Middlesex Community College (Massachusetts)
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Middlesex Community College is a public community college with two campuses located in Lowell and Bedford, Massachusetts, USA.
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[edit] Description
Founded in 1970, Middlesex Community College is the largest community college in Massachusetts, with campuses in suburban Bedford and the city of Lowell. MCC has a total annual enrollment of more than 11,000 credit students and 8,000 noncredit students.
[edit] History
The college was founded in 1970 on the grounds of the Veterans Administration Hospital in Bedford, Massachusetts. During the 1980s the college expanded to additional sites in Bedford and Burlington, Massachusetts, and eventually consolidated its campuses to the grounds of the former Marist Preparatory Seminary, off Springs Road in Bedford.
In 1987, Middlesex embarked on another period of growth with the opening of its fourth campus at the Wannalancit Mills complex in Lowell. Later, the college moved to several buildings in the Kearney Square area, and the Wannalancit Mills buildings came under the management of the University of Massachusetts Lowell. In April 2008, the college acquired a former Boston & Maine railroad depot in Lowell, for future use by performing arts programs.[1]
[edit] Campuses
The Bedford campus is situated on 200 acres located off Springs Road, close to Route 3. Bordering the town of Billerica, the campus incorporates 11 buildings that house classrooms, laboratories, offices, a library, the Medical Education Imaging Center and the MCC Concert Hall. A bookstore, cafeteria, student lounge and fitness center are located in the Bedford Campus Center.
Near the Bedford campus, on Concord Road, a historic saltbox-style farmhouse, now called the Middlesex Meetinghouse, is used primarily for college, corporate and community gatherings.
The college's Lowell campus is situated at Kearney Square, in the heart of the city, at the confluence of the Concord River and the Pawtucket Canal. It includes the five-story City Building, with classrooms, offices and a cafeteria.
The recently restored Federal Building, located across Merrimack Street, houses a library, classrooms, a visual arts room, and conference areas. Across the bridge from the City Building on Merrimack Street is the MCC Theatre, a flexible 90-seat performance space where the MCC Theatre Company stages productions.
The Health, Science & Technology Center, located on nearby Middle Street, includes the Middlesex Dental Hygiene Clinic, classrooms, laboratories and the Nursing Learning Center.
The college also maintains the historic John Nesmith House, located on Andover Street in Lowell, which is supported by the MCC Foundation. It houses the Lester J. Grant Center for Economic Development and the Elkin B. McCallum Center for International Studies.
[edit] Programs
Middlesex Community College offers 50 associate degree programs and 26 certificate programs, as well as many short-term, highly focused programs in selected career fields. Students can take classes during the day, evening, on weekends, and online. MCC students can now complete selected bachelor’s degree programs at the college offered in conjunction with Massachusetts state colleges. More than 2,000 Middlesex students take courses online through Middlesex Interactive, the college’s online learning network offered throughout the year. MCC also has an extensive array of noncredit courses offering personal and professional-development opportunities.
The student population at Middlesex ranges from recent high school graduates to adults returning to school. Recent demographic studies show that 44 percent of MCC students attend full time, 21 percent have dependent children, 82 percent are employed, 42 percent receive financial aid, and 45 percent have had prior college experience. Survey data and follow-up studies of MCC graduates within one year of graduation indicate that 97 percent were either pursuing further higher education or were employed in a field related to their training at MCC.
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