PARAMUS, NJ– With more students choosing careers in exercise science, Bergen Community College here will expand its gymnasium wing through $8.5 million in Chapter 12 funding from the State of New Jersey and Bergen County.

The proposed 20,500-square-foot addition to the college’s existing gymnasium wing will consist of new classrooms, exercise equipment, fitness areas, locker rooms, restrooms, entrances and ADA-approved parking. “Students from around the region are choosing Bergen in greater numbers due to the quality of our programs and faculty, flexible schedules, convenient locations and affordable tuition,” says BCC president Dr. G. Jeremiah Ryan in a statement. “It is incumbent on the college to support these students and provide them with facilities and resources that contribute to their studies and a rounded collegiate experience. A commitment to health, wellness and fitness need to be part of that philosophy.”

Enrollment at the college has risen more than 12% in the last three years, to more than 17,000 in fall 2010, the college says. In addition, the strong employment outlook for professionals in exercise science has resulted in the number of students pursuing degrees in that field doubling in the last five years.