 
Assembly Resolution No. 1032
 
BY: M. of A. Fahy
 
        COMMEMORATING   the   60th  Anniversary  of  Maria
        College on April 25, 2018
 
  WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to  recognize  and
commend  those  institutions  of true purpose and high achievement whose
exemplary programs and accomplishments clearly demonstrate  an  enduring
pursuit  of  excellence  in higher education for the youth of this noble
Empire State; and
 
  WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud  to  commemorate  the
60th Anniversary of Maria College, in Albany, New York, to be feted with
a  myriad  of  occasions  and  celebrations planned throughout the year,
beginning with an opening event on Wednesday, April 25, 2018; and
 
  WHEREAS, For six  decades,  Maria  College  has  been  committed  to
providing  outstanding  and holistic student support services, financial
sustainability and the purposive use of evidence to drive  institutional
renewal  and  student success; the College seeks to foster graduates who
recognize and respect the dignity of every human  person  and  who  will
transform  their  knowledge  and  skill  into  caring  and compassionate
service to others; and
 
  WHEREAS, Maria College is one of 17 colleges and universities in the
United States sponsored by the Conference for  Mercy  Higher  Education;
the  Conference  traces  its  heritage  to  1831, when Catherine McAuley
founded the Sisters of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland; and
 
  WHEREAS, Catherine McAuley truly believed education  was  a  key  to
one's  ultimate  success,  and  she  used  her inheritance to purchase a
building in downtown Dublin where women and  children  could  find  both
refuge  and  education;  her ideas and dedication to the cause attracted
other local women and soon evolved into the Sisters of Mercy; and
 
  WHEREAS, The Sisters of Mercy quickly grew, and became international
in scope; in 1863, four Sisters of Mercy took a boat up the Hudson River
and settled in Albany, New York; true to their  mission  of  caring  and
service  to  others, the order founded St. Peter's Hospital, the McAuley
Residence, Circles of Mercy, and Maria College; and
 
  WHEREAS, Maria College was established in 1958  by  the  Sisters  of
Mercy  to  provide  higher education for its community of sisters; under
the visionary leadership of its first president, Sister  Mary  Borromeo,
the College's focus on solely educating sisters changed, and the college
received permission to open its doors to the public in 1965; and
 
  WHEREAS,  In  the  early 1970s, the college opened a preschool which
served Albany families for more than 40 years; now  closed,  the  campus
school  building  has been renamed Mercy Hall, and was dedicated in 2017
to the Frank E. O'Brien Jr. Student Support Center which strives to make
Maria College's students feel welcome, supported, and  enabled  to  meet
their  goals;  support  services  include  tutoring,  pastoral care, and
career guidance; and
 
  WHEREAS, In 1975,  Maria  College  purchased  a  cloistered  convent
campus  that abutted the administration building grounds; this beautiful
campus area, now known as  Marian  Hall,  is  home  to  nursing,  health
sciences,  faculty  offices,  a student lounge and a great hall which is
frequently used for campus events; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Currently,  800  students attend classes at Maria College,
which boasts a charming and intimate campus that  embraces  an  academic
atmosphere both timeless and contemporary; and
 
  WHEREAS,  In  addition,  Maria  College now offers four and two year
degrees and a  certificate  program  providing  new  opportunities  with
flexible scheduling and highly affordable education for residents of the
Capital Region; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Today, under the visionary guidance of President Thomas J.
Gamble, Ph.D., Maria College stands proud and prominent, always  looking
to the future and the needs of those it serves; now, therefore, be it
 
  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 60th Anniversary of Maria College, noting the  propriety
of  its  goals,  the constancy of its commitment and the significance of
its accomplishments in preparing the  youth  of  today  and  leaders  of
tomorrow; and be it further
 
  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Thomas J. Gamble, Ph.D., President, Maria College.
Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of Maria College on April 25, 2018

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