The Mission of Manhattan College

At its quarterly meeting on October 23, 1990, The Board of Trustees of Manhattan College adopted the following statement of Mission:

Manhattan College, overlooking Van Cortlandt Park in Riverdale, is an independent Catholic institution of higher learning which embraces qualified men and women of all faiths, races and ethnic backgrounds. Established in 1853, the College is founded upon the Lasallian tradition of excellence in teaching, respect for individual dignity, and commitment to social justice inspired by the innovator of modern pedagogy, John Baptist de La Salle.

The mission of Manhattan College is to provide a contemporary, person-centered educational experience characterized by high academic standards, reflection on faith, values and ethics, and life-long career preparation. This is achieved in two ways: by offering students programs which integrate a broad liberal education with concentration in specific disciplines in the arts and sciences or with professional preparation in business, education and engineering; and by nurturing a caring, pluralistic campus community.

The learning experience at Manhattan College is enriched by cooperative programs with other institutions, by postgraduate professional programs and by capitalizing on its location on the edge of the cultural center and global marketplace that is New York City.

A Message from the Vice President for Enrollment Management, William J. Bisset, Jr.

Thank you for your recent interest in Manhattan College.

New York City is the educational, financial, social and cultural center of the world, and Manhattan College is right on its doorstep. Our location in the beautiful Riverdale section of New York affords you the opportunity to study in a residential community, while experiencing all of the excitement only a city like New York has to offer.

You can read, discuss, and analyze a modern drama, and then attend its live performance on Broadway. If you take a finance course in banking and the speculative markets, you can see these theories put into practice on Wall Street. If your interest is in film or broadcasting, you can try an internship or co-op with ABC, CBS, NBC or any of the major radio stations located only twenty minutes away. If engineering is your career goal, you can take advantage of our extensive computer facilities, state of the art laboratories and our excellent internship and co-op opportunities throughout metropolitan New York.

The pursuit of educational excellence has been a hallmark of Manhattan College for over 150 years. Whether you wish to study in the School of Business, Arts, Science, Education or Engineering, Manhattan College offers a caring, committed faculty in an exciting learning environment. With a faculty/student ratio of 1:15 and an average classroom size of 23, you will be able to develop, grow, reach your potential and make a significant contribution to the community. This quality education is exhibited by our chapters in Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi, as well as 21 additional national and international honor societies.

You should also know that the College offers attractive on campus living arrangements and guarantees housing for four years. Programs and services are available specifically to commuters as well. Because of our size you will easily form friendships with both students who live on campus and those who commute.

We encourage you to come see all of this for yourself! The Admission Center has scheduled guided tours of the campus throughout the week. You are also welcome to make an appointment to meet with an Admissions Counselor or a member of the Financial Aid staff.

I wish you well and I assure you our staff is ready and willing to help you in the college selection process.

Athletics

From the beginning, Manhattan has had an enviable reputation both for its outstanding academic preparation and its athletic programs. The College’s early athletes became known as Jaspers, so-named after the venerable Prefect and baseball coach during the 1880’s, Brother Jasper of Mary. Ever since, Manhattan’s athletes have been known as Jaspers (later to include Lady Jaspers) and through the years many have achieved renown as Olympic athletes, NCAA champions and legendary record-winning teams.

Our Jaspers are encouraged to succeed both on and off the playing field. That is why student athletes have their own academic advisor, who understands their need to do well in class while training for their sport. The College’s 19 NCAA Division 1 varsity teams for men and women offer an array of athletic opportunities – from baseball, basketball, softball, volleyball, and track-and field, to tennis, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, golf and cross-country. In addition, many clubs and intramural activities complement the athletic program. Scholarships are offered in most varsity sports, in addition to academic need- and merit-based.