Tuesday, December 11, 2012 (New York, NY): The New York State Board of Regents voted to grant accreditation to The New Community College at CUNY for a period of five years.
Established on September 20, 2011, with Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s final approval of an Amendment to CUNY’s Master Plan, The New Community College at CUNY (NCC) is the University’s first new community college in more than 40 years. The NCC was inspired by Chancellor Matthew Goldstein’s visionary charge in 2008 to develop a new educational model for a community college. The overarching goals were to enhance student academic achievement and the timely attainment of degrees, especially for CUNY’s diverse urban students with a wide range of linguistic and cultural backgrounds who are often the first generation in their families to attend college.
After four years of planning in consultation with experts from around the country and hundreds of faculty and staff across the University, The NCC officially opened its doors in midtown Manhattan overlooking Bryant Park on August 20, 2012. At the college’s inaugural Convocation, CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein awarded Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg the prestigious Chancellor’s Medal from The City University of New York for his support and commitment to the development of this innovative new college. In accepting the medal the Mayor commented, “I think this school has the potential to be a game-changing model for community colleges across the country.”
CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein stated that “The New Community College was created to equip students with the skills and credentials they will need to flourish in the marketplace of ideas and careers. It is insufficient to focus solely on access to college; it is the attainment of a college degree that will most help students compete effectively in a rapidly changing workforce.”
Speaking of the Regents vote in Albany, President Scott E. Evenbeck said, “This is a wonderful day for The New Community College and a testament to the model for our new college. The students’ commitment to learning and the faculty and staff’s strong focus on our mission have been extraordinary. We look forward to the graduation of students in our inaugural class and to the success of our students who will do so much to contribute as citizens of New York City.”
On June 21, 2011, the Board of Regents approved an amendment to the long-range master plan of The City University of New York authorizing the establishment of The New Community College in Manhattan and authorizing the College to offer initially associate degree programs in six discipline areas of business, the health professions, the humanities, the physical sciences, engineering, and the social sciences. Currently The New Community College has registered programs leading to associate degrees in eight content areas of study, which include:
• Associate in Arts (A.A.) in Business Administration, Human Services, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Urban Studies;
• Associate in Science (A.S.) in Environmental Science;
• Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Energy Services Management, Health Information Technology and in Information Technology.
The NCC will offer the A.A.S. in Health Information Technology for the first time in fall 2013 and has deferred offering registered programs in Environmental Science and Energy Service Management until enrollments grow sufficiently to support additional majors.
The NCC enrolled its inaugural class of 300 students in the fall of 2012. As an open-admissions institution, the College accepts applicants who have a high school diploma or a GED. Enrollment will grow to approximately 5,000 when the college moves to its permanent home at One Amsterdam Avenue at 59th Street.
The NCC connects field experiences with classroom learning in a structured and supportive environment. All students begin in the Summer Bridge Program and engage full-time in a city-centered first-year experience before starting their major coursework in one of six degree programs. Instructional teams comprising faculty members, student success advocates, graduate coordinators, peer mentors and library staff create a rich classroom environment complemented by an integrated advisement program to help students stay on the path to graduation. To learn more about The New Community College at CUNY, visit www.ncc.cuny.edu.
The Regents’ vote today granted accreditation to The New Community College at CUNY for a period of five years with the condition that the college submit an interim report at the end of three years confirming effective implementation of program plans and student outcomes, including student persistence, graduation rates, and transfers to four-year baccalaureate programs in their field of study.
About the New York State Board of Regents:
The Regents are responsible for the general supervision of all educational activities within the State, presiding over The University and the New York State Education Department. For more information, visit http://www.regents.nysed.gov/.
About The City University of New York:
The City University of New York is the nation’s leading urban public university. Founded in New York City in 1847, the University is comprised of 24 institutions: 11 senior colleges, seven community colleges, the William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, the CUNY Graduate School and University Center, the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, the CUNY School of Law, the CUNY School of Professional Studies and the CUNY School of Public Health at Hunter College. The University serves more than 269,000 degree credit students and 218,083 adult, continuing and professional education students. College Now, the University’s academic enrichment program, is offered at CUNY campuses and more than 300 high schools throughout the five boroughs of New York City. The University offers online baccalaureate degrees through the School of Professional Studies and an individualized baccalaureate through the CUNY Baccalaureate Degree. Nearly 3 million unique visitors and 10 million page views are served each month via www.cuny.edu, the University’s website.
Media Contact: Bruce Lyons
Bruce.Lyons@ncc.cuny.edu
Phone: (646) 313-8015
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