For more than a decade, Union Graduate College has been an independent school located in Schenectady that has offered a number of master's programs. Come January, it will have a new name and affiliation as it is scheduled to merge with Clarkson University. Jon Dougherty explains how the local community will be impacted in this week's Capital Region Business Beat.
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. -- Matthew Pinchinat dreams of becoming a teacher.
"I'd love to teach locally somewhere and teach history," Pinchinat said.
Pinchinat graduated from Siena College in the spring. The Latham native is currently enrolled at Union Graduate College in Schenectady and is working toward his master's in teaching.
Little did Pinchinat know that when the history lover enrolled at the school he would be making history at the same time.
Pinchinat will be part of the inaugural class at Clarkson University's - Capital Region Campus. In January 2016, the northern New York university will merge with Union Graduate College.
"We think we've hit that sweet spot where we expect to grow the combined enterprise," said Clarkson University President Tony Collins. "This is a merge of choice, not necessity."
Collins said the move will bring together two internationally recognized schools.
For the Schenectady campus, it means its graduate programs like business, engineering, education, health and science will be enhanced.
"There will be internships with research opportunities, just a multitude of higher education opportunities," Collins said.
The Capital Region Campus in Schenectady will serve as an integrated hub for program marketing, student recruitment and admissions for master’s programs. Collins also said it will benefit the surrounding community as well.
"We do not anticipate reducing anything, in fact, we want to reach out to more corporations and bring more to Schenectady," said Collins.
Collins said the merge will provide better opportunities and resources for students by combining two networks of more than 40,000 alumni around the world.
"That's going to multiply and increase vastly the score of alumni that we have contact with and that we're going to be able to pull on for resources and that's going to really help in terms of marketability," Pinchinat said. "It's something that when I'm doing interviews will be able to help."
Pinchinat also said the merge will help him reach his career goal.
"I really just want to go in and make a difference in kid's lives and this program is preparing me to do so," Pinchinat said.
There merger was unanimously approved by both college's Board of Trustees as well as the New York State Board of Regents.
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