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Timeline
From Dream to Reality: A Timeline
- 1962—State legislature passes County College Act establishing community
colleges in New Jersey
- 1964—State Department of Education approves establishment of then
Atlantic Community College, ACC, the second college organized in the state
- 1968—The college moves into its permanent nine-building main campus
on the Black Horse Pike (U.S. Route 322) in Mays Landing
- 1973—ACC begins serving Cape May County by scheduling six evening
classes at Middle Township High School
- 1980—In response to growing demand for course offerings, college
opens Cape May County Extension Center, later relocated to Rio Grande,
and becomes county’s main provider of higher education with day and
evening credit classes and continuing education
- 1980—Cape May County residents constitute about 21 percent of the
college’s credit enrollment, a trend that continues today
- 1984—Atlantic City Extension Center, now Charles D. Worthington
Atlantic City Campus, opens in former Atlantic City Electric Company headquarters
- 1990s—Cape May County officials urge expanded higher educational opportunities
- 1995—N.J. Commission on Higher Education declines county’s
request for independent college, urges Cape May County to partner with
a neighboring community college to benefit from larger population base,
immediate availability and accreditation of curricula, elimination of duplication
of efforts and costs
- 1997—Cape May County requests joint proposals by February
- 1999—On Jan. 1, Atlantic and Cape May county officials enact jointure
agreement; February, ACC becomes Atlantic Cape Community College
- 1999—February, Site Assessment Task Force pares list of 19 sites
to four finalists; final location in Cape May Court House selected in May
- 1999—June, consortium of architects selected from short list of
six competitors: Duca, Huder & Kumlin and Garrison Architects
- 2002—October, ceremonial ground breaking by state, county and college
officials
- 2000-2004—Environmental concerns, litigation, design adjustments
and requirements of permitting process defer campus opening from initial
projection of fall 2002
- 2004—March, Construction of the Cape May County Campus begins;
eventual cost: approximately $15.1 million funded primarily through Chapter
12 bonding and repaid by county and state
- 2004—August, Board of Trustees authorizes administration to petition
New Jersey Commission on Higher Education to grant comprehensive, full
service branch campus status to new campus
- 2005—July 14, Commission approves ACCC petition
- 2005—Aug. 24, ribbon cutting and official grand opening with special
guided tours for Cape May and Atlantic counties’ elected and civic
officials, educators and business persons
- 2005—Aug. 25, 3-7 p.m., ACCC Community Day, a public showcase of
the new campus with demonstrations of state-of-the-art laboratories, tours,
registration and information regarding financial aid, distance education,
clubs, NJ STARS and more
- 2005—Sept. 6, first classes begin at Cape May County Campus
