The State University of New York - New Paltz

Date: Nov 08 2006
Major: Undecided (This Major's Salary over time)
SUNY New Paltz seems like an okay school at first. Delve deeper, and you'll find nothing but malfunction, mixed priorities, tons of adjunct faculty, and a slew of other issues.

Let me list a few main qualms with SUNY New Paltz:

Academics: I've had a few professors who really knew what they were doing. However, these professors are continually screwed out of tenure despite their competance. Students with any semblence of self-motivation will grow disillusioned. The professors assign constant busy work, pay more attention to grades than circumstance, and it is not unusual for professors to be completely unattainable. Not to say all of the faculty is terrible - there really are a few phenomenal teachers. However, they're far and few between.

Housing: On-campus life is absolutely horrendous. I have lived in both the suites (Deyo Hall) and the corridors (College/Shango). Because there are two brand-new, asbestos-free dorm halls, the other dorm halls go unnoticed. For example, a shower in College Hall collapsed two years ago. It took the school until last semester to finally remedy the problem. Showers are constantly broken, most RAs I have encountered are only out to penalize students, etc. It might be worth mentioning that when the "z" in the SUNY New Paltz sign goes missing, it is replaced the

*next day*.

Food: Hasbrouck Dining Hall (which is forced upon first-semester freshmen) makes people sick. The only time the cafeteria dishes out edible food is during the inummerable tour groups' visits. The hours are completely insane. Going to Hasbrouck at one o'clock in the afternoon absolutely ensures that your meal will consist of terrible pizza and a bowl of cereal. Beyond Hasbrouck, the SUB isn't all that fabulous. The options for vegetarians (and especially vegans) are scarce. Usually, it's the same rubbery tofu in different sauces.

Health Care: Do not come to this school if you get sick frequently. No, really, take it from me. The Health Center employs quacks. The doctors, while seemingly friendly, might very well be mistaken in what they feel their job descriptions are. The HC has given me medication that caused major allergic reactions and blamed it on external factors that had nothing to do with the condition. Furthermore, they have denied me blood tests. This is not only my experience. Every friend of mine with unsteady health has issues in the HC. Doctors do not believe students, and claim that their health concerns are "no big issue", or that they seem "perfectly healthy". Furthermore, the HC refuses to issue notes for legitimate medical reasons. Unless you have gold-star healthcare outside of the school, and you can find reliable doctors in the area within reasonable distance, good luck.

Police presence and student safety: State police patrol the campus in astronomical numbers, and will hassle students without just cause. Students have been arrested for possession without having anything on his/her/eir person. New Paltz doesn't need the police presence that it has. It is a fairly down-to-earth college town with well-meaning individuals. However, the school is more concerned with its reputation and will continue to try and expell students for minor offenses.

This school is more concerned with appearance, reputation, and the pursuit of dragging more and more freshmen into an already overcrowded, under-funded institution. I do like the town, and I love the county it's in. The people are friendly and the population is incredibly diverse, open-minded, and creative.

Sadly, this does not make up for the *school's* shortcomings. I would not recommend SUNY New Paltz to incoming freshmen.