On Tuesday, December 11, 2012, The New York State Board of Regents voted to grant 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.

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 New Community College at CUNY has initiated the multi-year accreditation process with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), the same entity that accredits all other units in the CUNY system. The NCC is confident it will meet the MSCHE’s rigorous standards and earn accreditation at the earliest possible date.