Changes Through the 1990s
In the early 1990s, the College designed and installed a sophisticated electronic networking system which enabled students and faculty to access information from any building on campus. Students and faculty with personal computers had dial-in access from their homes to all the computerized information on campus. In 1994, access to the Internet became available on the College network.
In 1991, a cooperative education program was initiated for junior and senior students, making it possible for them to experience first-hand a working environment directly related to their fields of study. Off-campus housing for students in garden-type apartments was opened a short distance from the College in 1993. The cooperative education program was also expanded and opened to all students in the baccalaureate programs. The College was awarded membership in NCAA Division III in 1994. In 1995, the College began the first phase of the construction of an Academic Center, Inscape Theatre, Student Union with gymnasium, and Science Center based on the College’s campus master plan of the early ’90s.
In 1996, the Maryland State Department of Education granted approval for programs for the preparation of elementary and early childhood teachers. This was the first Maryland education program that fulfilled the then new state (MSDE) requirements for teacher education. The College received the endorsement of the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) for a Master of Science in Advanced Information Technology in 1996.
In 1997, the College celebrated its 50th anniversary. The Academic Center, Inscape Theatre, and Art Gallery opened in August, and in November, the Student Union (including a gymnasium) opened. MHEC endorsed five new bachelor’s degree programs in biology, chemistry, English language and literature, interdisciplinary studies, and psychology.
In 1998, more than 1,000 people attended the dedication of the new buildings, including the renovated Science Center. A new bachelor’s degree program in visual communication design was also endorsed by MHEC.
In 1999, President Carolyn Manuszak and Dean Rose Dawson retired with a combined 65 years of service to Villa Julie College. MHEC approved two new bachelor’s degree programs in early childhood leadership and biotechnology.