Dr. Jason N. Adsit, Mount Saint Mary College president, helped new students like Nursing Major Courtnian Dixon of the Bronx, N.Y. to move into their residence halls on Sunday, August 25.
A beautiful Hudson Valley day provided the backdrop for hundreds of students moving into Mount Saint Mary College on Sunday, August 25.
Returning students, more than 100 transfers, and nearly 400 first-year students ascended to the Mount from as close as the City of Newburgh, and as far away as Scottsdale, Ariz.; Jupiter, Fla.; and Columbia, S.C.
Mount president Dr. Jason N. Adsit spent the morning helping students move into their residence halls. Dr. Adsit enjoyed rolling up his sleeves and embracing the Mount’s culture of service, he said.
“Move-in Day is going great,” Dr. Adsit explained. “This is always a day of possibility. These families are happy, they’re excited, and we have beautiful weather. Our students can’t wait to get started on their college journey.”
First-year student Bryanna Blanks of Yonkers, N.Y., a Criminology major, said the choice to come to the Mount was easy. “I felt at home here the minute I came,” she revealed. Blanks added that the Mount’s culture of service goes hand in hand with her career goals: “I love working with children and I love helping people.”
Blanks’s roommate, Nursing major Dainell Palmer of Bristol, Conn., chose the college for its small class sizes and tightknit, family atmosphere.
“I love the whole community – everyone’s focused on the success of the students,” she explained. “It’s beautiful here and the Nursing program is really good.”
Mount Nursing students enjoy state-of-the-art simulation labs and clinical relationships with more than 40 area hospitals. The Mount’s passionate faculty are dedicated to the success of both their undergraduate and graduate students.
Also beginning their college careers together on Sunday were roommates Emily Moore of Montgomery, N.Y. and Lauren Kennedy of Bethpage, N.Y. Both selected the Mount for its prestigious Education program, with Kennedy opting into the college’s 5-year bachelor’s to master’s program.
“I’m really excited,” said Moore. “The Mount’s got a great Education program.”
In addition to Nursing and Education, many Mount first-year students are majoring in Business. These programs include Accounting, Business Management and Administration, Finance, Marketing, and Sports Management.
Jocelyn Childs of Kingston, N.Y., a Business Administration major, is ready to get the most out of her Mount education. Even while moving into Sakac Hall, her mind was on academic excellence.
“I want to really grow academically and as a person,” she said. “I want to get as much out of this experiance as I possibly can.”
The college also offers comprehensive areas of study in Psychology, English, Math, Information Technology, Sociology, History, Biology, Chemistry, and more.
After the students were settled in their residence halls, they attended a Mass and blessing by Fr. Gregoire Fluet, chaplain and director of Campus Ministry. Later that evening, the Mount celebrated its newest students at the 60th Annual Academic Convocation. The ceremony welcomed them all into the Mount’s academic programs and celebrated the beginning of the scholars’ journey at the college.
The next day – Monday, August 26 – about 2,400 students began or resumed bachelor’s and master’s degree programs at the Mount, ranked a Top-Tier Regional University by U.S. News & World Report.
New Academic Programs
Starting this fall, Mount Saint Mary College will offer two new majors that were formerly Media Studies concentrations: Journalism and Digital Media Production. Journalism focuses on writing for print, digital, and broadcast media. Digital Media Production cultivates production skills, including video and audio; writing for broadcast; and strategies for internet distribution.
The Advertising and Public Relations major prepares graduates for careers in business communication, online marketing, public relations, marketing communications, fundraising, and more. A strong emphasis on writing, listening, and critical thinking skills, combined with the theory and practice of public relations, prepares professionals for the workplace or for graduate studies.
The new Legal Studies minor is designed to assist students in developing the communicative, analytical, and methodological skills important to the legal profession. The minor provides guidance for employment in the public or private sector, or admittance to law or graduate school. The minor consists of courses in Criminology, Sociology, and Political Science.
For Education students, the Mount recently unveiled an advanced certificate in Gifted Education. This four-course, 12-credit, graduate-level program provides certified teachers and administrators with expertise in serving the needs of gifted and talented kindergarteners through 12th graders. Mount students will earn this certification through a one-year, online program.
The new Exercise Science major at the Mount, available in the fall of 2020, is designed to prepare students for careers in fitness and wellness, clinical technology, athletic training, physical therapy, and more. Exercise Science majors will be well-versed in human Biology and the needs of the body under physical and emotional stress. Students will also be immersed in topics such as injury prevention, rehabilitative options, and general health and wellness.
Also in the fall of 2020, the Cybersecurity major will be offered by the Division of Mathematics and Information Technology. The major builds theoretical and hands-on skills to identify and mitigate security vulnerabilities in software, operating systems, networks, and more. Cybersecurity will continue to be offered as a concentration for IT majors as well.
Celebrating the 60th
Following in the footsteps of St. Dominic, the Dominican Sisters of Newburgh established Mount Saint Mary College as a four-year institution 60 years ago. Now, more than 18,000 graduates and six decades later, the Mount continues its rich tradition of academic excellence and dedication to service. And the four pillars of Dominican life – study, spirituality, service, and community – are still as integral to the Mount experience as they were six decades ago.
The Mount is proud to be celebrating its 60th anniversary. In the coming months, the college will host community events on campus and reveal new service projects it has in the works.
Inauguration of Dr. Adsit
The Mount community is excited to celebrate the formal instillation of Dr. Jason N. Adsit as the Mount’s seventh fulltime president on Friday, September 13.
Dr. Adsit began his tenure at the college on June 1, 2018 and joined the Mount family from D’Youville College in Buffalo, N.Y., where he served as Dean of the School of Arts, Sciences, and Education, as well as Director of the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program.
His vision for the college’s future is a comprehensive, institution-wide commitment to service-learning and community engagement. Students, faculty, and staff will participate in a broad array of high-impact practices related to service-learning across the entire institution. Professors will develop service-learning components within all academic programs, the college will increase meaningful connections with additional local service organizations, students will be given opportunities to engage in study abroad trips with a strong service component, and more.
Upcoming Events
Throughout the year, the Mount hosts a variety of free events that are open to the public. For example, the first Investigating Research on Campus (iROC) talk of the semester will take place on Thursday, September 5 at 12:45 p.m. in the college’s Dominican Center. Marie-Therese C. Sulit, associate professor of English, will explore the parameters of academic freedom and the role of the humanities through the lens of a world shaped by the tragic attacks of September 11, 2001.
As the foliage turns vibrant shades of red, yellow, and orange, an open house for prospective first-year students and their families will be held on Saturday, October 19. Participants will take an up-close look at classrooms, dining commons, and residence halls, as well as speak with current Mount students and staff. To register, visit msmc.edu/rsvp
The Mount will celebrate its Tenth Annual Gala Reception on Friday, December 6 in the Kaplan Family Mathematics, Science and Technology Center. For more information and sponsorship opportunities, contact Kathleen Barton, director of Advancement Events, at kathleen.barton@msmc.edu or at 845-569-3609.