Essex County College (ECC) 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 sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior se ...

in Essex County,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States.

History

In August 1966, the Essex County

Board of Freeholders Board or Boards may refer to: Flat surface * Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat ** Plank (wood) ** Cutting board ** Sounding board, of a musical instrument * Cardboard (paper product) * Paperboard * Fiberboard ** Hardboard, a ...

approved the creation of Essex County College and in September 1968, more than a year after the Newark riots, the college opened its doors to 3,400 students at 31 Clinton Street,

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.University Heights district. The groundbreaking of the "Megastructure" (now called the A. Zachary Yamba Building) began in June 1972 with the grand opening occurring a little under four years later in April 1976. During this time, in June 1974, the college was officially given its accreditation by the Middles States Association of college and Schools' Commission on Higher Education. The main campus would see expansions in October 1985 (with the opening of the Gymnasium and Child Development Center), in October 1996 (with the opening of the Center for Technology), and in September 1999 (with the opening of the Clara E. Dasher Student Center). In January 1979, the West Essex Extension Center, a former elementary school, opened in West Caldwell. In 1982 an additional was purchased and, in September 1985, the newly expanded and renovated Center was unveiled. It would take another four years before the New Jersey State Department of Higher Education would grant the Center full branch campus status, transforming it into the West Essex Campus. The FOCUS Center (which opened in September 1974) and the Ironbound Center (which opened in September 1979) are two extension centers, located in Newark, which offer off-campus educational services. In December 1998, operations began at the Public Safety Academy in Cedar Grove. After the 2010 retirement of long-serving president A. Zachary Yamba, the college went through two separate presidencies in less than a handful of years which led to Yamba being brought back as an interim president in the spring of 2016. In November of that year the college was placed on warning by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education for failing to comply with standards involving institutional resources and governance. That, along with a former athletic coach having been found to have stolen $150,000.00 of college funds, led to a decline in enrollment. Anthony Munroe was hired by the college in May 2017 to succeed Yamba and help bring the institution back into compliance with the standards set by Middle States but internal issues, including the board of trustees rejecting several of the president's proposed appointees (including a Chief Financial Officer) led to the college being placed on probation. After a reshaping and reorganizing, Munroe and his administration submitted a monitoring report to Middle States on March 1, 2018, which led to a Small Team visit two weeks later where the Middle States representatives reported that the institution appeared to be in compliance with the standards for which it was placed on probation. That same month, the college laid off 20 full-time staff and eliminated 14 vacant positions in an effort to save money; like many community colleges, Essex County College has seen a significant (25% fewer compared to five years ago) decrease in enrollment. On July 2, 2018, in response to the college's actions and changes in its structure and governance, and based upon the recommendation from the Small Team's visit, Middle States reaffirmed the institution's accreditation.

Presidents

* May 1966 - Robert McCabe (1st) * January 1969 - Ellis White (2nd) * May 1971 - J. Harry Smith (3rd, and first college president of color in the State of New Jersey) * July 1978 - George Harris (4th) * May 1980 - A. Zachary Yamba (5th) * April 2010 - Edythe Abdullah (6th) * March 2013 - Gale E. Gibson (interim) * October 2013 - Gale E. Gibson (7th) * March 2016 - A. Zachary Yamba (interim) * May 2017 - Anthony Munroe (8th) * July 2020 - Augustine Boakye (interim) * November 2021 - Augustine Boakye (9th)

Academics

Essex County College offers A.A., A.S., and A.A.S. degree programs in more than 50 different majors. It also offers 26 academic certificate programs. Approximately 25,000 people enroll each year in the college's various degree and non-degree programs, including job training and enrichment programs. Day, evening, weekend, and online courses are offered throughout the fall, semester winter intercession, spring semester, two summer sessions. The college's academic offerings are split up into six distinct divisions and one separate department: *Division of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics *Division of Business *Division of Health Sciences *Division of Humanities and Bilingual Studies *Division of Mathematics, Engineering Technologies, and Computer Sciences *Division of Social Sciences *Department of Nursing

Student life

Essex County College's students represent over 50 different countries. More Essex graduates transfer to Rutgers University-Newark, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Bloomfield College than any other two-year college in the state. In the fall of 1982

Phi Theta Kappa Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society ( or PTK) is the international honor society of students attending open-access institutions and seeking associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, or other college credentials. Its headquarters is in Jackson, Mississippi ...

was chartered. Dozens of student organized and run clubs exist at the college, including the Short Films Club and the Future Teachers Club. Over the last decade, over one dozen Essex graduates have received

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is the largest scholarship provider in the United States. The private, independent foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. It offers the larg ...

Undergraduate Transfer Scholarships, allowing them to attend a four-year institution partially, or entirely, for free.

Athletics

Essex County College's athletic teams, dubbed the Wolverines, are represented in the Garden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) and Region 19 of the

National Junior College Athletic Association The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), founded in 1938, is the governing association of community college, state college and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions ...

. Men and women are able to participate in basketball, cross country, soccer, and track & field (indoor and outdoor). Essex athletes have gone on to become All-Americans. The college has also produced more than two dozen athletes who have competed at the Summer Olympics, representing various countries around the world.

Notable alumni

* Jane Burgio (1922–2005), politician who served as

secretary of state of New Jersey The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing artistic, cultural, and historical programs within the U.S. state of New Jersey, as w ...

and as a member of 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 ...

* Steven Corbin (1953-1995), writer who was best known for his novel ''Fragments That Remain'' * Angelo Cruz (born 1958), former basketball player who played for the

Puerto Rican National Basketball Team The Puerto Rico national basketball team ( es, Selección de Baloncesto de Puerto Rico) represents Puerto Rico in men's international basketball competitions, it is governed by the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation ( es, link=no, Federación de ...

at the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

and mysteriously disappeared in 1998 *

Joe Evans Joseph Patton "Doc" Evans (May 15, 1895 – August 9, 1951) was an American professional baseball outfielder and third baseman, who played for the Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators (1901–60), Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns of Major ...

(1916–2014), jazz saxophonist and founder of Carnival Records * Jerry Gant (1961–2018), visual artist, poet, performance artist and educator * Shawn Harvey (born 1966), basketball player *

Larry Hazzard Larry Hazzard Sr. (born 7 December 1944) is a former amateur boxer, boxing referee, athletic control board commissioner, teacher and actor. He is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, being inducted during 2010. Hazzard has served as ...

(born 1944), Boxing referee, member of the

International Boxing Hall of Fame The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America. The I ...

(graduated with an associate of arts degree, 1970) * Riker Hylton (born 1988), sprinter who won a bronze medal at the 2011 Athletics World Championships and competed at the 2012 Olympic Games for Jamaica * Demetrius Pinder (born 1989) Sprinter that won an Olympic Gold Medal at the 2012 Olympic Games as part of the Bahamas 4x400 relay team *

Ronald Rice Ronald L. Rice (born December 18, 1945) is a former American Democratic Party politician who has served in the New Jersey State Senate from 1986 to 2022. He represented the 28th Legislative District. Rice is one of the longest-serving state s ...

(born 1945), Democratic Party politician who has served in the

New Jersey State Senate The New Jersey Senate was established as 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, ...

since 1986, where he represents the 28th legislative district * Alonzo Russell (born 1992) Sprinter that won an Olympic Bronze Medal at the

2016 Olympic Games ) , nations = 207 (including IOA and EOR teams) , athletes = 11,238 , events = 306 in 28 sports (41 disciplines) , opening = 5 August 2016 , closing = 21 August 2016 , opened_by = Vice President Michel Temer , cauldron = Vanderlei Cordeiro d ...

as part of the Bahamas 4x400 relay team * Kevin J. Ryan (born 1969), politician who served in the

from 2011 to 2012, representing the 36th legislative district * Frederick Scalera (born 1958), politician who served in the

from 2003 to 2011, representing the 36th district * Kenia Sinclair (born 1980), Jamaican-born track star who finished sixth at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 800m final * Aron Stewart (born 1950), former basketball player who went on to play for the

University of Richmond The University of Richmond (UR or U of R) is a private liberal arts college in Richmond, Virginia. It is a primarily undergraduate, residential institution with approximately 4,350 undergraduate and graduate students in five schools: the School ...

, winning the 1973 Southern Conference Player of the Year award

Notable faculty

* David A. Berry - history professor who taught at the college for nearly 40 years, was executive director of the Community College Humanities Association for over 25 years, and is a recipient of the National Humanities Medal from President Bill Clinton * Dr. Clement Alexander Price - American historian who taught at the college in its first academic year before taking a position at Rutgers University-Newark where he was the founding director of the Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience, which now bears his name * Dr. William J. Tooma ( Billy Tooma) - award-nominated documentary filmmaker of '' Clarence Chamberlin: Fly First & Fight Afterward'', ''

Poetry of Witness ''Poetry of Witness'' is a 2015 documentary film directed by Billy Tooma and Anthony Cirilo about the lives of six contemporary poets who have lived through, and survived, extremities such as war, torture, exile, and repression, using poetry to pre ...

'', and '' The Black Eagle of Harlem'' who, since 2010, has taught English composition and literature courses

References

External links

* * - Main campus * - West Essex campus {{authority control Garden State Athletic Conference Universities and colleges in Essex County, New Jersey New Jersey County Colleges Educational institutions established in 1966 Universities and colleges in Newark, New Jersey 1966 establishments in New Jersey NJCAA athletics