Vision and Mission Statement
Vision
Bergen Community College will be:
A first-choice option for its community.
A national model for innovation and partnerships.
An institution recognized for its ability to meet the needs of an ever-changing student population in a landscape of evolving employers’ workforce needs.
Mission
Bergen Community College provides accessible and transformative programs and services to its diverse community. As a comprehensive community college, we are committed to student success, innovation, and inclusivity.
(Approved by the Board of Trustees on 01/10/23)
Serving the community at these convenient locations:
PARAMUS - HACKENSACK - MEADOWLANDS
Values and Institutional Goals
Values
Consistent with Bergen Community College and who we are as a community, these core values guide our daily work:
Commitment
We are committed to providing an education in the liberal arts, sciences, technical fields, and a variety of non-credit programs that foster critical thinking, facilitate upward mobility, and instill a sense of purpose.
Creativity
We are imaginative and innovative in promoting success for our students and in accomplishing our goals.
Collaboration
We emphasize teamwork and acknowledge and take pride in the contributions of others.
Communication
We regularly and openly share what we do with both internal and external community members.
Care
We identify, prioritize, and resolve issues by leading with an ethic of care.
Challenge
We challenge ourselves to improve upon our programs and services.
Celebration
We acknowledge, honor, and take pride in the quality of our work and the work of others.
Institutional Goals
Institutional Goal #1
Bergen Community College serves the needs of a diverse college population by creating a welcoming campus environment where all members of the community are valued. The College adheres to the principles of access, equity, and inclusion.
Institutional Goal #2
Bergen Community College offers educational programs and services that promote success for students of different abilities and economic needs.
Institutional Goal #3
Bergen Community College provides evidence of effective educational experiences.
Institutional Goal #4
Bergen Community College offers programs and services which enable community members to engage in lifelong learning opportunities.
Institutional Goal #5
Bergen Community College cultivates community relationships which support a growing network of partnerships with external organizations.
Institutional Goal #6
Bergen Community College shares its stories of success as a vital resource in Bergen County and the surrounding region.
(Approved by the Board of Trustees on 01/10/23)
Serving the community at these convenient locations:
PARAMUS - HACKENSACK - MEADOWLANDS
Our Locations
Main Campus - 400 Paramus Road, Paramus
Centrally located in Bergen County, the main campus comprises 167 acres on the former nine holes of Orchard Hills Golf Course.
Directions to 400 Paramus Road, Paramus, New Jersey 07652. Public Transportation: NJ TRANSIT Bus Routes #756, Paramus - Englewood Cliffs; #755, Edgewater - Paramus; #175 Ridgewood - NY; #163 Ridgewood - NY
From the North
(Via Garden State Parkway) - Take Exit 165, turn right (west) on Ridgewood Road, then right onto Ridgewood Avenue (crossing over Route 17) and continue to Paramus Road. Turn left onto Paramus Road and continue approximately 2 miles to College, proceed around jug handle to main entrance.
(Via Route 17) - Turn right off Route 17 onto Ridgewood Avenue (west) to Paramus Road. Turn left onto Paramus Road and continue as above.
From the East
Take Route 4 (via George Washington Bridge from New York City) to Paramus Road, Paramus. (From the east, Paramus Road is approximately 3/4 miles past Route 17 intersection). Turn right onto Paramus Road and proceed north for approximately 2 miles to College entrance on right side of Paramus Road.
From the South
(Via Garden State Parkway) - Take Exit 160 (Passaic Street). Turn left onto Passaic Street. Continue over Route 4 onto Paramus Road (Passaic Street becomes Paramus Road north of Route 4 overpass). Continue north about 2 miles on Paramus Road to College entrance on right.
(Via Route 17) - Take Century Road, second exit to the right, proceed around clover leaf over Route 17 onto Century Road (west). Continue to Paramus Road and turn right onto Paramus Road to College entrance on right.
From the West
Take Route 4 to Paramus Road, Paramus (exit under overpass). Turn right onto Paramus Road and proceed north for approximately 2 miles to College entrance on right side of Paramus Road.
Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands - 1280 Wall Street West, Lyndhurst
Opened in 2008 to provide southern Bergen County with an accessible destination for higher education, Bergen Community College atthe Meadowlands offers both complete degree programs and classes.
Directions to Meadowlands (Lyndhurst) 1280 Wall Street West, Lyndhurst, New Jersey 07071. Public Transportation: NJ TRANSIT Bus Routes #192, Clifton-NY; #76, Hackensack-Newark
From the West
Take 1-80 East toward New York City. Take Exit 64 for Route 17 South. Merge on to Route 17 South. Continue to follow Route 17 South past Route 3. Proceed on Route 17 South to Polito Avenue. Turn left on Polito Avenue. Continue to the first traffic light (Wall Street). Turn left on Wall Street West. Look for 1280 on the right hand side, just after the fork in the road.
From the North
Take Route 17 South. Continue to follow Route 17 South past Route 3. Proceed on Route 17 South to Polito Avenue. Turn left on Polito Avenue. Continue to the first traffic light (Wall Street). Turn left on Wall Street West. Look for 1280 on the right hand side, just after the fork in the road.
From the South
Take Garden State Parkway North. Take Exit 129 for I-95 North. Follow signs for Trucks-Buses/Cars and merge onto I-95 New Jersey Turnpike North. Take Exit 16W to merge onto RT-3 West toward Rutherford. Route 3 West to Route 17 South exit. Proceed on Route 17 South to the first traffic light (Polito Avenue). Turn left on Polito Avenue. Continue to the first traffic light (Wall Street). Turn left on Wall Street West. Look for 1280 on the right hand side, just after the fork in the road.
From the East
Route 3 West to Route 17 South exit. Proceed on Route 17 South to the first traffic light (Polito Avenue). Turn left on Polito Avenue. Continue to the first traffic light (Wall Street). Turn left on Wall Street West. Look for 1280 on the right hand side, just after the fork in the road.
Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center - 355 Main Street, Hackensack
Directions to Ciarco (Hackensack) 355 Main Street, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601.
From New York
Take the George Washington Bridge. Cross over the bridge onto Route 80 local. Take Route 80 local until you get to Exit 66 Hudson Street. Go to the intersection with the light; make a left onto Hudson Street and stay on Hudson Street to County Court House. Continue past County Court House where Hudson then becomes Main Street.
Garden State Parkway North
Take the Garden State Parkway to Exit 160. At the foot of the exit ramp, make a right on to Passaic Street. Travel three miles (about nine traffic lights) and immediately after State Street, you will see the Parisian Beauty Academy on your right. The driveway just past the Parisian Beauty Academy is the Learning Center’s parking lot.
New Jersey Turnpike North
Take Exit 18 going north, take Route 80 (local lane reads Route 17, Hackensack). Take the first Hackensack Exit 66 to Hudson Street to the end of the ramp and turn left. You are now on Hudson Street. Stay on Hudson Street to the County Court House, go three quarters around small circle to Main Street.
The College’s facilities are designed to accommodate people with disabilities.
General information
Bergen Community College is a comprehensive, publicly supported two-year college that is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Through its open admissions policy, the College is committed to equal educational opportunities for all.
The instructional programs are designed to prepare students for transfer to four-year colleges and universities, or for immediate entry into a career.
There are also non-credit courses offered for those seeking personal enrichment or improvement of specific skills.
The College receives funding from the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders and from the State of New Jersey. This support makes it possible to maintain high-quality facilities and programs while charging low tuition and fees.
Detailed information about Bergen Community College’s accreditation can be found at https://bergen.edu/about-us/accreditation/
Visit this BCC About-Us page for the full list of members: Board of Trustees, Executive Team, Officers and Committee Assignments, and the College Leadership.
History
Since Bergen’s establishment in Paramus by the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1963 and its subsequent opening in 1968, eight presidents have led the State of New Jersey’s largest community college, prioritizing the hallmarks of a community college education: quality, access and affordability for all who seek lifelong learning opportunities.
The College ranks No. 1 in the state for associate degree graduates; alumni have attended the country’s most prestigious universities, including all eight Ivy League institutions. More than 740,000 students have taken classes at Bergen, with countless others visiting for community and cultural events.
Resources include the Henry and Edith Cerullo Learning Assistance Center, which has twice earned recognition as the “tutoring center of the year.” The College’s Paramus main campus features vast physical resources including the Technology Education Center (opened 2003), the region’s only Health Professions Integrated Teaching Center (opened 2016) and the nation-leading STEM Student Research Center (opened 2019).
Finally, Bergen’s personnel represent an institutional strength, highlighted by the 2015 U.S. Professor of the Year, as named by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
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