About the University

Mission

Colgate’s mission is to provide a demanding, expansive educational experience to a select group of diverse, talented, intellectually sophisticated students who are capable of challenging themselves, their peers, and their teachers in a setting that brings together living and learning. The purpose of the University is to develop wise, thoughtful, critical thinkers and perceptive leaders by encouraging young men and women to fulfill their potential through residence in a community that values all forms of intellectual rigor and respects the complexity of human understanding.
— from the Mission Statement

View the complete Mission Statement on Colgate’s website

Goals of a Colgate Education

A Colgate education should enable students to:

1. See themselves honestly and critically within a global and historical perspective: recognize that their beliefs, identities, interests, and values are in part a reflection of their background, education, and life experiences.
2. Understand the methodology, modes of thought, content, and discourse of a particular scholarly discipline: articulate questions for research and craft a coherent argument so as to produce a substantial work in their chosen field.
3. Conduct interdisciplinary inquiry: synthesize viewpoints from multiple disciplinary perspectives so as to overcome the limitations of any one perspective.
4. Appreciate the myriad modes of human creative expression across time and place.
5. Investigate human behavior, social relations, and institutions in order to understand the complex relationship between self and society.
6. Examine natural phenomena using the methods of science, and understand the role of science in contemporary society.
7. Acquire valuable habits of mind: listen and read well; think critically and creatively; ask challenging questions; gather relevant information and construct cogent arguments to answer them.
8. Communicate well: speak and write correctly and precisely; speak and read a second language; present information effectively.
9. Set an example of ethical behavior in public and in private: take a principled stand for what they believe and be accountable for their actions; uphold the legal and ethical uses of information.
10. Be engaged citizens and strive for a just society: embrace their responsibilities to local, national, and global communities; use their influence for the benefit of others.
11. Respect nature and the diversity of life on earth: recognize their individual and collective responsibilities for the stewardship of the earth’s resources and the natural environment.
12. Grow in both confidence and humility: affirm a set of values while respecting and learning from the diverse perspectives, identities, ways of life, and philosophies of others.
13. Continue learning beyond college: sustain a lifelong curiosity and grow in knowledge and wisdom.

Origin and History

Colgate University’s origin dates to 1817 when 13 men — six clergy and seven laymen — met in the frontier settlement of Hamilton to found the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York. To this day Colgate people consider the number 13 a good omen.

The Baptist Education Society was chartered by the state in 1819 and chose Hamilton as the site for its school, which opened in 1820. The Colgate family connection was established in 1823 when Baptists in New York City — soap maker William Colgate among them — consolidated their seminary with the school in Hamilton to form the Hamilton Literary and Theological Institution.

The oldest building on the current campus, West Hall, was built three years later in 1827. By 1834 the institution included preparatory, collegiate, and theological departments. The first students “not having the ministry in view” were admitted in 1839.

A state charter issued in 1846 changed the name to Madison University and established the right to grant degrees. Madison was changed to Colgate in 1890, recognizing nearly 70 years of continuous involvement and service by the Colgate family.

Colgate Academy, the preparatory department, was discontinued in 1912. The theological division merged with Rochester Theological Seminary in 1928 to become Colgate Rochester Divinity School, and Colgate has been non-sectarian since that time. The University became coeducational in 1970.

Colgate today is a highly selective, independent, coeducational liberal arts college enrolling approximately 2,900 undergraduates in programs that lead to a Bachelor of Arts (AB) degree. A small graduate program offers the Master of Arts (MA) and the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degrees.

The Thirteen Founders of Colgate University

The Presidents of Colgate University

Academics

Accreditation

Colgate University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher
Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, 267-284-5000. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Colgate University is also accredited by the American Chemical Society (ACS). All Colgate degree programs are registered by the New York State Education Department, Office of Higher Education and the Professions, Cultural Education Center, Room 5B28, Albany, New York 12230, 518-474-5851.

Colgate University is a member in good standing of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). The Teacher Preparation Program at Colgate University is  working toward accreditation of its educator preparation programs under the AAQEP standards with an anticipated Quality Assurance Review in Spring 2022.

Curriculum

Fully reaccredited effective June 2018 by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Colgate offers a curriculum established around four academic divisions — Arts and Humanities, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Social Sciences, and University Studies. Colgate offers 55 undergraduate majors including several interdisciplinary programs. See Majors and Minors  

The academic program consists of courses in the Liberal Arts Common Core , courses in the field of major, electives, and physical education classes. Competency must be demonstrated in a foreign or classical language and in English composition. First-year students enroll in a first-year seminar during the fall term. (See Undergraduate Program .)

Selection of the major is made before the end of the sophomore year from among the departmental majors or the interdisciplinary majors. Optional minors in all department fields are normally declared during the junior year.

Colgate offers a variety of academic experiences with an international emphasis including nine modern and two classical languages as well as more than 20 off-campus study groups, most of them overseas. As part of the liberal arts and sciences program, there are opportunities for honors, independent study, and research. The diversity within the academic program prepares students for many careers and life choices, including professions that require graduate school training.

Graduate Study

Colgate offers a small graduate program leading to the Master of Arts (MA) in several academic fields and the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree. (See Graduate Program .)

Academic Centers and Institutes

Under the auspices of the Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty, academic centers and institutes support scholarship and intellectual inquiry, often of an interdisciplinary nature. Each entity is directed by an appointed member or members of the faculty.

The Center for Freedom and Western Civilization seeks to enliven the intellectual discourse among students and faculty on campus by promoting a set of ideals that have their origins in Western civilization but are universal in scope and appeal.

The Center for International Programs supports globally focused programming and educational initiatives at the University, preparing students for success in an increasingly global world and economy.

The Center for Language and Brain scientifically explores questions regarding neural mechanisms and functions of native and foreign language use and learning.

The Center for Learning, Teaching and Research is dedicated to enhancing learning and teaching in support of the liberal arts. The center provides support for students in the areas of summer research tutoring and learning support, accessibility services, and athletic academic support.  The center also offers programming, services and resources to faculty.

The Center for Women’s Studies is a multipurpose space where students, faculty, and staff can gather to discuss a multitude of topics spanning the feminist spectrum and considering the intersectionality of identities and various forms of oppression.

Lampert Institute for Civic and Global Affairs provides a forum for study and debate in the areas of civic affairs and public leadership, applying insights from the liberal arts to the important challenges facing human beings around the world.

The Picker Interdisciplinary Science Institute fosters the creation of new knowledge that is obtainable only through the development of sustained interdisciplinary research.

The Upstate Institute promotes a better understanding of the cultural, social, economic, and environmental resources of Upstate New York.

W.M. Keck Center for Language Study is a high-tech space for the exploration of language and culture, promoting global perspectives in education.

Writing and Speaking Center provides one-on-one peer assistance with writing projects and oral presentations from across the disciplines. Writers and speakers of all levels and abilities are welcome, with no referral necessary, and students may visit at any stage of the composing process, from initial brainstorming of ideas to review of a full draft or presentation. Appointments and walk-in hours are available at several campus locations each semester.

The University Community

As a residential university in the village of Hamilton, Colgate is a community where students share the challenges, joys, and responsibilities of learning with members of the faculty and staff, and respect for individuals is expected and fostered. Students are represented on both the Academic Affairs Board and the Student Affairs Board, the two major policy-making bodies in the governance system. The liaison committees reporting to the faculty and to the Student Senate are also composed of students, professors, and administrators. These committees deal with matters ranging from multicultural affairs to the University budget.

Active and constructive participation is the key to Colgate community life. A look at the schedule of events for any given week will reveal many opportunities beyond the classroom, laboratory, and library — music, theater, art, lectures, films, athletics, community service and more — to suit almost every interest.

Students

Colgate is a community of approximately 2,900 students — a size that support a richer variety of opportunities than would be possible at a smaller college. The University seeks to admit individuals who are able and motivated to complete the academic program and who represent a diversity of talents and backgrounds that contribute to and enrich the campus community. Special promise in particular areas, such as art, music, theater, and athletics, is sought along with demonstrated academic achievement. Since 1967, academically and economically disadvantaged students with strong potential have been recruited and admitted to Colgate under the auspices of the Office of Undergraduate Studies.

Faculty

The principal purpose of the University is undergraduate education, and all faculty members have teaching as their primary responsibility. Courses are taught by faculty members, not graduate students. Students and professors share in the vigorous pursuit of learning, both inside and outside the classroom.

Colgate faculty members are productive artists, authors, and scholars whose professional work is important not only for the advancement of knowledge but also as a means by which teaching is continually refreshed and revitalized.

Interdisciplinary cooperation, exploration, and programming among members of the faculty, as well as the University’s commitment to undergraduate teaching and to the goals of academic freedom and excellence, make Colgate’s teaching and learning experience outstanding.

Alumni

Colgate’s nearly 34,000 living alumni are particularly notable for their loyalty and have a tradition of strong engagement and philanthropic support. Their achievements as distinguished graduates in almost every field continually enhance Colgate’s reputation.

Many alumni maintain an active interest in university affairs through admission recruitment, career advising, mentoring, fundraising, reunions, speaking engagements on campus, Colgate publications, and more than 60 active district clubs around the world.

The Campus

Colgate University is located in the historic village of Hamilton, at the northern end of the Chenango Valley in upstate New York. Picturesque Hamilton, with a population of approximately 4,000, is centered on a village green. Students frequently shop in the village, although many resources are available to them right on the campus. The nearly 600-acre campus rises from the valley floor and village edge to a forested hill

Academic Buildings

Alumni Hall, erected in 1860, is home to the departments of history and sociology and anthropology, the Africana and Latin American studies, Peace and Conflict studies, and Native American studies programs, and the The Longyear Museum of Anthropology.

The Dana Arts Center houses the departments of music and theater, Brehmer Theater, and the Picker Art Gallery. The building was constructed in 1965.

Hascall Hall is the office and classroom building for the Department of Philosophy. Built in 1884, it stands as a distinctive example of the Romanesque Revival style of architecture and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Robert H.N. Ho Science Center, which opened in fall 2007, houses the environmental studies, geography, geology, and physics and astronomy departments and programs, as well as part of the biology department. The building was designed to enhance learning and scholarship in the sciences, encourage multidisciplinary fields of study, promote collaborative learning, and recognize the importance of community outreach. Named in honor of Robert Hung-Ngai Ho, a member of the Class of 1956, the science center features several classrooms and teaching laboratories, the Robert M. Linsley Geology Museum, numerous faculty and student research spaces, a modern greenhouse, the Ho Tung Visualization Lab, and a geographic information systems laboratory.

Lathrop Hall, built in 1906, includes classrooms, lecture halls, and office space for the Division of University Studies, the department of writing and rhetoric, and the department of English. The Writing and Speaking Center, Upstate Institute, Max A. Shacknai Center for Outreach, Volunteerism, and Education, Colgate Speaking Union, Center for Learning, Teaching, and Research, Office of Equity and Diversity, Office of Sustainability, and the Office of the Registrar are also located in Lathrop Hall.

Lawrence Hall, erected in 1926, houses the departments of the classics, East Asian languages and literatures, German, religion, Romance languages and literatures, and interdisciplinary programs in Jewish studies, Middle Eastern and Islamic studies, and Russian and Eurasian studies, as well as the Division of the Arts and Humanities office. The building is also home to the W.M. Keck Humanities Resource Center as well as Max Kade German Center, W.H. Gifford Classics Center, Japan Studies Center, Russian Center, Robert Ho Center for Chinese Studies, and Robert Ho Lecture Room.

Little Hall, completed in 2001, is home to the Department of Art and Art History, as well as the museum studies program and the film and media studies program. It contains studio art and art history classrooms and faculty offices, as well as the Stilwill Library, a slide library, Clifford Art Gallery, and Golden Auditorium. The building also includes printmaking, video, drawing, and digital art studios. An outdoor sculpture court connects the facility with the Eric J. Ryan Studio building.

McGregory Hall was erected in 1930. The building houses the computer science and mathematics departments, the Cooley Science Library, Center for International Programs, and offices for the dean of the faculty, dean of the college, and institutional planning and research.

Foggy Bottom Observatory contains a 16-inch reflector telescope, used on more than 100 nights each year for course instruction and faculty/student research. This and several smaller telescopes are used by students in introductory classes for observing stars, planets, and nebulae, and by upper-level students for research studies of quasars, galaxies, and supernova explosions.

Olin Hall, which opened in 1971, contains classrooms, teaching and research laboratories, and offices for the departments of biology and psychological and brain sciences. The building houses state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, quarters for both warm- and cold-blooded animals, individual experimental rooms for psychology, a microscopy suite, Love Auditorium, and the George R. Cooley Herbarium.

Persson Hall, built in 1994, houses the departments of economics, educational studies, and political science, as well as the Division of Social Sciences office.

The Eric J. Ryan Studio, connected to Little Hall, opened in 1974 and provides facilities for teaching studio art and theater. It also contains studios for painting, sculpture, and photography, as well as rehearsal rooms for drama and jazz.

Spear House, built in 1835 by Joel Smith Bacon, professor of mathematics and natural philosophy and intellectual and moral philosophy, houses offices for faculty members in the Division of Social Sciences.

Wynn Hall, the chemical sciences building, opened in 1979. Connected by tunnels to the other science buildings on campus, it houses laboratories, class and seminar rooms, and departmental offices, as well as the health sciences advising office.

The Libraries

Case Library and Geyer Center for Information Technology

Case Library and Geyer Center for Information Technology, a five-story, 151,000-square-foot structure bringing together Colgate’s print, media, and digital resources, opened in March 2007. Case Library serves the arts and humanities, social sciences, interdisciplinary areas, and university studies. The Geyer Center for Information Technology serves the computing and technology needs of the entire Colgate community. The interactive, user-friendly facility supports the collaborative learning that is central to study in the liberal arts. Its atrium provides natural light throughout the building and shows the library’s centrality to campus life, while its four reading rooms celebrate Colgate’s sense of place with northern-looking vistas on the Chenango Valley. Decades of collection growth will utilize the library automated storage and retrieval (LASR) system, which can hold 550,000 volumes, all conveniently accessed through the library online catalog.

Collections

The Libraries supports student and faculty research with a collection of approximately 840,406 print book/periodical volumes, 570,194 ebooks, 464 databases, and 164,085 print and digital periodicals. Maps, state and U.S. government documents, audio recordings, and 13,064 physical and 99,325 streaming films round out the collections. The Libraries support rapid access to materials not owned using an interlibrary loan network of regional and national libraries and participation in the Center for Research Libraries.

Library web page

The Libraries’ website features access to a broad range of resources, services, and collections. The power behind the large search box on the library website is Summon, a kind of search engine for research materials. Use Summon to discover:

• (e-)books and (e-)journals
• full-text articles
• conference proceedings
• theses and dissertations
• video and audio recordings
• images
• manuscripts
• maps
• digital collections

Patrons can also access course and subject guides tailored to the current curriculum by our library faculty, in addition to finding aids and digital collections from our University Archives and Special Collections.

Services

Librarians - The Libraries have subject librarians who develop the Libraries’ collection, provide introductory and advanced research assistance for students, and support faculty research. Librarians also work in collaboration with faculty members to lead research instruction sessions specific to individual courses and research projects. Librarians are available for one-on-one research consultations by appointment and accessible via text, email, and phone.

The interlibrary loan service provides ready access to resources beyond the Colgate libraries’ collections. Faculty members may put materials on reserve for students’ convenient access. 

Resource Sharing (Interlibrary Loan) is a free service that provides access to research materials not owned by Colgate University Libraries. This service expands the Libraries’ collection to a global scale where students, faculty, and staff can access materials from around the world.  Course related materials such as books, film, and articles may be placed on physical and/or digital reserve for students’ fair and equitable use.

Facilities

The Case Library and Geyer Center for Information Technology includes state-of-the-art facilities for research and scholarship.

The level-five Learning Commons provides a wide array of user spaces including Chobani at the Hieber café, 24-hour study space, the Batza Meeting Room, Cronin Learning Lab, Grover-Hargrove Digital Learning and Media Center, group study rooms, seminar rooms, and a reading room with a beautiful view of Taylor Lake. Level four provides a variety of study spaces, books, and periodicals.

On the level-three main corridor, staff members provide user assistance at the Circulation Desk and ITS Service Desk. Group study rooms, individual computers stations, scanners, and printers are also available for use.

Level one houses government documents and audio and video recording studios. The Special Collections Department on level two houses major collections on Joseph Conrad and George Bernard Shaw, rare books, the University Archives, a wide range of historical and biographical materials relating to alumni and the faculty, and significant collections of Hamilton and Madison County history. Level two includes study space and books.

The George R. Cooley Science Library

The George R. Cooley Science Library in McGregory Hall provides print collections in the subjects of psychology, general science, mathematics, computer science, the natural sciences, medicine, and technology. Its study spaces, course reserves, circulation and research services are available to all Colgate students and faculty.

Administrative and Program Facilities

In addition to buildings that house Colgate’s various administrative departments, a variety of centers, institutes, and other entities on campus serve as hubs for outreach, learning, and support of students and other members of the community in specific mission- and function-based aspects of both curricular and co-curricular endeavors. All facilities are located on campus unless otherwise noted.

Administrative Buildings

Athletics Facilities are described in Residential Life .

Benton Hall, which opened in 2018, houses Career Services, the Office of National Fellowships and Scholarships, and the Thought Into Action entrepreneurship program. Funded exclusively through the support of Colgate alumni and parents, this facility provides 18,500 square feet of interactive advising, teaching, event, and program space.

The Bewkes Center, a 140-acre family farm located a few miles west of the campus, was the gift of E. Garrett Bewkes Jr., Class of 1948. The property includes a 19th-century stone house, an 11-acre pond, and a cottage. It is used for student ecological, environmental, meteorological, and geological research, and employee recreation.

The Colgate Bookstore is the largest independent bookstore in central New York. Located one mile from campus in Hamilton, it serves as Colgate’s academic course book retailer as well as a general bookseller. The bookstore, which operates under the auspices of the Division of Finance and Administration, also sells Colgate clothing and gifts, computers and computer equipment; and school, art, and dorm supplies. Rounding out the facility are a community event space, comfortable seating, and wireless Internet access.

James B. Colgate Hall, built as the library in 1890, became an office building in 1964. In this building are the Hurwitz Admission Center and financial aid department, as well as other administrative offices including the president’s; finance and administration, accounting and control, budget and decision support, and community affairs and auxiliary services; and corporate, foundation, and government relations.

The Colgate Inn on the village green in Hamilton serves the University and the community as a gathering place for meals, events, and meetings and provides hotel accommodations for visitors. The inn is operated by a private hotel management company under the umbrella of the Colgate Inn, LLC.

Colgate Memorial Chapel is used for chapel and University Church services, convocations, concerts and other performances, and lectures. The garden level houses the Office of the Chaplains and other offices, a small ecumenical chapel, a seminar area, a meeting/assembly/warm-up area, and music practice units. The building was erected in 1918 as a memorial to James B. Colgate by his daughter, Mary Colgate.

The James C. Colgate Student Union, located on the lower campus, was built in 1937. It houses meeting rooms and offices for student organizations, student publications, a student television studio, rehearsal and performance space, Donovan’s Pub, a game room, and the Hall of Presidents, which is used for concerts, banquets, and events.

Conant House is dedicated to the Counseling Center.

Curtiss E. Frank Dining Hall, built in 1984, is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week; it serves students who live in residence halls and is open to all in the Colgate community.

88 Hamilton Street houses the Campus Safety Department.

The Hamilton Movie Theater is an historic community resource providing diverse film programming open to the public. It is operated by the Hamilton Initiative, LLC.

Student Health Services is located at 150 Broad St. (Route 12B), between Reid Athletic Center and Community Memorial Hospital. A satellite walk-in clinic is located on the lower level of Curtis Hall on the upper campus.

Merrill House, built in 1899, was a gift of James B. Colgate. It houses the offices of communications and planning, design, and construction, as well as a faculty/staff dining service, with gathering spaces for receptions and small meetings.

O’Connor Campus Center (the “Coop”) is the primary hub for out-of-class student activity on campus, providing a comfortable informal dining area. The Coop also houses the Center for Leadership and Student Involvement, Student Government Association, Colgate Activities Board, a small convenience store, student travel agency, community lounge and meeting space, campus mail facility, WRCU radio station, university printing, and a public computer center.

1 Madison Street and 14 Utica Street in the village of Hamilton house the Division of Institutional Advancement.

The Palace Theater in the village of Hamilton is an alternative entertainment venue for the Colgate and Hamilton communities. It is leased to an external nonprofit arts organization.

Raab House (formerly Watson House) serves as the residence for the president of Colgate and was originally the gift of Mrs. Thomas Watson. Built in 1962, it was renamed in 2011 following a generous gift from trustee emeritus Kirk ‘59 P’12’12 and Maryann Raab to renovate the house.

The Paul J. Schupf Studio Art Center, located at 54 Montgomery Street in downtown Hamilton, provides approximately 8,000 square feet of studio space for faculty members and students.

Seven Oaks Golf Course, a Robert Trent Jones–designed course adjacent to campus, is both a public course with a restaurant and catering facility and home to Colgate’s varsity men’s golf team.

Spear House, built in 1835 by Joel Smith Bacon, professor of mathematics and natural philosophy and intellectual and moral philosophy, houses office for faculty members in the Division of Social Sciences.

Student Residences are described in Residential Life .

Program Facilities

The ALANA Cultural Center fosters understanding and appreciation of Africana, Latin American, Asian American, and Native American cultures, struggles, and accomplishments. Sponsoring extensive programming throughout the year, the center collaborates with both ALANA student organizations and academic programs concerned with multicultural issues and education. The center, whose programming falls under the auspices of the Office of the Dean of the College, offers a computer room, kitchen, lounge/study area, and several seminar/meeting rooms, and serves as a gathering place for students.

The Center for International Programs in McGregory Hall houses the Office of Off-Campus Study, the Lampert Institute for Civic and Global Affairs, and the Office of International Student Services. Activities that prepare students for their study-abroad experience, along with events sponsored by international student organizations, take place in the center. The center is also a vibrant and flexible space for others to host events and programs that extend Colgate’s reach around the world. With its conference room, lounge, and kitchen, the center also serves as a gathering space for students, professors, and staff members. The director is the associate dean of the faculty for global and local initiatives.

The Center for Learning, Teaching, and Research enhances and supports student learning and faculty teaching. It serves as a clearinghouse for information and consultation about the development of academic skills and competencies that support high achievement. The center’s staff members coordinate tutoring services and arrange one-on-one tutoring and peer-led group learning programs and undergraduate research. The center also has a variety of resources for faculty development, teaching, and scholarship. The director is an appointed member of the faculty and reports to the Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty.

The Center for Women’s Studies, located on the ground floor of East Hall, extends education on issues of gender and women’s studies to the entire Colgate community. The center, which is affiliated with the Women’s Studies Program and LGTBQ+ Initiatives, offers a classroom, offices, and a reading room with books, magazines, journals, and other resources. Dialogue among students, professors, and staff members, as well as discussion groups, films, and other outreach programs sponsored by the center enhance the understanding of gender issues and the intellectual development of Colgate students outside the classroom.

Chapel House, which is administered through the Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty, provides a meditative environment for the study of religious books, art, and music. There is a library of several thousand volumes; works of religious art by Buddhist, Christian, Confucian, Hindu, Jewish, and Muslim artists; a collection of recorded religious music; a chapel; six guest rooms; and a dining room where meals are served to resident guests.

Haven, Colgate’s sexual violence response center, is located on the garden level of Curtis Hall.

The Max A. Shacknai Center for Outreach, Volunteerism, and Education (the COVE), Colgate’s center for service, citizenship, and community building, fosters commitment to social responsibility and civic engagement within the community. Housed in Lathrop Hall and part of Office of the Dean of the College initiatives, the COVE supports 40 student-led community-based teams (volunteer groups); offers alternative break opportunities; serves as a resource to the faculty for developing and teaching service-learning courses; sponsors an internship program; offers a pre-orientation service program; participates in campus life initiatives; offers topical, skill-based learning opportunities; raises awareness for local, national, and global social issues; and provides social change–oriented career choice exploration programs. The COVE’s space includes a lounge, conference room, and staff offices.

The Michael Saperstein Jewish Center, built in 1993, provides a setting for weekly Shabbat services, Passover seders, and observance of Jewish holidays. It is equipped with a kosher kitchen. The center offers lectures by speakers of international renown and social and educational opportunities for all students interested in Jewish religious and cultural life, and serves as a lounge and meeting space. The center is administered through the Office of the Dean of the College.

The Shaw Wellness Institute, located at 113 Broad St. and reports through the Office of the Dean of the College, promotes the holistic development of students, encouraging them and other members of the Colgate community to lead healthy, balanced, and purposeful lives. The institute’s work includes the identification and prioritization of health issues that impact student success; individualized services for alcohol and other drugs and nutrition; resources and support for students managing disordered eating, body image, or eating disorders; skills-based workshops and trainings on a range of health-related behaviors; peer-led health education and alumni mentoring; and collaboration with campus partners on wellness programs and services.

The W.M. Keck Humanities Resource Center in Lawrence Hall features state-of-the-art technology to facilitate the study of language, culture, and humanities.

The Writing and Speaking Center, located in Lathrop Hall and part of Colgate’s academic division, provides students with one-on-one peer assistance with writing projects and oral presentations in any discipline. Writers and speakers of all levels and abilities are welcome, with no referral necessary, and students may visit at any stage of the composing process, from initial brainstorming of ideas to review of a full draft or presentation. Appointments and walk-in hours are available at several campus locations each semester.

Specialized Facilities

Several campus facilities used for teaching also open their doors to the public for viewing and special programs and events or benefit the public in other ways.

Colgate University Press, founded in 1964 by seven members of the faculty, publishes at a modest, self-supporting rate.

The Ho Tung Visualization Lab is a digital theater, planetarium, and 3D-visualization classroom for immersive learning and research experiences.

The Robert M. Linsley Geology Museum exhibits geology collections including the Edward Lathrop, J.H. TenEyck Burr, John H. Vosburgh, and William Urban collections of minerals and gems, and the G. Arthur Cooper and Ledyard Lincklaen collection of Devonian fossils.

The Longyear Museum of Anthropology is a teaching museum. The collection of archaeological, ethnological, and artistic materials, primarily relating to the Americas and Africa, includes the Mortimer C. Howe Collection of American Indian artifacts; the Herbert W. Bigford, William Bennett, and Theodore Whitney collections of Oneida Indian and pre-Iroquois archaeology; contemporary paintings, drawings, prints, and mixed media works by Canadian First Nations artists; and the Herman Copen Collection of African art.

The Museum of the Chenango Valley in Olin Hall houses the the George R. Cooley Herbarium, much of whose botanical collection was given by Mr. Cooley, a member of the Class of 1921, as well as vertebrate and invertebrate specimens from locations near and far.

Visual and Performing Arts Facilities

Several campus buildings and facilities used for teaching also open their doors to the public for arts programs and events.

The Clifford Gallery in Little Hall is a teaching gallery featuring four to six exhibitions a year. Exhibitions are selected by the art and art history faculty to explore issues originating in the academic curriculum. The primary focus is the display of professional work by contemporary artists. These artists are often featured in the weekly public lecture series described below. The Clifford Gallery is open to the entire community and contributes to the cultural life of the central New York area.

Golden Auditorium in Little Hall offers state-of-the-art projection capabilities

Colgate Memorial Chapel

The Picker Art Gallery, on the second and third floors of Dana Arts Center, offers frequent traveling exhibitions of international scope, as well as exhibitions of antiquity, Asian, African, Old Master, and 20th-century works from its permanent collection.

Brehmer Theater is the setting, each year, for up to 10 theater productions, each staged as many as six or seven times, as well as concerts and lecture events.

Information Technology Services

Colgate Information Technology Services (ITS) provides an array of computing and technology resources for every member of the community. The ITS service portfolio includes the essentials of end user support, desktop and public computing, Internet services, information security, learning technologies, research and high performance computing, management of Colgate’s enterprise sustems that help run the business of the University, and helping colleagues use and make sense of data.

ITS Service Desk Located on the third floor of Case-Geyer. For more information about services and hours visit the ITS web page, colgate.edu/information-technology. Students and members of the faculty and staff can also call 315-228-7111 or e-mail itshelp@colgate.edu.

Public Computing Resources

O’Connor Lab is located on the ground level of O’Connor Campus Center and offers computers with a variety of productivity software as well as printers and scanners. Student assistants are available when the lab is open to maintain the printers in the lab and assist with general computing questions.

The Case-Geyer Library and Center for Information Technology has 103 computers available for use by members of the Colgate community. The workstations and printers are located mainly on the 3rd and 5th floors and are available whenever the building is open. Student assistants and professional staff at the ITS Service Desk on the 3rd floor are available to assist with printers and general computing questions.

Cooley Science Library has 22 public computers, several printers and scanners, apple chargers, and a charging station available for use by members of the Colgate community. 

Departmental Labs Academic departments maintain specialized computer labs that offer students, by permission, access to advanced software and discipline-specific equipment. Departmental lab configurations and access policies vary by department. Check with individual departments for details on using these resources.

Internet Access Most areas of campus, including student residential spaces, academic and administrative buildings, many athletic facilities, and outdoor spaces have wireless Internet access. Members of the Colgate community can join the secure eduroam network using their Colgate e-mail address and password. For devices that do not support highly secure networks, like game systems and media streaming devices, we offer the Colgate Gaming and Media network. Guests of the University are welcome to join the Colgate Guest network for basic Internet access.

Research and High Performance Computing The Research and High Performance Computing team works with faculty and students to provide computing services well beyond what a traditional computer system can offer. These services include parallel computer clusters, big-CPU and big-RAM systems, and storage for large data sets. It is located on the 3rd floor of Case Geyer in room 350.

Special Support for Teaching, Learning and Research The Learning and Applied Innovation team of instructional design and training professionals provides coordinated support to faculty, students, and staff who wish to use current and emerging technologies to develop more creative connections among teaching, learning, and technology. Visitors can check in at the service desk or follow signs to the Learning and Applied Innovation Suite on the 3rd floor of Case Geyer.

Classroom Technology Virtually all of Colgate’s classrooms include computer and presentation technology. The vast majority of learning spaces are outfitted with data projectors or large TVs, Mac and/or Windows computers with the latest operating systems, modern control systems, Blu-ray/DVD playback capabilities, and laptop connections (VGA and HDMI). Classroom computers are connected via fast network switches to the Internet and network resources.

The Classroom, Digital Media and Events department, within Information Technology Services, is staffed with classroom and event specialists who respond to classroom emergencies, augment capabilities, and maintain the University’s many classroom and event spaces.

Unique and Innovative Resources

• The Anita Grover ‘74 and Tom Hargrove P’14 Digital Learning and Media Center (DLMC), located in the Learning Commons on level five of Case-Geyer, is a collaborative studio for digital media creation and manipulation. The DLMC houses 16 Macintosh workstations and serves as both a classroom for formal instruction and a lab for individual student work.
• The video and audio studios, located on level one of Case-Geyer, house professional equipment capable of producing high-end audio and video productions.
• The W.M. Keck Humanities Resource Center, located in Lawrence Hall, provides technologies and staff support for language learning and instruction.
• The Hub is a collection of resources (3D printers, scanners, drones, and microcontrollers) that support the Colgate community in the exploration of “maker” technologies that can enhance teaching, learning, research, and creative work. The Learning and Applied Innovation team strives to foster an environment of collaboration, experimentation, creativity, and innovation among students, faculty, and staff members.

Media Collection, Support, and Equipment Checkout Faculty, staff, and students have access to an extensive media collection and can borrow many types of computing and media equipment in the Case-Geyer building. Members of the Colgate community can check out laptops, digital cameras, audio recording devices, and digital video cameras for on- and off-campus curricular work and research (all based on availability).

Web-Based Services

• Maintained in collaboration with the Communications Office, the University’s main website (www.colgate.edu), offers important information to a variety of constituencies including prospective and current students, alumni, parents, the faculty and staff, and the local and regional community.
• The Colgate Mobile App also provides the latest University news, a campus map, area information, dining menus, Colgate Cruiser bus schedules, laundry tracking, special event notifications and schedules, and more.
• The Colgate Portal (portal.colgate.edu) provides students, faculty, and staff anywhere/anytime access to a variety of Colgate-related web-based services. 

Data Support Located on the 5th floor of Case-Geyer, the Data Analytics and Decision Support team helps faculty, staff, and students work with datasets, reports, dashboards and data visualizations.​

Television Service Colgate provides a subscription to SpectrumU, accessible from mobile devices including laptops, phones and tablets.