MCC News

History - old

History of the College
In the early 1960’s, community leaders became concerned about the education of nurses in the Rochester area. Led by local physician Dr. Samuel J. Stabins, they established Monroe Community College as an educational institution which would prepare students to work in local hospitals and health care facilities. MCC became part of the State University of New York system, and its program offerings were expanded to prepare graduates for a wide range of job fields or transfer to four-year institutions.

MCC’s first class - 720 students - enrolled in September, 1962. Since then, enrollment has increased steadily and new programs have been developed to meet the changing requirements of the local community. MCC has also responded to community needs with a variety of special educational initiatives. Examples include:

The Center for Educational Access and Achievement (CEAAS), providing academic enrichment, support services, career exploration, and cultural awareness activities for minority students pursuing degrees in mathematics, sciences, technologies and the licensed professions. CEAAS opens educational doors for students starting as early as seventh grade and extending through the first two years of college.
AmeriCorps. MCC is the lead agency for this local consortium which was awarded more than $1 million annually for three years by the Corporation for National Service. An outgrowth of President Clinton’s call for a national service initiative, AmeriCorps recruits and trains up to 100 volunteers annually to conduct public safety projects in recreation, education, and community policing and organizing.
The Public Safety Training Center, which trains police, corrections, fire and emergency medical personnel.

MCC’s Housing and Residence Life program was launched in 2003 with the dedication of the Alice Holloway Young Commons on the college’s Brighton Campus. The residence hall complex is named for Alice Holloway Young, Ed.D., a pioneer of Rochester public education and a founding trustee of MCC. Campus residents benefit from interacting with other students, participating in a variety of educational and social programs, engaging in active learning communities, thereby enhancing their overall college experience.

Accreditation

MCC is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Curricula are registered and approved by the New York State Department of Education.

The College is a member of the League for Innovation in the Community College. The League provides direction and leadership for experimentation and innovation in two-year colleges. Its members are recognized as the best community colleges in the United States and Canada.