Student and Community Service Departments

Athletics Program

Athletics and Recreation at Siena College are an integral part of the educational experience. Since Siena’s founding in 1937, athletics have played an important role in the development of its students and community. 

In 1976, Siena’s athletics program was elevated to NCAA Division I status. With that move, the College committed itself to upgrading its program and making all teams competitive. After stops in the ECAC Metro and North Atlantic Conference, Siena moved to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in 1989, where it has made its mark, winning a total of 50 team MAAC Championships through the conclusion of the 2023-24 school year. Siena sponsors 21 NCAA Division I sports: baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s indoor track, men’s and women’s outdoor track, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis, women’s volleyball, and women’s water polo.

The athletic department has been recognized annually for the academic accomplishments of its student athletes. Siena College has ranked among the country’s elite colleges, boasting a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 90% or higher in all 19 NCAA reports. This past year, Siena matched its highest graduation success rate in a decade, with 94% of student athletes who enrolled at the College as freshman in the Fall of 2016 going on to graduate.  Moreover, three programs posted perfect multi-year academic progress rates, while 10 achieved unblemished scores for the most recent 2022-23 academic year reflected in the report.

Athletically, the men’s basketball team has been a source of great pride to the College and Capital Region community. The Saints have competed in six NCAA Tournaments (1989, 1999, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010) and have won six MAAC Tournament Championships. The Saints captured back-to-back MAAC Regular Season Championships during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, and were awarded the MAAC Tournament Championship and the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2020. Siena’s three-peat from 2008-10 made the Saints the only Division I team in the country to win both their conference regular season and tournament championships in each of those three seasons. Not only have the Saints advanced to the NCAA Tournament on multiple occasions, but the program has also achieved a strong level of success in winning four contests including three in the First Round. In 2009, the Saints topped Big Ten power Ohio State 74-72 in a double overtime thriller in the First Round of the NCAA Championships in Dayton, Ohio before losing at the wire to top overall seed Louisville. In 2008, the Saints also advanced to the Second Round, defeating SEC member and #4 seed Vanderbilt 83-62 in Tampa, Fla. In 1989, Siena defeated #3 seed Stanford in Greensboro, N.C. Recently, the Saints continued to build upon their postseason success in the College Basketball Invitational. Siena competed in the CBI twice, and defeated Fresno State in the Championship Series in 2014 to capture the school’s first Division I national postseason tournament title. The Siena men have also enjoyed great success in the postseason NIT, appearing in five Tournaments highlighted by a magical run to the semifinals at Madison Square Garden in 1994.

The men’s lacrosse team has also emerged as a national player. Over an eight-season span from 2007-14, the Saints won 87 games which was tied with perennial national power North Carolina for the eighth most victories in the Division I ranks. Siena captured its first three MAAC Championships during this time, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history in 2009 before returning again in both 2011 and 2014. The Saints won the MAAC Regular Season Title six times from 2007-14, and advanced to six consecutive MAAC Championship Games from 2009-14.

The women’s basketball team has had success as well. Siena has won or shared the MAAC regular-season title seven times since joining the conference in 1990. In 2015, the Saints advanced all the way to the finals of the Women’s Basketball Invitational and posted the second greatest turnaround in all of Division I. The Saints won the 2001 MAAC Championship to earn their first NCAA appearance and have appeared in the WNIT three times (1999, 2002 and 2003). The Saints beat Big East members Georgetown and Seton Hall in the first rounds of the WNIT in 1999 and 2003 respectively.

Additionally, the volleyball, women’s soccer, men’s golf, women’s golf, and baseball teams have all won multiple MAAC Championships. Volleyball captured its ninth and most recent MAAC Championship in 2014, earning the program’s fifth NCAA Tournament appearance where they lost to eventual National Champion Penn State. Women’s soccer has secured each of the program’s first three MAAC Championships since 2010 (2010, 2015, 2020-21), and made history by becoming the first women’s soccer team in conference history to win the title as the No. 6 seed in 2015. Men’s golf has hoisted the MAAC Championship trophy six times (1991, 2006, 2007, 2016, 2023, 2024), including each of the past two seasons. The women’s golf program has won a Siena-record 13 MAAC Championships dating back to 2001, and made a pair of trips to the NCAA Tournament (2012, 2014). The baseball team won its fifth MAAC Championship in 2014 and also captured the program’s first victory in the NCAA Tournament, defeating nationally-ranked Dallas Baptist. The Saints also won the title in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1999 under legendary head coach Tony Rossi, who led the program for an NCAA Division I record 54 seasons before retiring in Spring of 2023.

The men’s basketball team has ranked in the top 100 nationally in Division I attendance for 25 consecutive seasons, while playing its home games at MVP Arena, located just minutes away from campus in downtown Albany. The Saints have recorded an average attendance of nearly 6,500 the past two decades, and achieved the highest average attendance amongst Northeast mid-major programs for three consecutive years.

Along with the MVP Arena, other athletic facilities include: an artificial turf field on-campus, Hickey Field, which serves as home for the men’s soccer, and men’s and women’s lacrosse teams, along with various intramural activities. The newly re-branded 2,148-seat UHY Center (formerly known as the Alumni Recreation Center) is the home facility for the women’s basketball and volleyball teams.

Siena’s intramural program offers full experiences in a variety of athletic areas. Typical offerings include: basketball, flag football, volleyball, softball, futsal, team handball, dodge ball, Zumba and others. Competition is between students and nearly 40 percent of the student body participates.

The Marcelle Athletic Complex is home to all recreational activities that take place on campus. A $13.5 million multi-phase enhancement for both the MAC and the ARC was completed in 2019, featuring a refurbishment of the now-named UHY Center, a new men’s and women’s basketball practice facility, new indoor baseball and softball hitting cages, new sports medicine and strength and conditioning suites, and a new two-story student, faculty, and staff fitness center. The MAC features a field house with four full-size basketball courts, an elevated running track, three racquet sports courts, aerobic room, fitness area featuring Atlantis weight lifting equipment, Cybex aerobic equipment and a swimming pool for both competitive and recreational swim.  The latest addition to the Marcelle Athletic Complex, the Bob Guido ‘68 Athletic Academic Center, launched in May 2022 with the 2,200 square foot facility providing an enhanced environment where Siena’s more than 350 student athletes can achieve their full potential.

Office of the College Chaplain

The Office of the College Chaplain ministers to the spiritual needs of Siena’s students, faculty, staff, and alumni. It plays a crucial role in nurturing and communicating the Catholic and Franciscan identity of the College. As a Catholic educational institution, Siena strives to make conscious connections between faith and reason, between the quest for knowledge and the thirst for God, and between the examination of new ideas and an ever-deepening appreciation for the ancient wisdom of our Judeo-Christian tradition. As a Franciscan college, Siena grounds its approach to education in the conviction that the pursuit of truth in every academic discipline leads the seeker to the God of truth. St. Francis of Assisi believed, and his followers concur, that the exploration of the world in all its wondrous beauty and infinite variety is a prelude to divine praise, and everything that is genuinely human is a possible encounter with the God-made-human, Jesus Christ. The Chaplain’s Office seeks to promote these Catholic and Franciscan values in higher education.

The Office of the College Chaplain is located behind St. Mary of the Angels Chapel and adjacent to Hines Hall. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. St. Mary of the Angels Chapel is open 24 hours a day for personal prayer and meditation. In addition, the Chapel of the Holy Name of Jesus, located in the Sarazen Student Union, provides a more intimate setting for quiet reflection, and is open during the regular operating hours of the Student Union.

The celebration of the Eucharist is the heart of the spiritual and religious life of Siena College. The Eucharistic Liturgy is regularly celebrated on the Sundays of the academic year at 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. in St. Mary of the Angels Chapel, and at 5:00 and 10:00 p.m. in various residence halls. Weekday Masses are celebrated at 12:30 p.m. in St. Mary of the Angels Chapel. All are welcome to these celebrations.

Catholic students are encouraged to take an active role in the liturgical ministries of the Chaplain’s Office, and to serve the worshipping community as Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Greeters, and Acolytes. Students with musical ability are welcome to join the music ministry of St. Mary of the Angels Chapel. Students of other religious traditions who wish to worship with their own faith communities or to seek the spiritual counsel of their respective spiritual leaders should contact the Chaplain’s Office for appropriate referral and, if needed, assistance with transportation.

Building a Christ-centered community of faith is central to the mission and ministry of the Chaplain’s Office. Working closely with the community of friars at Siena College as well as the Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy, the Chaplain’s Office offers a wide variety of programs and events that serve to make the vital connection between Christian faith and everyday life on a college campus. Through liturgical celebrations, prayer services, small faith-sharing groups, bible study, retreat experiences, community service opportunities, and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (where students sponsor other students who wish to enter more deeply into the life of the Catholic Church), the Chaplain’s Office hopes to create an environment where one can grow in deep personal relationship with God, in intelligent reflection on one’s faith, in active witness to the good news of Jesus Christ, and in selfless service to one’s sisters and brothers in the world.

Counseling Center

Overview

The Siena College Counseling Center, part of the college’s Student Life division, offers free, short-term, solution-focused mental health counseling, group workshops, case management and psychiatric care to all enrolled students. We also provide consultation, participate in outreach, and deliver trainings to the Siena community. We strive to ensure that our offices are spaces where individuals can feel safe, accepted, respected, empowered, seen and heard. As such, embedded in our counseling philosophy, we embrace diversity, advocate for equity, and promote inclusivity.

Why Schedule an Appointment

How to Make an Appointment

Students can schedule appointments in one of three ways. They may

1. call the Counseling Center at 518-783-2342 and speak to our office coordinator,
2. stop by Foy 110 to schedule in-person,
3. or request an initial appointment online on the Counseling Center webpage.

Hour of operation are:

- Fall/Spring, Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM (closed from 12 - 1)
- Summer, Monday - Thursday, 8 AM - 4:15 PM (closed from 12 - 12:30); Friday, 8 AM - 12 PM

Appointments are scheduled for as soon as possible, although same-day appointments for urgent/crisis matters are available on a daily-basis as well. Due to the high demand for counseling services, students are allowed up to ten (10) individual counseling sessions per  academic year. 

Counselor On-Call

A member of our clinical staff is accessible after normal business hours, seven days a week (excluding July), to assess and manage urgent matters, by contacting Public Safety at 518-783-2999.

Damietta Cross-Cultural Center

The Damietta Cross-Cultural Center’s mission is to foster campus-wide, cross-cultural competency in the service of a just world. At the heart of the Center’s mission is the acknowledgement that we are all members of the human family regardless of our race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, ability and socio-economic status. The Damietta Cross-Cultural Center commits to promote an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of the Siena community. Our professional and student staff offer cultural, educational and social programs to the campus community which aim to enhance students’ cross-cultural competency, address inequality in our world, and lead students to become agents of social justice. The Damietta Cross-Cultural Center also works closely with the affinity clubs on campus including the Asian Student Association, Black Student Union, Latinx Student Association, Muslim Student Association, Pride - Gay Straight Alliance and S.O.L.I.D. Step Team.

About Damietta: St. Francis of Assisi and the Sultan Malik al-Kamil met in Damietta, Egypt in September of 1219. For several days in the midst of war between competing cultures and religions, these two men sat down together and searched for common ground. Their meeting changed their attitudes, altered their perspectives and influenced their subsequent behavior. It left them mutually enriched. It also left us with a legacy of respectful and meaningful dialogue. It is this 800 year-old tradition, bestowed on us by a Catholic Christian saint and a Sunni Muslim sultan, which the programs and services of the Damietta Cross-Cultural Center seek to honor and advance at Siena College.

Within the Christian tradition, there are duties and responsibilities associated with being a member of the human family. The Gospel challenges its adherents not only to love their neighbors but to love their enemies as well. St. Francis called all whom he met his brother and sister, thereby expressing two convictions. First, we are all related; we are part of one human family. Second, we are called to love one another. It is this profoundly relational dynamic that animates the work of the Damietta Cross-Cultural Center.  The Damietta Cross-Cultural Center is located in the Sarazen Student Union, Room 207 (1st Floor).

The Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy

The Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy promotes and upholds the Franciscan mission of the college by engaging students and the Siena community in various service and advocacy programs, particularly among the poor and marginalized.

FCSA offers extensive volunteer and advocacy opportunities with various agencies and organizations in the Capital Region which allow the Siena community to discover, experience, and respond to the needs in our local community and to be agents of change and advocates of justice.

Our SIENA STANDS WITH Immersion Program offers students, faculty, and staff transformative experiences in communities, both close to home and abroad, struggling with poverty, injustice, and inequality. Philadelphia, Texas, Arizona, Puerto Rico and Jamaica, are just some of the places in which SIENA STANDS in solidarity.

A minor in Franciscan Service and Advocacy, which includes a seminar and internship, is offered as part of the College’s academic programming. This minor is suited for any course of study and will integrate Franciscan values with hands-on direct service with intellectual and spiritual reflection.

For more information about the Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy (FCSA), please contact the Director at (518) 783-2333 or visit https://www.siena.edu/fcsa.

International Student Services

International students receive individualized support through the Center for International Programs. The Center issues immigration documentation necessary for a student to obtain F-1 student status and comply with all applicable regulations. In addition, the Center helps students build networks throughout the campus to access services from such offices as Community Living, Career Education and Professional Development, Health and Counseling, and Academic Success. The Center provides English language support, coordinates a mentor program through the Writing Center and monitors the academic progress of each international student. Workshops are offered on obtaining work authorization for internships and post-graduate employment, and assistance is provided in securing on-campus jobs and obtaining a social security number. A comprehensive orientation is held for new international students at the beginning of each semester. The International Student Association provides numerous social events and opportunities. International students are expected to inform the Center for International Programs of all changes in residency, academic status or employment.

The Office of Accessibility

The Office of Accessibility promotes Siena’s commitment to a student-centered education within an environment that affirms the uniqueness and diversity of each individual. The office provides advocacy for and accommodations to students with disabilities in order to ensure access to educational opportunities and to empower student self-advocacy. In accordance with the Americans with Disability Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Office of Accessibility registers students to receive reasonable accommodations. Academic accommodations will be granted to students who have registered and provided documentation of their disability to the Office of Accessibility. Each student is met with an interactive individualized registration process.  Although we encourage students to register early, they may register at any time. Accommodations, however, are not retroactive. To register, students must complete registration and release forms and submit proper documentation of their disability. To ensure appropriate accommodations, documentation should be current (normally within three years) and demonstrate how the disability limits participation in courses, programs, services and activities. Students will meet with the Director to discuss an individualized accommodation plan.  Students will receive an accommodation letter to provide to their faculty. All documentation and personal information are held in strict confidence unless authorized for release by the student in writing.

For more information about the Office of Accessibility, please contact accessibility@siena.edu or call (518)-783-4239.

Sr. Thea Bowman Center for Women

The Sr. Thea Bowman Center for Women, located in Hines Hall, provides innovative, value-based programs and initiatives that educate, engage and empower students.  Together with the Mission Office and in collaboration with the Siena community, we foster advocacy efforts for social justice, gender equality, and women’s development.

We strive to address issues of social justice, wellness, service, and advocacy. Some of our annual and ongoing events include:

• Weekly Yoga Classes
• Roots Cafe
• Women’s Empowerment and Leadership
• Women, Health and Social Change Speakers  
• Holistic Wellness and Mental Health Awareness
• Women-Owned Business Fair  
• Period Poverty Awareness and Advocacy

For more information, please call (782-6109) or visit the web site at  https://www.siena.edu/centers-institutes/sr-thea-bowman-center-for-women/.