Buffalo is home to another university. D’Youville College – a college that has been growing steadily – has announced that it has gained recognition status at a university. The announcement was made by D’Youville President Lorrie A. Clemo, PhD, and the Board of Trustees, who stated that the college was one of three in NYState to be given the designation by the New York State Board of Regents. Touro College and Utica College were the other two that made the list.
“It is with the utmost excitement we are experiencing this landmark moment,” Clemo says. “Our new name as D’Youville University reflects the evolution and reality of our institution, with expanded graduate and doctoral degree programs, international presence, significant broadening of our academic portfolio, transition to NCAA Division II athletics, campus modernizations, and partnerships with private industry.”
The change in status from college to university is in part due to the NY State Education Department’s revision of what constitutes a university. The announcement was held at D’Youville’s historic Kavinoky Theatre, which was then followed by a day-long campus celebration.
D’Youville is a 113-year-old city of Buffalo educational institution.
Special guests included New York State Senator Timothy M. Kennedy (class of 1999), a D’Youville alumnus, and Dr. Catherine Collins from the New York State Board of Regents, who both offered remarks. Other speakers included State Senator Sean Ryan, Joseph Cozzo (graduate class of 2011), chair of the D’Youville Board of Trustees, and John Rizk, Student Government Association President.
“When D’Youville first brought this vision to my attention back in 2018, my office hit the ground running — sending letters, calling commissioners, meeting with NYSED many times — all in an effort to secure the university designation this incredible institution deserves. As an alum, this was personal for me, and we as a community refused to take no for an answer,” said New York Senator Tim Kennedy. “This was truly a collective effort, with Dr. Lorrie Clemo, Jogy Das, Nathan Marton, and so many other leaders at the helm. Paired with the community voices and alumni doing everything they could to move this process forward, along with Regent Dr. Catherine Collins’ tireless work on this, we’re thrilled to finally get this across the finish line and celebrate this major victory for D’Youville University.”
D’Youville has been on the path leading towards this day for quite some time. One of the biggest transitions that led to the university status was transitioning away from a Liberal Arts College to one that primarily offers professional and specialized degree programs.
D’Youville offers nine different doctoral programs, including three research-based academic doctorates (Doctor of Education, EdD) in Educational Leadership, Health Administration, and Health Professions Education, and six professional doctorates, including Chiropractic (DC), Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP), Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (DNP), Pharmacy (PharmD), Physical Therapy (DPT), and Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (ppOTD). The university also offers degrees at the associate, bachelor’s and master’s doctoral levels.
As part of this historic milestone, D’Youville also announced the launch of its new Center for Doctoral Studies and Applied Research, which will promote further research and scholarship opportunities to help D’Youville fulfill the expectations set forth with its new university status.
“This university designation and new Center for Doctoral Studies and Applied research underscore our ongoing work to raise the bar for academic rigor and giving back to others,” says Joseph J. Cozzo, chair of the D’Youville Board of Trustees. “Since its inception, D’Youville has nurtured a strong commitment to serve the health and vitality of our students and community. As we celebrate together, we embrace this important responsibility to serve all students and our community, today and for the future.”
“Not only does the status as a university reflect our academic excellence, but it also supports our longstanding commitment to our students and our surrounding community as a place of innovation, outreach, and growth,” Clemo says.
The announcement is the latest in a recent series of bold moves for D’Youville. The most recent, and most significant of those changes include:
- D’Youville announced its shift to a 32-hour workweek for staff and administration, citing it as a technology-driven health and wellness initiative preparing the institution for the future of work.
- D’Youville celebrated the grand opening of its Health Professions Hub — a state-of-the-art facility designed to provide collective impact — addressing the critical healthcare needs in the community, providing students with clinical experience and collaboration opportunities with area residents, and stimulating entrepreneurship and the connections to the private sector.
Anyone that has been following the economic and development progress of D’Youville, should not be surprised by this latest announcement. The university designation bodes well for future growth of a campus that has already been making significant advancements along the city’s West Side, from Connecticut Street (with The HUB) down towards the LaSalle Park area (with new athletic fields). One can only hope that these growth spurts will continue to shape and mold these host neighborhoods in similar constructive manners.
For more information, visit dyc.edu.