The City University of New York is the nation's leading public urban university. It comprises ten senior colleges, six community colleges, one technical college, a graduate school, a law school, a medical school and an affiliated medical school, and has over a billion dollar operating budget. In 1993, The City University of New York enrolled nearly 208,000 students in degree-credit programs-twice the number attending at the time of its incorporation. Ninety-one percent of a recent graduating class of 20,000 were employed or continuing their education within a year after graduation. The quality of the University has been recognized in many ways. The University's doctoral programs in anthropology, English, French, history, linguistics and music rank among the 15 best in the country, according to a survey conducted by the Conference Board of Associated Research Councils. Faculty members across the University have received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, and the American Council of Learned Societies, among many other prestigious institutions. The City University of New York traces its beginnings to 1847 and a municipal public referendum explicitly authorized by the State Legislature to determine if the people of New York City were willing to underwrite the cost of a tuition-free institution of higher education for their children. The Free Academy, created as a consequence of that overwhelmingly affirmative vote, later became The City College of New York. In 1870, Hunter College was founded to educate women and became the first free Normal school in America. The State Legislature established a municipal-college system in 1926 with the creation of a 21-member New York City Board of Higher Education. As the demand for higher education grew, other colleges were established within the City's system: Brooklyn College in 1930, Queens College in 1937, New York City Community College in 1947, Staten Island Community College in 1955, Bronx Community College in 1957 and Queensborough Community College in 1958. In 1961, the Legislature designated the municipal system as The City University of New York. This action mandated that the new university expand existing facilities and develop new ones to meet the demands for postsecondary education created by the rising birth rate and the increasing percentage of high school graduates who wished to continue their education. Rapid expansion and restructuring followed. The Graduate School was organized in 1961, to provide a structure for graduate programs that could draw on the faculties of the colleges. Ten other colleges were chartered during the next decade: Borough of Manhattan Community College (1963), Kingsborough Community College (1963), John Jay College of Criminal Justice (1964), Richmond College (1965), York College (1966), Medgar Evers College (1968), Eugenio Maria de Hostos Community College (1968), and Fiorello H. LaGuardia Community College (1968). Bernard M. Baruch College, which had been the School of Business and Public Administration within The City College, became a separate senior college in 1968. Herbert H. Lehman College, which had been a branch of Hunter College in the Bronx, became an autonomous senior college the same year. Mount Sinai School of Medicine was affiliated in 1967. Despite its rapid expansion, the University was unable to satisfy the collegiate admission demands of New York City high school graduates. In 1970, the City University adopted an open admissions policy that guarantees any New York City high school graduate admission to a college of the University. In 1975-76, the University experienced repeated budget reductions as a consequence of New York City's fiscal crises. As a result, in the fall of 1976, the Board of Higher Education was obliged to end the 129-year tradition of free tuition for undergraduate matriculant New York City residents. Richmond College and Staten Island Community College became a federated institution-The College of Staten Island-in September 1976. In 1979 The City University Governance and Financing Act was signed into law, establishing increased state financial support and a legislative mandate for the University's educational mission. As a result of legislation adopted in 1980, New York Community College was redesignated New York City Technical College and the College of Staten Island was designated as a senior college. The Board of Trustees approved the establishment of a law school for the University in June of 1973. The first class of students began its studies at the City University School of Law at Queens College in September 1983, and the School received accreditation from the American Bar Association in August 1992. Finally, the New York State Board of Regents voted unanimously, in September 1984, to authorize the City University to confer the doctor of medicine degree. Governor Cuomo, in January 1985, signed the enabling amendment to the University's Master Plan. In March 1985, the Board of Trustees adopted an interim governance plan for the institution. The University currently is working with the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and the State government to further develop the program. Governance The City University of New York is governed by a Board of Trustees composed of 15 appointed members and the chairpersons of the University Faculty Senate and the University Student Senate, who serve ex officio. Five of the members are appointed by the Mayor of New York City, ten are appointed by the Governor of New York State. The Governor appoints the chairperson and the vice-chairperson. The individual colleges of the University have considerable latitude in governing their own affairs. Major new collegiate programs and plans must be approved by the Board. The Chancellor is the University's chief academic and administrative officer and is responsible for executing board policies. She is assisted by a Central Office staff and advised by the Council of Presidents, the University Faculty Senate, elected by faculty members from each campus, and the University Student Senate, selected by the students of each college. The Students Nearly 213,000 students currently are registered at the City University. The enrollment figure includes part-time and full-time undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in credit-bearing courses. Nearly 40 percent of the undergraduate students attend part-time. In addition, 150,000 students enroll in adult and continuing education programs each year. Forty-five percent of the University's undergraduate students are 25 years of age or older. Almost all, 92 percent, are residents of New York City. According to a recent survey of students, two-thirds of all undergraduates are employed either part- or full-time (68 percent at the senior colleges and 61 percent at the community colleges in the Fall 1989). More than one-half of the University's undergraduate students report family incomes of less than $22,000. Approximately 66 percent of all full-time students receive financial aid from state or federal sources. Over the past five years more than 100,000 New York residents have received degrees from City University. CUNY students speak a total of 115 native languages. Facilities The City University's educational mission is carried out on 21 campuses in buildings containing more than 19.8 million gross square feet of space. The City University Construction Fund was established by the State Legislature in 1966 to provide financing for capital projects constructed by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York. In the past five years the Dorm-itory Authority has built or renovated 13.5 million square feet of space at a cost of over $2.5 billion. The University's capital budget continues to emphasize remodeling and renovation of its infrastructure so that it can more effectively meet academic program planning objectives, campus master plans, and the changing needs of its growing student population. .