Buffalo Rising Online

Aug 13th 2008, 12:28pm By Jennifer Lawandus

Medaille College's freshmen class of 2012 is officially closed to new applicants for the fall 2008 semester. With 404 students this marks the largest number of first-time freshman ever at Medaille.

The record breaking amount of freshman will join nearly 1,200 continuing undergraduate students on the main campus when classes begin on September 2. This is the third consecutive year that Medaille has set records for the number of students enrolling as first-time students. Out of the 404 students, 223 will live on campus in traditional residence halls, with the remainder commuting from the greater Buffalo region. "Over the past several years, we have seen consistent increases in the number of applications to Medaille,” said President Dr. Richard Jurasek.

Medaille was founded in 1875 by the Sisters of Saint Joseph to prepare its members for teaching in diocesan schools. Later, in 1937 the institute was chartered by New York State to grant baccalaureate degrees in education; the college was renamed in honor of Father John Peter Medaille, and the rest is history.

Since its founding, Medaille has grown into a well-known, private, four-year college with their main campus located in the historic Olmsted Crescent in the heart of Buffalo, New York. Medaille is committed to serving the higher education needs of their students by adhering to one simple mission. "Our mission is to be known as the leader in preparing learners for career success and a lifelong commitment to a civic and sustainable future in Buffalo, the region, and the world,” according to Gregory P. Florczak Vice President for Enrollment Management and Undergraduate Admissions.

Medaille is best known for their veterinary technology and education programs. In addition to the popularity of their signature programs, they are constantly strengthening other areas of interest in highly enrolled programs such as media/communication, business administration, and sports management.

Medaille attracts students interested in their areas of expertise through their approach, which involves getting learners on track early in their college careers. "At Medaille, undergraduate students that have decided on a particular major begin taking classes in that respective major within their first semester. And students can begin interning within their freshmen and sophomore years, in positions related to their specific field for college credit,” Florczak said. "This allows students to make sure they have chosen the right major early on, while the internships also allow students to graduate from Medaille with a large amount of invaluable resume and work-related experience."

Another quality of Medaille that sells students and parents are the small classes taught by professors, not graduate students. The current average class holds 15 students, and the maximum never exceeds 30 students. Last year's student population totaled 2,929.

“By offering small class sizes, students at Medaille have a unique opportunity to be part of classroom discussions and have more individualized hands-on learning provided throughout their education,” Florczak explained. "Smaller class sizes allow Medaille students to learn more about their academic program of interest, ask questions of professionals from their field of interest and build professional relationships that will help support them in their future careers.”

Medaille’s small classes also follow a flexible schedule. They offer associate and bachelor degree programs primarily in their day program at their campus in Buffalo. Grown to Amherst and Rochester campuses, they offer an accelerated learning program, and a number of bachelor and master's degree programs, with classes available in the evening.

The undergraduate opportunities offered at Medaille come with a price tag of $9,115 per semester, not including room and board. Tuition costs at the graduate level are based on the program, and are very competitive in Western New York. “Medaille’s tuition cost includes student fees, while a number of competitors publicize their tuition costs without including those fees. "Our cost of tuition allows us to stay on the cutting edge with technology and updated and improved facilities,” Florczak said.

Additionally, students who graduate from Medaille also feel the cost of tuition is worth it. "The majority of Medaille graduates find employment or continue on to graduate school within three to six months after graduating. A fair percentage of Medaille graduates also find positions related to their fields based on the internships they completed while at Medaille,” Florczak said.

Producing successful graduates is a top priority of Medaille’s, but so are their sports teams. Their outstanding NCAA division three athletic program is yet another exceptional aspect of Medaille. "This year alone our women's softball team, men's and women's basketball teams, men's soccer team, men's volleyball team, women's bowling team, and golf team either won their respective conference and/or received a bid to the division three NCAA tournament,” Florczak said.

Constantly coming up with new ways to improve their campus, Florczak said, “Currently, construction is underway at McCarthy Park in partnership with the City of Buffalo and Erie County to provide an outdoor athletic complex for Medaille’s baseball, softball, lacrosse, and soccer teams. A new state-of-the-art television studio incorporating an HDTV system is under construction. A campus-wide technology and equipment upgrade is underway, and there is a proposed addition/renovation project to the Sullivan Center, which serves as a student center, dinning hall and athletic facility at Medaille."

Medaille’s busy schedule of improving their campus and Buffalo is just part of their mission of "A lifelong commitment to a civic and sustainable future in Buffalo".