When it comes to the State University of New York at Fredonia, most people think of the arts and education. But with today’s opening of a new science building, that’s about to change.
At four stories and almost 100,000 square feet, SUNY Fredonia’s new $60 million science center stands as an educational beacon. With it, the campus is making a big push to expand its image into the sciences.
SUNY Fredonia’s Director of Marketing and Communications Mike Barone says there are many reasons behind this evolution, the largest of which is demand.
“When you hear all of the discussion that’s happening in today’s media, even our own governor proposing to offer free tuition for students interested in studying a STEM discipline, that shows the kind of demand that’s out there, the need for these students,” said Barone.
Since construction began on the science center in 2011, the school has seen large bumps in applications and enrollments into its natural science programs.
Barone says enrollments, alone, have increased between 34% and 150%. He says this means that not only are more students seeking education in science at Fredonia, but the quality of those students is on the rise as well.
