ASA College

History

ASA's modest roots began in 1985 with a professor and 12 students in a small Brooklyn classroom. Known then as 'Advanced Software Analysis', the College focused on computer programming, as New York had a dire shortage of qualified mainframe programmers at that time.

In 1999, ASA received authorization from the New York State Board of Regents to confer degrees in accounting, computer programming and information technology and medical assisting.

Growth and expansion

The college currently has more than 5,000 students, 16 programs of study, and 5 campuses; Midtown Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn, North Miami Beach, Florida, Hialeah, Florida, and Golden Glades, Florida

Accreditations and approvals

ASA College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and authorized by the New York State Board of Regents to confer Associate of Occupational Studies and Associate in Applied Science degrees.

ASA’s associate degree program in Medical Assisting is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs upon the recommendation of the Curriculum Review Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants Endowment.

ASA is also approved by the New York State Education Department for the training of veterans and is authorized under Federal law to enroll non-immigrant alien students.

ASA College in New York City received top rankings in multiple categories of student engagement, placing it among the best performing two-year colleges in country, according to the recently released 2014 Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE).

In the July 2015 issue of Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, ASA College was ranked first in 2-year institutions providing Health Professional degrees to the Hispanic and Latino community.

Academic programs

The college offers ten degree programs in Healthcare Office Administration, Health Information Technology, Medical Assisting, Pharmacy Technology, Business Administration - Accounting, Office Administration and Technology, Computer Programming and Information technology, Network Administration and Security, Criminal Justice, Paralegal and Nursing.

ASA also offers six professional certification programs in Office Technology and Administration, Executive Legal Assistant, Computer Support Specialist, Internet Client-Server Application Development, PC Client-Server Programming and Medical Office Assisting with Medical Billing and a language division specializing in teaching ESL.

In 2014 survey, ASA scored better than the average of the Top-Performing colleges in the 2014 CCSSE Cohort (in three of the five benchmark categories: “Student Effort,” “Academic Challenge,” and “Support for Learners.” In addition, ASA scored above the national average in the remaining two categories: “Active and Collaborative Learning” and “Student-Faculty Interaction.” For New York City area participating colleges (with a total of more than 10,000 students) the survey showed ASA was a top performer with significantly higher scores than the average in all five categories.

According to National Center for Education Statistics - ASA College ranks No. 8 out of 52 two-year colleges in New York State with 500+ student population who graduate on time or within 100% of their start time and No. 14 out of 52 two-year colleges in the State with 500+ student population who graduate within 150% of their start time. – better than 73% of the listed two year institutions statewide.

Athletics programs

In 2008, ASA College launched their Athletics Division, ^[1] known as the ASA Avengers. Starting with a small basketball team, the program has expanded to include 13 sports programs playing under the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) Division 1^[2].

Notably, the ASA Avengers Football program, the only junior college football program in New York City, was ranked #5 nationally for the 2012-2013 season, playing against Snow College in their first Carrier Bowl appearance.

Both the ASA College women's and men's tennis teams were ranked #1 nationally in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association junior college preseason poll released Friday. The Avenger programs both to enter the 2014-15 season as the reigning NJCAA Division I National Champions.^[3]

Board of Trustees

Dan Holt (Chair) President of Statewide Management CFO of New York Grant Company Mr. Dan Holt is the President of Statewide Management, a company specializing in strategic planning, acquisitions and organizational development. He has also been the CFO of New York Grant Company since 2013. Mr. Holt was the Publisher and COO of Courier-Life Publications from 1979-2006 until it was acquired by NewsCorp. He worked for NewsCorp after the transition and helped oversee additional expansion until his retirement in 2008. Dan has served in the past as Chairman of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Chair of New York Blood Services for Brooklyn-Staten Island, President of the Brooklyn Council of Boy Scouts of America, and board member of the Brooklyn Arts Council. Mr. Holt was appointed as the Press Liaison for the NYC Office of Emergency Management in 2002 until 2008 and served on numerous committees and boards in the Newspaper industry. Dan Holt has served as ASA Board Chair from 2003 until his resignation from the Board in 2008 upon his relocation to North Carolina. He has since accepted the opportunity to serve on the ASA Board once again.

Zachary Yamba, Ph.D. President Emeritus, Essex County College, New Jersey Doctor Zachary Yamba is the President Emeritus of Essex County College. He has the distinction of being the longest tenured college president in the history of New Jersey. Dr. Yamba is a Regent Emeritus of Seton Hall University, serves as a Board Member at New Community Corporation in Newark, New Jersey; and is also a Board Member at Victoria Foundation in New Jersey.

Julanne Reid Director TRIO Student Support Services, Medgar Evers College Ms. Reid hold a Masters of Science in Education/Higher Education Administration and has over 20 years of experience in education. She plays an influential role on the ASA Board's Academic Committee.

Liza Kramer Deputy Portfolio Manager, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's Office of Appointments Liza Kramer is a Deputy Portfolio Manager in New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's Office of Appointments. Prior to her current position, she was a member of the de Blasio Transition Team. Ms. Kramer was a former Deputy Chief of Staff to former NYS Assembly Member Adele Cohen and also served as the Deputy Director of Community Affairs for former NYC Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum. Additionally, she served as Assistant Director of the American Jewish Committee's New York Office where she became an advocate on energy conservation issues and federal immigration reform. Ms. Kramer holds a seat on Brooklyn Community Board 18 and is a life-member of Hadassah.

Dov Kolker, M.D. Orthopedic Surgeon, Maimonides Medical Center, NY Dr. Dov Kolker is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of foot and ankle disorders. Dr. Kolker graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University School of Medicine. He completed his surgical internship at Harvard Medical School and his orthopedic residency at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Reverend William Yip Co-founder and Associate Executive Director of the Chinese Christian Herald Crusades Reverend William Yip is the Co-founder and Associate Executive Director of the Chinese Christian Herald Crusades, a faith-based organization which has been serving the Chinese community for over 30 years. He is also the Pastor for over 20 years of the Church of the Living Lord in Chinatown. Reverend Yip is currently heavily involved in developing education programs to help the youth in impoverished communities in New Delhi, India.

Trisha Ocona Owner and Real Estate Broker, Real Estate Ocona, LLC, NY Ms. Trisha Ocona is a licensed real estate broker in New York State and the owner of Real Estate Ocona. She also serves as a board member of the New York State Department of State’s Real Estate Board which shares regulatory duties with The Division of Licensing Services. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Ocona began her career in real estate in 1999 where she managed a City Hall real estate law firm and property management company. Realizing real estate was her divine calling, she left her position there to commit to further utilizing and developing her expertise, ultimately establishing her own firm, Real Estate Ocona, LLC. Ms. Ocona is very active in her community and often organizes, hosts, and/or speak at community and professional events. She also teaches Real Estate at Medgar Evers College and regularly write in top real estate news publications and speak on radio shows.

Natasha Burke Chief of Staff NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County Natasha Burke is a healthcare manager with over ten (12) years of progressive experience in the planning and administration of marketing, public relations, public affairs, development and community affairs programs. In her current position as Chief of Staff at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County, Ms. Burke works directly for the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, serving as the principal staff person and managing information and communications between the Executive Office and internal & external audiences. Prior to that, Ms. Burke was Director of Community Affairs, Governmental Relations & Volunteer Services at SUNY Downstate at Long Island College Hospital. Ms. Burke also served as the Intergovernmental liaison to all elected officials and government agencies on the city, state and federal levels. Prior to that, she has held management roles at St. Mary’s Hospital and Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn. Ms. Burke holds an M.P.A. in healthcare administration from Long Island University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Brooklyn College.

Ex-Officio Member:

Alex Shchegol President, ASA College

Assistant for Board Affairs:

Roberto Dumaual Vice President of Government and Community Relations, ASA College