Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott and City University of New York Chancellor Matthew Goldstein, through their “Graduate NYC! partnership,” unveiled NYC College Line, a first-of-its-kind web resource to provide city-specific information on the college process.
As a free, online community- available at NYCCollegeLine.org- NYC College Line will allow New Yorkers to get rapid responses to all of their NYC-college-related questions, from preparedness programs, to admissions and application procedures, to tips on completing college successfully.
Graduate NYC!, which was created in 2010 with the ambitious goal of doubling the number of CUNY Graduates by 2020, launched and will maintain the site in partnership with the Goddard Riverside Options Center.
As the Department of Education graduates more students than ever before and works towards college and career readiness for all, NYC College Line aims to ensure that students, educators, and families have access to the information they need to get into institutions of higher learning-and
–CONTINUED FROM PG. 25- the information they need to be successful once they get there.
“This is a game-changer for higher education in our city. NYC College Line has the capacity to drastically boost college readiness, improve access, and raise graduation rates. Finding information is easy – but finding the right information can often be challenging. New Yorkers can get advice from professionals who can help guide them through the college process – from application to graduation,” Walcott said. “We want students not just to get into college, but to be successful there. NYC College Line will help us achieve both of those goals. It’s a win-win-for students, educators, and this city.”
NYC College Line will allow users to visit, join, or open an online forum about their most pressing concerns. Users can also utilize the “Ask an Advisor” service to receive rapid support from professionals. Online resources will be constantly updated with the best available, most up-todate information from around New York City and on the web.
Moreover, a network of professionals and educators will write guides and post video tutorials on topics ranging from admissions, to financial aid, to summer internship opportunities.
In an effort to ensure educators have the tools to effectively support students, NYC College Line will offer the latest research on best practices, as well as information on upcoming workshops around New York. Professionals also will be able to participate in self-guided online training sessions on the site.
Goldstein added, “NYC College Line represents much more than a website. It represents a significant leap forward in how we prepare more students for college and how we graduate more students from college. It is an access window to collegiate opportunity, providing invaluable information and important assurances that academic success will lead to academic advancement. College graduates have better job security and higher lifetime earnings and their degrees are associated with better health and better civic engagement.”
In August 2010, as part of their Postsecondary strategy, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded New York City $3 million over three years for the Graduate NYC! College Readiness & Success initiative. This initiative brings together the resources of the Mayor’s Office, the NYC Department of Education, the City University of New York, several city agencies, and an extensive group of local community-based organizations, with the goal of “doubling the number” of CUNY graduates by 2020.
