Medgar Evers College

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Medgar Evers College (MEC) is a college campus (offering bachelor's and associate's degrees) of The City University of New York.

MEC was founded in 1970 through cooperation from educators and community leaders in central Brooklyn. MEC is named after Medgar Wiley Evers, a Mississippi-born black civil rights activist who, while serving in World War II, became disenchanted by the knowledge that he was fighting for freedom halfway around the world while he and other American blacks endured segregation and other forms of racism. He later helped secure many social and political advances for African-Americans, including helping the first black student, James Meredith, attend the previously-whites-only University of Mississippi in 1962. Evers was assassinated on June 12, 1963. A significant focus of MEC is promoting educational opportunities for African-Americans, although the College welcomes and admits students from all ethnic groups.

MEC is divided into four schools: The School of Business; The School of Professional and Community Development; The School of Liberal Arts and Education; and The School of Science, Health, and Technology. The College also operates several external programs and associated centers such as Male Development and Empowerment Center, Center for Women's Development, Center for Black Literature, and The DuBois Bunche Center for Public Policy.

MEC's intercollegiate athletic teams compete as the Cougars.

1 History
2 Campus
3 School of Business
4 School of Liberal Arts and Education
5 School of Science, Health and Technology
6 Academic Centers
7 Trivia
8 External links

[edit] History

Medgar Evers College has the distinction of being the youngest of the four-year senior colleges in The City University of New York. In the early 1960s, the Central Brooklyn community recognized the need and expressed a desire for a local public college. Through various community organizations including, but not limited to, the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, the Central Brooklyn Coordinating Council, and the NAACP, and through their local elected officials, the residents of Central Brooklyn approached the Board of Higher Education of the City of New York with this request. Members of the various community-based organizations constituted the Bedford-Stuyvesant Coalition on Educational Needs and Services, which served as the primary vehicle for interfacing with the Board of Higher Education. After many discussions and much involvement by community residents and the Coalition, the Board of Higher Education, on November 17, 1967, "approved the sponsorship of Community College Number VII, with the indication of an intention to admit students in the Fall of l969."

On 13 February 1968, the Board of Higher Education announced that the college would be located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn. On 27 January 1969 the Board approved the establishment of an "experimental four-year college of professional studies offering both career and transfer associate degrees and the baccalaureate degree, to be located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, said college to be established in place of a previously approved but not started new Community College VII, and further directed that the City University Master Plan be amended accordingly." This action was endorsed by action of the Regents on March 20, 1970.

The Board of Higher Education Proceedings of April 14, 1970 reflect the Board action, which modified the 1968 Master Plan to delete Community College Number Seven and listed in lieu thereof under Senior College, "College XVII, Mid-Brooklyn, Initial Facilities, Estimated Cost: $10,000,000." The College was officially established on July 30, 1970 when Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller signed the legislation approving the "establishment of an experimental four-year college of professional studies offering both career and transfer associate degrees and the baccalaureate degree..." Finally, on September 28, 1970 the Board of Higher Education approved the recommendation from the College’s Community Council that the name of the college be Medgar Evers College, in honor of the martyred civil rights leader, Medgar Wiley Evers (1925-1963). In recognition of this, September 28th is observed as "Founders’ Day" at Medgar Evers College.

On December 2, 1970, the Medgar Evers College Community Council, chaired by John Enoch, and the Board of Higher Education co-hosted an announcement ceremony at the Y.M.C.A. on 139 Monroe Street in Brooklyn. Chairman Enoch stated, "The Medgar Evers College, reflecting the image of the martyred leader who dedicated his life to the cause of individual freedom, dignity and personal fulfillment, will add another pillar of strength to the growing educational, economic, cultural and social foundations of the central Brooklyn community and New York City." Mr. Evers’ widow, Mrs. Myrlie Evers, and two of the couple’s three children flew in from Claremont, California for the ceremony. She was presented a scroll that cited Mr. Evers’ "...effective contribution to the cause of human freedom and dignity...In choosing the name of Medgar Evers, it is our hope that his ideals will inspire students and faculty of the college in their pursuit of truth as the surest path to human freedom and social justice."

[edit] Campus

The College is presently located in three buildings, 1150 Carroll Street ("The Carroll Street Building"), a four-story 152,000 GSF building originally built as the Brooklyn preparatory School in 1906, 1650 Bedford Avenue ("The Bedford Building"), a three story 130,000 GSF building completed in 1988, and The School of Business and Student Support Services Building, 1637 Bedford Avenue, a three-story 44,950 GSF building. The College is also preparing to break ground on Academic Complex I, the future home of its School of Science, Health and Technology. The building will be a five-story 194,000 GSF brick structure on the northern side of Crown Street, and feature computer-enabled smart classrooms, labs, and a 500 person dining hall. In addition, the College currently maintains other offices in Brooklyn.

[edit] School of Business

The mission of the School of Business emphasizes excellence in undergraduate business education, and the preparation of students for administrative and managerial careers in both private and public sectors, as well as preparation for graduate and/or professional studies. Admission to the School's degree programs provides an opportunity to study with accomplished scholars as well as experienced practitioners in small classes. The programs are designed to give students a broad business background as well as specialized skills, as evidenced by the College-wide requirements for the B.S. Degree in Business and the B.S. Degree in Public Administration, the School of Business Core Course, the Public Administration Core Courses and the Bachelor of Science in Accounting. During the 2000 – 2001 academic year, the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York approved two new degree programs: Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Information Systems and Bachelor of Professional Studies in Applied Management (BPS-AM) for the School. The two programs commenced offering courses in Fall 2001.

The School's emphasis on cultural and ethnic diversity provides an appropriate environment for the study of business principles within a global context, a perspective that uniquely characterizes its courses in management, marketing, accounting, finance, computer information systems and public administration.

The School of Business has produced over 2,000 graduates from its programs, including attorneys, judges, CPA's, businesspersons, managers, and entrepreneurs. The School is a member of the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) and the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Public Administration (NASPAA).

[edit] School of Liberal Arts and Education

As its name suggests, the School of Liberal Arts and Education offers the largest portion of the courses that make up MEC's liberal arts core curriculum. About 45 percent of the College's full-time enrollment is supported in the School of Liberal Arts & Education. The School of Liberal Arts & Education houses six academic departments: Education, Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS), English, Mass Communications, Psychology, Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS), and Philosophy & Religious Studies. Two Associate Degrees and two Bachelor Degrees are offered within the School. The Associate of Arts Degree in Education and a Bachelor of Arts Degree for early childhood and elementary school teachers are offered by the Education Department. The Social and Behavioral Sciences Department offers a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology.

[edit] School of Science, Health and Technology

The School of Science, Health and Technology consists of the Departments of Biology, Mathematics, Nursing, and Physical, Environmental and Computer Sciences. It offers degrees at both baccalaureate and associate levels. The School’s degree programs prepare students for careers as well as for advanced study in the disciplines it hosts. For students in other disciplines, the School offers courses that help them acquire knowledge and skills necessary to success in their chosen fields. It also provides an extensive support network, which includes tutoring, topical workshops, individualized academic advisement, the knowledge and advice of outside scholars and professionals invited to lecture, specialized mentoring offered in selected fields and student scientific research. It is expected that students will take advantage of the many collaborative academic efforts between the departments of the School and other colleges and universities, including those within the CUNY system.

The School of Science, Health and Technology also offers special Transfer Opportunities into Allied Health Programs at SUNY/Downstate. Students who complete a prescribed course of study at MEC are granted preferred acceptance into four SUNY/Downstate degree programs: Physician Assistant Program, Physical Therapy Program, Diagnostic Medical Imaging Program, and Occupational Therapy Program.

[edit] Academic Centers

There are also many academic centers at the College, which support scholarship and services to the residents of Central Brooklyn, and the greater New York area. These include:

The Center for Black Literature which provides a series of programs that expand, broaden, and enrich the public’s knowledge and aesthetic appreciation of the value of black literature. Its goal is to build an audience for the reading, discussion, and critical analysis of contemporary black literature and to serve as a forum for the research and study of black literature.
The Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence which provides a venue for both formally structured and informal mentoring opportunities covering the range of pedagogical techniques, theories and applications. The Center through its numerous activities such as faculty discourses, workshops, master teacher demonstrations, international conferences and a journal publication provides a vehicle through which faculty will continually challenge and examine their assumptions about teaching and student learning.
The Center for Women's Development which provides a supportive environment for women students, and assists them academically and socially. The Center provides counseling and advocacy in the following areas: rape, family violence, reproductive health issues, and parenting.
The Male Development and Empowerment Center which seeks to maximize the involvement of males in their community by increasing their knowledge and understanding of self, promoting leadership, encouraging educational and personal pursuits, and enhancing their level of economic sufficiency.
The DuBois Bunche Center for Public Policy an urban policy think tank focusing on a range of public policy issues of concern to Central Brooklyn and communities of color. DBC produces research publications, sponsors and presents at conferences and seminars, and produces public affairs media programming. DBC collaborates and consults on public policy initiatives such as community development, criminal justice, media and telecommunications, voting rights and redistricting, the Brooklyn Empowerment Zone and Census 2000.

[edit] Trivia

Medgar Evers College occupies the old building of the original Brooklyn College (unrelated to the current Brooklyn College), a Catholic institution founded by Jesuits in 1908. It closed in 1922.