Borough of Manhattan Community College

Coordinates: 40°43′04″N 74°00′43″W / 40.71768°N 74.01188°W / 40.71768; -74.01188

The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) is one of seven two-year colleges within the City University of New York (CUNY) system. 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 26,000 students,^[1] BMCC 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.

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.

Downtown/TriBeCa campus

• 199 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007 – Main Campus
• 245 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007 – Fiterman Hall (Opened Fall 2012)
• 70 Murray Street, New York, NY 10007 – Murray Street Campus
• 75 Park Place, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10007 – Park Place Campus
• 25 Broadway, 8th Floor New York, NY 10004 (Office for Continuing Education)

Off-site program

• CUNY In The Heights 5030 Broadway, New York, NY 10034 – Inwood/Washington Heights
• John Jay College of Criminal Justice 500 West 56th Street at 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10019 - Westport Building
• Brooklyn College 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210 - Whitehead Hall
• Lehman College 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468 - Carmen Hall

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 (also called 81 Barclay Street, 235 Greenwich Street and 82 Park Place) 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 was completed in 2012.^[7][8]

Academics

BMCC suffers from many of the same problems that plague all community colleges such as an alarming rise in remedial education,^[9] lack of freshman retention,^[10] and overcrowding. A diverse student base,^[11] some of whom are only recent arrivals in America^[12] 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.

Career development

The Center for Career Development (CCD) provide students with comprehensive career planning services. Its professional career counselors assist students in making informed decisions about an area of study; research occupations that match their personal interests; write a resume; practice interviewing, and help them prepare as candidates for internships and employment. Students also learn to clarify their career goals; develop effective communication and interpersonal skills; conduct job searches; and develop an electronic portfolio for employers to view as evidence of their skills, accomplishments and professional qualifications. In addition, CCD partners with New York Needs You, the New York office of America Needs You, to host career-oriented events and seminars to bring industry insights to its students. ^[13]

Athletics

Borough of Manhattan Community College teams participate as a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The Panthers are a member of the community college section of the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, soccer and swimming; while women's sports include basketball, soccer, swimming and volleyball.

Western side of the main campus building, at the Hudson River. Behind it are the Independence Plaza North and South towers

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 NJCAA collegiate sports system. 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.

Notable alumni

• Dana "Queen Latifah" Owens, singer and actress^[15]
• Mirko Savone, Italian actor, voice actor, and model
• Gabourey Sidibe, actress
• Stephen "Kid Chaos" Harris, rock musician^[16]
• Michael K. Williams, TV actor and music video performer^[17]
• Winston K. Chow, education activist^[18]
• Dave Doobie Aaron, Singer, Producer of Shinobi Ninja

See also

• City University of New York

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Borough of Manhattan Community College.

• Official website
• Official athletics website
• CUNY website