Middlesex Community College is a publiccommunity college in Middletown, Connecticut. As measured by enrollment, MxCC is the eighth-largest of the twelve colleges in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system . The school has an open admissions policy. MxCC has about 4,400 full- and part-time students enrolled. It is a commuter school with no dormitories. The Jean Burr Smith Library in Chapman Hall subscribes to 142 periodicals, along with various audiovisual materials including more than 900 DVDs. MxCC offers associate degrees in art and in science in more than 25 disciplines. MxCC offers programs of a shorter duration in each of the areas listed above, resulting in the awarding of a certificate. The certificate programs range from 6 to 32 credits, and some may be completed in as little as one year. Through its Continuing Education division, MxCC also offers a wide variety of credit-free specialist and certificate programs.
Programs
MxCC runs a Center for Business and Industry Services, which is one of the original centers in the statewide Business and Industry Services Network. The CBIS provides companies throughout Middlesex County as well as the Meriden and Wallingford areas with customized training and instructional services.
History
Middlesex Community College was founded in 1966 as a branch campus of Manchester Community College. MxCC became an independent community college in 1968. Initially the college operated in space rented from the Middletown Public School district and loaned by the Connecticut Valley Hospital. In 1973 the college moved to its present campus overlooking the Connecticut River valley in Middletown. In 1998 a branch was opened in Meriden. Instruction also takes place in Old Saybrook to make college accessible to students along the central Connecticut coast. In 1989, MxCC opened a childcare center. MxCC's Chapman Hall building was dedicated in 1992. In 2004, the Meriden Center moved to 55 West Main Street, Meriden. In 2004, the Precision Manufacturing Institute was dedicated.
Campus
Middlesex Community College has three distinct locations.
Main Campus (Middletown)
The college's main campus is in Middletown at 100 Training Hill Road and includes four main buildings: Snow, Wheaton, Founder's, and Chapman Hall. The buildings are air conditioned and accessible. The campus is located on a scenic hillside overlooking the Connecticut River valley, about a mile and a half from the center of Middletown. The campus features general purpose classrooms, a computer center and computer classrooms, art studios, a state-of-the-art broadcast communications center, special purpose chemistry and biology laboratories, a learning laboratory for reading and writing, an ophthalmic design and dispensing laboratory, faculty and administrative offices, cafeteria, bookstore, multi-purpose rooms and a library. In addition to ample free student parking, a municipal bus route stops at the campus twice hourly.
Meriden Center
In 2004 Middlesex opened a new learning site at 55 West Main Street, in Meriden, Connecticut. Students can enroll in credit, credit-free, day, evening, and weekend courses at the MxCC Meriden Center. Greater Meriden-Wallingford area business and industry can take advantage of education and training through Meriden's Internet Training Center. In 2012, the Meriden Center was recognized by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges as an "additional instructional location". With this new recognition, students can now complete a degree or certificate program at the Meriden Center. Prior to this, students could only complete fifty percent or less of a degree program at the center before finishing their degree at the Middletown campus.
Shoreline
Credit and non-credit courses are also offered in Old Saybrook and Clinton. In Old Saybrook the high school at 1111 Boston Post Road is often used to hold classes.
Extracurricular activities
The Beta Gamma Xi chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa is active at MxCC. Active clubs on campus include the Human Services Student Association, Students Promoting Equality, Acceptance and Knowledge, the Computer Club, and the Math Club. There is also an active student government body, the MxCC Student Senate. In 2013, MxCC was the first community college to offer a chapter of Mu Alpha Theta, a math honor society.
