History

The Center for Worker Education, home to the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies of the City College of New York, was established in 1981 through a collaborative effort between the college and organized labor.
 

Mission Statement

The primary mission of the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education (CWE) is to provide an excellent education to working adults from New York City and surrounding regions. CWE offers an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts degree, a Bachelor of Science degree in early childhood education, and a number of certificate programs. CWE serves a population that would be otherwise underserved by the college, and its courses and educational programs are specifically designed for students whose access to higher education may have been limited or interrupted due to financial limitations, work responsibilities, and family obligations.

A spirit of open inquiry, curricular innovation, and academic integrity are linchpins of the CWE mission. Equally important are respect for diversity among faculty, staff and students, and a continuous search for our common ground as learners, teachers, and scholars. In providing its program, CWE seeks mutually beneficial relationships with labor unions, community-based organizations, city agencies, and employers in both the non-profit and private sectors who share our educational mission. With a dual focus on excellence and access, and by reaching out to the community, CWE aims to be a positive force in lower Manhattan and in the New York metropolitan area.
 

Timeline | 1981 - Present

• 2024: B.A. in Social Justice & Urban Life program launched
• 2021: 40th year in operation
• 2016: BA/MA Accelerated program launched
• 2016: 35th Year Anniversary
• 2007: Juan Carlos Mercado | Foreign Languages | Dean (2011 - Present)
• 2010: Andrea Weiss | Film | Interim Dean (2010 - 2011)
• 2010: M.A. in the Study of The Americas program launched in the Fall
• 2009: Renamed the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education
• 2008: Full time librarian appointed
• 2007: Move to the Cunard Building, 25 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10004
• 2007: Juan Carlos Mercado | Foreign Languages | Dean (2007 - 2010)
• 2006: 25th Year Anniversary
• 2005: CLAS Division Status, External Review, New Faculty Hires, City Council Funding
• 2003: NCATE review of E.C.E.
• 2003: Dan Lemons | Biology | Dean (2003 - 2007)
• 2002: Jane MacKillop Associate Dean (2002-2003)
• 2001: 20th Year in operation
• 1999: Harriet Alonso | History | Associate Dean (1999 - 2002)
• 1997: Proposal to increase enrollment to 1000 Students
• 1997: William Herman | English | Associate Dean (1997 - 1999)
• 1995: 6th floor added at 99 Hudson/all classes moved there
• 1991: Karl Malkoff | English | Associate Dean (1991 - 1997)
• 1991: 10th Year in operation
• 1985: E.C.E. program approved/half of program moved to 99 Hudson St.
• 1984: External & Internal Review/CLAS program approval
• 1983: Leonard Kriegel | English | Director (1983 - 1991)
• 1982: Ed Quinn | English | Director (1982 - 1983)
• 1981: Irwin Yellowitz | History | Director (1981 - 1982)
• 1981: Stephen Leberstein | Executive Director (1981 - 2002)
• 1981: CLAS approval/program @14 St. & Federal Plaza