Hartwick College

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Hartwick College, an engaged community, integrates a liberal arts education with experiential learning to inspire curiosity, critical thinking, creativity, personal courage, and an enduring passion for learning.
Our purpose as a college of the liberal arts and sciences is to educate people who will thrive in and contribute to the world of the future people prepared to meet the personal, intellectual, and social challenges of a rapidly changing and increasingly interdependent world.
Hartwick graduates will be noted as being able to thrive in a world of global interdependence in which people of the broadest range of national, ethnic, social, and personal backgrounds will interact personally and technologically. To thrive in this context will require that Hartwick students learn to: understand the world from a variety of perspectives, work constructively with people from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences, be avid learners and critical thinkers, communicate effectively and have a well-developed personal presence be purposeful in their actions and value-based in their decisions and know how to use information technology resources as a routine tool to enhance effectiveness.
By being intentional in fulfilling our values—taking those actions that help us better be what we believe we should be—we are a college of both quality and distinctiveness. We are a future-directed community of learners where students, faculty, and staff are mutually engaged in intellectual, social, and personal learning inside and outside of the classroom. Our curricular and co-curricular educational experience emphasizes shared and interdependent learning, a balance of challenge and support, a caring commitment to the individual intellectual, social, and individual rigor, the development of personal responsibility and approaches that link theory and practice, what we term “The Liberal Arts in Practice.”
Each year, Hartwick students direct or act in numerous plays, exhibit their work in the Foreman Gallery, invite guest lectures, make music, and photograph unique campus scenes. They deepen our community’s appreciation for the arts.
Our committed faculty and staff have one focus: you. They will challenge you to think critically and teach you the skills to tackle future challenges. And you will gain the courage and vision you need to reach your fullest potential.
Here, you will find research opportunities that are typically reserved for graduate students. You will work closely with faculty, share publishing credits, and experience what it is like to present your work at conferences worldwide.At Hartwick, there comes a time when a subject requires 100% of your time and focus. J Term is a whole month dedicated to an intensive focus on one subject — inside your central or out, on-campus, or across the world.
Hartwick’s roots reach back to 1797 with the founding of Hartwick Seminary through the will of John Christopher Hartwick. Hartwick was a Lutheran minister who arrived in 1746 from Germany to lead several mission congregations of early settlers along the Hudson and Mohawk rivers. Shortly after his death, his dream of establishing an institution of higher learning became a reality with the founding of Hartwick Seminary in 1797. The New York State Legislature in 1816 incorporated the new school—the first Lutheran Seminary in America—as a classical academy and theological Seminary.
The Seminary and Academy had a long and useful history, training more than 300 ministers and educating over 3,000 young men and women. In the mid-1920s, Lutheran leaders in the state decided to add a four-year “college department.”With the support of the church and a group of local citizens, the College opened in 1928 in Oneonta, just a few miles from the original site of the Seminary.
The College developed slowly and gathered strength through the 1940s and ’50s under Dr. Henry J. Arnold and Dr. Miller A.F. Ritchie's presidencies. From 1959 to 1969, under Dr. Frederick M. Binder, there was significant growth in size, physical plant, budget, and endowment. In 1968, the College and the Lutheran Church concluded that the time had come for an amicable separation, and Hartwick became an independent college. Adolph G. Anderson served as President from 1969 to 1976, a period during which Hartwick developed a more flexible and innovative curriculum. From 1977 to 1992, under Dr. Philip S. Wilder Jr., the College was characterized by the strengthening of its faculty and student body, and by the building of strong financial support.
Between 1992 and 2003, under the tenure of Dr. Richard A. Detweiler, the College grew into the modern age, providing each student a notebook computer and offering first-year students the opportunity to study abroad. Richard P. Miller, Jr. served as President from 2003 to 2008, during which time Hartwick underwent numerous campus improvements and solidified a strong financial base. On July 1, 2008, Dr. Margaret L. Drugovich assumed the presidency of Hartwick College, seeking to strengthen the College’s reputation while helping better prepare students for the challenges posed by a global society. Early in her tenure, she presented a collective vision of Hartwick College—an Organizing Principle and Strategic Framework that together have increased Hartwick’s efficiency and effectiveness. Under her leadership, the College also launched its unique and innovative Three-Year Bachelor’s Degree Program in 2009.
Hartwick has grown into a well-respected college of the liberal arts and sciences, enrolling 1,480 undergraduates. It is a place of active learning, where the faculty focuses on challenging and mentoring students through advanced research opportunities, innovative programming, and experiential learning.
For more about the history of the College, visit the Paul F. Cooper Jr. Archives. Online exhibits and archival papers are available on the Archives webpages. The Archives collects and preserves materials that reflect the biography of John Christopher Hartwick and the educational institutions bearing his name: Hartwick Seminary, Hartwick Academy, and Hartwick College. Also, the Archives houses numerous special collections.

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