Berkshire Community College

Last updated
Berkshire Community College
Berkshire Community College logo.svg
MottoStart Here. Go Anywhere.
Type Public community college
Established1960
Accreditation NECHE
President Ellen Kennedy
Administrative staff
330 full and part-time (2015 est.)
Students3,000 (2015 est.)
Location
Pittsfield
,
Massachusetts
,
United States

42°27′37.39″N73°18′53.33″W / 42.4603861°N 73.3148139°W / 42.4603861; -73.3148139
Campus Rural, 180 acres (73 ha)
Mascot Falcon
Website www.berkshirecc.edu

Berkshire Community College is a public community college in Berkshire County, Massachusetts with its primary campus in Pittsfield. It also has a satellite campus in Great Barrington and classroom spaces in the city of Pittsfield. Established in the 1960s, it is the oldest college founded by the Massachusetts Community Colleges Executive Office. [1]

Contents

More than 3,000 students enroll annually in BCC's academic programs, which include associate degrees, certificate programs, and transfer programs. An additional 5,200 enroll in noncredit or workforce development courses. The majority of students are from Massachusetts, with 96% coming from Berkshire County. The student body is 61% female and nearly half of enrolled students are 23 years old or older. [2] Berkshire Community College has been accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges since 1964. [3]

History

President Ellen Kennedy speaking at Springfield Technical Community College. BCC - Ellen Kennedy at Springfield Technical Community College.jpeg
President Ellen Kennedy speaking at Springfield Technical Community College.

Berkshire Community College opened on September 15, 1960 as the first publicly funded community college in Massachusetts. [4] The Old Central High School in Pittsfield served as BCC's campus for its first eleven years, during which admission grew from 153 students to 1,222. The college moved to its current campus at 1350 West Street in 1972.

BCC expanded classes to southern Berkshire County in the 1980s. The college's South County Center, which was purchased and renovated in 1987, is in the former Whittaker's Garage building at 343 South Main St. in Great Barrington. During the 1990s and early 2000s, BCC launched "teleclassroom" courses through Pittsfield Community TV, the city's public-access television channel and offered online courses through its website. [5]

BCC and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts jointly operate a satellite campus at the Silvio O. Conte Federal Building in downtown Pittsfield. The campus, which opened in 2011, provides access to associate, baccalaureate, an MBA program through MCLA, and workforce skills-assessment and development programs [6]

Since 2007, the college's Berkshire Institute of Lifelong Learning has been affiliated with the nationwide Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes. The BCC program is one of only four adult education programs in the nation to be affiliated with a two-year college, and received a $1 million endowment gift to administer in perpetuity in 2010. [7]

Presidents

Campus

Aerial view of Berkshire Community College's campus on 1350 West Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Berkshire Community College - Aerial View of College.jpg
Aerial view of Berkshire Community College's campus on 1350 West Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

Berkshire Community College's main campus at 1350 West Street spans 180 acres in a park-like setting. Facilities include the Ralph Hoffmann Environmental Science and Sustainable Energy Center, [8] and the Barbara A. Nichols Nursing Arts Center, which houses the college's nursing courses. [9] Sections of the campus are used by the Pittsfield Family YMCA as part of Camp Sumner, its summer camp. [10]

Academics

Graduates pose with diplomas following commencement at the Koussevitzky Music Shed in Lenox. Berkshire Community College - College Grads.jpeg
Graduates pose with diplomas following commencement at the Koussevitzky Music Shed in Lenox.

Berkshire Community College offers associate degrees and certificate programs. The college's Associate in Arts degree program confirms to the requirements of the Massachusetts Transfer Compact; students pursuing an Associate in Science degree pay pursue additional courses to be eligible for compact status. Students are also eligible to receive second degrees or concentrations. [11] Certificate programs in fields including massage therapy and bodywork, practical nursing, and health information management may be completed in one year or less. Berkshire Community College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. [12]

The college also has transfer articulation agreements with over thirty different colleges and universities and has joint admissions agreements with the University of Massachusetts, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Cheyney University, Delaware State College, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard University, and Tuskegee University. [13] Together with the Charles H. McCann Technical School in North Adams, Massachusetts, BCC offers an accredited dental assistant degree program.

Recreation

Students from Berkshire Community College's basketball team play against Bard College at Simon's Rock in the BCC gym. Berkshire Community College - Basketball Team.jpeg
Students from Berkshire Community College's basketball team play against Bard College at Simon's Rock in the BCC gym.

Berkshire Community College offers club sports including cross country running, basketball, and soccer. In 2014, the college joined the Southern New England Club Basketball League in the East Division, which includes American International College, Goodwin College, Yale University, and Assumption College. [14] Students also participate in seasonal hiking and snowshoeing excursions. [15]

The Paterson Field House on BCC's campus provides students and community members access to athletic facilities including a fitness center, an outdoor swimming pool, and tennis courts.

Arts

BCC's student publication, The Zine, is a literary and art magazine published annually. The college's student theatre group, the BCC Players, has presented musicals and plays to the Berkshire community since 1973. [16] The Koussevitzky Art Gallery at BCC features monthly installations by emerging and mid-career artists. [17]

Notable people

Faculty

Alumni

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Massachusetts</span> Public university system in Massachusetts

The University of Massachusetts is the five-campus public university system and the only public research system in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The university system includes five campuses, a satellite campus in Springfield and also 25 campuses throughout California and Washington with the University of Massachusetts Global.

Strayer University is a private for-profit university headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1892 as Strayer's Business College and later became Strayer College, before being granted university status in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Community College</span> College in Fall River, Massachusetts, US

Bristol Community College (Bristol) is a public community college with four campuses in Southeastern Massachusetts.

Quinsigamond Community College (colloq:QCC, Quinsig) is a public community college in Worcester, Massachusetts. It has an enrollment of over 7,000 students. Many students are enrolled in the college's transfer program, MassTransfer, with the intent of continuing on to a college or university in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts</span> Public liberal arts college in North Adams, Massachusetts, U.S.

The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) formerly known as North Adams State College (NASC) is a public liberal arts college in North Adams, Massachusetts. It is part of the state university system of Massachusetts. It is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Originally established as part of the state's normal school system for training teachers, it now offers programs leading to Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees, as well as a Master of Education track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Governors University</span> Online university

Western Governors University (WGU) is a private, non-profit, online university based in Millcreek, Utah. The university uses an online competency-based learning model, providing advanced education for working professionals. Degrees awarded by WGU are accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The university was founded by 19 U.S. governors in 1997 after the idea was formulated at a 1995 meeting of the Western Governors Association to expand education offerings to the internet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quincy College</span>

Quincy College (QC) is a public community college in Quincy, Massachusetts. It is an open admission commuter school that offers associate degrees, bachelor degrees, and certificate programs. It was founded in 1958 and enrolls approximately 4,500 students at campuses in Quincy and Plymouth, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middlesex Community College (Massachusetts)</span> Public community college with two campuses located in Lowell and Bedford, Massachusetts, USA

Middlesex Community College is a public community college with two campuses in Massachusetts, one in Lowell and the other in Bedford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regis College (Massachusetts)</span> Private college near Boston, U.S.

Regis College is a private, non-profit university founded in 1927 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston. The university is located in Weston, Massachusetts, 12 miles outside of Boston, and offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies degree and certificate programs via on campus, fully online, and hybrid formats. Regis provides an academically rigorous education within the schools of nursing, arts and sciences, business and communication, and health sciences. Inspired by the social justice values of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, Regis engages with service initiatives within the local community and around the world.

International Center for Management and India Studies (ICMIS) is a small educational institution, located in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. ICMIC has approximately 20 students and 14 staff and faculty. The number of student and staff depend on a semesterly basis and on the courses being offered.

CT State Community College Norwalk, formerly Norwalk Community College (NCC), Norwalk State Technical College and Norwalk Community-Technical College, is a public community college in Norwalk, Connecticut. It is the third-largest of the twelve colleges in the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) system. The school, which has an open admissions policy, offers 45 associate degree and 26 certificate programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barstow Community College</span> College in California, U.S.

Barstow Community College is a public community college in Barstow, California. It is an open-admission college serving more than 3,700 students in degree and certificate programs with approximately 120 faculty. It provides the first two years of college or university study as part of the California Community Colleges. The college's educational program includes lower-division course work, general education offerings, and vocational courses for transfer to baccalaureate degree institutions. The college offers occupational programs designed to prepare students for entry into the workforce. Service learning and self-enrichment classes are also offered to the community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashland University</span> Private Christian university in Ashland, Ohio, United States

Ashland University is a private Christian university in Ashland, Ohio. The university consists of a 135-acre (55 ha) main campus and several off-campus centers throughout central and northern Ohio. Ashland was founded in 1878 as Ashland College. It is affiliated with The Brethren Church.

Labouré College of Healthcare is a private college specializing in nursing and healthcare education and located in Milton, Massachusetts. Founded in 1892, by the Daughters of Charity, it is the longest-running nursing education program in the Boston area. The college offers online and on-campus certificate, associate, and bachelor's degree programs. In 2013, the campus moved from Dorchester to Milton, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah State University Eastern</span> Regional college in the Utah State University system in Price and Blanding, Utah

Utah State University Eastern (USU Eastern) is a public regional college within the Utah State University system. The USU Eastern campus is located in Price, Utah, United States. Founded as Carbon College in 1937, the college joined the University of Utah system in 1959 for 10 years and was renamed College of Eastern Utah (CEU). In 1969, the Utah System of Higher Education was created ending the relationship between the University of Utah and CEU. CEU entered the USU system on July 1, 2010 as Utah State University Eastern. With more than 60 degree programs, the college focuses on technical, vocational, and associate degree programs. USU Eastern competes as the Eagles and is the only statewide USU campus, apart from the Logan campus, that has an athletics program.

The MGH Institute of Health Professions is a private university focused on the health sciences and located in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded by Massachusetts General Hospital in 1977 and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multicultural BRIDGE</span> Organization

Multicultural BRIDGE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Lee, Massachusetts. Co-founded by Gwendolyn Hampton VanSant and Marthe Bourdon, BRIDGE serves diverse groups in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Boston, and other regions in Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York City. Services include workforce cultural literacy and cultural competency training, youth leadership and multicultural education, community-based civil rights and social justice forums and conferences, and multicultural advocacy. In 2015, BRIDGE received the Berkshire Trendsetter Award for Nonprofit Impact from 1Berkshire. BRIDGE is a minority and women-run nonprofit and is certified by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Program Provider.

Great Bay Community College (GBCC) is a public community college in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is part of the Community College System of New Hampshire and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. The main campus is in the Pease International Tradeport area of Portsmouth and an additional campus is in Rochester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doña Ana Community College</span> Community college in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, U.S.

Doña Ana Community College is a public community college with several campuses in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. It was established in 1973 at the request of the Gadsden, Hatch, and Las Cruces school boards to provided vocational and technical education opportunities to the citizens of Doña Ana County. It is independently accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. The community college offers instruction leading to associate degrees and technical certificates and preparation for further academic work. It is a branch of New Mexico State University. Doña Ana Community College has six campuses, with three in Las Cruces, and one each in Anthony, Sunland Park, and Chaparral. Dual credit classes are also offered in conjunction with local high schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bard Academy at Simon's Rock</span> School in Great Barrington, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States

Bard Academy at Simon's Rock is a private, co-ed boarding school for grades 9 through 10 located in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, USA. Students finish high school in two years, and after 10th grade, students have guaranteed admission to early college at Bard College at Simon's Rock. Students at Bard Academy are taught by the same professors as Bard College at Simon's Rock. Together the programs create a six-year course of study, consisting of three two-year programs: Bard Academy, the A.A. degree, and the B.A. degree. Students can enter at the Academy or A.A. sections. Some students transfer after the A.A. degree, while others stay for the B.A. Ian Bickford, a graduate of Bard College at Simon's Rock, is the founding dean of Bard Academy and was appointed provost of Bard College at Simon's Rock in 2016.

References

  1. ↑ "History %7c Massachusetts Community Colleges". Massachusetts Community Colleges. The Massachusetts Community Colleges Executive Office. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  2. ↑ "College Overview". Berkshire Community College. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  3. ↑ "Berkshire Community College %7c Colleges and Universities (CIHE) / Commission on Institutions of Higher Education". New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. CIHE. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  4. ↑ Eagle Staff (October 29, 2009). "Berkshire Community College timeline". The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  5. ↑ Eagle Staff (October 29, 2009). "Berkshire Community College timeline". The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  6. ↑ McKeever, Andy (October 19, 2011). "www.iberkshires.com/story/39685/MCLA-BCC-Open-Shared-Campus-In-Downtown-Pittsfield.html". iBerkshires.com. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  7. ↑ "Lifetime learners hit milestone". The Pittsfield Gazette Online. October 7, 2010. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  8. ↑ Smith, Jenn (December 19, 2012). "Berkshire Community College opens new environmental center". Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  9. ↑ Altsman, Laurie-Ann (March 8, 2009). "New life for deserving BCC program". The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  10. ↑ Murphy, Matt (August 17, 2009). "Pittsfield YMCA, Berkshire Community College hatch an idea". The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  11. ↑ "Programs and Classes at BCC". Berkshire Community College. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  12. ↑ Massachusetts Institutions – NECHE, New England Commission of Higher Education , retrieved May 26, 2021
  13. ↑ "Transfer Articulation & Joint Admission Agreements". old.berkshirecc.edu. Archived from the original on 25 April 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  14. ↑ Gentile, Derek (March 21, 2014). "BCC has hoops". The Berkshire Eagle.
  15. ↑ "Club Sports". Berkshire Community College. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  16. ↑ Borak, Jeffrey (November 17, 2011). "'RUR': Robots revel in steampunk". The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  17. ↑ Bonenti, Charles (April 13, 2011). "Koussevitzky Art Gallery: Larry Kagan Shadow riddles at play". The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.