Introducing ESF

The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is recognized and emulated all over the world.

The College was founded in 1911 through the efforts of Syracuse University Chancellor James R. Day and respected state leaders, such as Louis Marshall, who were attuned to a growing national sentiment in favor of forest conservation and sensed the need for a professional school of forestry.

Under the leadership of its first dean, Hugh P. Baker, ESF looked to serve the broad needs of environmental professionalism. As other forestry schools became more specialized, ESF expanded its scope to include such essentials of environmental science as design, engineering, life sciences and resource management.

The College is a doctoral-granting institution, one of only 13 in the 64-campus SUNY system, with highly focused research and service programs that reach across the globe to search for new knowledge and to improve the quality of life. Students share in the vast array and excitement of these opportunities through direct contact with distinguished faculty and researchers. They gain plenty of hands-on experience in conducting scientific research and applying the results of their work. Quality instruction and experiential learning opportunities for students top ESF's priorities.

About 2,000 students are enrolled at the College’s main campus in Syracuse, N.Y. The College also features a number of regional campuses located on more than 25,000 acres of forest property throughout Central New York and the Adirondack Park. ESF’s Ranger School campus in  Wanakena, N.Y. offers the College’s associate degree programs in forest technology and land surveying technology in an environment renowned for its natural beauty and abundant recreational opportunities.

ESF’s students are divided almost equally between men and women. About one-third of the total student body comprises graduate students. Most students who attend ESF are residents of New York, but the campus draws students from throughout the U.S. and from more than 30 different foreign countries. The ethnic and geographic diversity of ESF undergraduates has risen steadily over the last 15 years.

The size of the student population means students receive a lot of individual attention from faculty and staff. The student-faculty ratio is 12-to-1 at the Syracuse campus and 7-to-1 at the Ranger School. Students get to know one another and form long-lasting friendships.

But the close nature of the ESF community is not inhibiting. The Syracuse campus is located adjacent to Syracuse University, a major private university with big-time sports and more than 300 student and professional clubs and organizations. ESF students have the advantage of being considered students at both institutions.

ESF and SU have a dynamic and long-standing partnership that goes back to the founding of the College. From the beginning, the College has contracted with SU to provide accessory instruction, athletic programs, health and counseling services, library facilities and other services for students. In a very real sense, ESF students have the best of both worlds — the intimacy and intellectual atmosphere of a small dynamic college and the exciting atmosphere of one of the nation's leading university centers.

SU enrolls a total of about 19,000 students at its main and branch campuses, including 12,000 undergraduates. Students select from more than 200 majors available within the University's nine colleges, which include the prestigious Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

ESF and SU together are located on one of several hills that overlook downtown Syracuse and nearby Onondaga Lake. The greater metropolitan area is home to about 750,000 people and offers a variety of cultural, educational and recreational opportunities.

The city has several fine museums, including the renowned Everson Museum of Art, and several excellent theater companies. The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra is one of the nation's finest, and the downtown OnCenter and Landmark Theater feature performing artists from around the world. The area is home to several colleges and universities. The State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Le Moyne College, and Onondaga Community College join ESF and Syracuse University in the city, while Cazenovia College is nestled in a nearby suburb. There are many other institutions of higher education within a short drive, including Colgate University, Cornell University, Hamilton College, Ithaca College, SUNY Cortland, SUNY Institute of Technology, SUNY Morrisville, SUNY Oswego and Utica College.

There are more than 50 state, county and city parks in the area and several nature centers. The Adirondacks, Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes, downhill and cross-country skiing facilities, and golf courses are also within easy driving distance, and make Central New York a haven for recreation and nature lovers.

Syracuse is called the Crossroads of New York State, because it is situated at the intersection of two major highways: the 500-mile east-west New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) and the north-south Penn-Can Highway (Interstate 81). The highways cut the driving time to New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto or Montreal to approximately five hours, while Buffalo and Albany are less than three hours away.

The city is also served by Hancock International Airport, Amtrak, and major bus lines, which make it a convenient home for students and faculty alike.

Students come to ESF because they care about the environment and want to make the world a better place to live. They're smart and hardworking, and ready to apply what they've learned in real-world situations.

As society becomes increasingly concerned about the environment, ESF graduates find their services in demand. Modern civilization with its compelling demands from industry and government needs people who think objectively and constructively, and act creatively and responsibly.

From its start in 1911, the College has served the state, nation and world in meeting the needs of its citizens through education, research and public service. Faculty and students at ESF are com-mitted to resolving immediate environmental hazards, learning how to avoid future problems, and offering policy alternatives that will both protect the environment and meet the needs of a global society.