Farmingdale State College To Construct $75M Computer Science Building

FARMINGDALE, NY — Farmingdale State College will receive construction funding for its $75 million Center for Computer Science and Information Technology Systems building, the college announced.

The project will be funded through Empire State Development’s Long Island Investment Fund (LIIF) and the State University Construction Fund. The building will address what the college called a "vital need" for the campus and Long Island itself by positioning Farmingdale to continue delivering talent that meets the growing digital technology needs of the region.

The design of the building is set to be finished by spring 2023, while the college expects it to be open for use in fall 2025.

Farmingdale State College President John Nader thanked Gov. Kathy Hochul, the Empire State Development Corporation, the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council, and the State University of New York for the funding.

"Farmingdale’s longstanding vision of a transformative investment in Long Island’s digital future will become a reality," Nader stated. "This is much more than a building project. The Center for Computer Science and Information Technology Systems will serve Long Island’s high-technology workforce needs for many years to come."

The center, once complete, will house the college's Division of Computing, which will integrate several closely related programs, including Computer Programming and Information Systems, Computer Science, Computer Security Technology, Geographic Information Systems, as well as the College’s graduate program in Technology Management.

FSC is also proposing to offer a degree in Artificial Intelligence Management. If approved, the program could begin in 2023.

Farmingdale began actively advocating for the center in 2016.

The project was endorsed by members of Long Island’s New York State Assembly delegation, members of the state Senate, the Long Island Federation of Labor, and the Long Island Association.

"The Center for Computer Science and Information Technology Systems addresses key priorities of Governor Hochul, SUNY, and the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council," Nader said. "The project will yield a growing supply of talented graduates and skilled professionals to serve the region’s tech sector.”

Within the new center, Farmingdale said it will prepare students to work in the computer science, artificial intelligence, and information technology fields.

The center will allow Farmingdale State College to expand its offerings in the digital technology fields and offer IT workforce training to underserved populations. Industry-sanctioned certificates and credentials are offered as part of six interrelated baccalaureate degrees with concentrations ranging from network administration to application and web development, computer forensics and cyber security.

Farmingdale State College noted it is a national leader in the number of women enrolled and graduating from accredited programs in the engineering technology fields.

These programs produced more than 500 graduates last year. The college’s Division of Computing offers programs that prepare hundreds of students for careers in programming, mobile application development, networking systems, information technology, cybersecurity, software development, and more.

Three of these programs were added since 2017.

The building will house contemporary interactive classrooms and computing spaces.

The programs are projected to dramatically increase enrollment in the coming years, according to the college. The building will give students and faculty a shared space to work with local firms to address industry challenges.

Computer laboratories and instructional technology will be meant to provide a state-of-the-art learning environment designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills sought by employers in the region.