BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE TO EXPAND SYRACUSE NORTH CAMPUS

July 18, 2007

CLAY, NY – Bryant & Stratton College (BSC) is finalizing plans to expand its Syracuse North campus to accommodate increased enrollment over the past five years and to help campus officials prepare for future growth projected over the next decade.

The $1.9 million expansion, which is scheduled to begin this summer and is expected to be completed by the time classes start in January, will feature 9,500 square feet of additional space added to the campus’s existing 28,000 square-foot facility, including the creation of eight new classrooms, two computer labs, a student lounge and a contemporary 1,500 square-foot library that will receive design input from the college’s students, faculty and staff.

The library expansion will significantly increase the amount of technology currently available on campus, enhancing not only the collegiate research and study atmosphere, but also providing a gathering place for awards ceremonies, poetry readings, guest speakers, debates, showcases of student work and other uses.

“We are thrilled to be announcing this exciting expansion of the Syracuse North campus,” said Susan Cumoletti, campus director. “We will continue to provide all students with an exceptionally personalized learning environment, while becoming better equipped to accommodate our growing student population and our career-focused programs.”

The Syracuse North campus, originally located in Cicero when it opened in 1983, moved to its current location in 1997. Enrollment in the college’s associate degree programs, which include business, accounting, paralegal studies, graphic/interactive media design, information technology and medical administrative assistant has grown nearly 87 percent in the last five years – from 268 students in 2001 to nearly 500 last fall.

Despite the Syracuse North campus’s growth, Cumoletti noted, the college has maintained its small 10:1 student-to-teacher ratio by increasing the number of full-time faculty along with its growing adjunct professorial staff.

In addition to the expansion project, improvements also will be made to the existing building with a new 1,400 square foot Lifelong Learning Center to replace the current library and paralegal classroom, along with a remodeled faculty room.

The new center will house associates from the college’s Professional Skills Center (PSC) and Career Services department. Enrollment in the PSC grew to nearly 1,300 people in 2006. The PSC for Training and Development offers lifelong learning opportunities by helping individuals to identify the workplace competencies and technical skills they need for career mobility and success.

The project’s exterior improvements include an additional parking lot, a pavilion picnic area and landscaping enhancements.

“Bryant and Stratton College has been a welcome addition to Clay,” Rowley said. “The investment they are making in the community will greatly enhance their ability to provide cutting-edge career education to students in Central New York.  I applaud their efforts and I fully support their expansion plans."

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