Serendipity35

The New Community College (NCC) at CUNY is a new open admissions college. Open admissions is nothing new for a community college. The planning for this new college started in 2007 when City University of New York (CUNY) Chancellor Matthew Goldstein decided to refocus attention on the diverse, low-income, first-generation students that are attracted to open access community colleges.  One thing that was done was to launch the Accelerated Studies in Associate Programs. 

But we he hear a lot today about the “completion agenda” to improve academic success, persistence, and graduation rates.  The New Community College at CUNY is focused on trying to change the agenda that currently exists. It opened in summer 2012 with 300 students. Their mission is to rethink community college education in general and that completion agenda is certainly part of that.

NCC reports that the fall-to-spring persistence rate of their first cohort is 92 percent which is well ahead of most community colleges.

They accept applicants who have a high school diploma or GED, including undocumented immigrants. Currently, they do not consider applicants who require an F-1 or J-1 visa to study in the United States, or are only interested in taking courses on a part-time basis or a non-degree status, or are are transfer students.

Their Summer Bridge Program starts students and the "instructional team" in a learning community that continues through the fall semester. NCC uses field experiences along with classroom learning. Students have a city-centered first-year experience before they begin their major coursework.

They seem to be more tied into the city's professional community than most community colleges. Students value real-world experience and opportunities to apply classwork to outside. NCC looks to prepare students for continuing on to a 4 year college or jobs.

Their initial associate degree programs are inBusiness Administration, Health Information Technology, Human Services, Information Technology, Liberal Arts and Sciences and Urban Studies.

I'll be interested to see how things progress. Despite the "new" in their name, much of what I can find about the school (peer mentors. advisement etc.) has been tried before. What will they be doing differently?

They expect enrollment to increase to 5,000 students when the college moves to its permanent home.