The Baruch College Faculty Handbook

Introduction to Baruch College

Last updated on 7/1/2010


Baruch College traces its roots to 1847, when the Free Academy, the first institution of free public higher education in the country, was founded in New York City to provide educational opportunity and superior academic programs. (Baruch's landmark building at 23rd Street and Lexington Avenue occupies the site of the Free Academy.) Today Baruch is a thriving, urban, multicultural institution, and a senior college of The City University of New York (CUNY), the largest urban university in the U.S. and its third-largest public university system. Some 200,000 students are enrolled for degrees on 19 campuses in all five boroughs of New York City.

Baruch offers undergraduate and graduate programs through its three schools. The Zicklin School of Business (ZSB) is the largest and one of the most respected business schools in the nation, the only unit in CUNY that offers business programs accredited by the AACSB International. ZSB offers degree programs leading to the BBA, MBA, Executive MBA, MS, and Executive MS in Finance; also the Baruch/Mt. Sinai MBA in Health Care Administration, which is accredited by the Accrediting Commission on Education for Health Care Administration (ACEHSA). The Zicklin full-time MBA program enrolls students whose credentials and average GMAT scores place them among the top students in the nation. The Zicklin School also offers a combined degree program in accountancy that meets the latest education requirements for the CPA exam and enables students to complete an undergraduate degree program of their choice and an MS in accountancy in five years. The Zicklin School houses the City University's PhD in business and offers a joint degree program leading to the JD/MBA degrees in conjunction with both Brooklyn Law School and The New York Law School.

The Weissman School of Arts and Sciences (WSAS) provides all Baruch students with a strong foundation in the arts and sciences and offers 14 majors leading to the BA degree, as well as an arts and sciences ad hoc major that enables students to tailor unique interdisciplinary programs. "Bridge programs" combine study of a liberal arts discipline with study of business, such as arts administration, management of musical enterprises, business journalism, graphic communication, and corporate communication. WSAS offers science programs that prepare students for entry into top medical and dental schools. At the graduate level, the Weissman School offers the MS and PhD degrees in industrial/organizational psychology, MS in Applied Mathematics for Finance, and MA degrees in business journalism and corporate communication.

The School of Public Affairs (SPA) prepares students for careers in government, the nonprofit sector, and private enterprise through programs leading to the BS in public affairs and in real estate and metropolitan development, MPA, Executive MPA, and MS Ed in educational administration and supervision, and in higher education administration.

Baruch has been ranked as the most diverse college in the United States, with students from across the wide spectrum of New York City's cosmopolitan population, as well as from 148 other nations. Total enrollment is over 15,000, including nearly 2,500 graduate students. The profile of the traditional Baruch student has remained unchanged since the college's beginnings: smart students, many of whom work, many of whom do not speak English at home, and many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. They are willing to work and study hard to make their career aspirations a reality. Day, evening, and weekend class schedules are designed to accommodate both full- and part-time students.

Baruch's faculty combine outstanding academic credentials with significant real-world experience. Roughly 450 teach full time, with about 95 percent holding the PhD or other terminal degree. Full-time faculty teach both entry-level and advanced courses and serve as advisors to student organizations and pre-professional programs. Many are affiliated with the PhD programs at the CUNY Graduate Center. As leaders in their chosen academic fields, faculty members are regularly recognized with fellowships and awards. Several hold the prestigious title of City University Distinguished Professor.

The Baruch College Campus
The campus comprises six buildings, as outlined below. The bold letters on the left correspond to the official designations of campus boxes and offices (e.g. Box B8-250 means the Newman Vertical Campus, 8th floor, Room 250). For more detailed descriptions of the facilities see the Bulletin; for the location of specific offices or individuals, see the on-line directory; for additional information on the college see the home page.

A 17 Lexington Avenue (23rd Street)

B Newman Vertical Campus
(One Bernard Baruch Way/55 Lexington Avenue)

C Newman Hall (137 East 22nd Street)

D 135 East 22nd Street

 H 151 East 25th Street

I 137 East 25th Street (The Annex)