PATCHOGUE, NY – September 22, 2006 – St. Joseph's College announced today that State Senator Caesar Trunzo (R-Suffolk) has secured a $30,000 Senate Member Initiative Grant for the conversion of meeting rooms in the Callahan Library to Seminar Smart Classrooms on the Patchogue Campus.

Smart Classrooms are fully integrated, technological classrooms that allow instructors greater flexibility in the preparation and delivery of course material, and provide pre-service teachers with the chance to use, explore and experiment with technology. Through the use of computer workstations and CD-DVD equipment, instructors can enhance their lectures with graphics, video and programs such as PowerPoint. From 2002 to 2004, all of the College’s classrooms were converted to smart classrooms, greatly enhancing the learning process for both faculty and students.

With the secured funds, the College plans to convert meeting rooms in the Callahan Library to Seminar Smart Classrooms in order to meet the needs of our graduate students and upperclassmen that take seminar and elective courses that do not require the use of a large classroom. These improvements are part of an ongoing process to ensure that St. Joseph’s students continue to have the finest learning resources at their disposal.

As one of the longest serving members of the New York State Senate, Senator Trunzo has provided strong leadership to his constituents and New York State. For the past thirty-four years, Senator Trunzo has been a dedicated supporter of St. Joseph’s. In his tenure as State Senator for the 3rd District, he has obtained almost $400,000 in funding from New York State for a wide range of projects at St. Joseph’s College.

About St. Joseph's College

St. Joseph’s College has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the College provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility, and service. With campuses located in the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn and in Patchogue, Long Island, the College offers degrees in over 22 majors, special course offerings and certificates, affiliated and pre-professional programs through its School of Arts and Sciences and its School of Professional and Graduate Studies.