CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — From its humble beginnings in 1973 in a small office space on Route 9 in Rio Grande and long before the word “Cape” was added to its official name in 1999, Atlantic Cape Community College has been proudly providing the residents of Cape May County with the opportunity to access an elite higher education close to home.
In 1995, the State of New Jersey’s Department of Higher Education recommended that the County enter into a partnership with a neighboring community college rather than creating an independent community college of its own. On August 24, 2005, after years of debate, studies, setbacks, controversy and compromises, the College opened its new 68,000-square-foot Cape May County campus adjacent to the County 4H Fair Grounds on Court House-South Dennis Road.
To mark this significant milestone, Atlantic Cape celebrated the 20th anniversary of the campus’ opening on October 11 with a free and open-to-the-public event that included local dignitaries, residents, and College alumni, students and employees, with co-sponsor Puerto Rican Action Committee (PRAC) in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month.
“Thank you to everyone for attending this celebration. We know how hard the Cape May County community, the College and its leaders worked to have a campus of their own. It takes a team effort to do all of the things needed to sustain this beautiful campus, which was designed to be a community hub, and thanks to Director Krista McConnell, the College’s vision is becoming a reality” said Atlantic Cape President Dr. Barbara Gaba. “We are also so fortunate to have such wonderful partners including the Mullock Family, the Cape May Point Science Center, the Morey Family, Cooper University Hospital, the NAACP, the Cape May County Zoo and, of course, our Cape May County commissioners.”
United States Representative Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-2), who at the time was a New Jersey State senator, recalled the arduous process that went into procuring Cape May County its very own community college campus.
“At the time, it was a controversial issue. It was a big deal. There was a lot of back and forth. There was a lot of concern that for a relatively small county with a population of about 100,000,” said Van Drew, who presented Dr. Gaba with a proclamation affixed with the great gold seal of the U.S. Van Drew also stated that he will give an officially-recorded-into-the-record speech before Congress where he will talk about the College, its history and what it means to the community. “What we found out when we did the study was that young families wanted to improve themselves, but the number of credits that a student was taking was very low for the County and it was because they had to travel all the way to Mays Landing.”
City of Cape May Councilmember Shaine Meier took advantage of the newly-constructed campus in 2005 when he enrolled part-time as a General Studies major and was the first student to walk through the building’s glass front doors.
“For me, it was just perfect. I spent so many hours here learning and studying, and the professors were amazing. I was very involved in 4H right next door and it was just a perfect transition to come here. I feel like when I am here today that it’s like visiting a house I grew up in,” said Meier, who graduated from Atlantic Cape in 2010, Stockton University in 2015 with a degree in political science and currently works for Sturdy Savings Bank. “I met a lot of friends here and it's a big part of my life.”
Meier wants prospective students from the County to know the benefits of attending Atlantic Cape.
“This is a great way to save money. A lot of people that come out of high school are not sure what they want to do. So, if they want to get their feet wet, attending Atlantic Cape is a perfect opportunity for them,” said Meier. “It’s a short drive, you can work and study at the same time. The classes are available from morning to night and it’s very flexible for those coming into the world as new adults.”
Former Cape May County Freeholder Dan Beyel, who served as director for 16 years and was on the board of chosen freeholders for 24 years, was credited by Van Drew for being the driving motivational force behind the project. Beyel admitted he didn’t know what it would take to get the campus completed, but realized its importance to the community then.
“We knew that we had people in the County interested in attending college, but we needed a facility that was adequate to meet the needs for current and future demand,” said Beyel. “Once the committee agreed to expand the funding to include a new building a lot of people got behind the project. Everybody came together from educators and the business community to the citizens and county and local governments.”
Getting site approval from the State’s Department of Environmental Protection to build upon six acres of environmentally-sensitive and protected land required additional time and funding.
“The land was purchased with Green Acres funds from the State, but you weren’t allowed to do anything other than recreational and outdoor activities, so we had to get an exemption. Once we had the approval an endangered tiger salamander was found adjacent to the property, so we had to make sure to protect its population and the environment,” said Beyel.
The campus today features a brick façade and two wings that house an information common that includes a combination library and computer lab; a 100-seat lecture hall; a full-service cafeteria; and 19 classrooms with chemistry and biology labs, three academic computer labs, two continuing-education computer labs and one distance-education classroom.
In addition, Atlantic Cape provides a One-Stop Welcome Center, support services facilities, including counseling, testing, tutoring and financial aid offices as well as administrative offices. Also located at the campus is the Cape May County bizHub and the Cape May County Zoo’s Dr. Alex Ernst Memorial Education Center.
“We're glad we were part of the success, part of the team that got it done, and we are glad to see that it's benefiting the community and we hope for the best in the future. This campus has been a real asset and benefit,” added Beyel.
View a photo gallery of this event on Flickr.
Visit atlanticcape.edu/capemay for more information on the Cape May County campus, take a virtual tour, learn about academic programs and the numerous community resources it has to offer.
About Atlantic Cape Community College
Atlantic Cape Community College is a Middle States accredited, 2022 Achieving the Dream Leader College and Hispanic Serving Institution proudly serving the residents of Atlantic and Cape May counties. As a comprehensive, two-year community college, Atlantic Cape offers 47 undergraduate degree programs, and 34 certificate and professional series programs at its Mays Landing, Atlantic City and Cape May County campuses. Atlantic Cape is home to the renowned Academy of Culinary Arts, rated the top culinary school in New Jersey, and for more than 50 years, our highly-acclaimed Nursing program. Atlantic Cape also partners with more than 30 colleges and four-year universities to offer students the opportunity to seamlessly earn a bachelor’s degree upon graduation.
