Metropolitan College of New York

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Metropolitan College of New York
MCNY heritageLogo noBorder (2).jpg
Former names
Audrey Cohen College (1992–2002), College for Human Services (1970–1992)
Type Private college
Established1964
Endowment $0.8 million as of January 31, 2022
Chairman Gary P. Jenkins
President Charles J. Gibbs
Academic staff
19 FT/ 105 PT (2023)
Students663 (2023)
Postgraduates 233 (2023)
Location, ,
United States
Campus Urban
Colors Red and White
Website www.mcny.edu
Metropolitan College of New York

Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY), formerly Audrey Cohen College, is a private college in New York City. [1] MCNY is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and consists of three schools: The Audrey Cohen School for Human Services and Education, the School for Public Affairs and Administration, and the School for Business. [2]

Contents

History

The college was founded in 1964 by educational pioneer Audrey Cohen as the Women's Talent Corp. It was renamed the College for Human Services in 1970, when it was granted a charter by the New York State Board of Regents. In 1983, it started offering business programs and in 1988, it added its first graduate program: a Master of Administration, which today is awarded as a Master of Public Administration. In 1992, the college was renamed Audrey Cohen College in honor of its founder. It gained its current name, the Metropolitan College of New York, in 2002. [3]

In 2012, the associates and bachelor's degree in Business Administration and all MBA programs were accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. In addition, 2012 marked the MCNY re-opening of the Bronx Extension Center, located at 529 Courtlandt Avenue. This offered students living in surrounding areas a convenient campus where they could attend classes. [4]

In 2016, MCNY moved to new locations in the Financial District of Manhattan to 60 West Street and the Melrose area of the South Bronx at 463 East 149th Street. [5] [6]

In 2023, the college planned to sell part of its campus to partly alleviate a debt problem as it struggled to rebuild enrollment after the pandemic and is in dire financial straits. [7] The Metropolitan College of New York is looking to sell two of its floors at the office building at 60 West Street. When the school sells that portion of its campus, it will leave Metropolitan College with only one and a half floors. [8] In August 2025, the Metropolitan College of New York announced plans to sell its 40 Rector Street campus to the City University of New York. [9] [10]

Academics

The highest degrees offered are master's degrees. The college follows founder Audrey Cohen's Purpose-Centered Education philosophy. In contrast to colleges and universities that organize the school year according to semesters, MCNY refers to each term as a "purpose". Each term's purpose, or unifying theme, drives the coursework for the term, which includes a Constructive Action (CA). The Purpose determines the focus for the Constructive Action that students are required to plan, implement, and evaluate. That Action must relate to the semester’s Purpose and improve the lives of individuals and institutions outside the classroom. CAs are unique student projects that combine classroom study with research-fieldwork projects that integrate lessons learned in all of the term's courses with hands-on experience. [2]

Campus

Mcny exterior 6o West Street NYNY.jpg

Metropolitan College of New York has two locations, the main campus, part of a building in lower Manhattan at 60 West Street, and a second campus, also part of a building, in the Bronx at 463 East 149th Street.

Metropolitan College of New York Bronx Campus.jpg

In 2016, the college moved into a new Manhattan campus, away from its previous rented space in Manhattan on Canal Street. [11] [12] MCNY purchased three floors of the commercial condominium at 40 Rector Street in Manhattan, with 110,000 square feet of space and an entrance at 60 West Street. MCNY purchased part of the first and the sixth, seventh and eighth floors of the 19-story building with a $68 million loan. [13] [14] The college also moved to a new Bronx campus at 463 East 149th Street. [15] The new Bronx campus is a 26,000 square foot, part of a building, and has the capacity to serve approximately 500 students. [16] [17]

References

  1. "Idealist.org:Metropolitan College of New York" . Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Why MCNY web page" . Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  3. "Our History: MCNY" . Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  4. "Metropolitan College of New York Re-Opens its Doors in the Bronx". Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  5. "MCNY press release". June 8, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  6. "Metropolitan College opens new campus at Triangle Hub". September 20, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  7. "NYC College Wants to Skip Debt Payments While It Sells Off Part of Campus". Bloomberg.com. August 21, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  8. "Metropolitan College Moves to Sell Part of FiDi Campus". The Real Deal. August 22, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  9. Albright, Amanda; Rembert, Elizabeth (August 27, 2025). "College Plans Sale of Manhattan Real Estate to CUNY to Pay Debt". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  10. Durso, Isabelle (August 27, 2025). "Metropolitan College to Sell Lower Manhattan Campus to CUNY for $40M". Commercial Observer. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  11. "MCNY on the MoveMCNY en movimiento". June 15, 2016.
  12. "MCNY home page" . Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  13. "Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY) Officially Opens New State-of-the-Art Manhattan Campus". June 8, 2016.
  14. "40 Rector St | Philips International | Rudder Property Group". August 19, 2014.
  15. "MCNY opens Bronx Campus". September 7, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  16. "Metropolitan College of New York Unveils State-of-the-Art Bronx Campus". September 20, 2016. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018.
  17. "Metropolitan College opens South Bronx Campus". September 15, 2016.

Further reading

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