Rockland Community College is a two-year college in the State University of New York system, located in hamlet of Viola within the Village of Suffern from the Town of Ramapo in Rockland County, New York. The college, established in 1959, became the 18th community college to join the SUNY system - the year Rockland County was celebrating the 350 anniversary of the Hudson River & Lake Champlain in the former county almshouse. The college offers 51 programs and offers both associate degrees and certificates. Additionally, students can earn other degrees, including Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in the arts and sciences, Doctoral Program in Executive Leadership (EdD), technology, and health professions while attending classes at Rockland through articulation programs with four-year schools. The current enrollment is about 7,500 full and part-time students which includes about 125 International students from more than 50 foreign countries and approximately 800 high school enroll in credit courses.[1] The main campus is in Suffern, New York, but instructions are also offered at an extension sites in Haverstraw and Orangeburg. The Spring Valley satellite campus has been discontinued. It was located in the historic North Main Street School.
The College has more than 525 full - and part-time faculty members, including several Fulbright Scholars, SUNY Chancellor's Award winners, and published authors and artists. The faculty-student ratio is 22:1. Rockland has the third highest transfer rate in the SUNY system and has a Continuing Education programs which served about 3,500 each year.
Among events in the College's recent history are SUNY Rockland Community College Board of Trustees designated the building and grounds of Rockland Community College as a Smoke-Free Environment in September 2009. Additionally, Rockland Community College celebrated the institution's Semicentennial, quinquagenary or Golden Anniversary from September 2009 through August 2010. Nancy L. Zimpher, Chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), was the featured speaker at the Rockland Community College 50th Anniversary Academic Convocation, held on Friday, September 25, 2009. The college in 2012 has been designated as a Veterans Friendly Campus.
History
An institution called Rockland College, chartered by the state Board of Regents in 1878, existed for sixteen years in Nyack, New York.
Rockland Junior College, supported by federal funds disbursed through New York State, and sponsored by Nyack High School was established in 1932 as one of several depression-era two-year schools. New York University and Syracuse University accepted two years of credit from the college. Rockland Junior College shut down in 1935.
Rockland Community College came eighteen years and later was organized to be an affordable, two-year college in location convenient for county residents; it was planned that it would raise taxes by only $4 a year. At the time, Rockland County, the state's smallest in geographic area outside of New York City, was growing exponentially in population and in demand for a skilled, educated work force. Between 1956 and 1970, Rockland's population was one of the fastest growing in the state, expected to double from 107,000 to 215,000 and the number of high school graduates was projected to rise from 700 to 2,463.
Large local industries like Avon Products in Suffern and Lederle Laboratories in Pearl River required more skilled workers, and the growth of hospitals such as Nyack Hospital and Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern warranted the creation of a nursing program.
Some 69 percent of parents polled expressed interest in their children attending a community college in Rockland, and 183 high school juniors indicated a strong interest in and an ability to attend a community college in Rockland.
Founding faculty
RCC Presidents Past to Present
AIDS memorial quilt
October 22â€"24, 2009 â€" 1,920 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, were displayed at the #Campus Eugene Levy Fieldhouse athletic facility. It would take approximately 10 football fields for the quilt to be displayed in its entirety.
Time capsule
A time capsule is a historic cache of goods and/or information, usually intended as a method of communication with future people and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, and/or historians.
On Wednesday, April 28, 2010, Rockland Community College buried a time capsule in front of the Technology Building celebrating the 50th Anniversary of RCC's establishment. This entry was posted prior to placing the Rockland Community College Wikipedia page in the capsule.
Other events
- July 15, 2010, Andrew Cuomo campaigning for Governor of State of New York was introduced by his 12-year-old daughter Michaela at Rockland Community College on his first stop, kicking off an 11-day 62-county tour of The Empire State.
- January 21 â€" March 9, 2011 â€" The exhibition IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas is a collaboration between the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution Travelling Exhibition Service (SITES).
- On January 30, 2011, Rockland Community College held a ceremonial swearing-in of David Carlucci, Independent Democrat from New City, an alumnus of Rockland Community College (class of 2000) and youngest senator to be elected in New York history representing the New York Senate 38th district. The event was hosted by Harriet Cornell, chair of the Rockland County Legislature. Speaking at the event were New York senior United States senator Chuck Schumer, United States House of Representatives â€" Eliot Engel â€" New York's 17th congressional district and Nita Lowey â€" New York's 18th congressional district and from the New York State Assembly â€" Kenneth Zebrowski, Jr. 94th district and Ellen Jaffee â€" 95th district.
- October 20, 2011 â€" Congressmen Eliot Engel presented Rockland Community College with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for its outstanding and invaluable service to the community.
- On April 19, 2012, Rockland Community College held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Solar panel installation behind Academic II.
- On June 10, 2014, Andrew Cuomo, joined by New York State Police superintendent Joseph D'Amico, Rockland County Executive Ed Day and State University of New York chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher address the fight against the heroin epidemic in the State of New York. This fight includes deploying an additional 100 seasoned officers to the Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team and training all first res-ponders on the usage of the anti-overdose drug naloxone.
- On April 28, 2016 - Donate Life Rockland Community College Day - The Big 72 foot Idaho Potato Truck stopped at Rockland Community College main campus this day during National Organ Donor Month. Rockland Community College signed up a couple of hundred donors which sponsored Rockland Community College's Organ Donation as well as The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. The Tater Dudes, which are required to make a written report of the event, considered Rockland Community College as one of the best stops on this tour.
- On March 24, 2017, Rockland Community College launched a "three-day" international high school robotics competition. The FIRST Robotics Competition 2017 held by NYC First and sponsored by Bloomberg L.P.. Teams from the New York Tri-state Area, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, India, Turkey, and the United Kingdom competed in FIRST Steamworks advancing to the global competition. The event also featured a career fair where students had the opportunity to meet with college representatives in attendance.
- Colleges
9/11 Commemoration and Remembrance Ceremony
- Since September 11, 2001 attacks, also referred to as September 11, September 11 or 9/11, Rockland Community College has held a 9/11 Commemoration and Remembrance Ceremony. In 2011, RCC held a special exhibition, "New York Remembers," where selections of historical artifacts from 9/11 were displayed the week of August 29 to the end of September. This display, was part of a statewide recognition of the tenth anniversary, dedicated by Governor Andrew Cuomo, the New York State Museum and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. A memorial garden was dedicated in September 2012 in the Quad outside of the Technology Center. The memorial garden, designed by longtime RCC art professor Page Simon, includes a centerpiece sculpture made from four steel I-beam fragments from the World Trade Center supplied by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority with the floor of the garden laid with bricks inscribed with personnel messages. A poem by Rockland County's poet laureate, RCC professor Dan Masterson, is also a permanent element of the garden. Local artisans were used for the sculpturing and tile work.
Commencements
On June 11, 1961, the college's first commencement exercises honored 39 graduatesâ€"22 men, 17 womenâ€"who had finished the journey begun by 139 full-time students two years before. In 1962 there were 60 graduates, and in 1963, 115, including the first 24 from the school's nursing program.
On May 23, 2010, the college's 50th commencement exercises honored 350 graduates.
Veterans
On October 3, 2013, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs hosted the first induction of RCC students who are veterans into SALUTE - Veterans National Honors Society. SALUTE, established in 2008 is headquartered out of Colorado State University has over 90 chapters in colleges and universities across the country. RCC is the first community college to have a chapter in this prestigious organization.
Past Events
In the 1970, concerts and big-ticket events were held in the Eugene Levy Field house. Several major artist included, Billy Joel, Earth, Wind & Fire, Genesis, Meat Loaf, Styx and The Monkees.
Campus
The main campus and main entrance on Almshouse Road is located on the crest of a sloping rise in a former farm community known as Mechanicsville, renamed Viola when a post office was established in 1882. The original property included:
- A wooden barn that was converted into a theater and assembly room in the second semester.
- Fields leased to local farmers that yielded tomatoes and cabbage. The college later acquired 150 acres (0.6 km2) of farmlandâ€"100 to the south from the Hurschle Brothers Farm, and 50 to the west from the Springsteen Farmâ€"for its current 175-acre (0.7 km2) campus. The barn was used for registration, physical education classes, sports team practices, large classes and final exams, dance classes, student-faculty talent shows, worship services, films, guest lecture series, concert series, even war protest rallies. It also served as the College Barn Theater. The Barn burned in January 1979; in 1983 it was replaced by the Cultural Arts Center.
- A "potter's field" cemetery, the burial grounds for many of the Almshouse residents. Shortly after the college was founded, the county deeded a tract of land in the northern section for establishing a veterans' cemetery, which remains today.
- A small square building with barred windows that served as the first Rockland County jail, later the Ramapo town police headquarters, and still later a police radio station. It was converted into offices and men's locker rooms for the physical education program in the second semester.
- A narrow, tree-lined country lane known as Almshouse Road, which became an interior access road when the current College Road was built.
- The three-story, colonial design Almshouse. In front of the Almshouse is a wooden gazebo that still stands.
The current campus evolved with these milestones:
- 1959 â€" Almshouse â€" Daniel T Brucker Hall is currently the Rockland Community College Administration Building.
- 1964 â€" Fall semester opening of the Academic I.
- 1972 â€" Academic II.
- 1972 â€" Physical Education Building.
- 1972 â€" The Student Union.
- 1972 â€" Utility Plant.
- 1973 â€" Amphitheater.
- 1973 â€" Library.
- The library's collection contains more than 125,000 books, more than 23,000 current periodical titles, and approximately 3,000 audio-visual items, all in diverse formats and the college's rapidly growing electronic resources cover all the disciplines offered at Rockland Community College.
- 1974 â€" Eugene Levy Fieldhouse â€" Athletic facility. This 2-acre (8,100 m2), 90,000 sq ft (8,000 m2) indoor multi-purpose facility with synthetic athletic surface is considered the one of the few largest of its type in the northeast.
- Most Physical Education classes are held in the Fieldhouse that includes a regulation basketball court, four indoor tennis courts, volleyball courts, indoor track and other teaching areas within the arena. Also within the complex is four squash courts (that are used for racquetball), an Olympic sized pool, two gyms for aerobic activities, a weight room and an athletic training room.
- The department also utilizes outdoor facilities that includes a lighted baseball stadium, six Outdoor Tennis Courts, two soccer fields anoval track and a softball field.
- Bowling is held at three different bowlings alleys namely New City Bowling Lanes, Pearl River Lanes and Haverstraw Lanes. Golf is held at Spook Rock Golf Course.
- The fieldhouse is also used as a community building for showcase trade shows, concerts, graduations, and sporting events.
- 1983 â€" Cultural Arts Center. Site of the Inauguration of the first Rockland County Executive John T. Grant on January 1, 1986.
- 1987 â€" Spring Valley Extension Center opens
- 1993 â€" Vehicle Maintenance Facility.
- 2004 â€" Groundbreaking of 103,000 square feet (9,600 m2) Technology Center.
- 2006 â€" Grand opening of new Haverstraw Extension Center
- 2006 â€" Student Union renovated.
- 2006 â€" Grand opening of new Technology Center â€" Rockland's first LEED certified "Green Building".
- 2007 â€" Rockland County Department of Transportation increased and enhanced all bus service to the college.
- 2008 â€" Theresa Morahan Simmons Center for Children and Families â€" Named in memory of Senator Thomas Morahan's daughter, a dedicated first-grade teacher who taught seven years at Richard P. Connor Elementary School in Suffern. Groundbreaking for new 7,000 square feet (700 m2) center took place on July 27, 2008.
- 2009 â€" Grand Opening Theresa Morahan Simmons Center for Children and Families â€" June 14, 2009 â€" Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. In attendance; The Morahan family, representatives from the five Rockland townships, school administrators, staff members, volunteers and most important Children and Families.
- 2011 â€" Rockland Community College received the 2011 Rockland Business Association’s (RBA) Green Council Award in the Government/Education category at the RBA luncheon on October 20, 2011 at the Paramount Country Club in New City.
- 2013 - Haverstraw Extension Center doubled in size, growing an additional 9,000 square feet (800Â m2). On National Manufacturing Day (MFG) which fell on Friday, October 4, 2013, Rockland Community College introduced its new "clean tech" training center. This space includes six new class/training rooms, four CAD (computer aided design) workstations with SolidWorks software, four 3D printers, a 3D laser scanner donated by the Center for Global Manufacturing Advancement (CGAM) and a science/wet lab. The 3D SMARTT Lab in Haverstraw focus is on 3D design. A second 3D SMARTT Lab is to open at the regional technology innovation center at the IRG campus (formerly Pfizer) in Pearl River in the FALL 2016.
- 2014 - Battle Buddy Center - Veterans Lounge (formally "The Greenhouse" located first floor Academic I). The lounge, plus a wide variety of support services designed to help veterans and the Valor Peer Mentoring program, have all combined to earn the Rockland Community College the designation of "Military Friendly†by GI Jobs Magazine.
- 2015 The Holocaust Museum & Study Center’s and administrative office is located in the lower level of the Library. The Museum holds lectures, art exhibitions and commemorations.
- 2016 The Herbert Kurz Automotive Technology Center located at Rockland Community College Orangeburg site in Orangetown, New York is a NC3 National Leadership Member and is considered a national leader and model facility. Our 27,304 square feet (2,500 m2) facility includes five classrooms, a certification room and a Snap-On Certified Lab with 10 lifts and customized Snap-On equipment and uses cutting edge academic technology in the Automotive Technology program. Each instructor is certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and have extensive industry and factory training that may qualify a student with an AAS in Automotive Technology degree as well as over 15 Snap-On Industrial Certifications. Suburu Distributors Corporation is the first car manufacturer partnering with Rockland Community College’s Automotive Technology Program.
- In 2017 Rockland (Community College) Shakespeare Company Opened its 20th Season featuring the classic tragedy Romeo and Juliet which was the first play ever performed by the Rockland Shakespeare Company in 1998.
- In April 2017, Rockland Community College opened its first Start-UP New York business, York Analytical in Nyack, New York.
- In June 2017, Rockland Community College Dedicated the Herbert Kurz Peace Garden with a plaque which state that the garden "...symbolizes the College's commitment to encourage coexistence, establish an authentic peace, and prepare students to thrive in a global society that celebrates human diversity"
- In October 2017, Member of the New York Senate from the 38th district Senator David Carlucci, an RCC graduate, sponsored a $200,000 State and Municipalities grant for the renovation work of RCC Biology Laboratories located in Academic I which included new furnishings, counter tops, extra storage, handicapped accessible benches, expanded instructor benches, plumbing and electrical fixtures. New eye wash stations and safety showers were included in the renovation.
- In Spring 2018 Rockland Community College expects to open a new Hospitality and Culinary Arts Center in Nyack, New York.
- Campus Revitalization - Current Capital Initiatives
- The Atrium Art Space - Located in the Cultural Art Center will feature 6,500 square feet (600Â m2) of display space with state of the art lighting system and environmentally controlled display cases and a dedicated gallery area for students.
- Mutimedia Center - State-of-the-art multimedia production will serve as a Multimedia Arts Program with 2 classrooms and 1 computer lab which will feature a 2,000 square feet (200Â m2) video/audio recording studio that consists of a TriCaster video control system, Behringer studio lighting system and Soundcraft mixing system.
- Residence Hall - Proposed to be located north of the fieldhouse, south of the track and west of the tennis and handball courts will be a 334-bed housing complex that will also feature a Fitness Center, Lounges, Café, Classroom Areas and outdoor seating. Scheduled Opening - Fall 2018.
- The Rockland Community College Amphitheatre, declared unsafe a few years after it opened will be removed and replaced by a new multi-purpose John and Joan Maloney Globe Theater, an outdoor Performance Space and Herbert Kurz Peace Garden. In May 2016, Rockland Community College successfully held a 24-hour online fundraiser which raised over $400,000.00 - $100,000.00 in public donations and 3 matching contributions from the Kurz Family Foundation, State University of New York, and a group of Donors. After completion, the new venue will provide space for the Rockland Shakespeare Company, which performs free theater on campus each summer and many other events.
- IFG Campus - IRG is a nationwide real estate development and investment plans to open in the Fall 2017 a regional technology innovation center in Pearl River at the location which was formerly Pfizer and will focus on Proof of Concept/Manufacturing Sandbox. The Rockland Community College Innovation Center, partnered with Stony Brook University, Columbia University, Small Business Development Center and the SUNY Research Foundation will provide extensive internships and workplace experiences for students interested in technology and scientific research. The innovation center includes a 168,000 square feet (15,600Â m2) START-UP center, 7,500 square feet (700Â m2) Technology Incubator, a super 3D SMARTT Lab, (the first 3D SMARTT Lab is located at the Haverstraw Center), and a Business Innovation Mall (Group Information Desk).
Gary Onderdonk Rockland Veterans Cemetery
A cemetery was established on the property for almshouse residents, and shortly after the property was designated for the college's campus, the county designated a tract to serve as a veterans cemetery. The Korean War Monument is large granite rock at the Gary Onderdonk Rockland Veterans Cemetery on Rockland Community College's campus with a plaque bearing the names of all 27 Rocklanders killed in action during the Korean War, with the inscription: "They gave their today for your tomorrow."
Aesthetics of the Campus
The aesthetics of the campus have been enhanced by more than a dozen sculptures that came to the College through the Model to Monuments Outdoor Sculpture Program developed by world-class sculptor, Greg Wyatt, Sculptor-in-Residence at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, NYC. Greg, in collaboration with the Art Students League, received a substantial grant to work with aspiring sculptors to create models to enhance NYC parks. After being displayed in parks in NYC for two years, the sculptures now have a permanent home at Rockland Community College. The College also installed, through the Art in Public Places program, a neon sculpture, TRILOGY, created by the extraordinary Stephen Antonakos.
Organization
RCC is sponsored by the County of Rockland and operating and administered by a ten-member Rockland Community College Board of Trustees that is appointed pursuant to New York State Education Law § 6306. Nine of the Trustees serve seven-year terms, with five of those appointed by the County and four by the Governor. The tenth trustee is a voting, student representative. The board in turn appoints a President who hires and supervises the staff. RCC is a community college unit of the State University of New York and is also subject to regulation and visitation by the Regents of the University of the State of New York.
Mission Statement
Rockland Community College, an open admissions institution, provides an accessible, responsive, student-centered learning environment and a cultural resource for the community. Facilitating the achievement of educational, professional, and personal goals, Rockland Community College offers quality higher education and lifelong learning in an atmosphere that embraces academic excellence, diversity, innovation and global awareness.
Institutional Accreditation
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Specialized Accreditation
- Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc (ACEN), formerly National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc. (NLNAC).
- American Occupational Therapy Association Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education
- New York State Board of Regents, State Education Department, Office of the Professions (Nursing Education)
Awards
Aspen Prize - Top 150
The Aspen Prize, funded by the Joyce, Siemens, and Kresge Foundations are awarded every two years, recognizing institutions for exceptional student outcomes among more than seven million students working towards certificates and degrees across America in the areas of student learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earnings, and access and success for minority and low-income students based on publicly available data.
In 2015, Rockland Community College was selected from a national pool of over 1,000 public two year colleges as one of the nation’s top 150 community colleges. The list From New York also included CUNY Bronx, CUNY Hostos, CUNY Kingsbourough and SUNY Herkimer County Community Colleges eligible to compete for the 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and $1 million in prize funds, as well as Siemens Technical Scholars Program student scholarships. The ten Aspen Prize finalist were named in Fall 2016. The winner(s) were announced in March 2017. The $1 Million Prize for Excellence in Four Areas are Learning, Degree Completion, Graduates' Employment and Earnings, and Access and Success for Minority and Low-Income Students.
In 2017, Rockland Community College, one of four New York colleges eligible to compete for the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The list from New York included CUNY Kingsborough, SUNY Herkimer County, and SUNY Nassau Community College. The ten Aspen Prize finalist will be named in May 2018. The winner(s) will be announced in Spring 2019.
Military Friendly School
In 2017 Rockland Community College has been named a Military Friendly® Schools:Silver Award winner as a university who have programs that scored within 30 percent of the 10th-ranked institution within a given category.
In 2017 Rockland Community College has been named a Military Friendly® Schools:receive The Gold Award which recognizes that the school's programs scored within 20 percent of the Top 10 colleges within its category.
Academics
Rockland Community College offers 40 associate degrees and 11 one-year certificate programs.
In 2015 Rockland Community College was ranked as the eighth best community colleges in the state of New York by College.com.
In 2016 Rockland Community College was ranked as the tenth best community colleges among the 121 two year community colleges in the state of New York by EDsmart.com.
in 2017 Rockland Community College partnered with College Steps, a non-profit group which provides hands-on and personalized college support for students with learning and social challenges, building a foundation for success in high school, college, preparing students for meaningful careers and life.
In 2017 Rockland Community College was rank as the Best Community College in the State of New York by bestcolleges.com
In 2017 Rockland Community College and Rockland BOCES merged their adult education programs making Rockland County the first in the Lower Hudson Valley to merge its adult programming with a SUNY school through a new partnership named RACE (Rockland Adult and Community Education), which aims to create a one-stop shop for those looking to pursue training, continuing education or professional certification.
In 2017 Rockland Community College was ranked the best community college in New York for adult learners in Washington Monthly’s recent annual ranking of American colleges and universities. Rockland Community College rated twenty-eighth nationwide out of nearly 1,500 two-year colleges.
Information Assurance Course Validation
Rockland Community College became first New York Community College to Receive Information Assurance Course Validation from the Committee on National Security Systems during the June 2008 CNSS Awards Ceremony held at the 12th Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education.
International students
More than 125 international students are enrolled at Rockland Community College yearly.
Rockland Community College is ranked number one in the country among two-year institutions for sending students on international study programs.
SUNY COIL
Rockland Community College is a participating campus of the SUNY COIL Center's Nodal Network.
Language courses
SUNY Rockland Community College offers nine "living" languages which have been approved by the State University of New York (SUNY) â€" the most of any community college in New York State, which meet the Foreign Language General Education requirement and are mandatory for students seeking a bachelor's degree from a SUNY school. These include;
B.A. programs
Although Rockland Community College does not confer four-year degrees, it cooperates with 4-year institutions:
- Purchase College at RCC â€" Liberal Studies
- SUNY Cobleskill at SUNY Rockland â€" This 3 + 1 articulation program will enable students to earn a bachelor's degree in most concentrations by studying three years, and in some cases, four years, on campus at SUNY Rockland. Classes are held online and on campus in the evening and on Saturday.
B.S. programs
- Mercy College at RCC â€" RN-to-BSN Program for registered nurses (RNs)
Bachelor's Online Program
- Bellevue University, a private, non-profit university, who partners with community colleges across the country and offers more than 50 online bachelor's degrees. Bellevue University designed their programs to assist working students complete their bachelor's degree while balancing family and work life.
- Rockland Community College students can now earn a Bachelor of Technology (BT) right in Rockland County. The BT in Information Technology is a new offering in the partnership between Rockland Community College and SUNY Cobleskill.
M.A. programs
Students can obtain their master's in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education at SUNY Rockland through a program co-sponsored by The College of New Rochelle (CNR).
Since 2016, students are registering for graduate degrees from LIU Hudson by enrolling in evening and weekend courses at the Rockland Community College main campus.
Doctoral Program
In September 2014 a Doctoral Program in Executive Leadership (EdD), offered through St. John Fisher College was the first doctoral program at SUNY Rockland
Honors programs
The Samuel Draper Mentored/Talented Students and Management Development programs are nationally acclaimed, rigorous academic programs for liberal arts and business students seeking to transfer to premier colleges. Graduates transfer to such universities as Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Fordham, Georgetown, Havard, University of Pennsylvania, NYU, Stanford, Wesleyan, Yale and Smith College. The program was awarded a FIPSE (Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education) grant from the United States Department of Education to serve as a model for community college honors programs throughout the country. In 2012 Rockland Community College was ranked as the Second Best Community College in the USA by the website Community College Transfer Student.
Articulation Agreements
Rockland Community College has articulation (transfer) agreements with over four dozen colleges including these and some previously mentioned.
High School Program
The Rockland Community College High School Program began in 2010. Rockland Community College academic departments have oversight of the curriculum, textbooks and student assessments offered at the high schools. High school teachers who are college adjuncts teach the courses at the high schools. Rockland Community College participates in the New York Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NYCEP), which enables the College to network and share strategies of concurrent enrollment programs offered throughout SUNY community colleges. The program continues to grow yearly.
Study Abroad Program
Cambridge University Study Abroad Program
Students must be at least 18 years of age and meet the requirement of a minimum 3.0 GPA and two faculty recommendations when classes begin at Cambridge University in July or August. Students can be from any college but must apply through the RCC Sam Draper M/TS Honors Program Office in Spring to be eligible.
Thames Valley University Ealing Campus in England
Thames Valley University offers a range of undergraduate degree programs that are validated by the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA)
College Consortium for International Studies (CCIS)
Rockland Community College as a member in the College Consortium for International Studies (CCIS), offers students the opportunity to spend a semester in over 25 countries including Argentina, Australia, Chile, China, Costa Rica, England, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, and Spain. A student need not be fluent in a foreign language to participate as most instructions are in English.
Study Abroad Tours
Rockland Community College in recent years has participated in study abroad tours in China, England, France, Greece and Italy.
Pre-Employment Police Basic Course
The course provides the opportunity to begin preparation for a career as a local police officer prior to being hired by a law enforcement agency. A Civil service exam which students will be required to pass in order to be hired by a law enforcement agency, will be given upon completion of the course work at RCC. A candidate from the civil service list who has completed the coursework is more likely to be chosen by an agency, as he or she will not need to attend a twenty-three-week academy.
Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
The CETL program provides outstanding professional programs and services to faculty and staff as well as one of America's premier psychologists, Dr. Edmund W. Gordon, as scholar-in-residence. Professional development workshops on a wide variety of topics are held throughout the academic year with a full program of workshops offered during January and May.
Homeland Security and Domestic Preparedness
Our Homeland Security and Domestic Preparedness is part of The Hudson Valley Educational Consortium which is a collaboration with Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, Sullivan and Westchester Community Colleges providing broader access to academic programs and workforce training throughout the four county region.
Cyber Security Program
According to the Advanced Technological Education Center, which is funded by the National Science Foundation, Rockland Community College is one of only 30 community colleges in the U.S., and the only State University of New York (SUNY) community college, to have successfully mapped its course ware to the 4011 National Training Standard for Information Systems Security (INFOSEC) Professionals. The goal for RCC is to be designated as a Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education.
On March 8, 2017, Rockland Community College was designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Two Year Education (CAE2Y) by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) becoming just the second SUNY Community College to earn this prestigious designation, Mohawk Valley Community College was certified in 2016. RCC’s certificate will be awarded during the 9th Annual Cyber Summit, June 6â€"8 in Huntsville, Alabama.
Prior to earning this level of certification, the College received national recognition for mapping its Cyber Security curriculum to the Committee on National Security Systems' (CNSS) Information Assurance training standards in 2008, with re-certification of the curriculum in 2013. CAE2Y is the next level of national recognition of excellence in Cyber Defense Education, and RCC is one of just 40 CAE2Y institutions in the nation at the time it received designation.
Academic Success Center (ASC)
The Academic Success Center (ASC) formerly known as Centers for Academic Progress and Success (CAPS) includes Reading & Writing, Tutoring, Testing and Science Learning centers which provide academic assistance free to all Rockland Community College students.
TRIO Scholarship Program
TRIO Scholarship Program has been designed to provide a wide variety of support services to qualified students attending Rockland Community College and its mission is to help participants develop the necessary skills, knowledge, and attributes to complete a post-secondary education by achieving maximum academic success and career readiness to graduate as skilled, self-actualizing professionals and global citizens who lead through best practices and lifelong learning.
AT&T Powers Program
AT&T's special program grant to the STEM Exploratory Research Fund through the Rockland Community Foundation brings High School Students to learn about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education and Careers.
Clinical Medical Assistant Program
Rockland Community College offers a continuing Education program which trains students as a medical assistant and prepares student for a career in health care. Students who successfully complete the program are eligible to sit for the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) examination.
Maritime Studies Program
Rockland Community College now offers the nation’s first Maritime Studies Program works with a US Coast Guard-approved partner featuring online training with hands-on classroom instruction at the College’s campuses. Through the RCC/Learn America program, Mariners seeking work on board any vessel are required to complete a Coast Guard-approved Basic Training course. Students also are able to sign up for any of the individual elements of the Basic Training course. This unique program can lead to a career on the high seasâ€"or in a variety of other maritime settings. Maritime officials say the U.S. will need thousands of new merchant marine workers.
Phlebotomy Training
Rockland Community College is offerS a 90-hour program to train students to collect blood specimens from clients for the purpose of laboratory analysis. Once students complete the course, graduates will have the opportunity to pursue the National Healthcareer Association Phlebotomy Technician Exam and become phlebotomy technicians.
Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)
Rockland Community College recently signed an affiliation agreement with the University at Buffalo to establish the accelerated program where students can now obtain a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)degree.
Children's programs
Full-day preschool to the community
The Campus Fun & Learn, which runs from the first day after Labor Day until the last week of June, is a full-day or part-time preschool program open to the community for children between the ages of 6 weeks and 5 years. The program includes art, music, language activities, and more, and helps prepare children for their future school experiences, as well as providing an opportunity for RCC students majoring in Education, Psychology and other programs gain experience and understanding in working with young children. RCC students who enroll their children qualify for scholarships and subsidies for child care tuition.
The Theresa Morahan Simmons Center for Children and Families groundbreaking ceremony took place on July 27, 2008 and the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony took place on June 14, 2009.
In 2012 Campus Fun & Learn received the “Children’s Champion Award†through Childcare Resources of Rockland
The center's three original goals include:
- Providing a model high quality Early Childhood education/childcare project for children â€" infants through 12 years old.
- Providing support services to busy working parents, many of whom are single parents, working and attending college to further their careers, and raise the economic level of their families.
- Providing an Early Childhood Lab School/Observation Training Site for future teachers.
Seniors adult programs
Senior Adult Audits â€" Seniors over the age of 60 are eligible to take credit courses free of charge on a space available basis. The seniors are responsible for program fees, are required to meet pre-requisites and cannot enroll in contract courses.
Institute for Senior Education (I.S.E.) â€" The College's Institute for Senior Education (ISE) offers courses during the College's regular semesters at modest prices. These informal groups meet once a week and stress independent study within a curriculum adjusted to the needs and interests of the group's members. All ISE courses are open to everyone over 50 years old.
Campus life
Multi-Cultural Diversity
Rockland Community College has month-long celebrations which include
Rockland Community College also recognizes
The Christian Fellowship, Hillel and The Center for Muslim Life are located next to each other and provide outreach for students as well as the community.
Clubs and Organizations
Students at RCC may choose to join any one or more clubs or organizations which are advised by a faculty or staff member and guided and funded by the Student Government Association.
Students explore and have fun by meeting diverse groups of people and developing valuable leadership and organizational skills.
The Connection Center
In 2016 Rockland Community College opened The 211 Connection Center which connects students to off-campus resources regarding health and human services such as housing, childcare, food, utilities and legal because "life happens".
Athletics
Sports
- Baseball games were played at the Village of Suffern ball field
- Basketball â€" The School used court time in gymnasiums at Suffern, Haverstraw, and Spring Valley high schools and a few junior highs.
- Bowling at Hi-Tor Lanes in West Haverstraw, NY.
- Calisthenics, jogging, archery, soccer, and golf were held in the fields surrounding the small, peaked-roof building of the former Ramapo police station which housed the physical education office.
- Fencing, gymnastics and varsity wrestling practice were held at the Barn.
- Swimming and lifesaving were taught at the Bader's Hotel outdoor pool in Spring Valley.
- Deer Kill Day Camp in Suffern was rented to teach lifetime skill sports like tennis, handball, and one wall paddleball as well as softball and basketball.
- Eugene Levy athletic facility, known as the Fieldhouse was completed in 1972.
- February 2007 â€" RCC Fighting Hawks Men's Bowling Team won their first Region XV Championship in school history. RCC made up three of the six All-Region members.
- February 2009 â€" RCC Fighting Hawks Men's Basketball Team beat Sullivan County Community College Generals 81 â€" 77 to win the Region XV DIII Men's Championship.
- May 2011 â€" RCC Golf Team Wins Region XV Championship winning by a four-stroke margin over Nassau Community College.
- 2013 - Region XV Division II Baseball Champions NJCAA
- 2013 - Region XV Tournament Runner-up Women's Basketball Championship
- 2015 - Region XV Women's Singles Tennis Champion - Rockland Community College Elina Arakelyan
- Elina qualified for NJCAA Division III National Championships, October 22â€"24 in Peachtree City, Georgia. Finished second. She and teammate Brooke Strieter also qualified to compete in the doubles tournament.
- 2016 - Region XV Division III Runner-up Men's Basketball Championship
- 2016 - Region XV Title - Men's Tennis Team Champions
- 2017 - Region XV Women's Mid-Hudson Championship Volleyball Conference Title
See:
Mid Hudson Conference
NJCAA
List of college athletic programs in New York#NJCAA
Rockland Boulders
Rockland Community College is also the training camp site for the Rockland Boulders, a member of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball who play their home games at the new 4,350-seat/16 suite Provident Bank Park in Pomona, New York.
Campus Traditions
Alma mater
Nestled in the hills of Rockland County/Facing the Eastern sky/Rockland Community College/Stands loyal, firm and true./No matter where we roam/No matter where we be/We will always remember RCC/We will always remember RCC!
The chain of office
The presidential chain of office of Rockland Community College showing the academic programs of Liberal Arts, Allied Health Sciences, Engineering, Performing Arts, Nursing and Natural Sciences in front going left to right is approximately forty-eight inches long and is made of sterling silver with a medallion of sterling silver, partly gold-plated and green acrylic featuring ten frames, each illustrating one of the academic programs, alternating with round links made up of concentric initials "R.C.C" along with a display of the Map of Rockland County on the right side of the circle.
The mace
The ceremonial mace, a gift from the Rockland Community College Foundation is a 3-foot-tall (0.91Â m) mace that serves as the official symbol of the institution of higher education. At its crown is a bronze medallion displaying the Seal of Rockland County on one side and the Seal of New York on the obverse side. Beneath the crown is a sterling silver globe with the inscription "Rockland Community College, 1959" in thick metal letters around it. The wood staff is sculpted from decorative Purple Heart wood in a non=glossy oil finish and the mace's counterbalance is made of copper and bronze in a dark patina.
Notable faculty
- Joseph Famellette, Professor, Physical Education. Famellette, a Marine Corps veteran and the longest serving faculty member at SUNY Rockland Community College, retired in 2010 after 50 years of teaching and coaching. He was inducted into RCC's Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. In 1995, Famellette was a member of Team USA and competed in the world biathlon championships in Mexico. In 2009, he and his racquetball partner won fourth place in the National Senior Olympics
- Dr. Edmund W. Gordon, as Scholar-in-Residence at the #Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Dr. Gordon received his 2010 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Relating Research to Practice Award on June 28 in Princeton, New Jersey. In 2017, Dr.Gordon became a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) in recognition of his long and influential career in education.
- Dan Masterson of Pearl River, New York Poet Laureate, and longtime Professor of English who has been writing poems for 71 years and taught for 48 year at Rockland Community College, was appointed in 2012 as RCC's Poet-in-Residence.
- Elaine Padilla, Ph.D., Professor, Social Science, won the 2013 National Faculty Award from the Association of Community College Trustees. She was a Fulbright Scholar in both Japan and Korea and has won many state, regional and national awards during her 30-year-plus tenure at RCC. In 2009 she won the SUNY Distinguished Service Professorship, the highest ranking given by the State University of New York system, and in 1999 earned the National Excellence in Teaching Award from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development.
- Emil Willis - Professor of Exercise and Human Performance (formerly Physical Education), Summer Camps and Family Recreation retired after 45 years of service from 1969-2014. His awards include the Rockland Community College Foundation Leadership in Education Award in 2002, Rockland Community College Sports Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Spring Valley High School Sports Hall of Fame.
- Sister Marie Buckley - Professor, Nursing retired after 28 years of service. Her awards include Nursing Excellence in Practice, Rockland County Nurse Recognition Day, Outstanding Service to Meals of Wheels of Rockland and Outstanding Volunteer Service Award, from New York State Senator Thomas Morahan in 2001 andSt Thomas Aquinas College Founders Award in 2013. Her Professional accomplishment include New York State Nurse Practitioner membership and President, Professional Nurses Association of Rockland County.
- Tanya Drake Professor, Nursing, retired after 36 years of service. Her awards include National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) for Leadership and Teaching Excellence Award and Rockland County Nurse Recognition Day Excellence in Nursing Award in 2000, RCC President’s Award for Research & Scholarship in 2002, Top 50 Distinguished Nursing Alumni Award, Long Island University in 2005, SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service in 2007 and Rockland Community College Foundation Leadership Award in 2009. Her Professional Accomplishments include New York State Nurses Association: Council on Nursing Practice, Bylaws Committee Chair, Gerontological Health Practice Focus Group, New York State Nurse Emergency Response Team, President, Professional Nurses Association of Rockland County, 2000-2002, 2006-2010, American Nurses Association: Delegate to the 2010 ANA House of Delegates, Bylaws Committee and Chief Medical Spokesperson, Rockland County Unit of American Cancer Society, 2010-2012.