Hofstra University
Encyclopedia
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian
institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead
, New York
, United States
, about 25 miles (40.2 km) east of New York City
: less than an hour away by train or car. It originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University
(NYU) called "Nassau College - Hofstra Memorial of New York University at Hempstead
, Long Island"; in 1937, the institution gained independence as Hofstra College, and in 1963, Hofstra College gained university status. The school is noted for a series of prominent Presidential conferences, at which the administrations of former U.S. Presidents—most recently, William Jefferson Clinton—are debated by leading political figures and intellectuals, and has also hosted conferences and symposia featuring dignitaries as diverse as Margaret Thatcher and Howard Dean. The university organizes a wide range of other international academic conferences (many under the aegis of the Hofstra Cultural Center), holds an annual Shakespeare festival in its own replica of the Globe Theatre
, and has both an arboretum and bird sanctuary.
, and a total of approximately 12,400 students overall, a figure which includes part-time undergraduates, graduates and law students.
The campus has approximately 113 buildings on 240 acres (97.1 ha). The part of the campus located south of Hempstead Turnpike (NY Route 24) and west of California Avenue is located in the Village of Hempstead. The part of the campus north of Hempstead Turnpike and east of California Avenue is located in Uniondale.
The school's acceptance rate is 53%. Average SAT scores in the university range from 1200–1330, and are significantly higher in the Honors College.
in 19 academic areas. Nationally, fewer than 100 colleges and universities match this achievement.
Current Hofstra faculty have founded and edited a number of leading national and international academic journals, among them Twentieth-Century Literature; the Hofstra Hispanic Review; and the peer-reviewed Journal of Medieval Iberian Studies (JMIS), which also receives support from Western Michigan University, and which is published twice a year by Taylor and Francis. In the field of law, the university hosts and/or supports the Hofstra Law Review; the Family Court Review; the Journal of International Business and Law (JIBL); and the Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal, widely regarded as one of the premier authorities in the fields of labor and employment law and as one of the preeminent specialty journals in the US.
Hofstra has hosted an annual festival of William Shakespeare
plays for more than half a century. The regular Shakespeare productions are performed in Hofstra's own Globe Theatre
replica in the John Cranford Adams Playhouse (named for the educator who served as Hofstra University president during its first period of major growth.) The university also hosts an annual Irish Festival, and an annual "Italian Experience" which has grown to be a popular Long Island tradition, as well as one of the largest festivals of its kind in the United States.
Hofstra's successful bid to host a Presidential debate in 2008 provided the springboard for a broad, campus-wide program called “Educate ‘08,” featuring a year of free lectures, conferences and other events about politics and public policy. The program featured national media and political figures as guest speakers, including George Stephanopoulos
, Maureen Dowd, Ari Fleischer, James Carville and Mary Matalin. “Educate ‘08” gave way to “Define ‘09”, a program which brought to campus various speakers to examine the impact of the historic election of the nation’s first African-American president and the policy challenges facing the Obama Administration. In September 2009, Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz announced the appointment of two Senior Presidential Fellows at the university's Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency: Republican strategist and former Presidential advisor Edward J. Rollins and former Vermont governor, presidential candidate and Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean.
Hofstra is a first tier national university, ranked at #128, according to the 2012 edition of US News & World Report, significantly up from #139 a year earlier.
Hofstra’s original seal was created by Professor of Art Constant van de Wall in 1937. The insignia was derived from the official seal of the reigning house of the Netherlands
, the House of Orange-Nassau
. It is used with the permission of the Dutch monarch. At the bottom of the seal were the words Je Maintiendrai, meaning “I stand steadfast” in French.
In 1939, Hofstra celebrated its first four-year commencement, graduating a class of 83 students. The first graduates had strong feelings for the new institution. When they were allowed to choose whether they would receive degrees from New York University or Hofstra, they overwhelmingly chose Hofstra degrees. Academic recognition of Hofstra was affirmed when the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools accepted Hofstra for membership on November 22, 1940. Early in 1941 the college was elected to membership in the American Association of Colleges.
In 1950 Calkins Gymnasium was the site of the first Shakespeare Festival. It was performed on a five-sixths-sized replica of the Globe Theatre.
With the approval of the New York State Board of Regents, Hofstra became Long Island’s first private university on March 1, 1963. Also in that year, the Board of Trustees resolved to make Hofstra architecturally barrier-free for individuals with physical disabilities, stating that all students should have access to higher education. Although this later became federal law, Hofstra was recognized as a pioneer in this regard. Other forward-thinking programs and events followed, including the New Opportunities at Hofstra (NOAH) program, which was established the following year. NOAH is Hofstra’s Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program.
In 1963, Mitchel Air Force Base
was closed by the military and declared surplus property. The University asked for acreage to be used for educational purposes and was eventually granted 110 acre (0.4451546 km²). Remnants of the concrete runways from the Air Force Base serve as parking lots for Hofstra's North Campus.
The University reorganized its divisions into “schools” in the 1960s. Hofstra was authorized by the Board of Regents to offer its first doctoral degrees in 1966. In 1968, the Hofstra Stadium became the first to install Astroturf outdoors in the East, and the New York Jets began holding their summer training camp to the North Campus, until 2008, when the Jets moved to Florham Park, New Jersey.
Hofstra University hosted the third and final 2008 Presidential debate on October 15, 2008 between Barack Obama and John McCain. 2008 Presidential Debate - Hofstra University The debate, the first Presidential debate in New York since the 1960 debate between John F. Kennedy and then Vice-President Richard M. Nixon, focused on economic policy
and domestic issues. It is remembered for McCain's introduction and frequent references to "Joe the Plumber
."
Events at Hofstra attracted the attention of national news media in September 2009 when a female student, Danmell Ndonye, falsely accused
five men of raping her in a dormitory bathroom. Charges against all men were eventually dismissed.
Hofstra University teams had the unofficial nickname
of the Flying Dutchmen
(or Dutchmen or just Dutch). The school's official team name became "The Pride" in 2004, referring to a pair of lion
s which became the school's athletic mascot
s in the late 1980s. The Pride nickname evolved from the Hofstra Pride on-and off-campus image campaign that began in 1987, during the university's dramatic recovery and growth. This followed a financial crisis in the 1970s that forced the layoff of more than 100 employees. The school's revival was credited in large part to the man who led the University from 1976 to 2001—educator, government official and former Hofstra football star Dr. James M. Shuart. Hofstra Stadium
, the school's main outdoor athletic facility, has been named James M. Shuart Stadium since 2002.
Prior to 2008, the New York Jets
held summer training camp at their on-campus headquarters before moving to their new headquarters in Florham Park, New Jersey
.
On Thursday, December 3, 2009, the university announced it was terminating the football program. Under NCAA rules, any football players who choose to transfer to other schools will be eligible to play immediately, and not subjected to normal residency waiting periods. Scholarship-holders who wished to stay at Hofstra were permitted to keep their scholarships.
On Saturday, February 26, 2011, Hofstra Senior Day, the university retired the basketball jersey number 22 to honor senior Charles Jenkins before the end of the season. Jenkins, the school's all-time leading scorer, ranked fifth in the nation at 23.3 points per game last season (as of February 22, 2011) and was the front-runner to win Colonial Athletic Association
Player of the Year
honors. "I think it's very rare," head coach Mo Cassara
said by phone to reporter Jeff Eisenberg. "We have 25 other athletes that have had their numbers retired here at Hofstra, but none of them have ever been retired while they were still here at their last games. He's been such an integral part of this university on so many levels that we thought that was the highest honor we could give him." No other Hofstra athlete in any sport has received the same honor, though Wake Forest
's Tim Duncan
and Duke
's Christian Laettner
, Bobby Hurley
and Grant Hill
all had their jerseys retired before their last home games.
announced plans to establish a new school of medicine
. While it will not be the first medical school in Nassau County
(that distinction is held by the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine
), it will be the first to grant the Doctor of Medicine
(M.D.) degree. They are now accepting applications for their second class.
(88.7). The noncommercial broadcaster was founded in 1950 as WHCH, a campus-limited station, and received its broadcast license on June 9, 1959, using the call letters WVHC. The station became WRHU (for Radio Hofstra University) in 1983. WRHU currently serves as the radio home of the New York Islanders
.
Avi Arad, Madeline Kahn, Adam Green.
, Alpha Epsilon Phi
, Kappa Sigma
, and a business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi
(1989). Tau Epsilon Phi and Tau Kappa Epsilon are the oldest fraternities on campus, both arriving in 1969. The Sigma Delta Tau
Sorority claims to be one of the oldest nationally recognized sororities on campus.
Hofstra, as a University that promotes diversity, has also adopted in its Interfraternity-Sorority Council several ethnic organizations. Many national black and Latino organizations also surged in development in the 1990s and as a result have a large presence on the campus. Several are currently inactive. Overall Greek Lettered organizations contribute to much of the philanthropy on campus, well as much of the school spirit. During events like Homecoming parades, students and alumni notice a majority of Greek Lettered floats. And the Sinterklaas celebration, a fifteen year-old tradition of a holiday village built and constructed annually by members of the Greek lettered community for local children to play in and around during the December holiday season. One of its largest events, Greek Week held in the Spring semester, is a week long series of events of competition. Mainly sports, well as toga skits, banner competitions, a can castle, for local homeless shelters, and a relay race the community generates a lot of attention. The Greek-Lettered community is often noted for maintaining many traditions, and loyalty towards their alma mater. In addition, is noted for creating much of the social life on and off campus.
Since 2001, when the newest President of the University took office three additional social organizations have colonized and chartered chapters on campus: the Delta Chi Fraternity, the Delta Gamma
Fraternity, and the Pi Kappa Alpha
Fraternity. The Phi Delta Theta
Fraternity applied successfully for colonization in the Spring 2010 semester. The Alpha Epsilon Pi
Fraternity applied successfully for re-colonization in the Spring 2010 Semester. As of August 2010, no new organizations are pending. Only three social organizations, the Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority, the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, and the Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity, remain inactive.
Nonsectarian
Nonsectarian, in its most literal sense, refers to a lack of sectarianism. The term is also more narrowly used to describe secular private educational institutions or other organizations either not affiliated with or not restricted to a particular religious denomination though the organization...
institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead
Hempstead (village), New York
Hempstead is a village located in the town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 53,891 at the 2010 census.Hofstra University is located on the border between Hempstead and Uniondale.-Foundation:...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, about 25 miles (40.2 km) east of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
: less than an hour away by train or car. It originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
(NYU) called "Nassau College - Hofstra Memorial of New York University at Hempstead
Hempstead (village), New York
Hempstead is a village located in the town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 53,891 at the 2010 census.Hofstra University is located on the border between Hempstead and Uniondale.-Foundation:...
, Long Island"; in 1937, the institution gained independence as Hofstra College, and in 1963, Hofstra College gained university status. The school is noted for a series of prominent Presidential conferences, at which the administrations of former U.S. Presidents—most recently, William Jefferson Clinton—are debated by leading political figures and intellectuals, and has also hosted conferences and symposia featuring dignitaries as diverse as Margaret Thatcher and Howard Dean. The university organizes a wide range of other international academic conferences (many under the aegis of the Hofstra Cultural Center), holds an annual Shakespeare festival in its own replica of the Globe Theatre
Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613...
, and has both an arboretum and bird sanctuary.
Campus
There are 1,185 faculty members, 7,631 full-time undergraduates enrollmentConcurrent enrolment
Concurrent enrolment or concurrent enrollment is a program through which students earn college credit for courses taken during high school. Students enroll at a university or college to attain high school and/or college credit for these courses. More broadly, it can refer to a student taking...
, and a total of approximately 12,400 students overall, a figure which includes part-time undergraduates, graduates and law students.
The campus has approximately 113 buildings on 240 acres (97.1 ha). The part of the campus located south of Hempstead Turnpike (NY Route 24) and west of California Avenue is located in the Village of Hempstead. The part of the campus north of Hempstead Turnpike and east of California Avenue is located in Uniondale.
The school's acceptance rate is 53%. Average SAT scores in the university range from 1200–1330, and are significantly higher in the Honors College.
Academic and intellectual distinctions
Hofstra holds full accreditationAccreditation
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies ; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited...
in 19 academic areas. Nationally, fewer than 100 colleges and universities match this achievement.
Current Hofstra faculty have founded and edited a number of leading national and international academic journals, among them Twentieth-Century Literature; the Hofstra Hispanic Review; and the peer-reviewed Journal of Medieval Iberian Studies (JMIS), which also receives support from Western Michigan University, and which is published twice a year by Taylor and Francis. In the field of law, the university hosts and/or supports the Hofstra Law Review; the Family Court Review; the Journal of International Business and Law (JIBL); and the Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal, widely regarded as one of the premier authorities in the fields of labor and employment law and as one of the preeminent specialty journals in the US.
Hofstra has hosted an annual festival of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
plays for more than half a century. The regular Shakespeare productions are performed in Hofstra's own Globe Theatre
Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613...
replica in the John Cranford Adams Playhouse (named for the educator who served as Hofstra University president during its first period of major growth.) The university also hosts an annual Irish Festival, and an annual "Italian Experience" which has grown to be a popular Long Island tradition, as well as one of the largest festivals of its kind in the United States.
Hofstra's successful bid to host a Presidential debate in 2008 provided the springboard for a broad, campus-wide program called “Educate ‘08,” featuring a year of free lectures, conferences and other events about politics and public policy. The program featured national media and political figures as guest speakers, including George Stephanopoulos
George Stephanopoulos
George Robert Stephanopoulos is an American television journalist and a former political advisor.Stephanopoulos is most well known as the chief political correspondent for ABC News – the news division of the broadcast television network ABC – and a co-anchor of ABC News's morning news...
, Maureen Dowd, Ari Fleischer, James Carville and Mary Matalin. “Educate ‘08” gave way to “Define ‘09”, a program which brought to campus various speakers to examine the impact of the historic election of the nation’s first African-American president and the policy challenges facing the Obama Administration. In September 2009, Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz announced the appointment of two Senior Presidential Fellows at the university's Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency: Republican strategist and former Presidential advisor Edward J. Rollins and former Vermont governor, presidential candidate and Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean.
Hofstra is a first tier national university, ranked at #128, according to the 2012 edition of US News & World Report, significantly up from #139 a year earlier.
Schools and Colleges
- Hofstra College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
- Frank G. Zarb School of BusinessFrank G. Zarb School of BusinessThe Frank G. Zarb School of Business, located at Hofstra University, is noted for its dual AACSB accreditations in business and accounting. The school is named after alumnus Frank G. Zarb, '57 B.B.A., '62 M.B.A., who was the chair and CEO of the National Association of Securities Dealers and a...
- Hofstra University Honors College
- School for University Studies
- School of Communication
- School of Education, Health & Human Services
- Hofstra University School of LawHofstra University School of LawThe Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University is located in Hempstead, New York. Founded in 1970 and accredited by the ABA in 1971, the school offers a JD, a joint JD/MBA degree, and LL.M degrees in American Law and Family law...
- Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine
Centers and institutes
- Center for Children, Families and the Law
- Center for Civic Engagement
- Center for Continuing Education
- Center for Educational Access and Success (CEAS)
- Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development
- Center for Legal Advocacy
- National Center for Suburban Studies
- Center for Teaching and Scholarly Excellence (CTSE/CTE)
- Center for Technological Literacy
- Center for the Study of Attitudes Toward Persons with Disabilities
- Center for the Study of Higher Education
- Center for the Study of Labor and Democracy (CSLD)
- Diane Linder-Goldberg Child Care Institute
- Institute of the ArtsHofstra Institute of the ArtsThe Hofstra Institute of the Arts, founded in 1958 at Hofstra University, provides broad cultural programs for the benefit of University and community audiences. The Institute supports interdisciplinary programs that relate to and serve the creative and performing arts...
- Hofstra University Cultural Center (HUCC)
- Hofstra University Foundation
- Institute for Health Law and Policy
- Institute for the Development of Education in the Advanced Sciences (IDEAS)
- Institute for Real Estate
- Institute for the Study and Treatment of Anger and Aggression
- Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation
- Institute for the Study of Gender, Law and Policy
- Institute for the Study of Legal Ethics
- Long Island Studies Institute (LISI)
- Merrill Lynch Center for the Study of International Financial Service and MarketsFrank G. Zarb School of BusinessThe Frank G. Zarb School of Business, located at Hofstra University, is noted for its dual AACSB accreditations in business and accounting. The school is named after alumnus Frank G. Zarb, '57 B.B.A., '62 M.B.A., who was the chair and CEO of the National Association of Securities Dealers and a...
- Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency
- Racehorse Ownership Institute
- Saltzman Community Services Center
- Scott Skodnek Business Development CenterScott Skodnek Business Development CenterIn the early 1990s, Hofstra University founded the Scott Skodnek Business Development Center . The mission of the Scott Skodnek Business Development Center is to help businesses, public entities and community organizations on Long Island and in the metropolitan area succeed in their various...
(BDC) - Wilber F. Breslin Center for Real Estate StudiesWilber F. Breslin Center for Real Estate StudiesOn September 19th 2007 Hofstra established the Wilbur F. Breslin Center for Real Estate Studies.Mr. Wilbur F. Breslin , the man responsible for some of Long Island's big commercial projects helped launch Hofstra University's Wilbur F...
History
The college—established as an extension of NYU—was founded on the estate of a recently deceased wealthy couple, Dutch immigrant lumber magnate William S. Hofstra (1861–1932) and his second wife, Kate Mason (1854–1933). The extension had been proposed by a Hempstead resident, Truesdel Peck Calkins, who had been superintendent of schools for Hempstead. In her will, Kate Mason provided the bulk of their property and estate to be used for a charitable, scientific or humanitarian purpose, to be named in honor of her husband. Two friends, Mr. Howard Brower and Mr. James Barnard, were asked to decide what to do with the estate. Another Hempstead resident, Truesdel Peck Calkins, remarked to Mr. Brower that he had been looking for a site to start an institution of higher education, and the three men agreed it would be an appropriate use of the estate. Mr. Calkins approached the administration at New York University, and they expressed interest. The college was founded as a coeducational, commuter institution with day and evening classes. The first day of classes was September 23, 1935, and the first class of students was made up of 159 day and 621 evening students. Tuition for the entire year was $375. The college obtained a provisional charter, and its official name was changed to Hofstra College on January 16, 1937. Hofstra College separated from New York University in 1939 and was granted an absolute charter on February 16, 1940.Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, the House of Orange-Nassau
House of Orange-Nassau
The House of Orange-Nassau , a branch of the European House of Nassau, has played a central role in the political life of the Netherlands — and at times in Europe — since William I of Orange organized the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, which after the Eighty Years' War...
. It is used with the permission of the Dutch monarch. At the bottom of the seal were the words Je Maintiendrai, meaning “I stand steadfast” in French.
In 1939, Hofstra celebrated its first four-year commencement, graduating a class of 83 students. The first graduates had strong feelings for the new institution. When they were allowed to choose whether they would receive degrees from New York University or Hofstra, they overwhelmingly chose Hofstra degrees. Academic recognition of Hofstra was affirmed when the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools accepted Hofstra for membership on November 22, 1940. Early in 1941 the college was elected to membership in the American Association of Colleges.
In 1950 Calkins Gymnasium was the site of the first Shakespeare Festival. It was performed on a five-sixths-sized replica of the Globe Theatre.
With the approval of the New York State Board of Regents, Hofstra became Long Island’s first private university on March 1, 1963. Also in that year, the Board of Trustees resolved to make Hofstra architecturally barrier-free for individuals with physical disabilities, stating that all students should have access to higher education. Although this later became federal law, Hofstra was recognized as a pioneer in this regard. Other forward-thinking programs and events followed, including the New Opportunities at Hofstra (NOAH) program, which was established the following year. NOAH is Hofstra’s Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program.
In 1963, Mitchel Air Force Base
Mitchel Air Force Base
Decommissioned in 1961, Mitchel Field became a multi-use complex currently home to the Cradle of Aviation Museum, Nassau Coliseum, Mitchel Athletic Complex, Nassau Community College and Hofstra University.-Origins:...
was closed by the military and declared surplus property. The University asked for acreage to be used for educational purposes and was eventually granted 110 acre (0.4451546 km²). Remnants of the concrete runways from the Air Force Base serve as parking lots for Hofstra's North Campus.
The University reorganized its divisions into “schools” in the 1960s. Hofstra was authorized by the Board of Regents to offer its first doctoral degrees in 1966. In 1968, the Hofstra Stadium became the first to install Astroturf outdoors in the East, and the New York Jets began holding their summer training camp to the North Campus, until 2008, when the Jets moved to Florham Park, New Jersey.
Hofstra University hosted the third and final 2008 Presidential debate on October 15, 2008 between Barack Obama and John McCain. 2008 Presidential Debate - Hofstra University The debate, the first Presidential debate in New York since the 1960 debate between John F. Kennedy and then Vice-President Richard M. Nixon, focused on economic policy
Economic policy
Economic policy refers to the actions that governments take in the economic field. It covers the systems for setting interest rates and government budget as well as the labor market, national ownership, and many other areas of government interventions into the economy.Such policies are often...
and domestic issues. It is remembered for McCain's introduction and frequent references to "Joe the Plumber
Joe the Plumber
Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher , is a conservative activist, author, and commentator. A resident of Holland, Ohio, United States, he gained significant attention during the 2008 U.S. presidential election after he was videotaped questioning then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama about his small...
."
Events at Hofstra attracted the attention of national news media in September 2009 when a female student, Danmell Ndonye, falsely accused
False accusation of rape
A false accusation of rape is an accusation, formal or informally made against another individual or individuals concerning a forcible sexual assault. Detailed investigations using differing samples and methodologies have found widely differing results ranging from as high as 41% to as low as 1.5%...
five men of raping her in a dormitory bathroom. Charges against all men were eventually dismissed.
Athletics and mascots
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
of the Flying Dutchmen
The Flying Dutchman
The legend of the Flying Dutchman concerns a ghost ship that can never make port, doomed to sail the oceans forever. It probably originates from 17th-century nautical folklore. The oldest extant version dates to the late 18th century....
(or Dutchmen or just Dutch). The school's official team name became "The Pride" in 2004, referring to a pair of lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
s which became the school's athletic mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
s in the late 1980s. The Pride nickname evolved from the Hofstra Pride on-and off-campus image campaign that began in 1987, during the university's dramatic recovery and growth. This followed a financial crisis in the 1970s that forced the layoff of more than 100 employees. The school's revival was credited in large part to the man who led the University from 1976 to 2001—educator, government official and former Hofstra football star Dr. James M. Shuart. Hofstra Stadium
James M. Shuart Stadium
James M. Shuart Stadium, formerly known as Hofstra Stadium, is a 15,000-seat multi-purpose stadium on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. It first opened in 1962, and was known as Hofstra Stadium until August 29, 2002. It is the home field of the Hofstra Pride lacrosse teams...
, the school's main outdoor athletic facility, has been named James M. Shuart Stadium since 2002.
Prior to 2008, the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
held summer training camp at their on-campus headquarters before moving to their new headquarters in Florham Park, New Jersey
Florham Park, New Jersey
Florham Park is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 8,857, which had grown to 12,389 as of the Bureau's 2008 estimate....
.
On Thursday, December 3, 2009, the university announced it was terminating the football program. Under NCAA rules, any football players who choose to transfer to other schools will be eligible to play immediately, and not subjected to normal residency waiting periods. Scholarship-holders who wished to stay at Hofstra were permitted to keep their scholarships.
On Saturday, February 26, 2011, Hofstra Senior Day, the university retired the basketball jersey number 22 to honor senior Charles Jenkins before the end of the season. Jenkins, the school's all-time leading scorer, ranked fifth in the nation at 23.3 points per game last season (as of February 22, 2011) and was the front-runner to win Colonial Athletic Association
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
Player of the Year
Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the Colonial Athletic Association's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1982–83 season, when the conference was known as the ECAC South basketball league...
honors. "I think it's very rare," head coach Mo Cassara
Mo Cassara
Mo Cassara is Hofstra University's head men's basketball coach. Cassara was named head coach on May 5, 2010, agreeing to a multi-year deal with the university...
said by phone to reporter Jeff Eisenberg. "We have 25 other athletes that have had their numbers retired here at Hofstra, but none of them have ever been retired while they were still here at their last games. He's been such an integral part of this university on so many levels that we thought that was the highest honor we could give him." No other Hofstra athlete in any sport has received the same honor, though Wake Forest
Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team participates in the Atlantic Coast Conference and their homecourt is the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Their only Final Four appearance was in 1962 and through the years they have produced several NBA players. The Demon Deacons have...
's Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
and Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
's Christian Laettner
Christian Laettner
Christian Donald Laettner is a retired American professional basketball player and entrepreneur. He had a distinguished college and national career, and played in the National Basketball Association for thirteen seasons, from 1992–2005. He is presently a minority holder for the Major League...
, Bobby Hurley
Bobby Hurley
Robert Matthew 'Bobby' Hurley is an American former basketball player and currently an assistant coach at Wagner College.-Biography:...
and Grant Hill
Grant Hill
Grant Hill is the name of:* Grant Hill, American basketball player* Grant Hill , Canadian politician* Grant Hill, San Diego, California, an urban neighboorhood in central San Diego...
all had their jerseys retired before their last home games.
Football
- Marques ColstonMarques ColstonMarques Colston is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft as a supplemental compensatory pick. Following the trade of receiver Donté Stallworth, Colston was inserted into the starting lineup for week 1 of...
(#89) - Willie Colon (#77)
- Dave FioreDave FioreDavid Allan Fiore is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Hofstra University....
(#74) - John Schmitt (#77)
- Wayne ChrebetWayne ChrebetWayne Chrebet is a former football player who played 11 seasons as a wide receiver for the New York Jets of the NFL from 1995 to 2005.- High school and college career :...
(#3) - Kyle ArringtonKyle ArringtonKyle Chandler Arrington is an American football cornerback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Hofstra. Arrington also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.-Early...
(#24)
Men's Basketball
- Craig "Speedy" ClaxtonSpeedy ClaxtonCraig "Speedy" Claxton is an American former professional basketball player. He is now a college scout with the Golden State Warriors.-College:...
(#10) - Charles JenkinsCharles Jenkins (basketball)Charles Jenkins is an American professional basketball player for Teramo Basket in the Serie A Italian League. He was drafted the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association in 2011....
(#22) - Rich LaurelRich LaurelRichard Laurel is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'6" guard from Hofstra University, Laurel played one season in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. Laurel scored 24 points in ten games. He later played in Italy , France and Belgium.-Note:...
(#21) - Steve NisensonSteve NisensonSteve H. Nisenson is an American former basketball player, who played the guard position.He set Hofstra University's all-time scoring record in basketball, which stood for 43 years...
(#13) - Bill ThiebenBill ThiebenWilliam Bernard "Bill" Thieben is a retired American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association for the Fort Wayne Pistons in and the Detroit Pistons in...
(#93)
Medical School
On Tuesday, October 16, 2007 Hofstra University and North Shore-LIJ Health SystemNorth Shore University Hospital
North Shore University Hospital is one of the cornerstones of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, as well as an academic campus for the New York University School of Medicine and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine....
announced plans to establish a new school of medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
. While it will not be the first medical school in Nassau County
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
(that distinction is held by the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine
New York College of Osteopathic Medicine
New York College of Osteopathic Medicine is the osteopathic medical college of the New York Institute of Technology located in Old Westbury, Long Island, NY. Established in 1977, NYCOM is one of only two accredited medical institutions in Nassau County, New York...
), it will be the first to grant the Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
(M.D.) degree. They are now accepting applications for their second class.
The Hofstra Chronicle
The Chronicle is the only student newspaper of Hofstra University, established in 1935. The paper is in tabloid format and publishes 12 times each semester, and once a summer. The Chronicle is supported by the student activity fee and advertising. Digital versions of The Chronicle's print issues can be viewed online here.Student Radio Station
The university operates Long Island's oldest public radio station, WRHU-FMWRHU-FM
WRHU is a radio station broadcasting a Variety format. Licensed to Hempstead, New York, USA, the station is owned by Hofstra University. Beginning in the 2010-11 NHL season, the station is the radio home of New York Islanders games...
(88.7). The noncommercial broadcaster was founded in 1950 as WHCH, a campus-limited station, and received its broadcast license on June 9, 1959, using the call letters WVHC. The station became WRHU (for Radio Hofstra University) in 1983. WRHU currently serves as the radio home of the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
Presidents of Hofstra University
| President | Start year | End year |
|---|---|---|
| Truesdel Peck Calkins | 1937 | 1942 |
| Howard S. Brower | 1942 | 1944 |
| John Cranford Adams | 1944 | 1964 |
| Clifford Lee Lord | 1964 | 1972 |
| James H. Marshall | 1972 | 1973 |
| Robert L. Payton | 1973 | 1976 |
| James M. Shuart James M. Shuart James M. Shuart was the president of Hofstra University from 1976 to 2001. Prior to that he served as a Nassau County official. Also, he served as Assistant President to Hofstra President Clifford Lord during the 1960s in addition to serving as an administrator in the division and then school of... |
1976 | 2001 |
| Stuart Rabinowitz Stuart Rabinowitz Stuart Rabinowitz is the current president of Hofstra University. Before assuming the presidency, he was dean of Hofstra Law School for over a decade and before that was a distinguished professor of law.-References:... |
2001 | Present |
Avi Arad, Madeline Kahn, Adam Green.
Greek life
The University has had a long history of Greek-Lettered organizations dating back to its founding. Many local chapters that began with the University are maintained to this day, such as Phi Epsilon and Alpha Theta Beta (AOB). In the early 1990s, as Hofstra began to grow so did its social organizations. Many national chartered chapters were founded in 1989. One of the local chapters, the Wreath and Foil Sorority, founded in 1937, became Phi Sigma Sigma. One of the more notable changes in the 1990s was the removal of many local chapters and growth of nationally chartered fraternities, such as Zeta Beta TauZeta Beta Tau
Zeta Beta Tau was founded in 1898 as the nation's first Jewish fraternity, although it is no longer sectarian. Today the merged Zeta Beta Tau Brotherhood is one of the largest, numbering over 140,000 initiated Brothers, and over 90 chapter locations.-Founding:The Zeta Beta Tau fraternity was...
, Alpha Epsilon Phi
Alpha Epsilon Phi
Alpha Epsilon Phi is a sorority and member of the National Panhellenic Conference. It was founded on October 24, 1909 at Barnard College in New York City by seven Jewish women; Helen Phillips Lipman, Ida Beck Carlin, Rose Gerstein Smolin, Augustina "Tina" Hess Solomon, Lee Reiss Liebert, Rose...
, Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living...
, and a business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi
Alpha Kappa Psi
ΑΚΨ is the oldest and largest professional business fraternity. The Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternity was founded on October 5, 1904 at New York University, and was incorporated on May 20, 1905...
(1989). Tau Epsilon Phi and Tau Kappa Epsilon are the oldest fraternities on campus, both arriving in 1969. The Sigma Delta Tau
Sigma Delta Tau
Sigma Delta Tau is a national sorority and member of the National Panhellenic Conference, was founded March 25, 1917 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The original name, Sigma Delta Phi, was changed after the women discovered a sorority with the same name already existed...
Sorority claims to be one of the oldest nationally recognized sororities on campus.
Hofstra, as a University that promotes diversity, has also adopted in its Interfraternity-Sorority Council several ethnic organizations. Many national black and Latino organizations also surged in development in the 1990s and as a result have a large presence on the campus. Several are currently inactive. Overall Greek Lettered organizations contribute to much of the philanthropy on campus, well as much of the school spirit. During events like Homecoming parades, students and alumni notice a majority of Greek Lettered floats. And the Sinterklaas celebration, a fifteen year-old tradition of a holiday village built and constructed annually by members of the Greek lettered community for local children to play in and around during the December holiday season. One of its largest events, Greek Week held in the Spring semester, is a week long series of events of competition. Mainly sports, well as toga skits, banner competitions, a can castle, for local homeless shelters, and a relay race the community generates a lot of attention. The Greek-Lettered community is often noted for maintaining many traditions, and loyalty towards their alma mater. In addition, is noted for creating much of the social life on and off campus.
Since 2001, when the newest President of the University took office three additional social organizations have colonized and chartered chapters on campus: the Delta Chi Fraternity, the Delta Gamma
Delta Gamma
Delta Gamma is one of the oldest and largest women's fraternities in the United States and Canada, with its Executive Offices based in Columbus, Ohio.-History:...
Fraternity, and the Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:...
Fraternity. The Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
Fraternity applied successfully for colonization in the Spring 2010 semester. The Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Epsilon Pi , the Global Jewish college fraternity, has 155 active chapters in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel with a membership of over 9,000 undergraduates...
Fraternity applied successfully for re-colonization in the Spring 2010 Semester. As of August 2010, no new organizations are pending. Only three social organizations, the Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority, the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, and the Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity, remain inactive.
| Category | Activity | Society | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fraternity | Active | Alpha Kappa Psi Alpha Kappa Psi ΑΚΨ is the oldest and largest professional business fraternity. The Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternity was founded on October 5, 1904 at New York University, and was incorporated on May 20, 1905... |
noncolony |
| Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ... |
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| Delta Chi Delta Chi Delta Chi or D-Chi is an international Greek letter college social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890,at Cornell University, initially as a professional fraternity for law students. On April 29, 1922, Delta Chi became a general membership social fraternity, eliminating the requirement for men... |
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| Lambda Upsilon Lambda Lambda Upsilon Lambda La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity was established on February 19, 1982 in order to address the shortcomings of academic institutions in meeting and addressing the needs of Latino students in higher education... |
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| MALIK Malik Malik is an Arabic word meaning "king, chieftain".It has been adopted in various other, mainly Islamized or Arabized, Asian languages for their ruling princes and to render kings elsewhere. It is also sometimes used in derived meanings... |
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| Pershing Rifles Pershing Rifles The Pershing Rifles is a military fraternal organization for college-level students, founded by then 2nd Lieutenant John J. Pershing in 1894 as a drill unit at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln... |
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| Phi Delta Theta Phi Delta Theta Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S... |
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| Phi Iota Alpha Phi Iota Alpha Phi Iota Alpha , established December 26, 1931, is the oldest Latino fraternity still in existence, and works to motivate people, develop leaders, and create innovative ways to unite the Latino community. The organization has roots that stem back to the late 19th century to the first Latino... |
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| Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:... |
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| Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South... |
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| Sigma Alpha Mu Sigma Alpha Mu Sigma Alpha Mu , also known as "Sammy", is a college fraternity founded at the City College of New York in 1909. Originally only for Jewish men, Sigma Alpha Mu remained so until 1953, when members from all backgrounds were accepted. Originally headquartered in New York, Sigma Alpha Mu has... |
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| Sigma Pi Sigma Pi Sigma Pi is an international college secret and social fraternity founded in 1897 at Vincennes University. Sigma Pi International fraternity currently has 127 chapters and 4 colonies in the United States and Canada and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee... |
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| Tau Epsilon Phi Tau Epsilon Phi Tau Epsilon Phi is an American fraternity with 14 active chapters, chiefly located at universities and colleges on the East Coast of the United States... |
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| Tau Kappa Epsilon Tau Kappa Epsilon Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent... |
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| Theta Tau Theta Tau ΘΤ Fraternity was founded in 1904 by four engineering students at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. As defined by the fraternity, the purpose of Theta Tau is to develop and maintain a high standard of professional interest among its members, and to unite them in a strong bond of... |
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| Inactive | Alpha Tau Omega Alpha Tau Omega Alpha Tau Omega is a secret American leadership and social fraternity.The Fraternity has more than 250 active and inactive chapters, more than 200,000 initiates, and over 7,000 active undergraduate members. The 200,000th member was initiated in early 2009... |
Colony | |
| Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin... |
noncolony | ||
| Omega Psi Phi Omega Psi Phi Omega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos... |
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| Phi Beta Sigma Phi Beta Sigma Phi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I... |
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| Zeta Beta Tau Zeta Beta Tau Zeta Beta Tau was founded in 1898 as the nation's first Jewish fraternity, although it is no longer sectarian. Today the merged Zeta Beta Tau Brotherhood is one of the largest, numbering over 140,000 initiated Brothers, and over 90 chapter locations.-Founding:The Zeta Beta Tau fraternity was... |
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| Sorority | Active | Alpha Kappa Alpha Alpha Kappa Alpha Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle... |
noncolony |
| Alpha Theta Beta | |||
| Alpha Epsilon Phi Alpha Epsilon Phi Alpha Epsilon Phi is a sorority and member of the National Panhellenic Conference. It was founded on October 24, 1909 at Barnard College in New York City by seven Jewish women; Helen Phillips Lipman, Ida Beck Carlin, Rose Gerstein Smolin, Augustina "Tina" Hess Solomon, Lee Reiss Liebert, Rose... |
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| Alpha Phi Alpha Phi Alpha Phi International Women's Fraternity was founded at Syracuse University on September 18, 1872. Alpha Phi currently has 152 active chapters and over 200,000 initiated members. Its celebrated Founders' Day is October 10. It was the third Greek-letter organization founded for women. In Alpha... |
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| Delta Gamma Delta Gamma Delta Gamma is one of the oldest and largest women's fraternities in the United States and Canada, with its Executive Offices based in Columbus, Ohio.-History:... |
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| Delta Phi Epsilon Delta Phi Epsilon (social) Delta Phi Epsilon is an international sorority founded on March 17, 1917 at New York University Law School in New York City... |
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| Delta Sigma Theta Delta Sigma Theta Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University... |
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| Omega Phi Beta Omega Phi Beta Omega Phi Beta sorority was founded on March 15, 1989 at the State University of New York in Albany, New York. It was founded by seventeen women of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds... |
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| Phi Epsilon | |||
| Phi Sigma Sigma Phi Sigma Sigma Phi Sigma Sigma , colloquially known as "Phi Sig," was the first collegiate nonsectarian fraternity, welcoming women of all faiths and backgrounds... |
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| Sigma Delta Tau Sigma Delta Tau Sigma Delta Tau is a national sorority and member of the National Panhellenic Conference, was founded March 25, 1917 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The original name, Sigma Delta Phi, was changed after the women discovered a sorority with the same name already existed... |
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| Sigma Gamma Rho Sigma Gamma Rho Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was founded on the campus of Butler University on November 12, 1922, by seven school teachers in Indianapolis, Indiana... |
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| Sigma Iota Alpha Sigma Iota Alpha Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. --is a Latina-based Greek lettered intercollegiate sorority founded on September 29, 1990, by 13 dedicated ladies from four universities in the state of New York: SUNY Albany, SUNY Stony Brook, SUNY New Paltz, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute... |
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| Inactive | Delta Chi Delta | ||
| Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma , also known as Tri Sigma, is a national American women’s sorority with membership of more than 100,000 members. Sigma Sigma Sigma is a member of the National Panhellenic Conference and hosts chapters on more than 110 college campuses and 89 alumnae chapters in communities all... |