Medgar Evers College

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Medgar Evers College of The City University of New York
Motto: "We Create Success, One Student at a Time."
Established: September 28, 1970
Type: Public
President: Dr. Edison O. Jackson
Undergraduates: 5,707
Location: Brooklyn, New York, Flag of the United States United States
Campus: Urban
Sports: Cougars
Website: www.mec.cuny.edu


Medgar Evers College (MEC) is a college campus (offering baccalaureate and associate 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.

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.


Contents

[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."

The current president is Dr. Edison O. Jackson. He was preceded by Dr. Leo A. Corbie (Acting, 1987-1989), Dr. Jay Carrington Chunn, 2nd (1984-1987), and Dr. Richard Trent (1970-1984).

[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 ("The 'S' Building"), a three-story 44,950 GSF building. Constriction of Academic Complex I, the future home of its School of Science, Health and Technology, is well underway. Upon completion, 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 administrative offices in Brooklyn.

[edit] Baccalaureate Degree Programs

Medgar Evers College offers baccalaureate degrees in:

[edit] Associate Degree Programs

The College offers associate degrees in:

[edit] Other Programs

The College offers a Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) certificate program through its Nursing Department. It also offers a number of courses and certificate programs through the Continuing Education component of its School of Professional and Community Development.

[edit] Student Life

The College is home to a number of student clubs and organizations, including the ADAFI student newspaper [1], local student chapters of the American Marketing Association and the National Association of Black Accountants, and Pi Eta Kappa, the College's male student honor society.

[edit] Athletics

Medgar Evers College competes as a NCAA Division III member of the City University of New York Athletic Conference.

[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.

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, CPAs, 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 Administration (NASPAA).

[edit] School of Liberal Arts and Education

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 Medical Center. Students who complete a prescribed course of study at MEC are granted preferred acceptance into four SUNY Downstate Medical Center 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 holds the National Black Writers Conference
  • The Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence
  • The Center for Women's Development
  • The Male Development and Empowerment Center
  • The DuBois Bunche Center for Public Policy
  • The Center for Law and Social Justice
  • The Brooklyn International Trade Development Center

[edit] Notable Faculty

Dr. Elizabeth Nunez, critically acclaimed novelist, CUNY Distinguished Professor, and English Department Chair

George Irish, renowned Montserratian academic, community leader and activist

[edit] Alumni

The College has graduated over 12,000 alumni since its doors first opened. Among them:

Carl Andrews, former New York State Senator

Rev. Dr. Iyanla Vanzant, author and television personality

[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.

The late Dr. Betty Shabazz, wife of Malcolm X, taught at Medgar Evers College beginning in 1976 and later headed the College's Office of Institutional Advancement and Public Relations until her death in 1997. In 2003, a bust of Dr. Betty Shabazz was created and placed on permanent display in the Bedford Building.

In the seventh season premiere of The Cosby Show, Denise Huxtable is enrolled at Medgar Evers College.

Scenes from the 2008 independent film The Narrows, starring Sophia Bush and Vincent D'Onofrio, were filmed at Medgar Evers College.

[edit] External links


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