Joseph C. Nugent Building
Adjoining the Main Building is the Joseph C. Nugent Building, opened in September 1974. This facility houses classrooms, administrative and faculty offices and specialized laboratories, including: the Center for Student Services, the Nugent Lounge, the Theresa Lang Theatre, the Thomas J. Shanahan Library/Media Center and Archives, the Center for Academic Support and Tutoring (CAST), the Theresa Lang Center for Producing, WMMC Radio and WMMC-TV.
Theresa Lang Theatre
The Theresa Lang Theatre affords students training and work experience in a professionally equipped facility, while also serving as a performance space for professional music, dance, opera and theatre companies. Through student and professional performances, master classes and open rehearsals, students can view a wide range of events from Restoration comedy to Caribbean dance. Forums about the American theatre are held with such theatre professionals as Stephen Sondheim, John Guare, George C. Wolfe and Harold Prince. The Lang Theatre is the primary venue for exhibiting the work of students in the Dance and Theatre programs.
Nugent Lounge
The Nugent Lounge, located on the first floor of the Nugent Building is a student lounge, equipped with computer stations for students wishing to work, as well as with comfortable furniture for relaxation and social exchange. The Lounge also houses Starbucks, a café serving beverages and light snacks.
Thomas J. Shanahan Library, Media Center and Archives
The Thomas J. Shanahan Library offers facilities, resources, and services in support of the instructional and cultural programs of the College as well as supports the research needs of the faculty. The Library is dedicated to providing information and instruction as a central and integral part of the total educational experience of every student.
Its collection of 50,000 books, nearly 5000 videos and CDs, 625 paper subscriptions, and over fifty electronic databases (available via remote access) is easily accessible to both students and faculty. Nowhere is the College’s commitment to new technological learning resources more visible than in the Library. The Library OPAC and Electronic Resource Management system have many advanced features that allow its users to go directly to e-books and full-text journals, on or off campus. Both the catalogue and over 50 full-text databases are accessible through MMC’s Web pages on the Internet. In the past year the library has significantly increased its e-book collection, and now offers over 100,000 e-books that are directly accessible through MaMaCat, the library’s online catalogue.
During the summer of 2009 the library underwent a major renovation to provide comfortable and attractive space for students to study. It also created another entrance/exit on the third floor of Nugent (the second floor of the library) that directly connects Nugent to the Lowerre Family Terrace and to the new Commons in the Main building. ]The renovation was very successful, evidenced by the increasing number of students using the library.
Now in its 15th year, the lending laptop program continues successfully. Students may now check out a laptop for up to ten hours and use it throughout the main campus. The computers feature Microsoft components such as, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Internet capability. The library has 35 Mac Book Pros and 30 PC netbooks available to the students. Printing and copying are available in two areas in the library. In addition, the students are able to print wirelessly using MMC’s online printing service.
The Library’s collections span a broad spectrum of subjects, from the classical to the contemporary and are available in various formats accessible outside the Library. Over the past few years, faculty suggestions have helped to develop the collections in the arts, sciences, women’s studies, business and communications The Library receives an annual grant from the State of New York specifically for collection development. Over the next few years the Library plans to increase the number of e-journals and e-resources.
The Library’s main circulation, reserves and reference services are available on the second floor. Articles placed on reserve are available electronically through the Blackboard system. Also, the second floor houses an extensive reference collection, a large study space, an area with 13 specifically designated computers for research, current and past periodicals, a copying center, and the Media Center. The circulating collection, twenty PCs and six Macs, a printing/copying center, large study areas, and the MMC archives are housed on the third floor, as is a direct entrance to the Lowerre Family Terrace.
In addition to its own archives, MMC houses the papers of William Harris, a noted dance and theatre critic, and the personal papers of Ethel and George Martin, noted Broadway choreographers.
The Media Center houses an extensive video library, consisting of over 5000 contemporary and scholarly films and has four flat monitors for students to view them, interactive multimedia CD-ROMs, and DVDs. It also provides audiovisual hardware including all manner of AV equipment. The Media Center has four flat monitors for student viewing and acquired the Criterion Collection, a critically acclaimed set of 600 major foreign and domestic films.
With the support of a Mellon Grant, the library installed an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system on the local college network. The LAN enabled students and staff to view videos, workshops, and presentations from computers in the network. Faculty members place reserve items on the IPTV network so students can view videos on their laptops. When IPTV’s vendor Sisco Systems, stopped supporting its IPTV product, the Media Center Coordinator, in collaboration with I.T. and Mac support, developed an in-house product that allows for greater expansion and allows viewers to stream films.
The Media Center also supports the Communication Arts curriculum by providing equipment and assisting students in the use of basic film editing. In addition, the Media Center loans out iPads to faculty members for use in classrooms and will support a users group to assist in pedagogic uses of the iPads.
In addition to the collections of the Thomas J. Shanahan Library, MMC students and faculty have access to the resources of some of the world’s greatest research libraries located in New York City and in the surrounding suburbs. MMC students and faculty may access these resources through a variety of cooperative and resource sharing programs that the Library participates in, including METRO, WALDO, and OCLC. Library staff members are available to help with searches, to secure interlibrary loans, and to deliver research documents for free, or at minimal cost to users.
The Library staff is available to provide individual assistance and instruction in the use of library resources. The Library’s active participation in the formal instruction of library research methods provides students in the First Year Mentoring 101, and Writing Seminar II, and other research-related courses with necessary assistance. Tours, orientation talks, and specialized lectures and workshops are available upon request.
Alumnae receive library borrowing privileges as part of their membership in the Alumni Association.
During the fall and spring semesters the Library/Media Center is open from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Friday; 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday; and from noon until 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. The library extends its hours during exam periods. The Library/Media Center operates on a slightly reduced schedule during the January and summer sessions. (Check current postings and library Web site for specific times.)
Center for Academic Support and Tutoring (CAST)
It is the mission of the Center to provide tutoring and coaching services to promote students’ academic achievement. The Center’s main objective is to assure the success of each student who passes through its doors.
Theresa Lang Center for Producing
The Theresa Lang Center for Producing extends education in the liberal arts into the pre-professional arena, making connections to New York City’s exciting internship experiences, and providing students with the knowledge and skills they need to become creative leaders in the media industries. The Center comprises an experimental video studio, digital sound design and graphic design rooms, a suite of non-linear digital video editing rooms and a digital media lab, where students publish their work on a Web server, and broadcast programming over the Internet. Macintosh workstations run a broad array of industry standard software including, Maya for 3-D design, Pro-Tools for sound design, and Final Cut Pro for video editing. Ancillary equipment includes digital video camcorders and mini-disc recorders.