A Welcome from Dr. DeRionne Pollard
Welcome to the Montgomery College Milestone Moments web chronology. Here you are invited to view a few of the many major, institutional developments since 2010. Be sure to check the links and take a closer look to see where, when, and how you have helped to contribute to the mutual success of our institution and work to create a successful and relevant learning environment for students and our community.
Montgomery College’s Principles on Building for Student Success
These icons represent the principles of our Building for Student Success. Use these icons to identify the milestones that support each principle.
You may also filter the timeline for each principle.
Additional Categories
June 2019
The Board approved the plan on June 17, 2019
Montgomery College shares the Academic Master Plan for 2020–2025, entitled MC 2025, which identifies top priorities for students, the institution, and the community. The plan reflects academic and administrative goals as the College continues looking for ways to serve its diverse student population, county residents, and businesses, while observing fiscal responsibility. Faculty, staff, administrators, and College governance contributed to the plan’s development through focus groups, steering committee and sub groups, forums, a four-day think tank, and feedback sessions.
Read more about MC 2025.
September 2018
Early College/Dual Enrollment Expansion
The Early College program offers two new degrees this fall on the Rockville Campus: associate of arts in teaching mathematics and associate of science with a mathematics track. The program provides an opportunity for MCPS students to graduate from high school with both their high school diploma and an associate’s degree from MC. Nine more degrees are planned to start in FY 2020, and expansion to Germantown and Takoma Park/Silver Spring campuses.
July 2018
The College’s athletic program becomes a Division I and Division II (team-specific) scholarship-offering program. MC competes in Division I for men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, women’s outdoor track and field, and in Division II for volleyball, baseball, softball, and men’s and women’s basketball.
Read more about Montgomery College Athletics NJCAA Division I and II.
July 2017
New Student Services Center Groundbreaking
Thursday, June 29, Montgomery College holds a groundbreaking ceremony on the Rockville Campus, marking the start of construction for the new Student Services Center. The 130,000-square-foot building will provide a centralized location for all student services at the campus.
The building will be configured to provide easy access to the most frequently visited student service functions, including admissions, counseling, registration, financial aid, assessment, disability support services, veterans’ services, the career transfer center, and student life, among others. The lobby will provide seating and gathering space for the expanded MBI Café—a student-run coffee service—as well as receptions and presentations.
June 2017
MC Breaks Ground on Student Services Building (Rockville Campus)
Construction begins on the new Student Services Building, Rockville Campus; it will house admissions, counseling, registration, financial aid, assessment, disability support services, veterans’ services, the Career Transfer Center, and student life. The lobby will provide seating and gathering space for an expanded MBI Café. Also inside will be the Office of Student Affairs deans, the School of Education (instruction and administrative space), instructional space (open lab plus five class labs), Rockville Campus Safety and Security Office, the Office of the Vice President and Provost, and the Rockville Facilities Office.
February 2017
On February 16, 2017, the College reopens the Science Center West on the Rockville Campus. The 68,300-square-foot building includes computer labs, a 100-seat, tiered lecture hall, a math emporium, eight classrooms, and 10 math labs. It also includes open study/group study areas, informal gathering/study spaces scattered throughout the building. The building includes the Dr. Judy E. Ackerman STEM learning center, named and dedicated for the former vice president and provost of the Rockville Campus.
Read More:
Science East & Science West Renovation Timeline
County Exec. Leggett, Elected Officials Join MC Community Thursday for Science Center West Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
January 2017
On the first day of the spring semester (January 23), Montgomery College officially opens its newest parking facility on the Rockville Campus, a 918-space, seven-level garage located adjacent to the Physical Education Center. The North Garage (NG on collegewide maps) features include 59 security cameras, 20 electric charging stations, two elevators, and nearly 700 newly-designated parking spaces for students.
Read More:
North Campus Parking Garage Opens as Montgomery College Students and Faculty Kick Off Spring Semester 2017
New Parking Facility Opens on Rockville Campus
August 2016
Central Services Building Purchase
Montgomery College, through a partnership with the Montgomery College Foundation and the Montgomery County Government, successfully purchased a building within the county to house the College’s central services. The 115,000-square-foot, four-story building, located at 9221 Corporate Blvd. in Rockville, was purchased for $12.65 million.
Read More:
A New Space, A New Place, Still Central Services
Montgomery College Purchases Building for Its Central Services Areas Through Partnership with County Government and Montgomery College Foundation
July 2016
The College launches the first phase of our newly redesigned website and re-engineered branding effort, “Make Your Move,” along with a new College logo.
New data show that high school juniors and seniors rank a prospective college’s website as more influential than magazine ratings, printed mailings/brochures, or anything else when choosing where to apply.
The website has a new navigation system to better reflect the way our most important audiences—students and prospective students—use it. The redesign includes a new homepage and several specially created pages designed to address the questions most asked by students and their families who are considering their choices for higher education.
Read more: MC Launches New, Modern Brand and Logo
January 2016
Effective January 1, 2016, in response to recommendations included in the student services organizational assessment and a report by third-party consultants, as well as feedback from division staff and other College constituencies, the Student Services Division was realigned to increase further efficiencies in our programs and services.
In conjunction with the realignment, the Student Services Division is now rebranded as the Student Affairs Division. This change is representative of both the student development and student services professionals in the division as nationally recognized by leading Student Affairs organizations and associations, such as NASPA–Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education and ACPA–College Student Educators International.
January 2016
MC Becomes an Achieving the Dream School
Montgomery College is selected to participate in the Achieving the Dream (ATD) initiative. ATD is a national reform movement committed to systemic change in the nation’s community colleges, with the ultimate objective of increasing student success and completion, especially among disadvantaged students.
Read more in MC News.
June 2015
Silver Spring/East County Community Engagement Center
The College’s second community engagement center opens in the Briggs Chaney Community Center.
Read more at the Office of Community Engagement.
February 2015
Gaithersburg Community Engagement Center
The College’s first community engagement center opens in the Gaithersburg Library.
Read more at the Office of Community Engagement.
September 2014
The College celebrates the opening of the Bioscience Education Center on the Germantown Campus. As the academic cornerstone of the life sciences park, the building houses classrooms, recitation rooms, wet laboratories, a detached greenhouse complex, a meeting/conference area, the science learning center, and faculty offices. The biotechnology laboratories include dedicated space for teaching cell culture, biomanufacturing, and genetic diagnostics.
August 2014
The College offers a shuttle service pilot program between the Rockville and Takoma Park/Silver Spring campuses. The service later expands to provide transportation between the Rockville and Germantown campuses.
August 2014
Administrative and Fiscal Services Restructuring
The Administrative and Fiscal Services division is restructured to aid in the College’s work of fulfilling the business services visions of the MC 2020 plan.
Visit the Administrative and Fiscal Services website.
July 2014
The College celebrates the re-opening of the Science East building. The renovation follows construction of the Rockville Campus Science Center building, which opened in 2012. The renovation was the second of three phases of creating one large science complex on the Rockville Campus. The final phase will be complete when the Science West building renovation is completed in 2016.
January 2014
The Office of Community Engagement
The College creates the Office of Community Engagement to take Montgomery College beyond the campus and into the community through community engagement centers, partnerships with nonprofits, community events, regular communication, and grass roots community outreach. The office’s primary job is to help under-served and under-represented communities connect with Montgomery College. The office’s specialists speak multiple languages, providing access for people who speak English, Spanish, Amharic, French, or Swahili.
Visit the Office of Community Engagement.
September 2013
College and Career Readiness and College Completion Act
The College implements the requirements of the College and Career Readiness and College Completion Act (CCRCCA), which, through a series of measures and efforts, aims to increase college completion in Maryland.
Read more about the College and Career Readiness and College Completion Act of 2013.
Read a report from the Maryland Association of Community Colleges about the College and Career Readiness and College Completion Act of 2013.
August 2013
The College releases an updated diversity plan after a three-year, committee-based process. The new plan aligns with the MC 2020 strategic plan.
Read the 2014-2020 Montgomery College Diversity Multi-Year Action Plan.
View previous plans at the Diversity Plan website.
September 2011
Rockville Campus Science Center
The College dedicates the new building that brings much needed lab space to the campus for an increasing number of students studying science, engineering, and mathematics. Montgomery College has the largest engineering program of any community college in the United States. The facility ensures both engineering and science students have greater access to enhanced learning environments and 21st-century labs. The building’s 29 new laboratories include 14 biology labs, nine chemistry labs, and six physics/engineering labs.
Read more about the Science Center at the Rockville Campus.