View source for Queens College, City University of New York

{{Short description|Public college in  Flushing, Queens, New York, US}}
{{about|the college in New York|other uses|Queen's College (disambiguation){{!}}Queen's College}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox university
| name                   = Queens College
| image                  = LogoQueens.png
| image_size             = 150px
| motto                  = {{lang|la|Discimus ut serviamus}} ([[Latin]])
| mottoeng               = We learn so that we may serve
| established            = 1937
| endowment              = $85 million
| president              = [[Frank H. Wu]]
| type                   = [[Public college]]
| city                   = New York City
| state                  = [[New York (state)|New York]]
| country                = U.S.
| students               = 18,494<ref name="qc.edu">{{cite web |title=Queens College, City University of New York |url=https://www.qc.cuny.edu/about/Pages/default.aspx |website=www.qc.cuny.edu |date=April 20, 2022}}</ref>
| undergrad              = 14,384
| postgrad               = 4,110
| faculty                = 1,693
| campus                 = Urban, {{convert|80|acre}}
| free_label             = Newspaper
| free                   = ''The Knight News''
| colors                 =  {{color box|Silver|border=darkgray}} {{color box|Navy|border=darkgray}} {{color box|Black|border=darkgray}} {{color box|Red|border=darkgray}} Silver, Navy, Black, and Red
| athletics_affiliations = [[NCAA Division II]] – [[East Coast Conference|ECC]]
| sports_nickname        = Knights
| mascot                 = [[Knight]]
| parent                 = [[City University of New York]]
| website                = {{url|https://qc.cuny.edu}}
| logo                   = Queens College Logo.svg
| coordinates            = {{coord|40.737|-73.817|display=inline,title|format=dms|type:edu}}
}}
'''Queens College''' ('''QC''') is a [[public college]] in the [[boroughs of New York City|New York City borough]] of [[Queens]]. Part of the [[City University of New York]] system, Queens College occupies an {{convert|80|acre|adj=on}} campus primarily located in [[Flushing, Queens]].
Queens College was established in 1937 and offers undergraduate degrees in over 70 majors, graduate studies in over 100 degree programs and certificates, over 40 accelerated master's options, 20 doctoral degrees through the [[CUNY Graduate Center]], and a number of advanced certificate programs. Alumni and faculty of the school, such as [[Arturo O'Farrill]] and [[Jerry Seinfeld]], have received over 100 [[Grammy Award]] nominations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Queens College Ranks Fourth On National Index |url=https://www.qgazette.com/articles/queens-college-ranks-fourth-on-national-index/ |website=www.qgazette.com |date=December 4, 2019 |access-date=September 29, 2020}}</ref>
The college is organized into seven schools. It competes in [[NCAA Division II|Division II]] of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] and sponsors 15 men's and women's championship-eligible varsity teams.
==History==
===Before 1937===
[[File:Jefferson Hall, Queens College.jpg|thumb|left|The steps of Jefferson Hall, which was the site of the New York Parental School before it closed in 1934.]]
Before Queens College was established in 1937, the site of the campus was home to the Jamaica Academy, a one-room schoolhouse built in the early 19th century, where [[Walt Whitman]] once worked as a teacher.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.qc.cuny.edu/communications/newsletter/Documents/fyi_Mar07.pdf |title=Feb FYI25 (Page 1) |access-date=January 28, 2019}}</ref> The building was located on Flushing-Jamaica Road (later renamed [[Kissena Boulevard]]). Jamaica Academy became public in 1844.<ref>{{cite web |last=Walsh |first=Kevin |title=Pomonok, Queens |url=http://forgotten-ny.com/2006/01/pomonok-queens/ |website=Forgotten NY |date=January 7, 2006 |access-date=July 2, 2014}}</ref> In 1909, the New York Parental School, a home for troubled boys, opened on the land surrounding the future site of Queens College and incorporated Jamaica Academy on its campus. Buildings such as Jefferson Hall (named after [[Thomas Jefferson]]) were used as both dormitories and classrooms.<ref>{{cite web |title=Queens College: 10 Year Sustainability Plan |url=http://www.qc.cuny.edu/about/sustainability/Documents/10%20Year%20Sustainability%20Plan.pdf |publisher=Queens College |access-date=July 2, 2014}}</ref>
In 1934, the New York Parental School was investigated amid rumors of abuse.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tompkins |first=Richard |title=Parental Home Enters New Era; Sympathetic Treatment to Be Basic Policy in Handling Wayward Boys. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1935/02/24/archives/parental-home-enters-new-era-sympathetic-treatment-to-be-basic.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 24, 1935 |access-date=July 17, 2020 |issn=0362-4331 |language=en-US}}</ref> The school was shut down and students were transferred to local public schools. A few months later, the grounds were turned over to the city. The city planned to house 500 mental patients from [[Randall's Island]] Hospital, who were temporarily displaced by the construction of the [[Triborough Bridge]].<ref>{{cite news|date=June 15, 1935|title=City to House Wards in Parental School; Education Board Lends Flushing Institution as Hospital for Mental Defectives.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1935/06/15/archives/city-to-house-wards-in-parental-school-education-board-lends.html|access-date=July 17, 2020|issn=0362-4331|page=15}}</ref>
===Founding===
[[File:Walt Whitman Stone.jpg|thumb|left|This marker, just outside the [[Student Union]] building, marks the original location of the one-room schoolhouse.]]
Meanwhile, County Judge [[Charles S. Colden]] appointed and chaired a committee to assess the feasibility of opening a free college in Queens. In September 1935, the committee recommended the establishment of such a college.<ref>{{cite news|date=September 13, 1935|title=Queens College Backed; Colden Committee Holds Proposal for New Institution Feasible.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1935/09/13/archives/queens-college-backed-colden-committee-holds-proposal-for-new.html|access-date=July 17, 2020|issn=0362-4331|page=15}}</ref> Mayor La Guardia backed the recommendation and pushed for the free college's creation. In March 1937, the Board of Education designated the site of the former Parental School to be the future location of Queens College.<ref>{{cite news|date=April 1, 1937|title=College Site Given to City in Queens; Education Board Cedes 48 Acres and Buildings of Flushing Parental School|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1937/04/01/archives/college-site-given-to-city-in-queens-education-board-cedes-48-acres.html|access-date=July 17, 2020|issn=0362-4331|page=25}}</ref> [[Paul Klapper]], former dean of the School of Education at [[City College of New York]], was appointed the new college's president.<ref>{{cite news|date=May 26, 1937|title=Dr. Klapper Heads Queens College; Dean of Education School of City College Made President of New Institution|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1937/05/26/archives/dr-klapper-heads-queens-college-dean-of-education-school-of-city.html|access-date=July 17, 2020|issn=0362-4331|page=23}}</ref> The college opened in October 1937—later than anticipated due to a painters' strike—with 21 members on its teaching staff and 400 students in its inaugural freshmen class.<ref>{{cite news|date=August 20, 1937|title=21 Named to Staff at Queens College; Professors and Assistants in Other Institutions Are Taking Lower Rank in New School|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1937/08/20/archives/21-named-to-staff-at-queens-college-professors-and-assistants-in.html|access-date=July 17, 2020|issn=0362-4331|page=15}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=October 5, 1937|title=First Class Meets at Queens College; 400 Selected Freshmen Are Greeted as Pioneers by Dr. Klapper, the President|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1937/10/05/archives/first-class-meets-at-queens-college-400-selected-freshmen-are.html|access-date=July 17, 2020|issn=0362-4331|page=28}}</ref> The school's colors of blue and silver were selected by a "Color Committee" drawn from the entering class of students, and were announced at the first school dance, which was held on Wednesday, November 24, 1937. Around 1,200 students enlisted in the American military during [[World War II]]; fifty-nine would be killed in action.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archives.qc.cuny.edu/queenscollege/items/show/475 |title=The Crown, Volume 1, No. 1 · Queens College Archives and Special Collections |publisher=Archives.qc.cuny.edu |date=December 2, 1937 |access-date=January 28, 2019}}</ref>
=== Motto ===
Queens College's motto is "Discimus ut serviamus", which translates to "We learn so that we may serve." With public service for the common good on his mind, Queens College president [[Paul Klapper]] created the motto in 1937 to inspire the first class of students and the following generations.<ref>{{cite web |last=Mohamed |first=Carlotta |date=2022-10-14 |title=Queens College celebrates 85th anniversary honoring notable alumni – QNS.com |url=https://qns.com/2022/10/queens-college-85th-anniversary/ |access-date=2023-12-26 |website=qns.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Late 20th century ===
The college campus grew as buildings were constructed and enrollment increased. But changes beyond growth were in store for Queens College: in 1970, CUNY adopted the controversial policy of Open Admissions, which guaranteed a place at CUNY for any high school graduate in New York, regardless of traditional criteria like grades or test scores. The program was intended to offer college education to more New York City residents, in particular those of color. But Open Admissions did not seem to affect Queens College as much as it did other schools — a year after its implementation, only 10% of its student body was black or Puerto Rican, according to the newly appointed college president, [[Joseph S. Murphy]].<ref>{{cite news|date=April 4, 1971|title=New Queens College President Strives to Meet Most Demands by Students|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/04/04/archives/new-queens-college-president-strives-to-meet-most-demands-by.html|access-date=July 17, 2020|issn=0362-4331|page=BQ84}}</ref> In 1973, enrollment at Queens reached an all-time high of 31,413 students. By 1976 new concerns overtook the college as New York City faced [[1975 New York City fiscal crisis|a crippling financial crisis]]. CUNY's policy of free tuition was revoked; the overall CUNY budget was cut by $135 million; and CUNY Chancellor [[Robert Kibbee]] demanded that Queens College slash its budget by 15%.<ref>{{cite web|title=When Tuition at CUNY Was Free, Sort of|url=http://www1.cuny.edu/mu/forum/2011/10/12/when-tuition-at-cuny-was-free-sort-of/|website=CUNY Matters|access-date=July 2, 2014|date=October 12, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115105813/http://www1.cuny.edu/mu/forum/2011/10/12/when-tuition-at-cuny-was-free-sort-of/|archive-date=January 15, 2019}}</ref> Some faculty members resigned in protest.<ref>{{Cite news|date=July 3, 1976|title=Six at Queens College Quit Over Budget Cuts|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/07/03/archives/six-at-queens-college-quit-over-budget-cuts.html|access-date=July 17, 2020|issn=0362-4331|page=20}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported in December 1976 that "Queens College, considered the jewel in the university's crown, has been particularly hard hit by the cuts, which have gone to the heart of the faculty."<ref name="nyt1976">{{cite news|last=Ferretti|first=Fred|date=December 9, 1976|title=City U. and City Hall Are Steering Collision Course on Further Cuts|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/12/09/archives/city-uand-city-hall-are-steering-collision-course-on-further-cuts.html|access-date=July 17, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> All hiring and building on campus was halted.
In 1979, President [[Jimmy Carter]] became the first sitting president to visit Queens College, where he conducted a Town Hall Meeting at Colden Center.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Quindlen |first=Anna |date=1979-09-26 |title=Queens Audience of 1,700 Applauds Carter At President's First 'Town Meeting' Here |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/09/26/archives/queens-audience-of-1700-applauds-carter-at-presidents-first-town.html |access-date=2024-06-02 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
By 1984, student enrollment had declined to 15,000. But with a $175 million building program in place by 1986 for the college's 50th anniversary, enrollments were expected to rise and the college was beginning to recover from the financial crisis of the 1970s. In addition, the student body, in accordance with the mission of the short-lived Open Admissions program, had grown much more diverse, and college faculty were trained to understand Latin American culture and how to teach American literature to non-native students.<ref>{{cite news|last=Carmody|first=Deirdre|date=October 11, 1987|title=Queens College, 50 Years Old, Seeks to Rebound|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/11/nyregion/queens-college-50-years-old-seeks-to-rebound.html|access-date=July 17, 2020|issn=0362-4331|page=80}}</ref> By that time, former Queens College president Joseph S. Murphy was CUNY Chancellor. In the 1990s, the college attracted high-profile researchers to its faculty, including the virologist [[Luc Montagnier]].<ref>{{cite news|date=August 14, 1992|title=Queens College Law School Is Granted Full Accreditation|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/14/news/queens-college-law-school-is-granted-full-accreditation.html|access-date=July 17, 2020|issn=0362-4331|page=B8}}</ref> Under President Allen Lee Sessoms, the college underwent some growth but also some missteps, including the highly publicized inability to fund the planned AIDS research center that Montagnier had been hired to lead.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Arenson|first=Karen W.|date=March 17, 2001|title=College Returns $3 Million Gift For AIDS Lab|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/17/nyregion/college-returns-3-million-gift-for-aids-lab.html|access-date=July 17, 2020|issn=0362-4331|page=B1}}</ref>
====Involvement in the Civil Rights Movement====
Queens College students were active participants in the [[Civil Rights Movement]] of the 1960s, including the [[March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom]] in 1963. The most well-known student activist was [[Andrew Goodman (activist)|Andrew Goodman]], who was [[Murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner|slain in Mississippi]] in 1964 with two other young men, [[James Chaney]], and [[Michael Schwerner]]; all three were trying to register African Americans to vote in the South. Schwerner and Chaney were on the organizing staff of CORE; Goodman was a [[Freedom Summer]] volunteer. The three activists were stopped and arrested for allegedly driving over the speed limit on a Mississippi road. After being brought into the sheriff's department and released, the three young men were stopped by two carloads of [[Ku Klux Klan]] members on a remote rural road. The men approached their car, then shot and killed all three young men. The murders received national attention, and six conspirators were brought to trial and convicted by federal prosecutors for civil rights violations. The Chaney-Goodman-Schwerner Clock Tower of Rosenthal Library, a highly visible borough landmark, is named in their honor.<ref name="www1.cuny.edu">{{cite web|title=CUNY Trustees Approve New Queens Home for CUNY Law School – CUNY School of Law|url=http://www1.cuny.edu/mu/law/2009/09/29/cuny-trustees-approve-new-queens-home-for-cuny-law-school-2/|access-date=July 17, 2020|website=www1.cuny.edu}}</ref>
In February 2011, Queens College inherited the personal collection of the late [[James Forman]]. The collection, along with other civil rights leaders' collections, is available online at the Queens College Civil Rights Archive. A special program on February 17, 2011, included a presentation by the Honorable [[Julian Bond]] for [[Black History Month]], as well as a formal announcement of the acquisition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.queenstribune.com/news/News_030311_Bond.html|title=Civil Rights Titan Bond Looks Back|last=Ablamsky|first=Jessica|work=Queens Tribune|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111214025047/http://www.queenstribune.com/news/News_030311_Bond.html|archive-date=December 14, 2011|access-date=August 26, 2011}}</ref>
===21st century===
The college campus continued improving its facilities. Under a $1 billion CUNY-wide improvement program, Queens College's Powdermaker Hall was given a $57 million renovation, begun in 2000.<ref>{{cite news|last=Brozan|first=Nadine|date=September 17, 2000|title=On CUNY's Campuses, The Subject Is Change|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/17/realestate/on-cuny-s-campuses-the-subject-is-change.html|access-date=July 17, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
By 2014, enrollment was 20,000 students, half of whom come from minority backgrounds.<ref name=qc-glance>{{cite web|title=QC at a Glance|url=http://www.qc.cuny.edu/about/Glance/Pages/default.aspx|publisher=Queens College|access-date=July 2, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=CUNY—Queens College|url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/cuny-queens-college-2690|website=U.S. News & World Report|access-date=July 2, 2014}}</ref>
[[Felix V. Matos Rodriguez]] was appointed president of Queens College by the CUNY Board of Trustees in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=CUNY Board of Trustees Appoints Three New College Presidents |url=http://www1.cuny.edu/mu/forum/2014/07/02/cuny-board-of-trustees-appoints-three-new-college-presidents/ |publisher=CUNY Newswire |access-date=July 2, 2014}}</ref> Five years later, he became the first Latino Chancellor of the City University of New York.<ref>{{cite web |title=New Latino chancellor makes history at CUNY, nation's largest urban public university |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/new-latino-chancellor-makes-history-cuny-nation-s-largest-urban-n996126 |access-date=June 30, 2020 |publisher=[[NBC News]] |date=May 2019}}</ref> William Tramontano served as QC's interim president from 2019 until July 1, 2020, when Frank H. Wu succeeded him as the new college president.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 8, 2020 |title=Frank H. Wu Appointed President of Queens College |url=https://www.qgazette.com/articles/frank-h-wu-appointed-president-of-queens-college/ |access-date=June 30, 2020 |website=www.qgazette.com}}</ref>
Budgetary pressures from city government continued to affect Queens College in the 2020s. In November 2023, Mayor [[Eric Adams]] ordered $23 million in CUNY-wide cuts.<ref>{{cite web |last=Khawaja |first=Noorulain |date=February 12, 2024 |title=CUNY professor layoffs in middle of academic year amid budget cuts |url=https://ny1.com/nyc/queens/education/2024/02/13/cuny-professor-layoffs-in-middle-of-academic-year-amid-budget-cuts |access-date=May 14, 2024 |website=Spectrum News NY1}}</ref> As a result, two weeks before the start of classes, Queens College did not reappoint 26 faculty [[Lecturer#United States|lecturers]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Finnerty |first1=Charlie |last2=Bernhardt |first2=Celia |date=January 11, 2024 |title=Queens College Lays Off 26 Faculty Two Weeks Before Spring Semester |url=https://queensledger.com/2024/01/11/queens-college-lays-off-26-professors-two-weeks-before-spring-semester/ |access-date=February 14, 2024 |website=Queens Ledger}}</ref> That number fell to 24,<ref>{{cite web |last=Butler |first=Rachel |date=January 30, 2024 |title=Queens College professor among 24 laid off in recent CUNY staff reductions, not surprised by decision – QNS.com |url=https://qns.com/2024/01/queens-college-part-time-professor-among-24-laid-off-cuny-staff-reductions/ |access-date=February 14, 2024 |website=qns.com |language=en-US}}</ref> and 10 were re-hired on an [[Adjunct professors in the United States|adjunct]] basis. Courses without instructors were cancelled or divided among remaining faculty.<ref>{{cite web |date=2024-01-19 |title=Over 20 Professors Let Go Of Two Weeks Before the Spring Semester – The Knight News |url=https://www.theknightnews.com/2024/01/19/over-20-professors-let-go-of-two-weeks-before-the-spring-semester/ |access-date=February 13, 2024 |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Campus and facilities==
{{More citations needed|section|date=February 2022}}
[[File:The Quad Faisal2.jpg|right|thumb|300px|The Queens College quad]]
The {{convert|80|acre|adj=on}} campus, located off [[Kissena Boulevard]], is on a {{convert|100|ft|adj=on}}-high hill that faces Manhattan. Six of the original Spanish-style buildings dating back to the early 20th century still stand,<ref>{{cite web |title=Campus Summary |url=https://qccommunity.qc.cuny.edu/file/general/Campus-Summary-for-AR-website.pdf |website=Queens College of New York |publisher=CUNY (City University of New York) |access-date=April 27, 2020}}</ref> such as Jefferson Hall, which was built in 1907.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jefferson Hall |url=https://www.qc.cuny.edu/about/Glance/webcam/Pages/jefferson_hall.aspx |website=CUNY (City University of New York) |access-date=April 27, 2020}}</ref> The college has since expanded to over 40 buildings, including the main classroom building, Powdermaker Hall, rebuilt in 2003 and named after the college's distinguished [[anthropologist]] [[Hortense Powdermaker]].
Queens College is one of two CUNY colleges that participates in Division II sports (the other is the [[College of Staten Island]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=NCAA Directory – Directory – Conference Detail |url=https://web3.ncaa.org/directory/memberList?type=12&division=II |website=NCAA |publisher=NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) |access-date=April 27, 2020}}</ref> A Child Development Center, staffed by professionals, offers inexpensive child care services to students with children.
The Godwin-Ternbach Museum, which opened in 1981<ref>{{cite news |last=Thornton |first=Gene |date=March 22, 1981 |title=Photography View; GLORIES OF OLD FRANCE |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/22/arts/photography-view-glories-of-old-france.html |access-date=December 26, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> and houses more than 6,000 works of art, is located in Queens College's Klapper Hall, named after the former school president, [[Paul Klapper]]. The outdoor plaza in front of the museum hosts a [[Site-specific art|site-specific]] installation by [[Vito Acconci]] titled, "More Balls For Klapper Hall" (or "Untitled"). The artwork has been damaged over the years, and other artworks on campus have also been damaged due to neglect or removed completely.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-13 |title='Empty promises': art on Queens College campus in New York has languished in damaged state for decades |url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/05/13/queens-college-city-university-new-york-art-collection-damage |access-date=2024-05-14 |website=The Art Newspaper - International art news and events}}</ref> Klapper Hall also houses the Fine Arts and English Departments, and boasts the largest ceramics studio within the CUNY system. Other facilities in this building include a metal working studio, wood shop, black and white darkroom, student gallery and a suite of art studios for BFA and MFA candidates.
The college holds courses at several off-campus locations, including the 43rd Street Extension Center in Manhattan and the CUNY Center for Higher Education in downtown [[Flushing, Queens|Flushing]], which opened in late 2003.
The college has a low-rise 506-bed residence hall on campus called the Summit Apartments, which opened in late 2009. This makes Queens College one of only four CUNY campuses with dorm facilities (the others being [[Hunter College]], the College of Staten Island, and [[City College of New York|City College]]).
The college is home to the [[Aaron Copland School of Music]] (named for [[Aaron Copland]]), which is located in the Music Building. The Music Building also houses the music library and the 490-seat LeFrak Concert Hall.
[[CUNY School of Law]] was previously located to the west of the campus of Queens College; while it was always a separate administrative unit of CUNY, the building itself read "CUNY School of Law at Queens College", and was once a building for the Department of Education. The CUNY Board of Trustees approved plans for the Law School to be relocated to 2 Court Square in Long Island City, with the first semester of classes held in 2012.<ref name="www1.cuny.edu"/> Queens College has since taken over the former Law School building, now named Queens Hall and home to the college's language departments.
[[Townsend Harris High School]] and [[John Bowne High School]] are located at the edge of the Queens College campus.
<gallery class="center" widths="150px" heights="150px">
File:Qc-owl2.JPG|An [[owl]], symbolizing knowledge and wisdom, which is carved above the entrance to Jefferson Hall.
File:Frese Hall.JPG|Many of Queens College's original [[Spanish Colonial Revival architecture|Spanish-style buildings]] are still in use today.
File:Paul Klapper Hall Queens College - Mar 2011.jpg|Klapper Hall opened in 1955 as the college's first library. Named after the college's first president, Paul Klapper, it was renovated in 1992 after the construction of Rosenthal Library.
File:Razran.JPG|A [[relief]] of [[Prometheus]] giving fire to humanity on the facade of Remsen Hall.
File:Ny-skyline-qc.JPG|A view of the [[New York City]] skyline from the Queens College quad.
</gallery>
=== The Kupferberg Center for the Arts ===
The Kupferberg Center for the Arts is home to Colden Auditorium, Goldstein Theatre, and the Ethel & Samuel Lefrak Concert Hall. [[Trevor Noah]], [[Jerry Seinfeld]], [[David Bowie]], [[Patti LaBelle]] and [[Johnny Mathis]], [[Untitled (The Byrds album)|The Byrds]], [[Victor Manuelle]], [[Cesar Millan]], and [[El Gran Combo]] have performed at Colden.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=http://kupferbergcenter.org/about-us/}}</ref>
===Benjamin Rosenthal Library===
[[File:Rosenthal Faisal.jpg|thumb|300px|Rosenthal Library|alt=]]
The campus maintains the [[Benjamin Rosenthal]] Library. The library's Chaney-Schwerner-Goodman Clocktower was named after the [[Murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner|three civil rights workers who were murdered in 1964]], including [[Andrew Goodman (activist)|Andrew Goodman]], a Queens College student. Built in 1988, the library contains over 800,000 books, 32,600 print and electronic materials, the electronic archives, a collection of multimedia materials in its Media Center and an art center. The library is also home to the [[Louis Armstrong]] archives.
The Art Library and the Queens College Art Center are on the sixth floor of Rosenthal. The Art Library has over 70,000 books; 5,000 bound periodicals; and 110,000 slides, pictures, and exhibition catalogs and pamphlets. The collection includes resources for the study of all aspects of the visual arts and material culture, including art and architectural history, theory, criticism, materials, techniques, and practice.
Nurtured by both the [[Aaron Copland]] School of Music and the Queens College Library, the Music Library has evolved into a first-class research facility and is the largest music collection in the CUNY system. The Music Library is located on two levels in the School of Music building and contains over 35,000 scores, 30,000 books, and 20,000 sound recordings, including the David S. Walker Music Education Collection and the Ursula Springer Choral Music Collection.
===Godwin-Ternbach Museum===
Since 1957 Queens College has been collecting works of art, these collections were initially used for teaching purposes and were meant to serve the college community. The collections were eventually brought together with the establishment of the Godwin-Ternbach Museum in 1980. The museum is now a part of the Kupferberg Center for the Arts, which has joined all the works of art on campus in collaborations of visual, performance, dance, and theater arts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nyc-arts.org/organizations/325/godwin-ternbach-museum-at-queens-college|title=Godwin-Ternbach Museum at Queens College}}</ref> In the early 1990s, the museum was downsized due to budget cuts. Over the next few years, the college kept it open but on a reduced budget and staff. In 2001, however, the college hired Amy Winter as director of the museum. To address the concerns of the museum Winter turned to MAP (The Museum Assessment Program); as a result not only did the museum improve its facilities but increased its collections-related staff as well.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://americanmuseums.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/thirty-years-of-excellence-through-the-museum-assessment-program/|title=30 Years of Excellence Through MAP|last=Guzel|date=January 7, 2011|access-date=October 3, 2022}}</ref> Today the museum is an integral part of Queens College that serves not only the faculty and staff but the community at large.
The museum, located in Klapper Hall, maintains a fine collection of 6,000 pieces of art, as well as artifacts from all cultures dating from ancient times to the modern day. These include works by [[Rembrandt|Rembrandt Van Rijn]], [[Pablo Picasso]], [[Henri Matisse]], and [[Georges Braque]]. The museum also hosts a series of exhibitions each year. These exhibitions and events are free and open to the public.
===Residence===
[[File:The summit.jpg|thumb|left|300px|The Summit, Queens College's first [[residence hall]], opened in the fall of 2009.]]
Queens College's first residence hall, the Summit Apartments, opened in 2009. This low-rise, 506-bed facility is located in the middle of the campus.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Summit at Queens College|url=http://www.thesummitatqc.com|publisher=Queens College|access-date=July 2, 2014}}</ref> Queens College is still primarily a commuter school, as only 500 of its over 19,000 students live on campus. The building has a gold certificate from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), an organization that certifies buildings to have met environmentally sustainable construction standards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.qgazette.com/news/2009-10-07/front_page/001.html|title=Queens College Opens First Dorm – www.qgazette.com – Queens Gazette|website=www.qgazette.com}}</ref> Queens College's residence hall offers study lounges on each floor, wireless internet, laundry services, and a state of the art fitness center. The Summit Apartments also includes kitchens with full-size appliances, as well as dining areas, microwaves, couches, entertainment stands, and music practice rooms.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.qc.cuny.edu/StudentLife/TheSummit/Pages/default.aspx|title=Queens College, City University of New York|website=www.qc.cuny.edu|date=April 20, 2022}}</ref>
In addition to the Summit, many students rent apartments off-campus in the surrounding neighborhoods.
===Transportation===
Queens College operates a free shuttle service for students from campus (next to the Student Union building) to major transportation hubs in [[Flushing, Queens|Flushing]] and [[Jamaica, Queens|Jamaica]]. The shuttle service also transports students from the Kissena end of campus to the Main Street end. The shuttle operates seven days a week.
==Academics==
===Rankings===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
{{Infobox US university ranking
| Forbes = 143
| USNWR_REG = 50
| Wamo_MASTERSU = 112
| THE_WSJ = 292
}}
{{col-break}}
{| class="infobox" style="width: 22em"
|-
! colspan="4" style="font-size: 100%; text-align: center;" |
<big>USNWR Regional Rankings - North</big><ref name=USNWR>{{cite web |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/queens-college-2690/overall-rankings |title=CUNY--Queens College Rankings |access-date=August 10, 2020 |magazine=U.S. News & World Report}}</ref>
|-
| Top Regional Public Schools (North)
| 9
|-
| Best Value Schools
| 69
|-
| Top Performers on Social Mobility
| 10
|-
| Best Colleges for Veterans
| 29
|-
| Best Undergraduate Teaching
| 21
|-
|}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible collapsed" style="float:right; text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="2" style="font-size: 100%; text-align: center; background:#0000FF; color:#FFFFFF; {{box-shadow border|a|#C0C0C0|2px}}"| 2020 USNWR Graduate School Rankings<ref name="USNWR Grad School Rankings">{{cite magazine|title=CUNY--Queens College - U.S. News Best Grad School Rankings|magazine=U.S. News & World Report|access-date=August 10, 2020|url=https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/cuny-queens-college-190664/overall-rankings}}</ref>
|-
! Program
! Ranking
|-
| Clinical Psychology || 138
|-
| Fine Arts Programs || 110
|-
| Library and Information Studies Programs || 40
|-
| Psychology || 98
|-
| Speech–Language Pathology || 72
|}
{{col-end}}
* In [[The Princeton Review]]'s 2012 edition of "America's Best Value Colleges", Queens College was ranked eighth in the United States.<ref>[http://ir.princetonreview.com/releasedetail.cfm?releaseid=191273 The Princeton Review, Inc. – America's Best Value Colleges by State] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111072054/http://ir.princetonreview.com/releasedetail.cfm?releaseid=191273 |date=January 11, 2012}}</ref>
* In 2008, Queens College was ranked as one of the "25 Hottest Universities" in the [[Newsweek]]/Kaplan 2008 College Guide.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20228437/site/newsweek/ |title= MSN|website=[[MSNBC]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070818033012/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20228437/site/newsweek/ |archive-date=August 18, 2007}}</ref>
* In 2013, Queens College was ranked #2 nationally in [[Washington Monthly]]'s "Best Bang For Your Buck" college guide.<ref>{{cite web |title=2013 Best Bang for the Buck Rankings - All Schools |url=https://washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/rankings_2013/bangforthebuck_all_rank.php |work=Washington Monthly |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130825143556/http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/rankings_2013/bangforthebuck_all_rank.php |archive-date=August 25, 2013}}</ref>
*In 2015, Queens College was included in [[The Princeton Review]]'s list of top 322 green campuses.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-08-09 |title=Green Colleges {{!}} The Princeton Review |url=https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings?rankings=green-colleges |access-date=2024-05-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150809223832/https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings?rankings=green-colleges |archive-date=August 9, 2015 }}</ref>
*In 2020, Queens College was ranked #4 as one of the "24 Colleges with the Best Return on Investment" by [[Business Insider]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Hoff|first=Madison|title=The 24 colleges with the best return on investment|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/colleges-with-the-best-return-on-investment-2020-6|access-date=October 21, 2020|website=Business Insider}}</ref>
===Degrees and programs===
Queens College offers undergraduate degrees in 78 majors, over 100 [[Master's degree|master's]] degrees, over 40 accelerated master's options, 20 doctoral degrees through the [[CUNY Graduate Center]], and a number of advanced certificate programs.<ref>{{cite web|title=Admissions|url=http://www.qc.cuny.edu/admissions/Pages/default.aspx|publisher=Queens College|access-date=July 2, 2014}}</ref> It is also one of seven participating schools in the [[CUNY Honors College|CUNY Macaulay Honors College]]. Queens College has a Freshman Honors Program,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.qc.cuny.edu/Academics/Honors/Freshman/Pages/default.aspx|title=Queens College, City University of New York|website=www.qc.cuny.edu|date=April 20, 2022}}</ref> as well as a program called TIME 2000 for future math educators. The college's Professional & Continuing Studies program offers non-credit courses in such fields as health care, real estate, and risk management.
There are seven schools within the college: Aaron Copland School of Music, Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, School of Arts & Humanities, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, School of Education, School of Math and Natural Sciences, and School of Social Sciences.
====The Aaron Copland School of Music====
The [[Aaron Copland School of Music]] is one of the oldest departments at Queens College, founded when the college opened in 1937. The department's curriculum was originally established by Edwin Stringham, and a later emphasis on the analytical system of Heinrich Schenker was initiated by [[Saul Novack]]. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees.
====Graduate School of Library and Information Studies (GSLIS)====
GSLIS is an [[American Library Association]] accredited program and the only [[Public university|public school]] of [[library science]] in [[New York City]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=ALA-Accredited Library and Information Science Schools in New York State|url=http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/libs/libschol.htm |access-date=January 22, 2021|website=[[New York State Education Department]]}}</ref> The school offers a Master of Library Science (MLS), MLS School Media Specialist, and dual MLS/MA in history degree paths. Additionally, the school offers two professional certificates, one in Children and Young Adult Services as well as one in Archives, Records Management, and Preservation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=2019-2020 Graduate Bulletin|url=https://www.qc.cuny.edu/Academics/Documents/2019_2020_Graduate_Bulletin.pdf |access-date=January 22, 2021|website=Queens College}}</ref>
Starting as a program within the education department at Queens College in 1955, GSLIS began issuing MLS degrees in 1965. It achieved status as a separate school for graduate studies within Queens College in 1979. In 2002, the school opened its Children and Young Adult Services certificate and, in 2003, its Archives, Records Management, and Preservation certificate.
===Academic centers and institutes===
[[File:Rosenthal Library, Queens College.JPG|thumb|Rosenthal Library]]
The college is home to many centers which focus their research on various pressing social issues facing the local communities, students, faculty and the many ethnic and religious groups of the Queens area.
* '''Asian American/Asian Research Institute''': Works to integrate the talents of individual faculty and the resources of other CUNY institutes to create a community of scholars to help focus their energies on Asia and the Asian American experience.
* '''Asian/American Center''': Dedicated to community-oriented research that analyzes the multi-cultural diaspora experience of Asians in global and local communities.
* '''[[John D. Calandra]] Italian American Institute''': Fosters higher education among Italian-Americans and ensures that the legacy of the Italian-American experience is documented and preserved for future generations. This is accomplished through research, counseling, lectures, symposia, and administering an exchange program with CUNY and Italian universities.
* '''Barry Commoner Center for Health and the Environment (formerly Center for the Biology of Natural Systems)''': . Recent projects include a study of the impact of air pollution on asthma sufferers in the South Bronx and a continuing examination of the health workers involved in the cleanup of ground zero after the [[September 11 attacks|terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001]].
* '''Center for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies''': Initiates, supports, and coordinates the teaching of Byzantine and modern Greek studies. The center also promotes Byzantine and Neo-Hellenic scholarship and publications, and relates academic research and teaching to the needs of the Greek community in Queens and elsewhere.
* '''Center for Jewish Studies''': Through outreach and research, the Center for Jewish Studies serves as a bridge between the academic program and the social community. Its Ibrahim Leadership and Dialogue Fellowship program, the only trip to bring students to both Palestine and Saudi Arabia, is run partly through the Center for Jewish Studies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ildme.org/|title=Ibrahim – Ibrahim leadership and dialogue student travel program in the Middle East With Queens College}}</ref>
* '''John Cardinal Newman Club''': Run by the Catholic Newman Center, this area provides a social environment for all students of all faiths.
* '''Center for the Improvement of Education''': Builds relationships between public schools and Queens College.
* '''The Michael Harrington Center for Democratic Values and Social Change''': Promotes public discourse about social issues, advocates for social change, and works in partnerships with others to build a more just and equitable democratic society. The institute is primarily concerned with the employment, health, and educational needs of economically disadvantaged communities.
* '''The Neuroscience Research Center''':The center has programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Members of the center have established a five-year NIH MARC program at the college for minorities in the biomedical research sciences. The faculty at the center have produced over 800 peer-reviewed publications over the past fifteen years, with nearly 300 in the past five years alone. Since 1990, the center faculty have also received funding for 51 external and 54 internal grants.
* '''Queens College Model United Nations Team''': Run in conjunction with the Political Science Department, this program provides students the opportunity to explore their interests in the international policy and the United Nations.
* '''[[Queens Memory Project]]''': The Queens Memory Project, a digital archive which aims to record and preserve contemporary history across the borough of Queens, is a collaborative effort between Queens College and Queens Library that includes digitized materials from the Rosenthal Library's Department of Special Collections.
* '''The Center for Ethnic, Racial and Religious Understanding''': CERRU was created in fall 2009 through a grant from the US Department of Education. CERRU is a non-partisan organization that facilitates cross-cultural engagement
==Student life==
[[File:Queens College Student Union.jpg|thumb|left|300px|The [[Student Union]] building is home to most of the clubs on campus. ]]
===Demographics===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; text-align:center; font-size:85%; margin:auto"
|+ ''Demographics of Queens College''
! !! Men !! Women
|-
! Asian/Pacific Islander
| 1,583 || 2,263
|-
! Black/Non-Hispanic
| 558 || 1,233
|-
! Hispanic
| 1,031 || 2,166
|-
! Native American
| 8 || 15
|-
! White/Non-Hispanic
| 3,583 || 6,046
|-
! International Students
| 471 || 615
|}
{{As of|2024}}, Queens College students represent over 140 countries and speak over 80 different native languages.<ref name=qc-glance/> This rich variety has influenced Queens College's curriculum, research, and outreach programs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Diversity Web: Queens College |url=http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/diversity/ |website=qcpages.qc.cuny.edu}}</ref>
===Clubs===
Queens College has over 100 different clubs and organizations, ranging from fraternities/sororities to cultural, religious, technology, and art clubs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Clubs and Organizations |url=https://www.qc.cuny.edu/sl/clubs-and-organizations/ |access-date=2024-05-19 |website=Student Life |language=en-US}}</ref> Most of the organizations are located within the Student Union building. To complement the college's educational mission, the Student Union provides various facilities, services, co-curricular activities, and programs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/su/ |title=Queens College – CUNY |access-date=May 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929014249/http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/su/ |archive-date=September 29, 2011}}</ref>
===Greek life===
Queens College Greek life consists of eight [[fraternities]] and seven [[sororities]].<ref>{{cite web |title=QC Inter Fraternity Sorority Council |url=https://www.facebook.com/QCIFSC/info |publisher=Facebook |access-date=July 2, 2014}}</ref> According to campus sources, Greek membership numbers in the hundreds, with more members in Greek Life than in all the other clubs combined.
==Athletics==
{{main|Queens Knights}}
[[File:KNIGHTS BBALL HUDDLE.jpg|thumb|The Queens College Men's [[Basketball]] team. QC and [[College of Staten Island]] are the only CUNY schools to participate in [[NCAA Division II]] sports.]]
Queens College's athletic teams are the Knights. The college is a member of the [[NCAA Division II|Division II]] level of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA), primarily competing in the [[East Coast Conference]] (ECC, formerly known as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference until after the 2005–06 school year) since the 1989–90 academic year. The Knights previously competed in the [[City University of New York Athletic Conference]] (CUNYAC) at the [[NCAA Division III|Division III]] level from 1978 to 1980.
Queens College competes in 15 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, dance, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field and volleyball. The longest running among these programs are the men's [[basketball]] and [[baseball]] teams.
{{Clear}}
== Notable alumni and faculty ==
<gallery widths="150" heights="150" class="center">
File:Gary Ackerman Portrait c111-112th Congress.jpg|[[Gary Ackerman]] – US House of Representatives ('65)
File:Joybeharpic (cropped).jpg|[[Joy Behar]] – Comedian and co-host of ''[[The View (U.S. TV series)|The View]]'' ('64)
File:Adrien Brody Cannes 2014.jpg|[[Adrien Brody]] – Actor, Academy Award winner
File:Joe Crowley Congress 114th Congress Portrait.jpeg|[[Joe Crowley]] - US House of Representatives ('85)
File:Rep. Adriano Espaillat Official Photo 116th Congress.jpg|[[Adriano Espaillat]] - US House of Representatives ('78)
File:Jon Favreau 2016.jpeg|[[Jon Favreau]] – Actor and director, director of [[Iron Man (2008 film)|Iron Man]] & [[Iron Man 2]]
File:AndrewGoodman.jpg|[[Andrew Goodman (activist)|Andrew Goodman]] – Civil rights activist who was a victim in the [[murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner]] in 1964
File:CaroleKingHWOFDec2012.jpg|[[Carole King]] - Composer, singer and songwriter
File:Edwin Moise Headshot.jpg|[[Edwin Moise]] – American mathematician and mathematics education reformer (Faculty)
File:Bob Moog3.jpg|[[Robert Moog]] – Inventor of the Moog synthesizer ('57)
File:Jerry Seinfeld (1997).jpg|[[Jerry Seinfeld]] – Actor and Comedian ('76)
File:Paul Simon 2007.jpg|[[Paul Simon]] – Musician, [[Simon and Garfunkel]] ('63)
File:Deborah Cannon Partridge Wolfe (13270315044).jpg|[[Deborah Wolfe]] — Esteemed Educator (Faculty)
File:Yevheny Yevtushenko.jpg|[[Yevgeny Yevtushenko]] – Russian Poet (Faculty)
File:Rabbi Ben-Zion Bokser.png|[[Ben-Zion Bokser]] – Prominent American [[Rabbi]] and professor of Political Science (Faculty)
File:Christodoulides2019a.jpg|[[Nikos Christodoulides]] – President of [[Cyprus]] (2023-present)
</gallery>
===List of alumni===
{{Main|List of Queens College people}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
{{Commons category|Queens College, City University of New York}}
* {{Official website|http://www.qc.cuny.edu/}}
* [http://queensknights.com Official athletics website]
{{Education in Queens}}
{{East Coast Conference navbox}}
{{CUNY}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Queens College, City University Of New York}}
[[Category:Queens College, City University of New York| ]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in Queens, New York]]
[[Category:Kew Gardens Hills, Queens]]
[[Category:1937 establishments in New York City]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1937]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges on Long Island]]
[[Category:Colleges of the City University of New York|*]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in New York City]]