Fiterman Hall

Founded in 1963, Borough of Manhattan Community College, or BMCC is one of six two-year colleges within the City University of New York (CUNY) system and the only one in Manhattan. Originally, BMCC 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 grants associate's degrees in a wide variety of vocational, business, health, science, and continuing education fields. As with all schools in the City University system, students must complete the CUNY Proficiency Exam (CPE) upon completing their second year in order to either obtain the associate's degree or transfer to a baccalaureate program at one of CUNY's four-year colleges.

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 learning programs.

Locations

Fiterman Hall and the September 11 attacks

Fiterman Hall is 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 is 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 is owned by the State of New York Dormitory Authority. ^[3]^[4]

It was critically damaged during the September 11, 2001 attacks when debris from the collapse of 7 WTC compromised the structure. It has become unsafe to occupy due to mold growth and asbestos exposure. Because traditional demolition would result in an unacceptable environmental impact, the building is scheduled for deconstruction as part of the Lower Manhattan redevelopment project. ^[5]

Deconstruction was scheduled to be complete by February 2007; however, environmental impact concerns and funding issues have prevented the project from being completed. Fiterman Hall was to have been replaced by a new Pei Cobb-designed building. ^[6]

Precautions will be taken to identify any human remains during the dismantling of Fiterman Hall.^[7]^[8]

External links

Degrees offered

Associate in Arts

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^[9] , lack of freshman retention^[10], 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^[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.

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. ^[13]