As we enter the second decade of the 21st century, we are facing a critical challenge. Scientists warn that the speed of climate change due to ‘greenhouse’ gas emissions is accelerating rapidly; that the natural resources that sustain us are threatened by manmade pollution.
The problem appears overwhelming. What can we possibly do? Talk alone is not enough. Action is the only answer, and I am proud to say that Berkeley College is already acting to reduce our carbon footprint and heighten awareness about the importance of protecting our environment.
In 2008, Berkeley College became a proud partner in the Mayor’s 2030 Challenge, joining over a dozen universities in the greater New York City area that have accepted Mayor Michael E. Bloomberg’s challenge to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent in one decade.
And in July of 2009, we joined other college presidents across the nation who are participating in the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment. Together, we pledge that our institutions of higher learning will take a leadership role in facilitating a sustainable future for our planet.
At Berkeley, we are actively engaged in reducing our carbon footprint through the introduction of energy conserving lighting and appliances for our campus facilities, motion sensing devices, “power down” protocols for computers, low flow faucets and flushers, and campus wide recycling and/or conservation of paper, plastic, glass, aluminum, toner and ink cartridges and cell phones.
Through Berkeley’s environmental awareness program, Project GreenPath, we are heightening awareness that the ‘Earth is Our Business.’
In addition to all of the recycling activities already in place, beginning the first week of February, Berkeley College will participate in “Recyclemania,” a nationwide university challenge to reduce waste on campus. Please visit the Berkeley College website for details about our activities as well as Recyclemania.org for events around the nation.
I invite you to share what you are doing to save our planet for future generations by adding your comments below. I look forward to hearing from you.
Cordially,
Dario A. Cortes, PhD
President
Friday, January 21, 2011
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Berkeley College – Changing Lives for 80 Years – 1931-2011
The year 2011 will be a significant one for Berkeley College, not only because of all we plan to accomplish through our strategic planning initiatives, but also because the year 2011 marks the 80th anniversary of our ever-expanding teaching and learning community.
The world has evolved dramatically since our founding in 1931.
Changes in society and advancements in technology have altered every aspect of our lives.
Nevertheless, I am proud to say that our mission has remained constant.
Berkeley has built a legacy of educational leadership, preparing our students well for the ever-evolving demands of the workplace.
Throughout the coming year, we will be introducing the Berkeley Community to that legacy of leadership through a series of special events, interactive exhibits and videos that highlight how our institution became the thriving, 21st Century educational community that it is.
It was 1931, in the midst of the Great Depression, when Alyea M. Brick established Berkeley as a private institute dedicated to training women for executive secretarial careers.
Just four years later, Berkeley established a two-year course, “Academic –Secretarial for College Credit.”
Word of the value of a Berkeley education spread quickly, and in 1936, our institution opened a second location in New York City, right next to Grand Central Station.
During the 1940s, as men went off to war, when women were needed in the workplace in unprecedented numbers, Berkeley was there to help them succeed.
The post-war years were ones of rapid transformation for our nation and the world. As computers and other technological advances entered the workplace, the pace of doing business increased dramatically.
Society was responding just as rapidly, opening doors and increasing opportunities for women and minorities.
As it has done throughout its history, Berkeley took action, too. In 1966, the Berkeley Schools of Westchester, East Orange and New York City were among the first to be accredited as two-year business schools by the Accrediting Commission for Business Schools.
Throughout the tumultuous years of the 1960s and 1970s, Berkeley resolutely pursued its educational mission, expanding its campuses and enriching its curriculum to reflect the needs of each new era.
In 1968, the Berkeley School of East Orange became the first in the state of New Jersey to become a Junior College of Business.
Berkeley took another historic step in 1977 by opening enrollment to men.
In 1980, the Berkeley School at Garret Mountain became the first proprietary school in New Jersey to be licensed as a college and authorized to award the Associate in Applied Science Degree.
On December 12, 1983, Middles States granted full accreditation to the Garret Mountain Campus.
The 1990s brought further advancements in technology that forever altered the academic landscape. With the rapid proliferation of the Internet, the world was literally at our fingertips.
How we learn and what we teach had modified forever – and the skills and subjects needed to master this new environment had changed as well.
Once again, Berkeley was there, poised to reinvent the academic environment in ways that steered our students toward success.
Today, Berkeley College offers two and four year degrees and certificate programs in areas of study that, in many cases, did not exist in 1931.
Berkeley College is widely known for innovations in education that include internship and mentoring programs, distance learning and community service partnerships.
In 2010, it is important to mention that we have made a significant strategic difference in our journey into the future with the establishment of the Office of Student Success, the formation of the financial literacy team, the expansion of the readmissions department, the opening of the Brooklyn campus, the development of our MBA program and the fully developed Student Orientation online that was released two weeks before the term started.
As we launch our 80th anniversary celebration, I invite you to explore the history of our institution and consider the progress that our nation and our college have made. Our theme for the year is Berkeley College – Changing Lives for 80 Years- 1931-2011 reflecting the past and the present.
This is your opportunity to share your story - “How Berkeley College Has Changed My Life” - as a student, alumnus, faculty member, associate, business or community member.
By posting your comments below, you will add your story to the history of Berkeley College. I look forward to hearing from you.
Dario A. Cortes, PhD
President
The world has evolved dramatically since our founding in 1931.
Changes in society and advancements in technology have altered every aspect of our lives.
Nevertheless, I am proud to say that our mission has remained constant.
Berkeley has built a legacy of educational leadership, preparing our students well for the ever-evolving demands of the workplace.
Throughout the coming year, we will be introducing the Berkeley Community to that legacy of leadership through a series of special events, interactive exhibits and videos that highlight how our institution became the thriving, 21st Century educational community that it is.
It was 1931, in the midst of the Great Depression, when Alyea M. Brick established Berkeley as a private institute dedicated to training women for executive secretarial careers.
Just four years later, Berkeley established a two-year course, “Academic –Secretarial for College Credit.”
Word of the value of a Berkeley education spread quickly, and in 1936, our institution opened a second location in New York City, right next to Grand Central Station.
During the 1940s, as men went off to war, when women were needed in the workplace in unprecedented numbers, Berkeley was there to help them succeed.
The post-war years were ones of rapid transformation for our nation and the world. As computers and other technological advances entered the workplace, the pace of doing business increased dramatically.
Society was responding just as rapidly, opening doors and increasing opportunities for women and minorities.
As it has done throughout its history, Berkeley took action, too. In 1966, the Berkeley Schools of Westchester, East Orange and New York City were among the first to be accredited as two-year business schools by the Accrediting Commission for Business Schools.
Throughout the tumultuous years of the 1960s and 1970s, Berkeley resolutely pursued its educational mission, expanding its campuses and enriching its curriculum to reflect the needs of each new era.
In 1968, the Berkeley School of East Orange became the first in the state of New Jersey to become a Junior College of Business.
Berkeley took another historic step in 1977 by opening enrollment to men.
In 1980, the Berkeley School at Garret Mountain became the first proprietary school in New Jersey to be licensed as a college and authorized to award the Associate in Applied Science Degree.
On December 12, 1983, Middles States granted full accreditation to the Garret Mountain Campus.
The 1990s brought further advancements in technology that forever altered the academic landscape. With the rapid proliferation of the Internet, the world was literally at our fingertips.
How we learn and what we teach had modified forever – and the skills and subjects needed to master this new environment had changed as well.
Once again, Berkeley was there, poised to reinvent the academic environment in ways that steered our students toward success.
Today, Berkeley College offers two and four year degrees and certificate programs in areas of study that, in many cases, did not exist in 1931.
Berkeley College is widely known for innovations in education that include internship and mentoring programs, distance learning and community service partnerships.
In 2010, it is important to mention that we have made a significant strategic difference in our journey into the future with the establishment of the Office of Student Success, the formation of the financial literacy team, the expansion of the readmissions department, the opening of the Brooklyn campus, the development of our MBA program and the fully developed Student Orientation online that was released two weeks before the term started.
As we launch our 80th anniversary celebration, I invite you to explore the history of our institution and consider the progress that our nation and our college have made. Our theme for the year is Berkeley College – Changing Lives for 80 Years- 1931-2011 reflecting the past and the present.
This is your opportunity to share your story - “How Berkeley College Has Changed My Life” - as a student, alumnus, faculty member, associate, business or community member.
By posting your comments below, you will add your story to the history of Berkeley College. I look forward to hearing from you.
Dario A. Cortes, PhD
President
Friday, November 12, 2010
Student Success
As the President of Berkeley College, along with my peers in other colleges and universities, I recognize that one of the most perplexing problems that colleges encounter these days is that of student retention and student success: How can we keep our students in school until they complete their degrees?"
The great majority of college students don't enroll with the intention of abandoning their studies after a quarter or two. But the unfortunate reality is that many do. Some find that the pressure of pursuing a degree while having to work and care for a family is too overwhelming. Others have difficulty connecting with college life and feeling welcome in an unfamiliar environment. Still others encounter practical obstacles such as lack of transportation or childcare or an inability to manage their finances in a way that makes their goal of a college degree attainable.
The numbers indicate that on average, students pursuing an associate degree take three years to earn their diplomas, while those studying for a bachelor's degree take six years.
To a struggling student, the idea that persistence will one day pay off can seem hard to believe. The risk of losing focus and dropping out is greatest in the freshman year, when the challenges of acclimating to an unfamiliar environment can magnify any obstacle that arises. It is then, starting with the first day, that we need to make our students aware that they are not in this alone; that our administrators, faculty and associates are fully invested in their success.
At Berkeley College we need to be aware of the obstacles that stand in the way of our student's progress, and respond in innovative ways that have the potential to transform those problems into opportunities for success.
We have already made some great strides in the direction of student success and retention. Through our financial literacy program, we help students navigate the financial aid process and avoid the risk of defaulting on a student loan. And in Manhattan, we have established 'a home away from home' where military veterans enrolled at Berkeley College can connect with other enrolled veterans. Also in the summer of 2010, we piloted developmental education learning communities for students who placed into developmental reading/writing courses. These communities are also being offered this fall quarter and will be assessed during the winter 2011 quarter to determine their effectiveness and how they can be improved.
On all of our campuses, our athletic and extracurricular activities provide additional opportunities for our students to connect to the learning community here at Berkeley College and explore their interests beyond the classroom. These programs represent the kind of creative thinking that gives our students a support system that increases the likelihood of their staying in school.
Our faculty and associates play a critical role in creating a warm and welcoming learning environment that recognizes our students as the individuals they are. When a problem arises, our students need to know that we want to help them resolve it. Our task is to build relationships that extend beyond the classroom, so that our students can be confident that no problem they face on the path to their degree is insurmountable; that the college community is not only willing, but eager to help them resolve their issues and successfully complete their degrees.
Let us work together to find innovative solutions to the very real challenges our students face. We must make sure that our students feel fully welcome, and fully served. Please share your innovative approach to building more effective retention solutions and graduation efforts for Berkeley College students on our Comments page below.
Cordially,
Dario A. Cortes PhD
President
Berkeley College
The great majority of college students don't enroll with the intention of abandoning their studies after a quarter or two. But the unfortunate reality is that many do. Some find that the pressure of pursuing a degree while having to work and care for a family is too overwhelming. Others have difficulty connecting with college life and feeling welcome in an unfamiliar environment. Still others encounter practical obstacles such as lack of transportation or childcare or an inability to manage their finances in a way that makes their goal of a college degree attainable.
The numbers indicate that on average, students pursuing an associate degree take three years to earn their diplomas, while those studying for a bachelor's degree take six years.
To a struggling student, the idea that persistence will one day pay off can seem hard to believe. The risk of losing focus and dropping out is greatest in the freshman year, when the challenges of acclimating to an unfamiliar environment can magnify any obstacle that arises. It is then, starting with the first day, that we need to make our students aware that they are not in this alone; that our administrators, faculty and associates are fully invested in their success.
At Berkeley College we need to be aware of the obstacles that stand in the way of our student's progress, and respond in innovative ways that have the potential to transform those problems into opportunities for success.
We have already made some great strides in the direction of student success and retention. Through our financial literacy program, we help students navigate the financial aid process and avoid the risk of defaulting on a student loan. And in Manhattan, we have established 'a home away from home' where military veterans enrolled at Berkeley College can connect with other enrolled veterans. Also in the summer of 2010, we piloted developmental education learning communities for students who placed into developmental reading/writing courses. These communities are also being offered this fall quarter and will be assessed during the winter 2011 quarter to determine their effectiveness and how they can be improved.
On all of our campuses, our athletic and extracurricular activities provide additional opportunities for our students to connect to the learning community here at Berkeley College and explore their interests beyond the classroom. These programs represent the kind of creative thinking that gives our students a support system that increases the likelihood of their staying in school.
Our faculty and associates play a critical role in creating a warm and welcoming learning environment that recognizes our students as the individuals they are. When a problem arises, our students need to know that we want to help them resolve it. Our task is to build relationships that extend beyond the classroom, so that our students can be confident that no problem they face on the path to their degree is insurmountable; that the college community is not only willing, but eager to help them resolve their issues and successfully complete their degrees.
Let us work together to find innovative solutions to the very real challenges our students face. We must make sure that our students feel fully welcome, and fully served. Please share your innovative approach to building more effective retention solutions and graduation efforts for Berkeley College students on our Comments page below.
Cordially,
Dario A. Cortes PhD
President
Berkeley College
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