NORWICH – Morrisville State College’s Norwich campus will host its third annual holiday open house Thursday to recognize the college’s growth and expansion in the past year and also to celebrate 40 years as an extension of the main SUNY campus.

The public is invited to meet the staff and faculty, explore the facility and experience what it’s like to be a student at Morrisville’s Norwich Campus. The 40th anniversary celebration and holiday open house will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Roger W. Follet Hall, 20 Conkey Ave.

The idea for a community college in the city of Norwich was first introduced in the early 1960s, yet it was eventually determined that there was insufficient support for such an undertaking. In 1968, an agreement was reached between SUNY Morrisville and the Norwich City School District to offer classes at the Norwich Senior High School. This idea came to fruition in the spring of 1969, as Morrisville offered its first two classes in Norwich, with a total enrollment of 38 students. From that time until 1988, Morrisville continued to offer educational opportunities on an extension basis, located at the Norwich High School.