Dutchess Community College was founded in 1957 and enrolled its first class in 1958. The College is located in the Town of Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County on the east side of the Hudson River, approximately 70 miles north of New York City. It is part of the State University of New York system, one of 30 community colleges within SUNY. A beautiful suite-style residence hall opened in 2012 to meet the needs of students interested in enjoying an on-campus living experience.

The College offers a wide variety of university-parallel programs, as well as career programs in major technical, human service, and business areas. Students may study either part-time or full-time, online or on-campus, and have at their disposal an excellent library, science and computer laboratories, art studios, a field station for the study of environmental problems, and state-of-the-art facilities for a variety of other curricula.

Most important to a college’s learning environment is its faculty. Dutchess Community College’s excellent academic reputation has enabled it to attract outstanding, engaged faculty to campus. Because DCC is primarily a teaching institution, the aim of its faculty is to provide the best possible educational opportunity to all students in all programs. A favorable student/faculty ratio ensures that students will not be just a face in the crowd, as does the faculty’s involvement in the academic advising of students. In sum, Dutchess is a place where students grow and work under the direction of a highly qualified faculty.

The academic services of the College are multi-faceted. Students with a wide diversity of backgrounds and interests are enrolled and are offered a wide range of academic opportunities and support. Honors courses are available to those students prepared for more demanding academic challenges. 

College academic staff constantly evaluates programs, standards and courses to make certain that all programs represent current academic, business and professional practice and are effective and responsive to student needs. Whether your goal is transfer, entry into the job market, personal enrichment, or just the satisfaction of fulfilling intellectual curiosity, you will be able to find an appropriate course of study at Dutchess Community College.

Situated on beautifully landscaped grounds on Pendell Road in the Town of Poughkeepsie, the main campus consists of approximately 140 acres. The major buildings that make up the main campus are open to students from 7:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. during the regular academic year when classes are in session. For a map of the campus and parking areas, click here.

The Allyn J. Washington Center for Science and Art houses state-of-the-art science, mathematics and art classrooms, and faculty offices for the Allied Health and Biological Sciences, Mathematics, Physical and Computer Sciences and Visual Arts departments. The Center also is home to the Mildred I. Washington Art Gallery.

Bowne Hall houses the Office of the President, the Office of Instruction & Learning, the Business Office, the Office of Marketing & Communications and the DCC Foundation. It also is home to the Office of Workplace Development & Continuing Education, which provides non-credit classes as well as training programs for business.

Center for Business and Industry provides classroom and laboratory space for the computer information systems program and the nursing program, as well as two large television studios and other production facilities for the communications and media arts program. Also included are the Telecommunications and Instructional Media Department and Information Systems offices.

Drumlin Hall houses the College’s dining facilities, which include the Louis Greenspan Dining Room and the Handel Family Dining and Conference Room. 

Dutchess Hall contains the Office of Student Activities, the Student Government Association office, the Francis U. Ritz Lounge and the James and Betty Hall Theatre. It also has classrooms, practice rooms, and offices for the Department of Performing, Visual Arts and Communications. The College Bookstore, offering textbooks, educational supplies and selected merchandise, also is housed in Dutchess Hall.

Falcon Hall contains classrooms, the gymnasium, a dance studio, the Phil Arnold Fitness Center and other activity areas designed for health and physical education instruction.

Hudson Hall provides classrooms, studios, laboratories and faculty offices for the following departments: Behavioral Sciences; English and Humanities; and History, Government and Economics. The Service Learning office also is here.

The Francis U. and Mary F. Ritz Library is housed in Hudson Hall and is described in greater detail in the Academic Services section.

The Orcutt Student Services Center houses all student services offices, including Admissions, the ACT Center (academic advising), Counseling, the Registrar, Student Financial Services, Office of Enrollment and Student Success, Health Center and Campus Security. 

Taconic Hall provides classrooms and laboratories for instruction as well as faculty offices in the following areas: Business, Aviation and Construction Technologies; Behavioral Sciences; and Engineering Technology. 

Additional Sites

Accessibility to the College’s programs and services is enhanced through the availability of instructional sites other than the main campus in Poughkeepsie. While the College will offer courses at any acceptable site where a class of students is located, it does have additional locations where courses and services are offered every semester. A new, state-of-the-art extension site, DCC @ Fishkill, is located at the intersection of Route 9 and Interstate 84 at 461 Route 9, Fishkill. The site is particularly attractive to people who work or live in southern Dutchess and northern Putnam counties. Additionally, DCC @ HVR Airport, located on the busy Hudson Valley Regional Airport, offers an immersion experience in a state-of-the art Aviation Education Center for students enrolled in DCC’s aviation programs.

Residence Hall

DCC is proud to be the only community college in our region to offer on-campus housing, allowing students to combine the quality and affordability of a DCC education with the experience of living away at college. 

The fully furnished, contemporary suites in Conklin Hall feature large bedrooms; two bathrooms; kitchenette with sink, microwave and refrigerator; and living room. Building amenities include a multi-purpose atrium, lounges on each floor and laundry facilities. Designed for student safety, comfort and convenience, the residence hall is located close to academic buildings and adjacent to parking lot D.

Students from counties other than Dutchess and Putnam must have a high school average of at least 75. Those who do not meet the academic requirements may attend DCC but not live on campus until completing at least one full-time semester and demonstrating satisfactory progress. Students transferring from another college must have a 2.0 GPA to be considered for housing.

For more information please visit sunydutchess.edu/housing, email academichousing@sunydutchess.edu or call (845) 790-3676.

Smoking Policy

Dutchess Community College is a smoke- and tobacco-free campus. Smoking is prohibited in all College buildings and on all College grounds. The policy applies to any cigarette, e-cigarette, cigar, pipe, or other device that emits toxic smoke or vapors. The policy applies to all College employees, students, visitors and vendors, and all College personnel have shared responsibility for enforcing the policy.