morrison, upon his death. His wife Mrs. Christine Morrison, lived there alone after the death of her husband in 1946. In 1950, she donated the mansion and property as the home of Orange County Community College. The College was founded in 1950, opening its doors to 160 students as the first county-sponsored community college in the SUNY system. It was the first community college in the nation to offer a two-year nursing degree program. When it opened, the College consisted of Morrison Hall and Horton Hall, on 14 acres. Today, it has 12 buildings at the Middletown campus, and two buildings at the Newburgh campus.

Campuses

SUNY Orange comprises two campuses: the main one in city of Middletown, New York and the Newburgh branch campus, situated on the banks of the Hudson River.

Academics

SUNY Orange offers a total of 39 associate degrees and certificate programs. The college currently enrolls approximately 7,000 students annually. The college has

matriculation Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now ...

agreements with more than 30 four-year institutions, facilitating the transfer of SUNY Orange students graduating with an associate degree who want to complete 4-year degrees.

Student life

The college's center for student involvement arranges entertainment, sporting events and trips each semester at both campuses. The college also has an Alumni Relations office which holds events specifically for alumni throughout the year. The college also has a chapter of

Phi Theta Kappa Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society ( or PTK) is the international honor society of students attending open-access institutions and seeking associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, or other college credentials. Its headquarters is in Jackson, Mississippi ...

, the international honors society for two-year colleges. The Middletown campus offers a dental clinic, fitness studios, a swimming pool, soccer and softball fields, computer and tutorial labs, child-care facilities, theatre, gymnasium, art gallery, gaming rooms and micro-markets on-campus. The Newburgh campus has its own child-care facilities, fitness room, micro-market, art gallery, and gaming room.

Community programs and events

SUNY Orange offers a wide variety of programs and events to the local community. The colleges Continuing and Professional Education department offers G.E.D. programs, industry certifications and personal enrichments programs. The ENCORE program offers classes for people over 50. The college allows free auditing of classes for community members 60 or above. The college's Cultural Affairs department has a variety of exhibits, lectures, master classes, theater performances and concerts each semester which are open to the public.

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Two-year colleges in the United States Education in Orange County, New York Middletown, Orange County, New York SUNY community colleges Educational institutions established in 1950 1950 establishments in New York (state) NJCAA athletics