Photo provided by LAGCC
Aug. 20, 2024 By Czarinna Andres
LaGuardia Community College is poised to welcome students for the Fall 2024 semester with a range of new academic offerings, including the introduction of a new major, the establishment of a dedicated academic department and the addition of several innovative courses to its curriculum.
The college, located at 31-10 Thomson Ave. in Long Island City, has launched a new major in Business Administration with a focus on Facilities Management. This program is the first of its kind at a two-year college in New York State and is designed to equip students with the skills necessary to manage and maintain various types of physical spaces, from office complexes and warehouses to residential buildings.
“With new high-rise buildings dotting the Long Island City skyline and the ongoing challenges of maintaining older structures, the need for facilities managers is more apparent than ever,” stated Dionne Miller, PhD, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
The Facilities Management major includes three newly developed courses: Introduction to Facilities Management, Building Systems: Anatomy of a Building and Project Management. These courses were created in collaboration with the International Facility Management Association Foundation (IFMA).
“The IFMA Foundation and the NYC Chapter of IFMA played a pivotal role in creating these courses, ensuring they meet global standards for Facilities Management education.” said Regina Ford Cahill, Chair of the IFMA Foundation, “I am thrilled that LaGuardia has established this much-needed program.”
Additionally, LaGuardia has established the Community Health and Wellness Department, a new academic unit designed to address the growing need for non-clinical healthcare professionals. This department will oversee programs such as Nutrition and Culinary Management, Human Services, Public and Community Health and Therapeutic Recreation, all of which were previously housed within the Health Sciences Department.
LaGuardia has also expanded its course offerings for the upcoming academic year, introducing several new courses designed to provide students with a broader educational experience. Among these is Introduction to Integrative Research Methods, which offers Liberal Arts students hands-on experience in applying research methodologies to address global issues from a local perspective.
Also, Literature, Health and Medicine, a course that will be required for Liberal Arts: Health Humanities students, and offered as an elective for English majors, will explore how literature shapes and reflects our understanding of health and illness. Industrial Design students will benefit from new courses in advanced computer-aided design techniques and human factors in product development.
“As a college, we are committed to continually evaluating and enhancing our academic programs to ensure they meet the needs of both our students and the broader community,” Dr. Miller added. “This fall, we are pleased to introduce a new major, a new academic department and a suite of innovative courses that reflect our dedication to academic excellence and student success.”
