Institutional Research: Queens College Quick Facts

Queens College Quick Facts

Queens College and Its Mission

Established in 1937 to offer a strong liberal arts education to working-class people, Queens College has grown to an enrollment of 17,395 students in 2004, including 12,628 undergraduates and 4,767 graduates. Of the undergraduate students, 67% attend full-time and 33% attend part-time. Of the graduate students, 9% attend full-time and 91% attend part-time. While known for its strong liberal arts emphasis, Queens College also offers professional degrees on both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Students come from 140 different countries and speak 66 different native languages. Princeton Review’s The Best 357 Colleges ranks Queens College sixth on Best Bargain-Public Colleges. U.S. News and World Report, America’s Best Colleges, places us tenth among Public Universities Masters and includes Queens among the colleges with the highest campus diversity ranking.

The 1995 Queens College Statement of Purpose is as follows:

The mission of Queens College is to prepare students to become leading citizens of an increasingly global society.

Within a structured curriculum and in an atmosphere of collegiality and mutual respect, the College fosters an environment in which students learn the underlying principles of the humanities, the arts, and the mathematical, natural, and social sciences.

Recognizing the special needs of a commuting student population, the College strives to create a broad range of intellectual and social communities.

In support of the need for advanced study in the liberal arts and professions, the College offers a variety of master's degree and certificate programs.

As a partner with the University's Graduate School, the College provides faculty and resources in support of the University's mission in doctoral education and research.

For its faculty, the College seeks productive scholars, scientists, and artists deeply committed to teaching.

As a public institution, Queens College provides affordable access to higher education and embraces its special obligation to serve the larger community.

As one of the most culturally diverse campuses in the country, Queens College faces special challenges and opportunities. By balancing tradition and innovation in the service of this diversity, it represents the future of the nation.

Queens College offers the following programs for non-traditional students:

SEEK Program (Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge) is an admissions alternative and educational opportunity program. Its mission is to serve with distinction students with academic aspirations who are educationally under-prepared and have low incomes.

The SEEK Program helps students achieve academic success by providing support and assistance in four major areas: instructional, financial, counseling, and tutorial.

Adult Collegiate Education Program (ACE) is an accelerated baccalaureate curriculum for highly motivated adults 25 years and older who have a high school education or its equivalent. In day, evening and weekend classes, ACE offers a personally rewarding education that also provides a secure foundation for career advancement and for graduate and professional study.

The Office of Worker Education offers educational services to working adults and to the labor community. Established in cooperation with a number of New York City unions, the OWE provides union members with the opportunity to analyze and understand the world of work, the economy, and society in general; and to develop the skills and intellectual foundation necessary for career advancement. Prospective students who have a high school diploma and are 25 years of age or older may be eligible for admission under special worker education policies.

The Labor Education and Advancement Project (LEAP) serves working adult students on campus. Matriculated LEAP students are eligible to enroll in an accelerated Worker Education curriculum, including a series of four-credit and six-credit interdisciplinary seminars in the arts, sciences, and social sciences (some courses are shared with the ACE program; others are offered specifically by LEAP). LEAP students select an academic major and electives, and may earn credits for life experience. They can choose from more than 50 undergraduate majors and from 30 master's degree options.

The Weekend College makes it possible to earn a bachelor's degree on Saturday and Sunday.

The Queens Weekend College offers:

Baccalaureate degrees in accounting, psychology, sociology, and interdisciplinary studies.

Post-Master's professional certificates in school administration and supervision.

Dozens of courses in comparative literature, computer science, economics, English, and other areas.

Financial Aid: over half of our students receive some form of financial assistance.

Access to most campus resources including academic advisement on the weekend. Free on-campus parking for weekend students.

Degree Programs

The academic programs of the College are organized into four divisions: Arts and Humanities, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and Education. Queens College has over 100 undergraduate major programs and graduate programs. The College prepares students for graduate study and for careers in many fields and professions. The general education curriculum includes English composition, Mathematics, foreign language, physical education, and Liberal Arts and Sciences Area Requirements. Queens' acclaimed minor programs in Business and Liberal Arts (BALA) and in Journalism combine the best traditional education with an entry to the world of work. Queens College also participates in CUNY's doctoral offerings. For a complete current list of all programs the College offers including program name changes, visit the State Education web site at www.nysed.gov/heds/IRPSL1.html. The following list was accurate at the time it was compiled. Programs in secondary education listed as (Grades 7-12) on the list below are now referred to as Adolescent Education.

Baccalaureate Degrees (B.A., B.F.A., B.S.)

Accounting	Environmental Sciences: Geology	Media Studies
Africana Studies	Environmental Studies	Music
American Studies	Family/Consumer Science	Music Education
Anthropology	Family Science K-12	Music (Performance)
Applied Social Science	Film Studies	Neuroscience
Art History	French	Nutrition and Exercise Sciences
Art Studio	Geology	Philosophy
Art Teacher K-12	German	Physical Education
Biology	Graphic design	Physics
Biology Education	Greek	Political Science and Government
Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies	Hebrew
Chemistry	History	Psychology
Comparative Literature	Interdisciplinary	Religious Studies
Computer Science	Italian	Russian
Drama and Theatre	Jewish Studies	Sociology
East Asian Studies	Labor Studies	Spanish
Economics	Latin	Speech Pathology
Elementary and Early Childhood Education	Latin American Area Studies	Theatre-Dance
English	Linguistics	Urban Studies
Environmental Sciences: Biology	Linguistics: TESOL	Woman’s Studies
Environmental Sciences: Chemistry	Mathematics	Yiddish

Bachelors in Business Administration (B.B.A.)

Actuarial Studies

Finance

International Business

* Applications not currently being accepted.

BA/MA Degrees

Chemistry and Biochemistry	Music	Physics
Computer Science	Philosophy	Political Science*

Masters of Arts Degree

Applied Linguistics	French	Psychology
Art History	Geology	Psychology-Clinical Behavioral Application in Mental Health Settings
Audiology*	History	Physics
Biology	Italian	Political Science*
Chemistry & Biochemistry	Latin American Area Studies*	Sociology
Computer Science	Mathematics	Spanish
Economics*	Media Studies*	Speech Pathology
English	Music	Urban Affairs

Masters of Science Degrees Masters of Library Science Masters of Arts in Teaching

Accounting	Library Science	Childhood Ed. (Grades 1-6)
Nutrition & Exercise Sciences	School Media Specialist-Library	Childhood Ed. Bilingual Extension (Grades 1-6)
		Early Childhood Ed. (Birth-Grades 2)

Masters of Fine Arts Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies Masters in Social Sciences

Studio Art

Liberal Studies

Social Sciences

Master of Science in Education

Adolescence Education: Biology	Adolescence Education: Social Studies	Literacy Teacher (Grades 5-12)
Adolescence Education: Chemistry	Adolescence Education: Spanish	Music Education
Adolescence Education: Earth Science	Childhood Education (Grades 1-6)	Physical Education
Adolescence Education: English	Childhood Ed. W/bilingual Ext. Grades 1-6	School Psychologist
Adolescence Education: French	Counselor Education	Teacher of Special Education (Birth-Grade 2)
Adolescence Education: Italian	Early Childhood Ed. (Birth-Grade 2)	Teacher of Special Education (Grades 1-6)
Adolescence Education: Mathematics	Family & Consumer Science Teacher Ed. (K-12)	Teacher of Special Education (Grades 7-12)
Adolescence Education: Physics	Literacy Teacher (Birth-Grade 6)	TESOL

* Applications not currently being accepted.

Certificate Programs

Post-Baccalaureate Advanced Certificates

Adolescence Education: Biology	Adolescence Education: Italian	Applied Behavior Analysis
Adolescence Education: Chemistry	Adolescence Education: Mathematics	Childhood Ed. (Grades 1-6)
Adolescence Education: Earth Science	Adolescence Education: Physics	Early Childhood Ed. (Birth-Grade 2)
Adolescence Education: English	Adolescence Education: Social Studies	Family & Consumer Science Teacher Ed. (K-12).
Adolescence Education: French	Adolescence Education: Spanish	Physical Education

Alternative Certificates

Alt Cert: Adolescence Education Biology	Alt Cert: Adolescence Education French	Alt Cert: Adolescence Education Social Studies
Alt Cert: Adolescence Education Chemistry	Alt Cert: Adolescence Education Italian	Alt Cert: Adolescence Education Spanish
Alt Cert: Adolescence Education Earth Science	Alt Cert: Adolescence Education Mathematics	Alt Cert: Childhood Education
Alt Cert: Adolescence Education English	Alt Cert: Adolescence Education Physics	Alt Cert: Music Education

Educational Leadership

School Administrator & Supervisor

School Building Leader

Librarianship

Children/Youth Service in Public Library

Archives/Records Management/Preservation.

Lib. Science - Public Librarianship

Lib. Science – School Media Specialist

Post-Master’s Certificate Program

* Applications not currently being accepted.

Faculty

QC students benefit from an outstanding faculty of distinguished scholars. Faculty members have received numerous fellowships, awards, and research grants, and many are national and international leaders in their fields. The faculty has a strong commitment to teaching and also enjoys sharing insights with students in labs and informal classroom discussions. Many faculty members participate in the doctoral programs of the CUNY Graduate School. In a number of departments, the first 30 credits of graduate work at the master's level constitute the first year of the doctoral program. Many City University doctoral students work under the direct supervision of Queens College faculty members.

In Fall 2004, the Queens College instructional staff includes 581 full-time faculty in professor, instructor, and lecturer titles (including substitutes and visiting faculty) and 626 part-time faculty. Seventy-five percent of the full-time faculty is tenured and 86% have doctorates or terminal degrees. The College has a number of Distinguished Professors who have been recognized for their exceptional records of scholarly accomplishment. These include Robert Bittman, membrane biochemist; Azriel Genack, internationally known physicist of random processes; Samuel Heilman, Sociologist specializing in Jewish Studies; George Hendrey, geologist who specializes in Global Change, Ecology, and the Carbon Cycle; Fred Kaplan, leading authority on Charles Dickens' life and work; Corinne Michels, leading scientist specializing in molecular genetics, regulation of gene expression, and yeast genetics; Gregory Rabassa, the nation's leading translator of Latin American literature; Carl Riskin, leading authority in development Economics and Environmental Economics.

Students

Queens College enrolled 12,628 undergraduate students in Fall 2004. The student race/ethnicity was 10.4% Black, 22.3% Asian, 17.1% Hispanic, 50.1% White, and 0.1% American Indian. Of the 4,767 graduate students, 10.4% were Black, 9.3% Asian, 10% Hispanic, and 70.2% White and .1% American Indian.

Women comprise 62% of the undergraduate students and 74% of the graduate students. Forty-four percent of the Queens College undergraduates are first-generation college students. Thirty-nine percent work part-time and 28% work full-time. Over two-thirds of first-time freshmen admitted are under 19 years of age. Forty-four percent of the freshmen entering Queens College were born outside the United States mainland.

The Queens College Foundation provides merit-based scholarships for entering students, and the College offers honors programs. A special admissions program, SEEK (Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge), is available for economically disadvantaged students who are in need of special academic assistance. Also, we have the Adult Collegiate Education (ACE), an accelerated baccalaureate curriculum for highly motivated adults 25 years and older who have a high school education or its equivalent. The Labor Education and Advancement Project (LEAP) serves working adult students on campus as well.

In 2004-2005, 2,150 Bachelor’s Degrees, 1,169 Master's Degrees, and 119 Post-Master's Advanced Certificates were awarded.

Alumni

Queens College has graduated over 100,000 alumni since its first graduating class in 1941. About 85% of alumni live in the New York metropolitan area. Alumni can also be found in every state of the United States and in several foreign countries. They have excelled in a variety of careers as entertainers, educators, doctors, lawyers, artists, writers, journalists, engineers, anthropologists, dentists, archaeologists, comedians, musicians, business executives, real estate developers, actors, poets, legislators, manufacturers, accountants, bankers, biologists, chemists, research scientists. The College ranks 35th nationally in the number of graduates who have earned a Ph.D.

Queens counts among its alumni such outstanding graduates as: Gary Ackerman, Congressman; Robert Batscha, President of The Museum of Television and Radio; Michael Berenbaum, Former Director, United States Holocaust Research Institute; Joy Behar, Comedian and author, Jay Bushinsky, 1010 WINS Correspondent, Edwin M. Cooperman, Chairman, Tutor Time Learning Centers; Joseph Crowley, Congressman; M. Christine DeVita, President of Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds, Steven V. Fellingham, President and CEO, Carvel Corporation; Michael Goldstein, Former Chairman and CEO, Toys "R" Us; Reri Grist, Opera Star; Marvin Hamlisch, Oscar, Tony, and Grammy winner; Alan Hevesi, New York State Comptroller; Carol Hochman, President and CEO Danskin, Inc.; Susan Isaacs, Novelist, Screenwriter; Carole King, Singer, Songwriter; Ira Lampert, Chairman and CEO, Concord Camera Corporation; Nat Leventhal, Former President, Lincoln Center; Allan Z. Loren, Chairman and CEO, Dunn and Bradstreet Corporation; Thomas MacAvoy, former President of Corning Glass; Helen Marshall, Queens Borough President, Else Holmelund Minarik, Little Bear series author; Robert A. Moog, Inventor of the Moog Synthesizer; Eugene Murphy, Retired Vice Chairman; General Electric, Mary Murphy, Emmy Winning TV Anchor and Reporter, WB 11; Juliet Papa, WINS Radio Reporter; Warren Phillips, Former Publisher, Wall Street Journal; Ray Romano, Comedian; Jerry Seinfeld, Comedian; Paul Simon, Musical Artist/Composer; Robert Sorrentino, President, Bertelsmann, Inc.; William Thiele, Senior Vice President, General Re Corporation; Charles Wang, Chairman Emeritus, Computer Associates International. Many others graduates have distinguished themselves in their fields. Queens College alumni serve in the national, state and city legislatures.

Accreditation

Queens College is accredited by the State of New York and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education includes Queens in its list of member colleges. Other programs are accredited by their disciplinary associations. Listed below are the names of national and specialized accrediting organizations that Queens College uses:

American Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, Council on Academic Accreditation

American Chemical Society

American Dietetic Association, Commission on Accreditation/Approval for Dietetics Education

American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences

American Library Association

National Association of Schools and Music, Commission on Accreditation

American Psychological Association, Committee on Accreditation

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (candidate)

Finance

The College's 2004-2005 current modified tax levy operating budget was $86,982,614 excluding fringe benefits. There are $677,376 potential funding changes, which would bring the operating budget to $87,659,990

Facilities

The College's main campus consists of 35 buildings on 77 acres; the campus is lined with trees surrounding grassy open spaces. Some of the original stucco-and-tile buildings from the early 1900's still stand, contributing to the pleasantly eclectic style of the campus. A major building program has greatly expanded classroom and research facilities, as well as spaces for varied campus activities. For example, facing Melbourne Avenue is the Science Building, housing teaching and research laboratories, offices and classrooms. At the western edge of the Quadrangle is the Benjamin Rosenthal Library. Facing Reeves Avenue is the Music Building. Klapper Hall is home to the Art and English Departments as well as the Godwin-Ternbach Museum. On the southern edge of the Quad is Lloyd Delany Hall. West of the Library is an expanded parking facility as well as various athletic fields. Powdermaker Hall is one of the college’s largest classroom buildings featuring state of the art computer facilities and beautiful classrooms and conference spaces and is home to the Social Sciences Division and Division of Education. In addition, the College's grounds are continuously being made safer and more accessible through the repaving of sidewalks, roadways and improved security lighting.

The Queens College Student Union, the center of campus life, is home to more than 100 clubs and organizations ranging from honor societies to dance clubs, from special interest to public interest groups. The College also sponsors a full program of varsity and intramural athletics, as well as a number of professional and student-produced plays, concerts, dances, and art exhibitions. Athletic fields, an Olympic size swimming pool, Colden Center Concert Hall and Library Plaza: all contribute to the quality of student campus life.

The College's Extension Center at 25 W. 43rd Street in Manhattan serves students beyond Queens. These programs are open to highly motivated adults who are 25 years or older and have a high school education. The John D. Calandra Italian-American Institute, devoted to research on the Italian American experience as well as instruction, training, counseling and service to Italian American students and the community, is housed at the Extension Center. The Queens College Worker Education Extension Center is also located at this address.

The Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library

Opened in 1988, the Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library includes innovations in space configuration with art, media and sculpture specially selected for display in this building. The distinctive Chaney-Goodman-Schwerner Clock Tower, dedicated to the memory of three civil rights workers who were murdered in Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964 (one of whom, Andrew Goodman, was a Queens College student), is a landmark for the community. The tower also houses the Queens College Bells, five beautifully crafted instruments. A recent innovation in the entrance lobby is the popular Books and Bytes Cafe with wireless Internet access.

The Library maintains a carefully selected collection of print and non-print material including approximately 780,500 books, 2,689 print and over 20,000 electronic periodicals as well as a growing collection of multimedia in its Media Center. There also is an extensive collection of microform material (937,600 microform units). In addition, there are significant online international databases. A reference area contains materials for research on a wide range of social science, humanities, education, and science topics.

The library has wireless access state-of-the-art computer classrooms for instruction in research methods and information literacy and for individual course-related instruction. The library also provides group study rooms, seminar rooms and, for instructional staff, faculty carrels. Rosenthal Library maintains and houses the Queens College Archives as well as the Louis Armstrong Archives. A separate Art Library (Rosenthal, 6th floor) and Music Library (in the Music building) contain significant collections of specialized materials.

The Rosenthal Library offers a continually expanding number of electronic resources and services. More information on the Library, its departments, resources, and services, including off-campus access, can be found at the Library's Home Page on the web: www.qc.cuny.edu/Library.

Governance

The Academic Senate is the academic governance body of the College. It is responsible for the formulation of policy relating to the admission and retention of students, curriculum, granting of degrees, campus life, and the nomination of academic deans. It establishes rules governing the use of the College name by organizations and clubs, and conducts all educational affairs. There are 60 faculty and 30 student Senators elected by their various constituencies; administrators are ex officio members of the Senate, with a voice but no vote. Reporting to the Senate are several standing college committees. There are also six independent student governments. The College Personnel and Budget Committee recommends appointments, reappointments and promotions to the President, and advises the administration on budgetary matters. The Professional Staff Congress/CUNY serves as the collective bargaining representative of the instructional staff.

Community Service

Queens College's community outreach includes the work of centers such as the Asian American Center and the Louis Armstrong House and Archives. Recently renovated and opened to the public, the Armstrong House in Corona, Queens, offers musical programs for local public schools and the community. The Armstrong Archives draws thousands to the campus each year. The Division of Education collaborates closely with P.S. 227 in East Elmhurst and with Townsend Harris High School, located on the Queens College campus. Also notable for its community outreach activities are the Michael Harrington Center for Democratic Values and Social Change. Colden Center for the Performing Arts, housed on the campus, is the largest performing arts center in the Borough of Queens, serving 2 million people annually with its classical and multicultural programming for children, students, and adults. The Queens College Summer Sports Academy provides programs to nearly 5,000 children.

The Ethnic and Area Studies programs of Queens College have extensive outreach activities. The Center for Jewish Studies offers a series of lectures attended by thousands of community members. Conferences and symposia are open to the community and lecture series have also been organized off-campus. The Africana Studies program organizes lecture series for the community on and off campus. The Center for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies regularly organizes conferences and cultural events for the community. It also sponsors courses in language, history, and culture.

The Women's Studies Program works with women's organizations and community organizations and co-sponsors events at the College and off-campus.

The Labor Resource Center, part of the Worker Education Program, has a regular series of breakfast forums of labor leaders and activists. Notable scholars and labor activists, from the U.S. and abroad, discuss economic or labor issues of contemporary interest.

The Center for the Biology of Natural Systems (CBNS) is a research organization with considerable experience in the analysis of environmental, energy and resource problems and their economic implications. Over a period of 30 years CBNS has become known for an extensive series of pioneering studies on environmental issues such as trash disposal, agricultural sources of pollution, and environmental carcinogens; on energy issues such as conservation, cogeneration and solar energy; on resource issues such as organic farming and waste reduction; and on the relation of such issues to economic factors and social welfare.

Continuing Education

The Continuing Education Program consists of four areas:

The College for Older Adults (formerly the Center for Unlimited Enrichment) for persons over 60
Continuing Education Program (CEP)
English As A Second Language (ESL)--Part-time English
English Language Institute (ELI)--Full-time English

The Continuing Education Programs offer lifelong learning opportunities through non-credit courses for personal and professional development. Students may enroll in individual courses or work toward a certificate or licensure in many areas of interest. For more information about Continuing Education, call (718) 997-5700. For more information about English Language studies call (718) 997-5720, and for the College for Older Adults, call (718) 997-3635.

Queens College School for Math, Science and Technology at Queens College

Queens College and the Board of Education of the City of New York created an innovative and unique school for students in grades pre-kindergarten through eight focusing on mathematics, science and technology, and inclusive of the arts and humanities. This school works in collaboration with the College and its academic and curricular programs, as well as with the educational resources of both the borough of Queens and the City of New York. The school opened in September 1999 and currently serves grades Pre-K through Grade 3. A grade will be added each year until it reaches its planned enrollment, including grades pre-kindergarten through 8th. In Fall 2004, this school moved to a new building on the perimeter of the Queens College campus.

This fact sheet has been prepared by the Queens College Office of Institutional Research. For additional information about Queens College statistics, please contact Margaret McAuliffe, Room 711, Kiely Hall or call (718) 997-5788.