Middlesex College (formerly Middlesex County College) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...

with its main campus in

Edison, New Jersey Edison is a Township (New Jersey), township located in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated in Central Jersey, Central New Jersey within the core of the state's Raritan River, Raritan Valley r ...

, as well as two urban center campuses: one located in the Civic Square government and theatre district of

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

and one in the city center of Perth Amboy.

History

Middlesex County College was built on a portion of the former Raritan Arsenal, constructed in 1917 for the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

, and was closed in 1963. The college was founded by the Middlesex County Board of Elected Freeholders in 1964 to serve the needs of Middlesex County as well as surrounding communities. Frank Chambers was appointed the first president to help design the new college, with the first classes held in September 1966, and 1,500 students enrolled.

Unexploded ordnance Unexploded ordnance (UXO, sometimes abbreviated as UO) and unexploded bombs (UXBs) are explosive weapons (bombs, shell (projectile), shells, grenades, land mines, naval mines, cluster munition, and other Ammunition, munitions) that did not e ...

was found on campus in 2015 and suspected to be from the former arsenal. Mark McCormick succeeded Joann LaPerla-Morales as college president in 2019. The Board of Trustees voted in fall 2020 to change the name to Middlesex College to reduce perceptions of a "stigma attached to community colleges" and increase enrollment. While student sentiments were mixed, the change took effect January 1, 2021, and included new colors as well as a new mascot.

Academics

The college offers more than 700 courses in 100 different degree and certificate programs with 21 specially designed transfer programs. The college has 206 full-time and 346 part-time faculty. The student-to-faculty ratio is 21:1. Full-time, part-time and online classes are available. Popular transfer colleges and universities include Rutgers University, College of New Jersey, Columbia University, Kean University, New Jersey Institute of Technology and New York University. Student activities include art exhibitions, athletics, campus radio, clubs and organizations, civic engagement, student newspaper and theatre. There are 85 computer labs with more than 1,750 computers. Tuition for county residents is $103 per credit hour. Tuition for out of county residents is $206 per credit hour. Federal financial aid is available in the form of Pell grants, work study programs and direct loans. Students must complete their free application for FAFSA. The MCC Foundation offers over 100 scholarships for students attending the college.

Sports

Men's sports include soccer, basketball, wrestling, baseball, volleyball and track and field. Women's sports include soccer, softball, basketball, volleyball, and track and field. The Physical Education Center has a swimming pool, basketball courts, racquetball courts, and a dance studio. There is a weight training room with treadmills and stairmasters, which are available for students, faculty, and college alumni.

Child care

The college has a child care center for children ages 2–5 years old. Children are provided with breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack at no additional charge. Classrooms are age-graded, with one qualified teacher and at least one assistant in each room, based on class size. Tuition is based on the child's age, and the number of days attended per week. Applicants for reduced fees must be full-time students, employed full-time, or participating in a job training program.

Tutoring

Middlesex College offers free tutoring services for all currently enrolled students. The Learning Center, where a majority of tutoring is provided, is located in the Instructional Resource Center building on the Edison Campus. Tutoring support is offered in multiple subjects including reading, writing, English, and other humanities; natural sciences; mathematics; and business. Appointments are 45 minutes in length, and can be made ahead of time, although the Learning Center also welcomes walk-in appointments. Tutoring appointments are available in person and online. Tutoring is available during the fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters. The Learning Center also has amenities for students that include desktop computers, access to printers, quiet study rooms, calculators, and study resources like rocks and minerals, bones, and teeth. Departments at the college also offer their own tutoring for subjects such as ESL and Nursing.

Notable alumni

* James M. Cahill, mayor of

* Quinton Crawford (born 1990), college basketball player and current assistant coach in the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

* Joseph Danielsen (born 1965), politician who has represented the 17th Legislative District in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

since 2014. * Dave Meads (born 1964), former MLB

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who pitches in the game after the starting pitcher or another relief pitcher has been removed from the game due to fatigue (medical), fatigue, injury, ineffectiveness, ejection ...

who played for the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

. * Jim Norton (born 1968), comedian, actor and radio personality * Nancy Pinkin, politician who has served in the

since 2014, where she represents the 18th Legislative District. * Danny Pintauro (born 1976), actor from the TV show ''

Who's the Boss ''Who's the Boss?'' is an American sitcom television series created by Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter, that aired on ABC from September 20, 1984, to April 25, 1992, with a total of 196 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons. It was produce ...

'' attended and graduated from Middlesex County College *

Vincent Prieto Vincent Prieto (born September 11, 1960) is an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party politician. He served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2004 to 2018, where he represented the New Jersey's 32nd legislative district, ...

(born 1960), politician, who served as the 170th Speaker of the

, from 2014 to 2018. * Ahmad Khan Rahami, suspect in the 2016 New York and New Jersey bombings (did not graduate) *

Tom Scharpling Thomas John Giuliano II (born February 9, 1969), known professionally as Tom Scharpling, is an American comedian, television writer, producer, music video director, voice actor, and radio host. He is best known for hosting the weekly Internet r ...

(born 1969), television writer and host of '' The Best Show'' radio program * Robert J. Sexton, producer and director * James Vallely (born 1954),

television producer A television producer is a person who oversees one or more aspects of a television show, television program. Some producers take more of an executive role, in that they conceive new programs and pitch them to the television networks, but upon acce ...

, and

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

, who was a writer and consulting producer for ''

Arrested Development ''Arrested Development'' is an American satire, satirical television sitcom created by Mitchell Hurwitz. It follows the Bluths, a formerly wealthy, dysfunctional family and is presented in a Serial (radio and television), serialized format, inco ...

''. * Laurence S. Weiss (–2003), politician who served in the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure ...

from 1978 to 1992, where he represented the 19th Legislative District. * Lily Yip, USA Olympian in

table tennis Table tennis (also known as ping-pong) is a racket sport derived from tennis but distinguished by its playing surface being atop a stationary table, rather than the Tennis court, court on which players stand. Either individually or in teams of ...

"Yip (continued)"
''

Asbury Park Press The ''Asbury Park Press'', formerly known as the ''Shore Press'', ''Daily Press'', ''Asbury Park Daily Press'', and ''Asbury Park Evening Press'', is the third largest daily newspaper in the state of New Jersey. Established in 1879, it has been o ...

'', February 2, 1993. Accessed April 4, 2017.

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Universities and colleges established in 1964 Garden State Athletic Conference Universities and colleges in Middlesex County, New Jersey New Jersey County Colleges 1964 establishments in New Jersey NJCAA schools Edison, New Jersey Two-year colleges in the United States