Allegany College of Maryland


Allegany College of Maryland is a two-year public community college located in Cumberland, Maryland. It was previously known as Allegany Community College.

History

Allegany College of Maryland began operations in 1961 as "Allegany Community College" in an old public school facility that had been closed in 1959 by the Allegany County Board of Education following the integration of public schools in 1955. The College opened with an enrollment of 122 students from Allegany County under the direction of ACM’s first president, Dr. Robert S. Zimmer.
In 1969, the College moved to a new campus consisting of seven buildings on a 316-acre tract in suburban Cumberland that was partially funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission. Enrollment reached the 1000 mark in credit programs during the first year on the new campus and community service and continuing education courses and programs began. Since that time, the campus has expanded to include 15 buildings, which provide modern facilities for both credit and non-credit students.
The College opened two Pennsylvania campuses in 1989 and 1990. It expanded its Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts programs into the Gateway Center located in downtown Cumberland in 2002.
The College now serves over 3,700 credit students and over 15,000 continuing education registrations. Over 1,000 of these credit students are served at the Pennsylvania campuses.
On January 17, 2017 it was announced that the Somerset location will close following the Spring 2017 semester.

Programs

The College offers over 53 associate degrees, 23 certificates, and 21 letters of recognition.

Athletics

The College's men's baseball and basketball teams have been consistently ranked in the top 20 of their respective National Junior College Athletic Association Divisions. The baseball team participated in the NJCAA national tournaments nine times, including a four-year run from 1994-1997. The men's basketball team has participated twelve times in the NJCAA national tournament in 1995-96, 1997–98, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04 and 2007–08.

Governance and accreditation

The Maryland Higher Education Commission oversees and coordinates higher education in the State of Maryland including academic and financial policies at the College. An eight-member Board of Trustees, appointed by the Governor of the State of Maryland, governs the College. The College also has an advisory board for each of its two Pennsylvania Campuses—the Bedford County Campus Advisory Committee and the Somerset County Campus Advisory Committee.
The college is a member of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges and is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The College is also accredited and approved for operation by MHEC. The Pennsylvania Department of Education has granted certification to Allegany College of Maryland campuses in Bedford and Somerset counties and to the academic programs they offer.