Metropolitan College has existed for 52 years in one capacity or another, aimed at helping working adults across New York City advance their careers. And starting this fall, Bronx residents have a new state-of the-art campus to help them do just that.
Last week the school ramped up its presence in the Bronx significantly with the opening of a new campus that will serve as the anchor of the new Triangle Plaza Hub at East 149th Stret and Bergen Avenue.
The 26,000-square-foot facility has the capacity to serve over 500 students.
The new facility has 17 classrooms and three computer classrooms, a large increase from the eight classrooms and one computer classroom at the former location.
Other facilities opening in the college space over the coming months include the school’s library and a tutoring and peer mentoring program.
“Most of those rooms are substantially bigger than the previous ones,” said Metropolitan College president Vinton Thompson.
The new Bronx campus currently has approximately 175 students, and Thompson said he expected that number to rise considerably in the near future.
Metropolitan College gears their programs to adult, non-traditional students, most over the age of 25.
While the Manhattan Financial District-based college has been co-ed since 1970, women continue to make up around two-thirds of its enrollment.
The college specializes in human services and public administration programs.
It also offers business degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and an undergraduate program in healthcare management.
One of the cornerstones of a Metropolitan education is constructive action, where students take on projects using what they are learning in the classroom to help increase productivity in their current job.
“We try to incorporate in the classroom what students are doing in the workplace,” Thompson said. “You learn something by doing something.”
The Triangle Hub, which already contains a supermarket, a health clinic and casual restaurants, is part of a slew of redevelopment projects centered in a small radius, including a massive planned housing development, La Central, and the just-announced major renovation of St. Mary’s Park.
Thompson said the IRT 2 and 5 subway lines both stop there, making it the busiest subway stop in the Bronx behind Yankee Stadium.
Several bus lines also stop there, making it a very convenient location for a adult learners.
Thompson said the new campus has another feature that makes it an asset to the community-at-large – a spacious community commons area that can be used by students, and may also be rented out by community groups for free or at a reduced rate and by businesses for market rate.
“We want to be not just an educational center, but also a hub of community activity,” he said.
