- Borough of Manhattan Community College
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Borough of Manhattan Community College 
Established 1963 Type Public President Antonio Pérez Students 21,986 Location New York City, New York, USA Campus Urban Website bmcc.cuny.edu The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) is one of six two-year colleges within the City University of New York (CUNY) system and the only one in Manhattan. Founded in 1963, BMCC originally offered business-oriented and liberal arts degrees for those intending to enter the business world or transfer to a four-year college. Its original campus was scattered all over midtown Manhattan, utilizing office space wherever available. In the mid-1970s CUNY began scouting for suitable property on which to erect a new campus of its own. The current campus has been in use since 1983. Currently, with an enrollment of over 19,000 students,[1] BMCC was. It grants associate's degrees in a wide variety of vocational, business, health, science, and continuing education fields.
Advertising itself to potential students under the motto, "Start Here. Go Anywhere," its student body is nearly two-thirds female and boasts a median age of 24 with attending students hailing from over 100 different countries, and a faculty of nearly 1,000 full-time and adjunct professors. Another 10,000 students are enrolled in BMCC's distance education programs.
Contents
Campus
Borough of Manhattan Community College is in the heart of TriBeCa and occasionally plays host to the Tribeca Film Festival's ceremonies and films.[2] The four main campuses rest between New York City Hall and the Financial District near the Hudson River in Downtown Manhattan.
- 199 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007 - Main Campus
- 70 Murray Street, New York, NY 10007 - Murray Street Campus
- 75 Park Place, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10007 - Park Place Campus
- 108 Cooper Street, New York, NY 10034 - Inwood/Washington Heights
- 2090 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd, New York, NY 10027 - Harlem Location at Theresa Towers
- 30 West Broadway, New York, NY 10007 - Fiterman Hall (Closed for rebuilding)
Fiterman Hall and the September 11 attacks
Fiterman Hall was heavily damaged from the collapse of 7 World Trade Center on 9/11.
Fiterman Hall was a 15-story building on the campus of this college at 30 West Broadway in Lower Manhattan. It opened in 1959 as an office building before owner Miles Fiterman, whom the building was named after, donated it to BMCC in 1993, which at the time was the largest private donation to a community college in U.S. history. It was renovated in 2000 to receive new windows and infrastructure. The building was owned by the State of New York Dormitory Authority.[3][4]
It was heavily damaged during the September 11 attacks in 2001, when debris from the collapse of 7 WTC compromised the structure. It became unsafe to occupy due to mold growth and asbestos exposure. Because traditional demolition would result in an unacceptable environmental impact, the building was scheduled for deconstruction and decontamination as part of the Lower Manhattan redevelopment project.[5]
Fiterman Hall was to have been replaced by a new building designed by the architectural firm Pei Cobb Freed & Partners.[6] Deconstruction was scheduled to be complete by February 2007; however, environmental impact concerns and funding issues caused numerous delays in completing the project. At a press conference, which took place at BMCC on November 13, 2008, city and state officials announced a new agreement which solidified demolition and reconstruction plans through a funding agreement with New York City, New York State, and the City University of New York. In addition, approximately $80 million will come from an insurance settlement. Under the plan, the new Fiterman Hall will be completed in 2012.[7][8] The building was finally demolished in November 2009 after all asbestos had been removed. Construction of its replacement began on 1 December.[9]
Degrees offered
Associate in Applied Science
- A.A.S. - Accounting
- A.A.S. - Business Management
- A.A.S. - Computer Operations
- A.A.S. - Computer Programming
- A.A.S. - Health Information Technology
- A.A.S. - Multimedia Programming and Design
- A.A.S. - Nursing
- A.A.S. - Office Automation
- A.A.S. - Office Operations
- A.A.S. - Paramedic
- A.A.S. - Respiratory Therapy
- A.A.S. - Small Business/Entrepreneurship
- A.A.S. - Video Arts and Technology
Associate in Science
- A.S. - Child Care/Early Childhood Education
- A.S. - Computer Science
- A.S. - Engineering Science
- A.S. - Human Services
- A.S. - Mathematics
- A.S. - Science
- A.S. - Theatre
Associate in Arts
- A.A. - Bilingual Childhood Education
- A.A. - Business Administration
- A.A. - Childhood Education
- A.A. - Liberal Arts
- A.A. - Writing and Literature
Academics
The college has won multiple awards from the CUNY system as well as other institutions for its ability to grant Associate's Degrees at an impressive rate and to foster continuing education at senior colleges. With a respectable teacher-to-student ratio, significant public and private funding, and a central location in New York City, the learning experience has been covered by many publications and studied by experts.
However, BMCC also suffers from the same problems that plague all community colleges such as an alarming rise in remedial education,[10] lack of freshman retention,[11] and overcrowding. Due to its larger base of capital compared to most other two-year colleges, expansion of new campuses during the rebuilding of Fiterman Hall was possible. Several trailers are still used as classrooms to this day in order to help expand capacity. Internal programs have also been created or expanded to help with academic advisement, provide online access for registration, transferring to other colleges, and job placement.
A diverse student base,[12] some of whom are only recent arrivals in America[13] also makes tailoring a viable solution difficult. Improving the retention and graduation rate as well as the increased financial and academic burdens of a remedial program still remain a considerable problem.
Athletics
BMCC offers a large state-of-the-art recreation facility including a regulation basketball court, swimming pool, and weight room. There are active teams in many sports such as handball, bowling, baseball, soccer, and basketball. Sports teams compete in both the CUNY athletic system and the local NCAA collegiate sports system despite being a community college. The women's basketball team has won numerous championships including the CUNY basketball championship and the regional Division III championships including placing third nationally in 2000 with a 21-3 regular season record.[14] The chess team has won national awards. One of the most successful programs at BMCC is the men’s soccer team with 6 consecutive wins at cuny soccer championships, 1 regional DIII championship and placing 3rd in the NJCAA national championship in 2005.
Western side of the main campus building, at the Hudson RiverNotable alumni
- Dana "Queen Latifah" Owens, singer and actress[15]
- Mirko Savone, Italian actor, voice actor, and model
- Gabourey Sidibe, actress
- Assata Shakur, federal fugitive, godmother of Tupac Shakur
- Stephen "Kid Chaos" Harris, rock musician[16]
- Michael K. Williams, TV actor and music video performer [17]
See also
References
- ^ http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/about_bmcc/facts.html BMCC Quick Facts
- ^ http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org/news-features/news/13531417.html 2005 Awards Ceremony
- ^ "Fiterman Hall". http://wikimapia.org/5217150/Fiterman_Hall.
- ^ "Fiterman Hall Status Update". 2003-05-02. http://webdocs.nyccouncil.info/attachments/57013.htm?CFID=1439609&CFTOKEN=93934473.
- ^ "Lower Manhattan Fiterman Hall". Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. http://www.lowermanhattan.info/construction/project_updates/fiterman_hall_39764.aspx.
- ^ "Work to Demolish Fiterman Hall may actually begin". Downtown Express. 2006-01-13. http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_140/worktodemolish.html.
- ^ Fiterman is Funded, BMCC News
- ^ Ground Zero building to be razed, by Theresa Agovino, Crain's New York Business
- ^ "Lower Manhattan: Fiterman Hall". LowerManhattan.info. Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center. http://www.lowermanhattan.info/construction/project_updates/fiterman_hall_39764.aspx. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/02/education/02college.html?scp=3&sq=community+college+remedial&st=nyt At 2-Year Colleges, Students Eager but Unready
- ^ http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/AAT/NW30_1.htm Changing Culture: A New Program for Liberal Arts Advisement at an Urban Community College
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/nyregion/27neediest.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=Borough+Manhattan+College+&st=nyt&oref=slogin An Escape From Rwanda, Then a Struggle to Survive in New York
- ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5276/is_200708/ai_n21254740 'START HERE. GO ANYWHERE,' NOT JUST BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE'S SLOGAN: IT'S REAL
- ^ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A03E3D6143BF930A35750C0A9679C8B63 Manhattan C.C. Setting Its Sights On Being the National Champion
- ^ Biography of Queen Latifah at Thomson Gale Black History
- ^ From Rock Star To Pre-Med at CBS News
- ^ http://www.theamericanscene.com/2008/01/02/omar-loves-to-dance Omar Loves to Dance
External links
Media related to Borough of Manhattan Community College at Wikimedia CommonsUnits of the City University of New York Two-year Four-year Graduate
Coordinates: 40°43′04″N 74°00′43″W / 40.71768°N 74.01188°WCategories:- City University of New York
- Educational institutions established in 1963
- Two-year colleges in the United States
- Universities and colleges in New York
- Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
- Universities and colleges in Manhattan
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