There’s been some chatter about a new, exciting program that’ll affect students on the Pleasantville campus: Semester in the City.

Picture this: after spending about a year and a half in Westchester County, riding the Pace shuttle bus for the 2,000th time and watching the geese prance around the pond day in and day out, one may be feeling the need for a much healthier change. Well, there is a program that’ll allow students to spend an entire semester on the Pace campus in the city that never sleeps.

Although Pleasantville students already have the option to switch campuses, one may not want to go through countless trips to the Office of Student Assistance (OSA) or the Office of Financial Aid just to change their location. By taking part in Semester in the City, most of those steps can easily be eliminated.

Although still “in the works”, this program is (as of now) specifically geared towards second semester sophomores that wish to live and explore the Pace New York campus and the city itself.
“This is a program for students who don’t necessarily have the opportunity to study abroad or live in the city,” program coordinator of the Office of Student Success Jonathan Hooker said.

This program also provides activities and events, just as any other study abroad program would, for students to get comfortable with their new classmates and surroundings. Rather than being dropped in the middle of Manhattan without much guidance, the program will help to heighten the full experience of New York City with little to no extra cost.

A concern that was raised in the preparation of the program was the cost of attendance. Although tuition will not change, the costs of room and board have been taken into consideration.

“Students will receive a discount on housing,” Hooker said. “It is known that that the housing in New York is slightly higher than Pleasantville and we don’t want that to be a deterrent.”

Because the program is still under construction, there are still a few kinks to be ironed out. However, with the help and guidance of Hooker, the program is still in its piloting stage.

“There will be an application process where we will select between 5-10 students from Pleasantville,” Hooker said. “We just want them to be exposed to the history, arts and cultures of the city while being able to take their classes.”

Students have recently been introduced to the program with few details, but it is creating a buzz around campus, especially amongst freshman, who will be candidates for this program next year.

“I went to the homecoming concert in the city recently and while I was there I got a diverse vibe from that campus,” freshman communications major Gabriel Solano said. “There were many different types of people, and it looked like there were so many topics being discussed. I definitely will take advantage of that next semester.”

One thing has caught the attention of many is that the program is really only geared towards sophomores. Hooker explained that freshman year is very important and that they want the students to focus on their core classes and adapting to college before taking such a step.

The city of New York does offer many great things to students, but there isn’t any program for the New York City students to take part in on Pleasantville. Students tend to choose Pleasantville for the campus feel, so it would only make sense if there was a program that would act as an exchange.
“I think that it would be a good experience for the NYC students to do the same: try the Pleasantville experience,” Solano said. “You’re surrounded more by nature and the atmosphere itself is just different, even the air is better.”

Hooker said that they are considering a possible “Semester in the Country,” a similar program for New York City students who often come from Queens or Brooklyn. He says it’ll be a great experience for them to get away as well.

Unfortunately, nursing students are not allowed to apply due to major requirements, but there is a possibility for them in the future.

So there it is, Pleasantville students, New York City’s Broadway plays, musicals, festivals and cultural restaurants will be available, while getting a quality education at no extra cost. Students that are interested in learning more about Semester in the City are encouraged to contact Jonathan Hooker at [email protected] or (212) 346-1962.