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Today we're introducing you to the third school in our special series, "The Community College Challenge," which offers a unique look at community colleges across the United States.
Stella and Charles Guttman Community College is positioned right in the heart of New York City. The school is part of the City University of New York (CUNY) and the first new community college in the CUNY system in nearly four decades.
Guttman is an entirely new model of college, geared to take advantage of its urban location and boost graduation rates for New York’s diverse community.
About 50 percent of students at Guttman don't speak English at home. Though it's a statistic that many may consider a challenge, for Guttman, it's a key strength.
"Rather than saying that's a deficit that you don't speak English at home, [it's] a strength they know two languages," says founding President Scott Evenbeck. "One of the strongest learning experiences you can possibly have is to be in a diverse learning environment. That to me is the strength of New York City—that we have such fantastic diversity and that's the strength too of this campus."
To learn more about Guttman and to see how community colleges in your state stack up, check out our interactive map and website below.
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