Located in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, New York, Manhattan College is an independent Catholic institution of higher learning in the Lasallian tradition. It strives to provide a contemporary, person-centered educational experience, characterized by high academic standards, reflection on faith, values, and ethics, and life-long career preparation. Established in 1853 in a small building on Canal Street in Lower Manhattan, the college marked its beginning as a small school, then known as Manhattanville. It was the result of the efforts of five French LaSallian Brothers, who were the bearers of a long educational tradition, dating back to 17th century. The school saw tremendous changes in the periods between 1853 and 1863, during which college-level courses, focusing on liberal arts, sciences, professional, and technical programs, were added. Accordingly, the school was renamed Manhattan College in 1861. As the college outgrew its facilities, Manhattan College moved to its present location in Riverdale, in 1922. The college, which had previously admitted only male students, became co-educational in 1973. Manhattan College, accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, is empowered to confer academic degrees by the University of the State of New York. It is a member of esteemed organizations such as the Association of American Colleges, the American Council on Education, the Institute of International Education, and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. Further, the college is approved by the American Chemical Society for the professional training of chemists. The college is well-known for its programs offered in Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering, all of which are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Accredited by the AACSB International, the curriculum of Manhattan College’s School of Business is structured to provide both liberal arts and professional business courses. The School of Arts, School of Education, and School of Science are the other significant divisions of the college. Exclusively designed for adult students, the Adult Degree Completion Program provides opportunities to attain a college degree in a traditional method. With an urban setting, the hilltop campus overlooks Van Cortlandt Park to the east and the skyline of Manhattan Island to the south. It is home to many unique facilities such as the plant morphogenesis laboratory. Indoor basketball courts and tennis courts, fitness center, and universal gym are some of the athletic facilities available to students as well as faculty. The college’s library, the O'Malley Library, consists of more than 200,000 volumes and 1,500 periodical subscriptions, apart from materials in other formats such as microform and computer software.