Role and Scope
Housatonic Community College is located in Bridgeport, Connecticut’s largest city, and serves an eleven-town area in Southwestern Connecticut. A member of Connecticut State Colleges & Universities, the college opened its doors in 1966 as a branch of Norwalk Community College and became independent in 1967. In 1997 HCC moved to its present site in downtown Bridgeport. In 2008 Beacon Hall became the second building on the HCC campus. The Housatonic Museum of Art and Sculpture Garden are part of the teaching mission of the college. With nearly 4000 works in the collection, and over 1700 displayed throughout the building, the Museum offers lectures, demonstrations, and changing exhibitions in the Burt Chernow Galleries.
The newly renovated Lafayette Hall includes a new welcome center, student services office, restored art studio, and the expansion of the school library and science labs.
Housatonic is accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE) and the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education.
In response to community and student needs, Housatonic offers associate degree programs in preparation for transfer to four-year institutions, as well as occupationally-oriented associate degree and certificate programs. Short-term, non-credit courses, seminars, and workshops, as well as targeted student services, help meet community and personal enrichment needs. These programs prepare students for employment, and advancement in business, industry, manufacturing, health services, fine arts, theater, digital media, early childhood education, natural sciences, computer arts and information systems, and human services. The college also assists local businesses and institutions to train and update the skills of their workers.
Housatonic is a student-centered institution and is a national Achieving the Dream institution. The college strives to provide high-quality, accessible instructional and student services within an environment of mutual respect among faculty, staff, and students. These services are provided through an open-door admissions policy at affordable cost in a variety of settings and through a variety of teaching methods and approaches.
Special support services responding to student and community needs include disabilities support services, career and transfer counseling, academic support and tutoring, library facilities and instruction, English as a Second Language programming, and an array of student clubs and activities.
The student body reflects the diversity of the service region. Changes in student and educational goals, economic diversity, and industry needs are responded to with flexibility and responsible adjustment in programs and services. Outreach to the local community is part of the mission of the college. Non-credit courses, seminars, cultural events, and forums focus on the changing requirements of the workplace as well as personal enrichment.
Mission Statement
Housatonic Community College, through a collaborative, learner-centered, technology-rich, and stimulating educational environment, empowers all individuals to develop to their full potential as lifelong learners. As a knowledgeable and dedicated faculty and staff, we inspire students to contribute responsibly to our dynamic regional and global society.
Vision Statement
By 2021, Housatonic Community College, empowered by resources and public support, will be a regional leader in higher education, workforce development, and community engagement with cutting-edge programs in science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics, and other disciplines that address the ever-changing needs of students, employers, and society.
Values
Educational Excellence
- Providing innovative programs that satisfy a variety of individual, regional, and global societal needs
- Emphasizing critical thinking, empowering students to become independent learners, creative problem solvers, and engaged citizens
- Sparking intellectual curiosity and promoting lifelong learning through a rich cultural and academic environment
- Ensuring personal, academic, and organizational integrity and honesty in all endeavors
- Promoting the educational belief that learning is the basis for personal growth and enrichment and that personal maturity is defined by responsibility, accountability, and transparency
Diversity and Inclusion
- Embracing cultural and intellectual differences
- Fostering interpersonal engagements that are respectful of individuals, uniqueness, and culture
- Cultivating an environment that encourages diverse populations to contribute to and participate in the educational process
Services and Resources
- Making available to students resources and support from entry to completion of goals
- Maintaining a safe and secure campus
Personal Connection and Community Engagement
- Providing opportunities for students to experience a positive connection at Housatonic that lasts a lifetime
- Building strong connections that contribute to, and support, community engagement
