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 sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...

with two campuses, one in

Middletown, New York Middletown is the largest Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Orange County, New York, Orange County, New York, United States. It lies in New York's Hudson Valley region, near the Wallkill River and the foothills of the Shawangunk ...

, and one in

Newburgh, New York Newburgh is a City (New York), city in Orange County, New York, United States. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–Newburgh metropolitan area. ...

. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system and offers almost 40

associate degree An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree ...

s and certificate programs. SUNY Orange is accredited by

Middle States Commission on Higher Education The Middle States Commission on Higher Education, abbreviated as MSCHE and legally incorporated as the Mid-Atlantic Region Commission on Higher Education, is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit membership organization that performs peer evalua ...

. 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

As late as 1945, on the west side of the

Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...

from

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

to the state capital at Albany, there were only two colleges, the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

at West Point and what would become SUNY New Paltz. Orange County did not have a public college, and consequently in 1948, research began to find a suitable site. The

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

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. As of 2023, the college enrolled approximately 6,500 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 no ...

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 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. The college also has a chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honors society for two-year colleges. The college also has an Alumni Relations office which holds events specifically for alumni throughout the year.

Community programs and events

The college's 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 Universities and colleges established in 1950 1950 establishments in New York (state) NJCAA schools Community colleges in New York (state)