LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Vassar College upon the occasion of
its designation as a recipient of the Special Recognition Award by the
Mill Street Loft

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 the education of the youth of the Empire State;
and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
Vassar College upon the occasion of its designation as a recipient of
the Special Recognition Award by the Mill Street Loft, to be celebrated
on Thursday, March 5, 2009; and
WHEREAS, Mill Street Loft is a not-for-profit, community-based Multi-
Arts Center, dedicated to bringing a wide range of creative, educational
and culturally enriching programs to diverse audiences throughout the
Hudson Valley; and
WHEREAS, Consistently ranked as one of the country's best liberal arts
colleges, Vassar College is renowned for its long history of curricular
innovation, and for the natural beauty and architectural distinction of
its campus; more than 50 academic departments and degree programs --
from Africana Studies to Biochemistry to Religion to Urban Studies --
encompass the arts, foreign languages, natural sciences, and social
sciences, and combine to offer a curriculum of more than 1,000 courses,
including numerous interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary subjects; and
WHEREAS, Vassar College has always been dedicated to academic discov-
ery and independent inquiry, and it was the first college to be founded
with an art collection and gallery; today, the Frances Lehman Loeb Art
Center holds many works by such masters as Picasso, Rembrandt, O'Keeffe,
and Pollock; and
WHEREAS, In 1982, Vassar was the first college in the world to grant
an undergraduate degree in cognitive science; its newest additions
include the state-of-the-art Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film, the
Interdisciplinary Robotics Research Laboratory, a Media Studies major,
and the Frances Daly Fergusson Dance Theater; and
WHEREAS, Vassar College's rich arts curriculum and resources also
include the pioneering Experimental Theater of Vassar College, the Skin-
ner Hall of Music, Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre troupe, James W.
Palmer Gallery, and the college's Powerhouse Theater collaboration with
New York Stage and Film; and
WHEREAS, Under President Catharine Hill, who took office in July of
2006, Vassar College has deepened its commitment to the accessibility
and affordability of a Vassar education; the college has always provided
financial aid strictly on the basis of a student's financial need; and
WHEREAS, In 2007, Vassar College returned to an admissions policy, in
which applicants are only considered for admission based upon their
academic credentials; in 2008, it began its Poughkeepsie High School
Scholarship program, which eliminates loans from the financial aid pack-
ages awarded to Vassar students who are Poughkeepsie High graduates; and
WHEREAS, Vassar College was founded to pioneer women's higher educa-
tion and became a coeducational institution in 1969; the student body is
now composed of 59 percent women and 41 percent men; and
WHEREAS, Vassar College has been a partner with Mill Street Loft for
many years sending interns who are interested in the arts and social
justice, community fellows to participate in its summer programs, and
providing Mill Street Loft with an annual gallery exhibit each year; and

WHEREAS, A true asset to society, Vassar College's distinguished
record merits the recognition and respectful tribute of this Legislative
Body; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Vassar College upon the occasion of its designation as a recipi-
ent of the Special Recognition Award by the Mill Street Loft; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Catharine Hill, President, Vassar College.