Iona College is a private, comprehensive, four-year Catholic college in New Rochelle, New York. It was founded in 1940 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers and occupies a campus of 45 acres (0.18Â km2).
Iona College offers more than 60 bachelor’s programs and 40 minors, and 45 graduate programs in the School of Arts & Science and the School of Business. An honors program, with special courses, seminars, mentoring, advising, and off-campus opportunities, is available to top students. The college also offers graduate courses in Manhattan and has 14 study abroad programs. The institution enrolls approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds and over 45 countries.
History
Iona College Graduate Application Video -
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.
Previous to opening in New York, the brothers taught at Saint Mary's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They had been brought in from Bonaventure College in Saint John's, Newfoundland. They operated the Halifax institution until 1940 when they were given a tearful sendoff after a run-in with the new archbishop, John T McNally.
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.
Guiding the College through its tenuous start and sudden growth were two Presidents: Br. William Barnabas Cornelia (1885â€"1955) and Br. Arthur Austin Loftus (1904â€"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 1984, New York Governor Mario Cuomo gave the Iona College commencement speech.
In 1989, Elizabeth Seton College of Yonkers, New York merged with Iona.
In 2011, Iona College admitted that it had reported inflated figures from 2002â€"2011 about "acceptance rates, SAT scores, graduation rates, and alumni who give annually" in a bid to influence college rankings.
List of Presidents
- Br. William B. Cornelia, CFC, PhD (1940â€"1946)
- Br. Arthur A. Loftus, CFC, PhD (1946â€"1953)
- Br. William H. Barnes, CFC, PhD (1953â€"1959)
- Br. Richard B. Power, CFC, PhD (1959â€"1965)
- Br. Joseph G. McKenna, CFC, PhD (1965â€"1971)
- Br. John G. Driscoll, CFC, PhD (1971â€"1994)
- Br. James A. Liguori, CFC, EdD (1994â€"2011)
- Dr. Joseph E. Nyre, PhD (2011â€"present)
Academics
The college is divided into two main academic units: a school of arts and science and a business school.
Through it 22 academic departments, the School of Arts & Science offers more than 40 BA, BS and BPS degrees and more than 25 master’s degrees, as well as several non-degree certificate programs. According to the school's web, "Our foundation in the liberal arts enables our students to develop knowledge and skills that are highly valued by today’s employers: written and verbal communication, critical thinking, ethical decision making. As motivated lifelong learners, Iona graduates have the ability to grow and advance in their careers as they shape a more just and inclusive society."
Iona's School of Business offers degree programs leading to the Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting, business administration, finance, information systems, international business, management and marketing. 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 â€" International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditation assures that the student is at the core of everything we do." In November 2015, Robert LaPenta, Iona alumnus, gave the college with a $15 million gift to add to and renovate the School of Business facility, Hagan Hall. Mr. LaPenta later added $2.5 million to the pledge as part of a challenge gift.
The Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation has been established in 2017 thanks to the generosity and record $15 million gift to Iona from alumnus and Trustee Chairman James Hynes and his wife, Anne Marie. The Hynes Institute is an emerging program that aims to prepare the next generation of entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders to move the world. It will ensure that students develop the knowledge, skills and experience required to create, innovate and lead in a global economy.
Iona’s study abroad program offers 14 different cultural immersion opportunities:
Accreditations
- Iona College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
- The Department of Mass Communication is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism & Mass Communication (ACEJMC).
- The School of Business is accredited for its Business program by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).
- Iona's Department of Social Work is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
- The Department of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
- Iona's Department of Marriage and Family Therapy is accredited by The Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), the accrediting body of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).
- Iona's Department of School Psychology is accredited by the National Association of School Psychologist (NASP)
- Iona's Computer Science Department is accredited by ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) for their B.S. in Computer Science.
- Iona's Chemistry Department is accredited by ACS The American Chemical Society (ACS) for their B.S. in Chemistry.
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. More recent additions to the campus include the Robert V. LaPenta Student Union, the expanded Hynes Athletic Center, the Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, the residence hall in the heart of campus, East Hall, and the North Avenue Residence Hall.
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.
The Iona College Libraries hold over 250,000 volumes and multimedia resources as well as 500 current print periodicals. In addition the libraries provide access to thousands of electronic resources and journals for both on and off-campus users.
Iona became the first metro-New York college with a completely wireless Internet campus in September 2001.
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 Hales Hall
Conese, formally North, and Hales, formally South, were built in 2005. North and South were originally designed for upperclassmen, though at various times have also housed freshmen. North and South are identical buildings, and hold fewer people than Loftus. Both 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. In April 2017, South was renamed in recognition of Alice Marie and Thomas E. Hales ’58, ’04H for their leadership commitment to the Iona Forever campaign and a lifetime of generous support to the College.
Rice Hall
Rice Hall, nestled in the quiet back corner of Iona's campus, is primarily a single occupant dorm, though there are rooms for two, three or four persons. 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. Over the summer of 2017, air conditioning was added to Rice, making all of the College's residence halls climate controlled.
East Hall
East 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), is three stories and holds an estimated 112 residents, accommodating 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.
North Avenue Residence Hall
Iona added its sixth on-campus residence hall when the North Avenue Residence Hall opened in August 2016. The upper six floors house more than 300 upperclassman students. Each suite consists of either two double rooms or four single rooms, two bathrooms, a common room, and a kitchenette. The corner of the building, which located opposite the college's main entrance, features open spaces with glass windows that look onto campus and downtown New Rochelle. The ground floor of the building is designated commercial space.
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 more than 80 active clubs, Greek fraternities and sororities, and media organizations on Campus.
Greek life
Iona College is home to four local sororities and one national sorority. Additionally, Greek Life at Iona also includes one international fraternity, one national fraternity, and one local fraternity.
Athletics
The Iona College Gaels are part of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and participate in NCAA Division I programs.
Other members of the MAAC include Canisius College, Fairfield University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter's College, and Siena College.
Notable 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" also attended Iona Prep; Terence Winch, Irish-American poet and musician; Antonio Broccoli Porto, Italian-Puerto Rican artist, visual artist and sculptor; Joseph G. Ponterotto, psychobiographer and author of Bobby Fischer: Understanding the Genius, Mystery, and Psychological Decline of a World Chess Champion 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 of Draftfcb; Ronald DeFeo, retired Chairman & CEO of Terex, currently President and CEO, Kennametal Inc.; Randy Falco, President and CEO of Univision Communications Inc.; Robert Greifeld, Chairman and former CEO/President of NASDAQ; James P. Hynes, founder of COLT Telecom Group; Alfred Kelly, former President of American Express and president and CEO of the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee, current CEO of Visa 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, NBA Coach of the Year and Hall of Famer; Jason Motte, 2011 MLB World Champion and Game 7 saving pitcher; and Jeff Ruland, NBA All-Star; Ignacio Maganto, was selected by the LA Galaxy with the 21st pick in the first round of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, the first Major League Soccer draft pick in Iona history; Dennis Leonard, Kansas City Royals Hall of Famer and 12-year MLB veteran who won 20 games on three occasions from 1977-80. He was inducted in May 2015 into the New York Baseball Hall of Fame; Mariano Rivera III ’15, was selected in the fourth round by the Washington Nationals. In 2016, he was selected to compete in the South Atlantic League All-Star Game; Kyle Flood ’93, Former head football coach at Rutgers University; Brendan Malone ’62; Current Detroit Pistons assistant coach, Mandy Rose (Current WWE Diva)
In the field of media, Kyle Kulinski runs a political commentary Youtube channel "Secular Talk" with over a half a million subscribers.
References
External links
- Official website
- Iona Athletics website