Siena University (New York)


Siena University, formerly Siena College, is a private Franciscan university in Loudonville, New York, United States. It was founded by the Order of Friars Minor in 1937 and is named after the Franciscan friar Bernardino of Siena. The university enrolls approximately 3,600 students and offers undergraduate and graduate programs through three schools in business, liberal arts, and science. Siena competes in NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

History

What is now Siena University was established in 1937 by the Order of Friars Minor, a modest institution with a faculty of seven friars and one layperson operating out of the former Garrett estate in Loudonville, New York. Initially named St. Bernardine of Siena College, it received its provisional charter from the University of the State of New York in 1938 and was granted a permanent charter in 1942. The university is named for Bernardino of Siena, a 15th-century Italian Franciscan friar and preacher.
In the late 1930s, Thomas Plassmann, president of St. Bonaventure University in Western New York, sent seven Franciscan friars to New York's Capital Region to found another college.
Siena University carried out initiatives to enhance its academic programs, campus facilities, and student resources.
A Siena College Grotto, along with a new bookstore, opened in 2014. A new rugby pitch was opened in fall 2016. In 2020, the college was listed as a census-designated place.
In January 2025, Siena opened a $35 million science building. This includes laboratories and a nursing floor equipped with simulation tools.
In June 2025, the Board of Trustees voted to approve a name change to "Siena University." In July 2025, Siena College officially changed its name to Siena University.

Academics

Siena University offers more than 40 majors, 80 minors and certificates, and graduate programs in business, education, and other fields. Students attend three schools within the university:
The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The university also holds several program-level accreditations: the School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the Baccalaureate Nursing program by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Education program by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation, and the Bachelor of Social Work program by the Council on Social Work Education.

Siena College Research Institute

, an affiliate of Siena University, conducts expert and public opinion polls, focusing on New York State and the United States, on issues of public policy interest.

Student life

Siena is a primarily residential, suburban campus. 71% of undergraduate students live on campus. There are more than 80 student organizations.
The university operates WVCR-FM, a noncommercial radio station licensed to Siena by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Student media also include a student-run campus newspaper and television station.
Siena has various housing options, including residence halls, private rooms, and townhouse units, across eight residential communities. Housing assignments for Siena students who live on campus are based on class year. Additionally, some students opt for off-campus housing at the College Suites or commute from nearby areas.
Approximately 90 student clubs and organizations range from academic and professional groups to cultural and recreational clubs.

Athletics

Siena offers 21 NCAA Division I sports, all of which participate in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
A team with recent high achievement is men's baseball. The Saints advanced to the 1999 NCAA Division I baseball tournament and in 2005 saw pitcher John Lannan drafted by the Washington Nationals. Lannan has since become a regular starter in Washington's rotation.
The men's lacrosse team qualified for their first MAAC tournament in 2007 and their first NCAA tournament in 2009. That season, the Saints secured an automatic berth in the tournament after winning their first MAAC championship during a ten-game winning streak. Between 2016 and 2019, Siena University undertook a $13.5 million renovation project for the Alumni Recreation Center and the Marcelle Athletic Complex. The multi-phase initiative included the construction of a new basketball practice facility, enhancements to seating capacity, upgrades to strength and conditioning areas, and the addition of sports medicine suites. In early 2025, the university announced plans for a $4.5 million lacrosse complex, named Bice/Clive Field at the Paladini Family Lacrosse Complex. The facility is intended to provide dedicated space for the men's and women's lacrosse teams and to honor the legacy of former players Frank Bice and Colin Clive.