General Information
The Mission of Manhattan College
At its quarterly meeting on October 23, 1990, The Board of Trustees of Manhattan College adopted the following statement of Mission:
Manhattan College, overlooking Van Cortlandt Park in Riverdale, is an independent Catholic institution of higher learning which embraces qualified men and women of all faiths, races and ethnic backgrounds. Established in 1853, the College is founded upon the Lasallian tradition of excellence in teaching, respect for individual dignity, and commitment to social justice inspired by the innovator of modern pedagogy, John Baptist de La Salle.
The mission of Manhattan College is to provide a contemporary, person centered educational experience characterized by high academic standards, reflection on faith, values and ethics, and lifelong career preparation. This is achieved in two ways: by offering students programs which integrate a broad liberal education with concentration in specific disciplines in the arts and sciences or with professional preparation in business, education and engineering; and by nurturing a caring, pluralistic campus community.
The learning experience at Manhattan College is enriched by cooperative programs with other institutions, by postgraduate professional programs and by capitalizing on its location on the edge of the cultural center and global marketplace that is New York City.
Historical Note
Manhattan College was founded in May 1853 when the school, originally established by the Brothers of the Christian Schools in 1848, moved from Canal Street in lower Manhattan to what was then known as the Manhattanville section of New York City at 131st Street and Broadway. Between 1853 and 1863, the school changed rapidly, adding college-level courses in 1859 and first using the name Manhattan College in 1861. A Board of Trustees composed of ten laymen and eight Brothers of the Christian Schools was assembled in 1862 to petition the Board of Regents and the Legislature of the State of New York to charter a collegiate institution named Manhattan College. The charter was approved by the Legislature and issued by the Board of Regents on April 2, 1863. The first catalog of the newly chartered College stated its goals as follows:
The object of this institution is to afford the youth of our country the means of acquiring the highest grade of education attained in the best American universities or colleges. While the conductors mean that the classical languages shall be thoroughly studied, they have resolved to give a prominence to the higher mathematics and natural sciences not hitherto received in any similar institution in this country; thus combining the advantages of a first-class College and Polytechnic Institute.
Thus, Manhattan College was an unusual institution. Its sponsoring Board of Trustees combined both secular independent members and representatives of the religious teaching Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. It also combined excellence in the traditional liberal arts and sciences and excellence in professional and technical education in a single collegiate institution.
Bordered by the Hudson River and Van Cortlandt Park, the college is able to offer access to the cultural, educational, business and entertainment opportunities of New York City as well as a self-contained campus environment.
The College continues to realize the objectives stated in its first catalog by maintaining a full range of programs in the liberal arts and sciences joined with professional programs in engineering, business, and education. The quality of the undergraduate programs has been demonstrated by the College’s record as one of the nation’s leading undergraduate sources of doctorates in the arts, sciences, engineering and education, and recognized by the establishment of chapters of such prestigious honor societies as Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, and Tau Beta Pi. Similarly, Standard & Poors ranks the Manhattan College School of Business among the leading undergraduate sources of managerial and financial leadership in the nation. The College participates in the Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges, an organization of the nation’s leading research colleges, and in the New York Cluster of seven colleges and universities supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts for undergraduate science education (Barnard, Colgate, Cornell, Hamilton, Manhattan, St. Lawrence and Union).
From its beginning, Manhattan College has paid particular attention to educating first-generation college students, and was an early proponent of access to minority students, establishing special scholarship funds for minority students as early as 1938. Currently, over 25% of the student body are from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds.
The College became coeducational and accepted its first women undergraduate students in 1973. Currently, women number 50% of the full-time undergraduate student body. Resident students comprise 61% of the undergraduate student population.
Currently, the College has a student body of approximately 3,250: 2,900 undergraduates and 350 graduate students. The student-faculty ratio is thirteen to one.
Recognition and Membership
Manhattan College is chartered and empowered to confer academic degrees by the University of the State of New York.
It is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-2680, 215-662-5606, www.msache.org. The college is approved by the American Chemical Society for the professional training of chemists and by the New York State Department of Health for Radiation Therapy Technology.
The School of Business is accredited by AACSB International, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the premier accrediting agency for business programs globally.
The programs in Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering are accredited at the basic level by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
The College is a member of the Association of American Colleges, the American Council on Education, the Institute of International Education, the National Catholic Educational Association, the Association of Urban Universities, the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, the American Association of University Women, the American Society for Engineering Education, Middle Atlantic Association of Colleges of Business Administration, Association of Continuing Higher Education, the National Association of College and University Summer Sessions, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the College Entrance Examination Board, and the National Commission for Cooperative Education.
Non-Discrimination Policy
Manhattan College has had a longstanding policy of non-discrimination. The College repudiates all discriminatory procedures and specifically those based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, disability or any other protected status. The College does not knowingly support or patronize any organization or business which discriminates.
No person shall be denied admission or access to the programs or activities of Manhattan College, nor shall any person be denied employment at the College, solely because of any physical, mental or medical impairment within reasonable accommodations. Inquiries concerning this policy may be referred to Human Resources.
Auxiliary aids and academic adjustments within the guidelines of the ADA/Section 504 are provided without charge by the Specialized Resource Center, Room 300A, Miguel Hall, Voice: (718) 862-7101, TTY: (718) 862-7885.
The Title IX and Age Act Coordinator is located within the Office of Human Resources, Memorial Hall, Room 305. The ADA/Section 504 Coordinator is located within the Specialized Resource Center, Miguel Hall, 300A.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, known as FERPA or the "Buckley Amendment" applies to all educational institutions, schools or other entities that receive funds under any program administered by the U.S. Secretary of education. FERPA is a law designed to protect the privacy interests of students (on the postsecondary level). The underlying intent of the law is to protect student rights. Manhattan College informs students of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. This Act, with which the institution intends to fully comply, is designed to protect the privacy of educational records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their educational records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. Questions concerning the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act may be referred to the Registrar. Students also have the right to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-5901.
Location
The College is situated along Manhattan College Parkway on the heights above Van Cortlandt Park (242nd Street and Broadway) in the Riverdale section of New York City. It is a short distance from the 242nd Street station of the Broadway Seventh Avenue Subway, and can be easily reached from any part of the metropolitan or suburban areas. The exit of the Henry Hudson Parkway (West Side Highway) located at 239th Street several blocks to the west of the College puts the campus within easy reach of New Jersey. The College is also within easy commuting distance from Long Island and Westchester and Rockland counties because of its proximity to the New York State Thruway and the Major Deegan Expressway (exit at Van Cortlandt Park South or West 240th Street).