The History of the College
Mission, Vision, and Values
The City University of New York
College Governance
College Accreditation and Affiliations
Degree Programs
Academic Organization
Schedule of Courses
Research Institutes and Community Resources
Lehman College was established as an independent unit of The City University of New York on July 1, 1968, following a decision by the University's Board of Trustees to create a comprehensive senior college in the Bronx with its own faculty, curriculum, and administration.
The College took over the campus that, since 1931, had served as the Bronx branch of Hunter College, known as Hunter-in-the-Bronx. Adjacent to the historic Jerome Park Reservoir, the first four buildings in the plan—Gillet and Davis Halls, the Music Building, and the Gymnasium—were completed in 1934 during the Great Depression under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration.
For a decade before the entry of the United States in the Second World War, only women students attended, taking their first two years of study at the Bronx campus and then transferring to Hunter's Manhattan campus to complete their undergraduate work.
Shortly after U.S. entry into the war, the students and faculty vacated the campus and turned over the facilities to the U.S. Navy, which used them as a training station for the newly organized WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). To commemorate this period, the Navy later installed a ship's bell from the U.S.S. Columbia on the campus.
In 1946 the campus won a niche in world history when it was made available to the United Nations at the urging of New York City officials. From March to August 1946, the first American meetings of the Security Council were held in the Gymnasium Building where intercollegiate basketball, archery, swimming, and other sports have been played. During festivities marking the 40th anniversary of the United Nations in 1986, the Southern New York State Division of the United Nations Association presented the College with a commemorative plaque, now displayed outside the Gymnasium Building. The College participated in the United Nations' 50th anniversary activities in 1995-96.
Normal collegiate activity resumed at the campus in 1947, but, in addition to women, the Bronx branch began accepting former servicemen, who studied in separate classes. In 1951 the campus became fully coeducational, and a four-year curriculum was introduced. The process of separating the Bronx campus from Hunter College into a separate unit began in 1967. Dr. Leonard Lief, chairman of the English Department, was named provost and made responsible for overseeing the transition. On July 1, 1968, Lehman College began an independent existence, with Dr. Lief as president.
The Board of Higher Education named the new college after Herbert H. Lehman, in recognition of the commitment to public service exemplified by the four-term governor of New York State who later became a U.S. Senator and was the first director-general of U.N.R.R.A. (the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration). The College was formally dedicated on March 28, 1969, the 91st anniversary of Governor Lehman's birth. Each year, on or about March 28, the College commemorates the double anniversary by inviting a distinguished speaker to deliver the Herbert H. Lehman Memorial Lecture.
Much has occurred at the colleges of City University since 1968. As the only public senior college in the borough and southern Westchester County, Lehman College has adapted to meet changing conditions and is poised to respond to new needs and challenges.
On the undergraduate level, Lehman's General Education Curriculum is designed to provide training in a range of essential skills as well as a broad understanding of the achievements and methods of the liberal arts and sciences, all of which allow informed inquiry into subjects of both public and personal concern. It requires a series of courses in writing, mathematics, foreign language, and natural sciences. Students must also complete at least one course from a list of courses in seven areas: Individuals and Society; Socio-Political Structures; Literature; The Arts; Comparative Culture; Historical Studies; Knowledge, Self, and Values. In addition, students must complete two upper-division interdisciplinary courses: one in Topics in the Humanities and the Sciences and one in the American Experience. To develop writing skills, students must complete four courses designated as writing-intensive. Major and minor fields of study are also required.
On the graduate level, the College has developed professional programs in nursing, teacher and counselor preparation, accounting, business, computer science, health services, speech-language pathology, and social work. The College also offers strong traditional liberal arts graduate programs in art, biology, English, history, Spanish, and mathematics.
For more than two decades, Lehman has deepened its involvement with the surrounding community. The opening of the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts in 1980 and the Lehman College Art Gallery in 1984 has made the College a cultural center for the region. Together with the City and the Humanities Program, the Department of Music, and the Theatre program, they present dozens of concerts, plays, dance performances, and exhibitions that are free or nominally priced.
The Art Gallery is housed in the Fine Arts Building, which was designed by the renowned architect Marcel Breuer—as was Shuster Hall, which houses the College's administrative offices. The Concert Hall, the adjacent Leonard Lief Library, and the two Breuer buildings offer a striking contrast to the Tudor-Gothic architecture of the original College buildings, providing an environment of considerable architectural interest.
Anchoring the campus on its northern end is the APEX, designed by the internationally acclaimed architect Rafael Viñoly. Inside are sophisticated facilities for swimming, basketball, racquetball, weight training, track and field, and dance, as well as offices for academic departments. One of the latest facilities to reach completion on the Lehman campus is an Information Technology Center, which features self-contained microcomputer classrooms, an open lab area with 108 computers of various types, and other resources for both student and faculty use.
Lehman College also provides a variety of community services. The Institute for Literacy Studies sponsors classes to teach adults fundamentals of reading and writing, while the Speech and Hearing Center offers comprehensive evaluations of hearing and speech-language disorders.
There is also close collaboration between the College's teacher and counselor education programs and Bronx school districts.
Lehman has joined with the New York City Department of Education and the educational reform organization New Visions for Public Schools to develop eight new small high schools in the Bronx. The schools--housed within larger, traditional high schools--are formed around the themes of the visual arts, teaching, music, nursing, medicine and allied health professions, and community research and learning.
In addition, in Fall 2002, the High School of American Studies at Lehman College opened on the Lehman campus. One of New York City's new specialized high schools and the only one to focus on American history, the school represents a collaboration among Lehman College, the New York City Department of Education, and the Gilder-Lehrman Foundation.
Dr. Ricardo R. Fernández succeeded Leonard Lief, the founding president of Lehman College, on September 1, 1990. Dr. Fernández had been assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs and professor of educational policy and community studies at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. Throughout his tenure, Dr. Fernández has affirmed both the College's commitment to access to higher education for the economically disadvantaged and its strong commitment to educational excellence.
Mission Statement
Lehman College serves the Bronx and surrounding region as an intellectual, economic, and cultural center. Lehman College provides undergraduate and graduate studies in the liberal arts and sciences and professional education within a dynamic research environment, while embracing diversity and actively engaging students in their academic, personal, and professional development.
Vision Statement
Lehman College has entered a new era in its history as an institution of higher education. Already known for its outstanding faculty, dedicated staff, superb library, art gallery, theaters, speech and hearing clinic, and athletic facilities, the College is now building a new state-of-the-art, environmentally "green" science facility that will invigorate faculty and student research as well as prepare Lehman students for science-based careers.
Supported by the University's expanding technological resources, the College will promote creative teaching strategies, greater access to courses through online learning, off campus access to library resources and enhanced student services. The new Multi-Media Center will stimulate technological innovation in all areas of communications and the arts for both the College and the region.
Lehman has always been a commuter campus that prides itself on its diversity and commitment to multicultural understanding. Now, the College looks forward to providing a residential experience to attract a wider range of students and lead to the development of new learning communities to enhance student success.
Lehman College will prepare students to live and work in the global community through new interdisciplinary programs, such as environmental studies and international business, along with study abroad and experiential learning opportunities. The College's geographic information systems and numerous partnerships with schools, hospitals, social service and governmental agencies, small businesses, major corporations, and cultural and scientific institutions will contribute to the economic development of the region. Service learning and internship opportunities will be further developed to foster the engaged citizenship and commitment to public service embodied in its namesake, Herbert H. Lehman.
Recognized for small classes, close interaction between students and faculty, successful Teacher Academy and Honors College, and a caring and supportive environment, Lehman College will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary in 2018 as the college of choice in the region, committed to preparing students for graduate studies, professional careers, and lifelong learning.
Values Statement
Lehman College is committed to providing the highest quality education in a caring and supportive environment where respect, integrity, inquiry, creativity, and diversity contribute to individual achievement and the transformation of lives and communities.
The City University of New York is a twenty college university, with branches located throughout the five boroughs of the city. The University's governing body, the Board of Trustees of the City University of New York, formulates bylaws and policies providing direction for the operation of the University and of its constituent colleges. In addition, the Board passes on the policy recommendations submitted by each of the autonomous colleges. Funds for the City University are provided by the State of New York, City of New York, tuition, fees, and gifts. Federal and State government agencies provide grant funds for research, special programs, and student financial aid.
Although the City University was formally established in 1961, the first college of the University dates from 1847, when New York City established by referendum the Free Academy, now City College. The University today consists of ten senior (four-year) colleges, six community colleges, a four-year technical college, a doctoral-granting graduate school, a law school,a graduate school of journalism, an accelerated medical program, and a medical school. The Mount Sinai School of Medicine is affiliated with the University.
The Graduate School and University Center in mid-Manhattan offers a wide range of doctoral programs, including the Ph.D. program in plant sciences based at Lehman College. The Center also conducts urban research and administers the CUNY Baccalaureate Program, open to students at all CUNY colleges.
In 1970 the student body and the faculty approved a new system of campus governance with the establishment of the Lehman College Senate. This body, with specified responsibilities in regard to academic policy and campus life, is made up of approximately 120 representatives of the students, faculty, and administration.
Lehman College is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Degree programs are registered by the New York State Education Department. Some degree programs are also accredited by professional associations.
Nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and the Social Work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The College also offers Nutrition programs approved by the American Dietetic Association and a Health Services Administration program approved by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration. Lehman's B.S. degrees in chemistry are certified by the American Chemical Society. The graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology is accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. All teaching and counseling programs offered by the College's Division of Education are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (N.C.A.T.E.). In addition, the Division of Education's counselor education program in school counseling offered by the Department of Counseling, Leadership, Literacy, and Special Education is nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (C.A.C.R.E.P.).
Lehman's B.S. and M.S. programs in accounting provide the educational preparation required for licensure as a Certified Public Accountant in New York State. The College offers State-approved teacher education programs that can lead to New York State provisional or permanent certification. Graduates of the undergraduate nursing program are eligible to take the Registered Nurse licensure examination.
Lehman College has chapters of Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, and Golden Key National Honor Society. Individual disciplines have their own honor societies with national affiliations. The College is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference.
Lehman College offers undergraduates a wide choice of major programs in both the liberal arts and sciences and in the professions. The College offers the degrees of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), and Bachelor of Arts-Master of Arts (B.A.-M.A.). Majors are either departmental or interdepartmental.
The College offers a choice of more than thirty master's degree programs in arts and sciences, health fields, and teacher education. Advanced certificates are offered in some areas. The degrees offered are the Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Science in Education (M.S. Ed.), Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Music, the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Art, the Master of Public Health (M.P.H.), and the Master of Social Work (M.S.W.). In addition, more than seventy-five Lehman College faculty members participate in City University doctoral programs.
During the regular academic year, which runs from late August through the end of May, Lehman offers a full range of undergraduate and graduate courses on a day, evening, and weekend schedule.
Lehman offers two sequential summer sessions, one beginning in June and the second in July. Students may shorten the time to their college degree by registering for courses in Session I and/or Session II. Undergraduate and graduate summer programs accept matriculants, as well as visiting and non-degree students, in both day and evening classes.
The College's academic departments and programs are divided into four divisions:
African and African American Studies
American Studies
Art
Comparative Literature
English
History
Institute for Irish American Studies
Journalism, Communication, and Theatre
Languages & Literatures
Latin American, & Puerto Rican Studies
Linguistics
Music
Philosophy
Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences
Women's Studies
Bronx Institute
Center for School/College Collaboratives
Counseling, Leadership, Literacy, and Special Education
Early Childhood & Childhood Education
Institute for Literacy Studies
Middle and High School Education
Anthropology
Biological Sciences
Chemistry
Economics and Business
Environmental, Geographic, and Geological Sciences
Health Sciences
Mathematics and Computer Science
Nursing
Physics and Astronomy
Political Science
Psychology
Social Work
Adult Degree Program
Continuing Education
CUNY on the Concourse
The Bronx Data Center collects and analyzes demographic material related to the Bronx and adjacent areas, in order to provide service to the Lehman community as well as to cultural, social service, civic, media, and other organizations. The Center focuses on data for very small geographic units (down to the city block) as well as the Bronx as a whole. Historical data going back several decades complements the latest census information. The Center specializes in the graphic presentation of data through computer-generated maps. See: www.lehman.edu/deannss/bronxdatactr/discover/bxtext.htm
The mission of the Bronx Institute at Lehman College is to foster faculty research relevant to the improvement of education and the quality of life in the Bronx; and to provide a forum to discuss, analyze, and identify potential solutions to contemporary educational, social, political, cultural, and economic challenges facing the Bronx community, in particular, and other urban areas at large. As a community resource, the Bronx Institute is committed to act in cooperation with other academic institutions, community groups, and organizations to develop joint projects, especially those that enrich the educational needs of all Bronx students. The vision of the Institute is to foster and promote equity and excellence in the education and learning of Bronx students in grades K-16 by involving administrators, teachers, parents, and the students themselves in high-quality programs that support and enhance the educational opportunities of the students.
The Center for School/College Collaboratives designs and implements programs, in partnership with Bronx schools, to enrich student learning and ensure student readiness and motivation to graduate high school and enter college. Programs offered by the Center primarily emphasize student outcomes and achievement. These programs encompass: student and teacher enrichment in mathematics, science, and technology; recruitment of middle and high school students for careers in teaching; intensive work with at-risk students to prepare them for educational transitions from middle to high school and from high school to college; pre-service teacher preparation for bilingual students and paraprofessionals; in-service professional development in technology and interdisciplinary teaching; and close working relationships with over twenty Bronx schools.
Programs focus on working intensively with students and teachers from particular schools and on building pipelines for students since these efforts have been shown to have greater potential for success than programs that draw students from a wide range of schools.
The Center subscribes to several Principles of Collaboration: all partners are equal; planning and implementation involve school administrators/ teachers/staff/students/parents; broadening student/teacher contact in informal, hands-on, project-based settings; activating parent and family involvement; focusing on integration of student learning experiences; developing a plan of action; establishing linkages among projects; and encouraging high school students to qualify for, and take, college credit courses while still in high school.
The Center also houses Lehman's well-regarded, CUNY-sponsored College Now Program. The goal of the program is to insure that all students meet and exceed the performance standards required for high school graduation and that all those who wish to pursue postsecondary study are prepared to do so. Lehman has had a version of College Now or Bridge to College since 1985, when qualified students involved in the College's various funded programs were invited to enroll in college-credit courses. The College Now eleventh- and twelfth-grade program offers a variety of college-credit courses depending on student interest and ability. These include courses in psychology, studio art and art history, calculus and pre-calculus, education, biology, English, history, computer science, economics, geology, philosophy, speech, and sociology.
Funding for Center programs has been provided by the New York City Board of Education, U.S. Department of Education, National Aeronautics and Space Agency, New York State Education Department, the City University of New York, Fund for Improvement of Post-Secondary Education, Aaron Diamond Foundation, and others. For more information on the Center and its individual programs, visit the following website: www.lehman.cuny.edu/education/center/center.htm
The Institute for Literacy Studies, founded in 1984, is a research unit of The City University of New York. The Institute's mission—reforming and improving urban education—has deep significance in its home borough of the Bronx as well as throughout New York City and the nation. The Institute defines urban education in its broadest, most inclusive meaning to comprise the complex web of systems, settings, and relationships that foster learning. It works to advance research, articulate theory, and implement effective practice in literacy and mathematics education through initiatives in a variety of educational settings K-16, including schools, community-based after-school programs, adult literacy programs, and CUNY campuses. Through its Adult Learning Center, the Institute offers basic education, English language instruction, and GED preparation to members of the community who are not enrolled in school or college. See www.lehman. edu/litstudies.
The newest academic and community resource to be based at Lehman College is the CUNY Institute for Irish American Studies, which was established by the CUNY Board of Trustees to focus on the Irish-American Diaspora and its impact on American culture and society. The Institute, first and foremost, serves as a clearinghouse for research opportunities in Irish-American studies for students, staff, and faculty on all of the campuses of the City University of New York. Current projects being undertaken by the Institute include Publishing in Irish America 1820-1922, Great Irish Famine Curricula In-Service Training, Documenting Return Emigration, Curriculum Design: Teaching the Irish Language in America, the "New Irish" and Film, Mapping Irish America, and the Irish in the Americas.
In line with the current research projects of the Institute, an extensive program of public lectures and events is sponsored each semester. The Institute invites researchers and leaders in the community to present at its Wednesday evening lecture series. The Institute also sponsors day-long symposia on specific topics, Irish language conversation circles, and celebrations of the arts. The Institute additionally makes a number of distance education courses arising from its research areas available to students at CUNY campuses and throughout the country. These courses make use of online software as well as tours and lectures in the U.S. and abroad.