Mercer County Community College: A Comprehensive Overview
Mercer County Community College (MCCC), established in 1966, stands as a cornerstone of post-secondary education in Mercer County, New Jersey. With its open-door admission policy, MCCC provides accessible educational opportunities to a diverse population. The college's main campus, a sprawling 292-acre site in West Windsor, opened in 1971 and features buildings designed in the Brutalist architectural style, popular during the 1960s.
Academic Programs and Opportunities
MCCC offers a wide array of academic programs, including more than 60 degree-bearing options ranging from transfer-ready liberal arts degrees to hands-on programs such as Automotive Technology and Hospitality. Several programs, such as Funeral Service and Aviation Technology, are the only ones of their kind offered at a public institution in the state of New Jersey.
Transfer Programs
MCCC facilitates seamless transfer pathways to four-year institutions through the Guaranteed Transfer Admission program. This program consists of specialized transfer agreements guaranteeing admission to specific four-year colleges and universities. Students can transfer into the junior year at most New Jersey colleges, including Rutgers University, Rider University, The College of New Jersey, Montclair State University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, William Paterson University, Stockton University, and Thomas Edison State College.
Honors Program
Established in 2006, MCCC's Honors Program provides academically strong students with opportunities for greater challenge. Honors classes feature smaller, seminar-style classes where students are encouraged to lead discussions. The pace and depth of learning is generally more vigorous than in standard sections. Students participate in annual Honors Conferences. Depending on the number of Honors courses completed, students may receive an Honors cord at graduation and recognition on their transcripts.
DREAM Program
MCCC has a program to offer students with intellectual disabilities access to college education. In 2005, the college received a grant of $150,000 from Steve Riggio, chief executive of Barnes & Noble, to help establish the DREAM (Developing Real Expectations for Achieving Mastery) program.
Read also: Future Leaders Program
Concurrent Enrollment Programs
Some high school students can take credit-bearing classes at MCCC through one of several programs. Participation is limited to students given permission by their high school and who meet admissions criteria including standardized test scores. There are two concurrent enrollment options, the first being Dual Enrollment which is for high school seniors. The second is Jump Start for students age 16 and up with written recommendation of their guidance counselor and/or legal guardian. Jump Start students have specific GPA standards that must be maintained to stay in the program and they may take no more than two classes per semester, whereas Dual Enrollment students can take more. Career Prep is another high school program offered in partnership with Mercer County Technical Schools. Students attend their regular school in the morning then go to MCCC for afternoon classes. Students in the Career Prep program take two courses in each term, fall and spring, for a total of 12 credits.
Student Life and Activities
MCCC offers a vibrant campus life with a variety of activities and organizations to engage students.
Athletics
MCCC is a member of the Garden State Athletic Conference and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and plays in Region XIX Division II. Although MCCC has had strong seasons in all its sports, it is known for strength in soccer, baseball and softball.
The College VOICE
The College VOICE student newspaper at MCCC is known as one of the top state and national papers in its division. The VOICE earned the General Excellence top award from the New Jersey Press Foundation in 2009, 2010, 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2019. In 2010 The VOICE was named Best All-Around Non-Daily Two Year newspaper in the nation in the Society of Professional Journalists' Mark of Excellence Awards. The VOICE, which produces print editions every three weeks throughout the academic year, added an online edition that includes breaking news and multimedia content. The VOICE is open to all students on campus and the staff composition mirrors the racial, ethnic, political, sexual, religious, and socio-economic diversity on campus. While most participants are not seeking careers in journalism, many go into writing and communication fields.
Kelsey Theatre
The Kelsey Theatre at MCCC offers a diverse range of performances, including plays, musicals, and dance productions. It serves as a cultural hub for the college and the surrounding community.
Read also: Roles of the Mercer Board
Diversity and Inclusion
As an open enrollment college, the student body of MCCC reflects the diverse county around it. In terms of racial diversity, it is 37% white, 26% black, and 26% Hispanic, 10% are mixed race, and 4% are international students. The student body is 52.6% female. While 45% of students are in the typical junior college age range of 18-20 years old, there are a significant number of "non-traditional" aged students.
Princeton University Partnership
MCCC has a strong partnership with Princeton University, which benefits both institutions and their students. The Community College Teaching Partnership offers teaching fellowships to current Princeton doctoral students, allowing them to gain valuable teaching experience at MCCC.
Community College Teaching Partnership
Through the Community College Teaching Partnership, Princeton graduate students are mentored by seasoned community college faculty members and gain exposure to cutting-edge pedagogical approaches designed to meet the unique and evolving needs of a highly diverse student body. The first cohort of four Princeton graduate students began teaching at Mercer County Community College in 2017. The partnership expanded to include Camden County College in 2018 and Rowan College of South Jersey in 2019. The Graduate School manages the Community College Teaching Partnership in collaboration with the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning, which provides graduate students with training and workshops before and during the course of the two-semester fellowship. Doctoral students must fulfill the requirements for a master’s degree to participate. The Community College Teaching Partnership allows Princeton graduate students to develop their teaching skills over the course of a year.
Benefits of the Partnership
The partnership between Princeton University and MCCC provides numerous benefits:
- Princeton graduate students gain teaching experience and mentorship.
- MCCC students benefit from the expertise of emerging scholars.
- Both institutions learn from each other's strengths and perspectives.
- The partnership helps to get the word out to graduate students that teaching at a community college is a rewarding career path.
Accreditation and Recognition
Mercer County Community College is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and is authorized by the State of New Jersey's Commission on Higher Education to award associate degrees. The nursing program is accredited by the New Jersey Board of Nursing and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. The Radiography program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology and approved by the New Jersey Radiologic Technology Board of Examiners. The Medical Laboratory Technology program is accredited by the National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel. The Legal Assistant program is approved by the American Bar Association.
Read also: Funding Your Education at Mercer
Media Outlets
MCCC operates several media outlets that serve the college and the surrounding community.
Mercer County Television (MCTV)
Mercer County Television (MCTV) channel 26 is an Educational-access television station in West Windsor, owned and operated by Mercer County Community College. The Student television station is transmitted to all of Mercer County, via cable TV channel 26 on the Comcast, Cablevision, reaching up to 90,000 households.
WWFM: The Classical Network
WWFM: The Classical Network is owned by MCCC and broadcasts on 89.1 MHz (HD Radio) from the West Windsor campus. WWFM-HD2 is "JazzOn2", which runs a traditional Jazz format. WWFM-HD3 is "Viking 89", MCCC student radio. WXPN's XPoNential Radio service airs on the HD3 when Mercer students are not on the air. "JazzOn2" is also on the HD2 channel of WWNJ. The station is known for programs featuring opera, symphonic music, jazz, and musical theater. Well known programs include Between the Keys, PostClassical, The Well Tempered Baroque, and The Dress Circle.
Notable Alumni
MCCC has produced a number of successful alumni who have made significant contributions in various fields:
- Trey Anastasio: Founder and lead vocalist for Phish.
- Heath Fillmyer: Pitcher for the Kansas City Royals.
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