Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC), formerly known as Burlington County College (BCC), is an accredited, co-educational, two-year, public, community college located in Burlington County, New Jersey. Main facilities are located in Mount Laurel with other campuses in Mount Holly, Willingboro and Joint Base.
Founded in 1966, the college enrolls more than 8,000 students a year in Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in Applied Science degree programs, and certificate programs. Rowan College at Burlington County is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and approved by the State.
College Logo and Official Seal
Student Success Center - Rowan College at Burlington County - Taylor Wiseman & Taylor is proud to have been part of the overall campus planning and design including our services for the new Student Success Center.
The RCBC logo represents the college's strong visual identity with a mobius, a continuous ribbon-like strip that represents education as a lifelong, never ending experience, encased in a red circle. The college name is displayed to the right of the mobius in three lines. Rowan College is at the top. The word "at" and the tail of the letter g break the red line in the middle, and Burlington County at the bottom.
The official college seal was adopted in 1989 and contains a shield that encompasses the college’s opening year, mobius, and the inscription Scientia, Veritas, Lux (Knowledge, Truth, Light).
Mount Laurel Campus
Student Success Center
Construction on the state-of-the-art Student Success Center began in August 2016 and was completed in August 2017. It includes a one-stop student success services center, library, bookstore and dining facilities. The new center houses offices for Rowan University and other universities that offer programs on the Mount Laurel Campus.
Knowledge Commons Library
The Knowledge Commons Library, located on the second floor of the Student Success Center, gives students access to books, research materials and a large network of resources. The library is a member of the Burlington County Library System.
Dining
Located on the first floor of the Student Success Center, the dining area serves students brand name options like Starbucks and Boar’s Head, as well as gluten free and other healthy choices. The dining area, which can accommodate up to 308, overlooks the campus quad.
Bookstore
Located on the first floor of the Student Success Center, the bookstore, ran by Follett Corporation is a one-stop-shop for students, faculty and staff. The bookstore carries all of the required and recommended texts along with school supplies, RCBC gifts, RCBC clothing, and a variety of snacks.
The Science Building
This facility, separated from the Votta Hall by a domed rotunda, features large laboratories for basic and advanced biology and chemistry, computer labs, and classrooms.
This building will remain dedicated to science with new geo-science and marine science labs replacing the bookstore, which is now located in the Student Success Center.
Votta Hall
The Office of the President and Executive Suite and all of senior leadership are located on the second floor.
The second floor also includes a large meeting room, additional administrative offices including the RCBC Foundation, and classrooms.
The first floor is home to the music program and the 575-seat auditorium that has been enhanced to make it better suited for musical and small dramatic performances.
TEC
Next to Laurel Hall, the Technology & Engineering Center (TEC) features robotics, CADD, electronics, physics and high resolution computer labs. It also houses classrooms, faculty offices, vending machines and a student lounge area.
RCBC’s Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology Division occupies the main suite on the first floor.
Laurel Hall
This building opened in September 2002. The 52,799-square-foot (4,905.2Â m2), three-story building features two entrance foyers leading to a two-story open area rotunda/student lounge and administration/reception area. The building's first floor includes a computer lab, tiered lecture hall, faculty and administration offices and support space. The two upper floors include 20 standard classrooms with full computer station capabilities. The third floor houses the rotunda multi-purpose classroom. The building was constructed by area general contractor Wu & Associates, Inc.
RCBC's Liberal Arts Division occupies the main suite on the first floor.
Evans Hall
The business outreach and educational programs divisions of the Workforce Development Institute are located here, along with administrative offices including Strategic Marketing and Communications, Finance, Administration and Human Resources. Public safety and the Office of Information Technology occupy the rest of the building.
Pedestrian improvements were made to better integrate the building with the rest of the campus
Health Sciences Center
This building is home to the college’s new Health Sciences Division. All nursing, dental hygiene, imaging and health information technology management courses are taught from Mount Laurel in this building.
The building’s exterior has been enhanced and reoriented so that the entrance faces the rest of the campus. Pedestrian improvements were made to better integrate the building with the rest of the campus.
Mount Holly Campus
RCBC’s Mount Holly Campus is located at Mill Street and High Street. To create a cultural hub for the community, the college moved its fine arts studio, graphic design and fashion design programs to the Mount Holly Campus to join culinary arts.
The campus also includes a student-run restaurant, Vaulted Cuisine, and a student art gallery.
Willingboro Campus
The Willingboro campus features classrooms, computer labs, a student lounge, student services, and college offices.
Pemberton Campus
The Lewis M. Parker Center
The Parker Center is RCBC's original classroom and lab building. It is built around the theme of hexagonal angles and appears as a key from the air.
The Physical Education Center
The Physical Education Center houses the College's indoor pool, 1500-seat gymnasium, the RCBC Fitness Center with exercise and weight training facilities and spas, two classrooms, and locker rooms. Nearby are the campus tennis courts, baseball, softball and soccer fields.
Athletics
The sports teams are called the Barons. They compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
History
- 1966 - Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders founds Burlington County College with the appointment of a nine-member board of trustees. The trustees elect Lewis M. Parker as their first chair.
- 1967 - The College's Board of Trustees appoint Dr. N. Dean Evans as the founding president.
- 1969 - Burlington County College opens in temporary facilities at Lenape High School, Medford, with 728 full-time and 323 part-time students.
- 1971 - BCC moves into its first two permanent structures on the Pemberton Campus: the multileveled college center and the health and physical education building.
- 1972 - Two reasons to celebrate: BCC graduates its first students and receives accreditation by the Commission on Higher Education, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
- 1974 - BCC opens its first daytime off-campus facility in Willingboro to accommodate growing enrollment
- 1975 - First production of Foundation Theatre, Burlington County's only non-profit professional theatre company, housed on BCC's Pemberton Campus
- 1979 - BCC welcomes new president, Dr. Harmon Pierce, who opens second off-campus center in Cinnaminson
- 1987 - Dr. Robert Messina, Jr. becomes BCC's third president and expands community outreach sites.
- 1990 - BCC establishes the Learning Institute for Elders (LIFE), offering academic, cultural and social opportunities for county residents over 55 years old.
- 1994 - The first classes are offered in the new Academic Center, Pemberton Campus
- 1995 - Opening of the Technology & Engineering Center, Mount Laurel Campus, a joint venture with the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT); the first broadcast of BCC's radio station, WBZC 88.9 FM
- 1996 - The Integrated Learning Resource Center/Library opens on the Pemberton Campus and WBZC is named National College Radio Station of the Year.
- 1998 - BCC's innovative High Technology Small Business Incubator opens on the Mount Laurel Campus to encourage the growth of entrepreneurial businesses.
- 1999-2000 - BCC maintains Middle States accreditation in ten-year renewal requirement and celebrates four "Milestones at the Millennium": 30th Anniversary of College opening, 25th Anniversary of Foundation Theatre, 10th Anniversary of LIFE and 5th Anniversary of WBZC 88.9 FM.
- 2001 - College attains highest enrollment in its history for the Fall semester. Health Center opens on Pemberton Campus to serve students and staff.
- 2002 - College opened The Enterprise Center at BCC, the Science Building, Academic Replacement Center and Central Power Plant on its Mount Laurel Campus. Dr. Robert C. Messina celebrates his 15th year as BCC President.
- 2003 - BCC renamed the Academic Replacement Center to Laurel Hall and dedicated the Pavilion connecting the Science Building and the Enterprise Center at BCC honoring The Vottas who owned the farm on which the Mount Laurel Campus currently resides. BCC also moved its Willingboro Center to Route 130 in the Willingboro Town Center.
- 2004 - The newest site, The Mount Holly Center, opened its doors in October 2004. It moved the Business and Career Development Center which occupied 60 High Street to its current location at the corner of High and Mill Streets in Downtown Mount Holly.
- 2005 - The College Opened the Student Gallery and Art Store, a student run facility in the Mount Holly center to showcase and sell original artwork and supplies. This year also saw record breaking enrollment.
- 2006 - The College entered into a partnership with Drexel University, Drexel at BCC, to bring Drexel faculty to the Mount Laurel Campus to offer bachelor's degree programs.
- 2007 - The College entered into a partnership with Wilmington University, Wilmington University at BCC, to bring WU faculty to the Mount Laurel Campus to offer bachelor's degree programs.
- 2015 - Paul Drayton becomes RCBC's fifth president. The College entered into a partnership with Rowan University, to bring RU faculty to the Mount Laurel Campus to offer bachelor's degree programs. The college was renamed to Rowan College at Burlington County.
- 2015 - The College named Mount Laurel as its main campus.
- 2016 - 3+1 program begins- 3+1 is a program at RCBC that makes getting a bachelor's degree even easier by staying at RCBC for one more year.
- 2017 - The College renamed the Enterprise Center to Votta Hall in honor of the family who sold the 112-acre (45Â ha) site to the college in 1993.
- 2017 - The College opened its new Student Success Center and Health Sciences Center on the Mount Laurel Campus.
- 2018 - Dr. Michael Cioce becomes RCBC's sixth president.
Radio station
In 1995, RCBC launched WBZC, a college-run FM radio station broadcasting at 88.9 MHz. It also broadcast from 95.1 FM in some regions, including Mt. Holly. The station was taken off the air and relaunched as an Internet-only broadcast in 2018.
See also
- New Jersey County Colleges
- Rowan University (Glassboro, New Jersey)
References
External links
- School website
- 39.965°N 74.648°W / 39.965; -74.648 - Pemberton campus
- 39.972°N 74.893°W / 39.972; -74.893 - Mt. Laurel campus