The City College of New York is a huge educational institution with 24 campuses that shaped the culture of education in America. It became famous for being the first such institution where one can study for free. For several centuries, students from all over the world have been studying for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in this main and oldest college of New York University. Why did they choose it? How did it become one of the most popular in America and change the education system in New York? Read more on newyork1.one.
The foundation of the City College: launch, purpose and curriculum
The 19th century marked the beginning of the development of education in New York. One of the oldest educational institutions is the City College. It was opened as the Free Academy on the initiative of Townsend Harris. The merchant was the president of the New York City Board of Education and sponsored this idea. According to his decision, the new institution combined a high school and a preparatory school for admission to higher educational institutions.
Its main purpose was to allow everyone to get a high-quality higher education based only on their own academic achievements.
The city’s governor John Young allowed its opening in 1847. In the same year, the first educational program was created. It consisted of mathematics, literature, history, foreign languages, drawing, philosophy, law and political economy. Later, many more new subjects as well as forms, methods and campuses were introduced.
Symbolism and development of educational activities in the City College
At the end of the 19th century, the Free Academy was renamed. After that, lavender was chosen as its official color. The first student management community in the USA was also founded.
At that time, the curriculum included the study of Latin and Greek languages together with such basic subjects as physics, chemistry and engineering. One of the famous graduates of those times was George Washington. After graduating, he became the chief engineer of the Panama Canal.
In 1897, students started to take educational courses in various specialties to gain additional knowledge. Also, other areas of study appeared due to the opening of new educational buildings. For example, a business school was opened. Later, a pedagogical school appeared.
Until 1929, this educational institution was for men. The first women were accepted to study in master’s programs only in 1930. Since then, everyone can study here, regardless of gender and nationality.
The admission rules were not very demanding as in many other institutions, where only children from wealthy families studied. Therefore, most people had no choice. If they wanted to get a higher education, they entered the City College. After a few decades, it turned out that there is no similar educational institution that has produced as many Nobel Prize winners as this college. In addition, many of its graduates served in the US military during World War II.
The first student unions were organized after the war. In the 1950s, one of the students founded the Society of Economic Knowledge. Its purpose was to reward talented students who studied at the Faculty of Economics, as well as to hold meetings and issue a journal.
The first educational reforms
In the 1960s, a civil rights movement started in New York. Activists held rallies in one of the campus’s academic buildings. They protested against the policy of educationalists. They demanded reforms from the administration. For instance, they wished to increase the number of students and provide assistance to representatives of certain nationalities. After that, representatives of the administration developed a program of open admission of applicants. Since that time, any school student in New York could enter this college.
On the one hand, the admission of new students, regardless of the level of academic training, made it possible to stop the rallies and provide more opportunities for all those who want to get a higher education. On the other hand, it increased costs and the possibility of deterioration of the reputation of the City College.
That is why, in 1976, the administration introduced an innovation. It established a fee for educational services. Also, open classes were canceled. This put an end to the policy of open admission.
As a result, those who did not meet the requirements for admission had to take preparatory courses at other colleges. Thanks to this, the demand for studies at this institution was constantly increasing for the next several decades. Furthermore, the college often became a leader in educational ratings. In addition, the termination of open admission of students affected the demographic situation. The number of black and Latin American students decreased, while white and Asian students increased. Then a special center was opened here to organize communities against racism, harsh measures by law enforcement officers, privatization and other violations of students’ rights.
Interesting facts
- The City College of New York is one of the largest. It occupies 14 hectares. There are more than 20 educational institutions on its territory.
- More than 16,500 students study in the faculties of architecture, engineering, art, education, biomedical technologies, psychology, etc.
- The structure of the college includes 12 research centers and institutes, where students and professors are engaged in research activities. They have many opportunities to invent something new due to funding.
- All campuses are built in the Renaissance style. Some of them were recognized as monuments of architecture.
- The City College unites 16 student teams that compete with more than 100 sports associations from different countries.
- It is one of the oldest educational institutions in New York with a rich history. There are famous scientists, politicians, engineers and architects among its graduates. They are well-known for their reforms, research, inventions and other innovations in various fields.
Cultural life at the City College of New York
Having a large stock of knowledge and skills is important for every student. At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention to self-development and spiritual enrichment. Therefore, students have the opportunity to spend their time in an interesting and useful way. There are student organizations and clubs for this purpose.
They have different specializations. For example, in academic clubs, one can apply the acquired knowledge in practice in various areas. Also, this college has ethnic, cultural and ideological clubs, where students can find friends with similar political and religious views.