Date: Apr 02, 2007

Hofstra University Submits Application to Host 2008 Presidential Debate

Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz announced that Hofstra University has submitted a formal application to the Commission on Presidential Debates to host a 2008 presidential debate.

The Commission on Presidential Debates today released the list of submitted applications, and of the 19 applications received from across the country, Hofstra University's is the only application from New York state.   

"Hofstra University's size, location and facilities make our campus an ideal setting for one of the most important events of the presidential election cycle," said President Rabinowitz.  "Bringing a presidential debate to Hofstra University will enable our students and the entire Long Island community to participate in this election, and in turn showcase our students and the Long Island community to the American people."

Hofstra University has proposed the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex ("the Arena") as the venue for the debate, and the adjoining Physical Fitness Center as home for the media center and supporting services for the Commission on Presidential Debates.  Other Hofstra University facilities have been selected for support services for media and visitors.

Since its opening in 1999, the 31,000 square-foot (at floor level) Arena has been the site of hundreds of events, including former President Bill Clinton's keynote address at Hofstra's eleventh presidential conference, "William Jefferson Clinton: The 'New' Democrat from Hope."  The Arena, a uniquely flexible and modern facility, has also hosted galas, commencements and graduations, festivals and trade shows, the New York State Special Olympics, the LI-FIRST Robotics Competition, concerts and hundreds of sporting events.  

"The administration, under President Rabinowitz's leadership, has made every effort to meet every specification set forth by the Commission," said Hofstra University Vice President Dolores Fredrich, who coordinated the submission of the application.  "Our facilities and personnel are ready to meet each and every need of the candidates, our visitors and the Commission."

As part of the application process, Hofstra University sought cooperation from many segments of the Long Island region and received letters in support of the debate from local elected officials, including Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray and Village of Hempstead Mayor Wayne Hall, Hofstra faculty and student leaders and regional service providers.  In one of the letters included in the formal application, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi wrote that he "strongly supported" the application and that "national and international speakers and events have taken place at Hofstra, and its facilities are well-suited for these events."  

"It would be an honor to host a presidential debate, and to allow our students the extraordinary opportunity to participate in the democratic process," said President Rabinowitz.   "Hofstra's emphasis on academic disciplines such as presidential studies and suburban studies is a unique connection between the debate, American culture and history, and Hofstra's scholarly strengths."

In 2006, Hofstra University launched the Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, led by the newly appointed Dr. Meena Bose, to build on the scholarship of the renowned presidential conference series hosted by the University since 1977.  The Center for Suburban Studies was launched in 2003, incorporating the existing Long Island Studies Institute, to study the unique issues of the suburbs, now home to more than 50% of all Americans.  The Center studies the suburbs through the lens of the "laboratory" of Hofstra's surrounding area, which includes Levittown, America's "first suburb."    

About Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students find their edge to succeed in more than 140 undergraduate and 155 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business, communication, education and allied human services, and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. With a student-faculty ratio of 14-to-1, our professors teach small classes averaging 23 students that emphasize interaction, critical thinking and analysis.  

Related Link: Commission on Presidential Debates