LaGuardia Community College
Encyclopedia
LaGuardia Community College is a two-year community college
located in the Hunter's Point section of Long Island City in the New York City
borough of Queens
, and is a component of the City University of New York. LaGuardia is named after former Congressman and New York mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia
. The college offers associate degrees in the arts, sciences, and applied science
s, as well as continuing education
programs.
The college's first president was Dr. Joseph Shenker, who had been Acting President of Kingsborough Community College
, and its first location was a five-story 50-year old factory building on Thomson Avenue in Long Island City which has most recently been used to manufacture materiel
for the U.S. Army in World War II
. In October 1970, the Board of Higher Education named the new college after Mayor Laguardia, noting his
The college was officially opened on September 22, 1971, and received its first accreditation, from the Middle States Association, in December 1972, when the college graduated its first class.
On September 22, 1972, the school received from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, for payment of $1, a 5.2 acres (21,043.7 m²) site in Astoria that had formerly been the U.S. Army Pictoral Center, with the intention of moving the college to a campus on the new site, but when the city's budget crisis hit in 1974, the site had to be sold off, as the expense of maintaining it in the interim was too high. In the years since its founding, the college has remained in its original building, but has expanded into nearby buildings.
Along with the Long Island City Business Coalition, the college occupies the historic Sunshine Biscuits Building
, building "C" on their main campus.
The College offers associate degrees and certificates in over 50 majors in Business and Technology; Liberal Arts; and Health, Math and Science.
It's academic departments include:
and Kingsborough Community College
.
Of the student population, 43% (6,386) are Hispanic, 22% (3,171) are Asian, 18% (2,699) are Black, 13% (1,937) are White, and 4% (656) described themselves as Other.
Before this logo, LaGuardia used a flower with five petals, symbolizing the five boroughs
of New York City; and the first name of its namesake, Fiorello, which in Italian
translates to "Little Flower." Capitalizing on its reputation as one of the most diverse campus in the country, the college also used an apple logo covered with various national flags. The apple is taken from the "Big Apple" nickname that describes New York City.
Community colleges in the United States
In the United States, community colleges are primarily two-year public institutions of higher education and were once commonly called junior colleges....
located in the Hunter's Point section of Long Island City in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
borough of Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, and is a component of the City University of New York. LaGuardia is named after former Congressman and New York mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia
Fiorello H. LaGuardia
Fiorello Henry LaGuardia was Mayor of New York for three terms from 1934 to 1945 as a liberal Republican. Previously he was elected to Congress in 1916 and 1918, and again from 1922 through 1930. Irascible, energetic and charismatic, he craved publicity and is acclaimed as one of the three or...
. The college offers associate degrees in the arts, sciences, and applied science
Applied science
Applied science is the application of scientific knowledge transferred into a physical environment. Examples include testing a theoretical model through the use of formal science or solving a practical problem through the use of natural science....
s, as well as continuing education
Continuing education
Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
programs.
History
LaGuardia Community College was founded on January 22, 1968 by a resolution of the Board of Higher Education of the City of New York, a New York State agency which was the precursor to the Board of Trustees of CUNY. The new college, originally designated "Community College Number Nine", was to be comprehensive... in terms of its variety of program offering and its community service mission... The college will be oriented to the needs and interests of the community in which it is located, providing cultural activities, special services, continuing education and skills training opportunities for community residents of all ages.
The college's first president was Dr. Joseph Shenker, who had been Acting President of Kingsborough Community College
Kingsborough Community College
Kingsborough Community College , part of the City University of New York system, is the only community college in Brooklyn, New York. The campus is located at Manhattan Beach, which is at the eastern end of Coney Island. The 71-acre campus overlooks Sheepshead Bay, Jamaica Bay, and the Atlantic...
, and its first location was a five-story 50-year old factory building on Thomson Avenue in Long Island City which has most recently been used to manufacture materiel
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
for the U.S. Army in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In October 1970, the Board of Higher Education named the new college after Mayor Laguardia, noting his
lifelong public service to the people of the City of New York and of the United States, and his ambitious and successful leadership of good government campaigns to provide decent living conditions and guarantee democratic processes for all...
The college was officially opened on September 22, 1971, and received its first accreditation, from the Middle States Association, in December 1972, when the college graduated its first class.
On September 22, 1972, the school received from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, for payment of $1, a 5.2 acres (21,043.7 m²) site in Astoria that had formerly been the U.S. Army Pictoral Center, with the intention of moving the college to a campus on the new site, but when the city's budget crisis hit in 1974, the site had to be sold off, as the expense of maintaining it in the interim was too high. In the years since its founding, the college has remained in its original building, but has expanded into nearby buildings.
Along with the Long Island City Business Coalition, the college occupies the historic Sunshine Biscuits Building
Sunshine Biscuits
Sunshine Biscuits was an independent American baker of cookies, crackers, and cereals. The company, whose brand still appears today on a few products , was purchased by Keebler Company in 1996 which was subsequently purchased by Kellogg Company in 2000...
, building "C" on their main campus.
Academics
In the 2010-2011 school year, LaGuardia granted 2,197 degrees, of which 96% were associates degrees, and 4% were certificates.The College offers associate degrees and certificates in over 50 majors in Business and Technology; Liberal Arts; and Health, Math and Science.
It's academic departments include:
- Business & Technology
- Communication Skills
- Cooperative Education
- Education & Language Acquisition
- English
- Health Sciences
- Humanities
- Math, Engineering & Computer Science
- Natural Sciences
- Social Sciences
Enrollment
As of the Fall of 2011, LaGuardia had an enrollment of 17,569 undergraduate students, 58% of them attending full-time, and 42% part-time. This undergraduate enrollment made the college the third largest community college in the CUNY system, after the Borough of Manhattan Community CollegeBorough of Manhattan Community College
The Borough of Manhattan Community College is one of six two-year colleges within the City University of New York system and the only one in Manhattan. Founded in 1963, BMCC originally offered business-oriented and liberal arts degrees for those intending to enter the business world or transfer...
and Kingsborough Community College
Kingsborough Community College
Kingsborough Community College , part of the City University of New York system, is the only community college in Brooklyn, New York. The campus is located at Manhattan Beach, which is at the eastern end of Coney Island. The 71-acre campus overlooks Sheepshead Bay, Jamaica Bay, and the Atlantic...
.
Student body
LaGuardia's student body is made up of people from 160 different countries who speak 127 languages natively. It is likely the most diverse campus in the world, though, official sources do not include it in their studies because it is a community college.Of the student population, 43% (6,386) are Hispanic, 22% (3,171) are Asian, 18% (2,699) are Black, 13% (1,937) are White, and 4% (656) described themselves as Other.
Notable Alumni
- Ruben Diaz Jr.Ruben Diaz Jr.Rubén Díaz Jr. is the current President of the Borough of the Bronx in New York City. Borough President Díaz was elected in April 2009 and previously served in the New York State Assembly.-Early Life:...
, Bronx Borough President - Elly GrossElly GrossElly Berkovits Gross is a Jewish Holocaust survivor and author of several Holocaust related books of poetry and prose. She currently resides in the United States, where she is a frequent invited speaker at museums and schools around the country.-Biography:Elly was born in Şimleu Silvaniei, Romania...
, Holocaust survivor, poet and author - Rudy Washington, Deputy Mayor under Rudolph Giuliani
Logos
LaGuardia launched its new logo in March 2011. It consists of a red square with nine arrows signifying the College’s inception as Community College Number Nine. The arrows come together in the center of the logo mark to represent introspection, and the negative space at the center and between each of the arrows forms a star representing infinite growth. The emanating lines convey the energy, ideas and solutions that emerge when coming together to ask, “What if?”Before this logo, LaGuardia used a flower with five petals, symbolizing the five boroughs
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of New York City; and the first name of its namesake, Fiorello, which in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
translates to "Little Flower." Capitalizing on its reputation as one of the most diverse campus in the country, the college also used an apple logo covered with various national flags. The apple is taken from the "Big Apple" nickname that describes New York City.