The foundational decade of CUNY ushered in many changes. Beyond linking historically separate campuses, the University System also expanded rapidly to accommodate a drastically increasing (and increasingly diverse) population of high school graduates. Articles from this decade convey a range of both a sense of hope for what the University can grow to be, and fears over changing times. The decade ended with major protests, mainly at City College, over increasing access to and representation within higher education for Black and Puerto Rican communities.
Articles about the humanities at CUNY during this decade center around three major themes:
- Humanities versus Sciences
- Free Tuition and Access to Liberal Arts Education
- Open Admissions and Cultural Studies
While Open Admissions and Cultural Studies might seem to be two distinct issues, they are frequently discussed in tandem. They both connect strongly to the University’s need to develop ways to serve students outside of the white middle class.
To read more, please visit the CUNY Digital History Archive. The site draws especially from Austerity Blues: Fighting for the Soul of Public Higher Education, by Stephen Brier and Michael Fabricant.
“City Colleges Get First Chancellor After Long Hunt: Everett of Hollins College in Virginia Named to Unify 7 Institutions in System”
“Student Survey Shows Switch to Humanities”
“For Free City Colleges: Opposition to Heald Committee Proposal Is Detailed”
Municipal Colleges Become City University of New York
“Student Poll Reveals Wide Disbelief in God”
Early ’60s Accusations of Discrimination
“EMPLOYERS FOUND SHIFTING CRITERIA: City University Study Shows High Ability Is Now Being Put Above Personality”
Humanities Curricula Expanding
“Evening Courses at Bronx Community College”
“Unrequired Reading”
“SEARCH FOR TRUTH” – Letters to the Editor
C.C.N.Y Plans to Expand
“A YOUNG COLLEGE INSTALLS LEADER: Community College’s Role Cited at Kingsborough”
“A Kind Of Proletarian Harvard: A Kind of Proletarian Harvard”
“STORK OUTRACED, A PH.D. IS EARNED: Woman Will Be First to Get City University Degree”
“CITY COLLEGE ASKS CURRICULUM SHIFT: Liberal Arts Faculty Acts to End Freshman Confusion and Senior Boredom”
“Hunter Girl Is Graduated With Perfect 4.0 Rating”
Baruch Separates from City, Almost Eliminates Liberal Arts Program
New Methods for Humanities Instruction
“Council of Scholars to Guide New College Here”
“At City College, a Division . . .”
Protests at City College
“Gallagher Resigns, Blasts Budget Hatchet Job”
“The Sad Beauty of Locked Gates”
“Art and Engineering Students in Separate Worlds: Different Motivation Found on Protests and Life Aims”
Open Admissions Policy Announced
City University In Perspective
The Establishment of Ethnic Studies at CUNY
“A Crunch Is Coming in Higher Education”
“The Wrecking of a College”
