History of CUNY Colleges
The City University of New York (CUNY) system has become the nation's largest public university system since its creation in 1961. CUNY colleges expanded from the Free Academy in 1847 to 11 senior colleges, 6 graduate schools and 6 community colleges at the beginning of the 21st century. The system's steady growth throughout the 20th century came from its early commitment to open enrollment, free tuition (through 1975) and interdisciplinary education.
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Origins of CUNY Colleges
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The Free Academy founded by Townsend Harris in 1847 was changed into the City College the same year, creating the centerpiece for the CUNY system to emerge in the 20th century. City College was the head of New York City's early university system, adding Hunter College in 1870 and Baruch College in 1919. The City College system continued to evolve throughout the 20th century, including the fusion of the Hunter College and City College campuses in Queens into Queens College in 1937.
Creating the CUNY System
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The individual legislative mandates for Hunter College, City College and other public universities in New York City allowed each school to control its budget and admissions policies. This institutional freedom became problematic as university ranks swelled with veterans enrolling at schools under the GI Bill. The CUNY system was created in 1961 by the state legislature to coordinate local and state educational requirements. The inaugural members of the CUNY system in 1961 included 10 institutions such as Hunter College, City College, Baruch College, Brooklyn College and Queensborough Community College.
CUNY Policies on Tuition and Enrollment
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CUNY colleges and universities offered free tuition from 1847 until a budgetary shortfall in 1975 forced each institution to levy tuitions. CUNY's Board of Trustees created an open admissions structure for every college starting in 1969 in response to complaints about barriers to entry for minority students. The open admissions process at CUNY colleges continued until 1999, when the state forced the Board of Trustees and Chancellor of CUNY to institute application reviews. Since 1999, CUNY applicants have been able to register for courses at a member community college if they haven't passed GPA and standardized test standards for CUNY's four-year universities.
CUNY Professional Schools
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The CUNY system features six professional schools as well as the William E. Macaulay Honors College. The Honors College accepts several hundred "University Scholars" into its ranks each year, offering a free laptop and free tuition to exceptional high school students. The system's professional school branch started with the CUNY Graduate Center in 1961 and the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education in 1973. The CUNY School of Law was founded in 1983, while the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism and the CUNY School of Professional Studies were opened in 2006 to expand the system's graduate degree offerings.
CUNY Alumni
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CUNY colleges have produced 12 Nobel laureates along with hundreds of prominent politicians, actors and lawyers. Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter, lawyer Alan Dershowitz and researcher Jonas Salk graduated from CUNY colleges. The system also touts graduates as diverse as former New York Congresswoman Bella Abzug, actor Jimmy Smits and comic book editor Dan DiDio in its marketing materials. The CUNY system's long list of degree programs and extensive network of colleges makes it an attractive college option for students throughout the world.
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- Photo Credit Photo by Matthew Rutledge (Flickr)
