By Matthew Monks
The branch should grow by the end of the decade to 3,000 to 4,000 students seeking two- and four-year degrees in everything from accounting to criminal justice at the Atrium Corporate Center at 30-30 Thomson Ave., Chancellor Neal A. Raisman said.”We plan to grow slowly. This is not just something we're doing to grab enrollment,” he said. “We want to make sure we do this properly, so we want to take our time on this.” He said the school, which has about 2,900 students enrolled at campuses in Bethpage and Patchogue, bused about 240 students a day last semester from Jamaica, making Queens a natural choice for expansion. “We're responding to the request of the student body,” Raisman said. “Queens is where most of our students are coming from.”Day and evening classes in criminal justice started Jan. 10. In March, students will also be offered graphic design and information technology courses. The annual tuition is $13,000, although Raisman said most pay less with financial aid. He did not know how much less.The college has a total of 2,900 students at its main campuses and also offers degrees in business administration, computer information systems, digital commercial photography, information technology, networking and computer technology, office technologies and visual communication. “We're a full-fledged college,” Raisman said.The school selected the extension site in Long Island City because it is near LaGuardia Community College, where it gets many of its students, and is easily accessible from Manhattan on the N, W, R, V, and G lines. “It's a good location,” he said.The college is in the midst of renovating a 9,500-square-foot space that will feature four classrooms, a computer lab, and a library resource center with 26 PCs and Macs. He did not know the renovation's cost but said it would be completed by March. To apply for enrollment call the college at 888-333-1150.Reach reporter Matthew Monks by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 156.
