The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) is one of the 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 spaces, hotel conference rooms, and various spaces throughout Manhattan. 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, BMCC grants associate's degrees in a wide variety of vocational, business, health, science, engineering 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 has a median age of 24, with attending students hailing from over 100 different countries. The Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development at BMCC serves more than 11,000 students who complete non-credit bearing and certificate programs in allied health, information technology and media arts, career training and personal development, English as a Second Language and other areas. Another 10,000 students are enrolled in distance education programs. BMCC has a faculty of nearly 1,000 full-time and adjunct professors.
Campus
CUNY Start: BMCC -
Borough of Manhattan Community College is in the heart of the TriBeCa neighbourhood and occasionally hosts the Tribeca Film Festival's ceremonies and films. 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 10008 â€" Main Campus
- 235 Greenwich Street (North entrance), 81 Barclay Street (South entrance); New York, NY 10007 â€" Fiterman Hall
- 70 Murray Street, New York, NY 10008 â€"Fitterman Hall
Off-site program
- CUNY In The Heights 5030 Broadway, New York, NY 10034 â€" 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
The original Fiterman Hall opened in 1959 and occupied a block bounded by Greenwich Street, Barclay Street, West Broadway, and Park Place. It was donated to BMCC in 1993 by Miles and Shirley Fiterman, for whom the building was subsequently named. At the time, it was the largest private donation to a community college in the U.S. history. In 2000, the State of New York Dormitory Authority, which owned the building, began a massive renovation to better adapt the building for classroom use.
During the September 11 attacks in 2001, the building's structure was heavily compromised by debris from the collapse of 7 World Trade Center, and the renovation was never completed. The building became unsafe to occupy because of exposed asbestos and mold growth. Since traditional demolition would result in an unacceptable environmental impact, the building was scheduled for deconstruction and decontamination as a part of the Lower Manhattan redevelopment project.
Fiterman Hall was to be replaced by a new building designed by the architectural firm Pei Cobb Freed & Partners after the deconstruction, and was scheduled to be completed by February 2007. However, environmental impact concerns and funding issues caused numerous delays. At a press conference at BMCC on November 13, 2008, city and state officials announced a new agreement that revised demolition and reconstruction plans through a funding agreement among New York City, New York State, and the City University of New York. In addition, approximately $80 million from an insurance settlement would be applied to the project's budget. Under the plan, the new Fiterman Hall was completed in 2012.
Career development
The Center for Career Development (CCD) provides 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 a digital 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.
Athletics
College teams of the BMCC 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.
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 21â€"3 regular season record. 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
- Kid Chaos, rock musician
- Queen Latifah, singer and actress
- Mirko Savone, Italian actor, voice actor, and model
- Gabourey Sidibe, actress
See also
- City University of New York
References
External links
- Official website
- Official athletics website
- CUNY website
