About MVCC

International Admissions Office

College History

Mohawk Valley Community College was the first community college established in New York State. Founded in 1946 as the New York State Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences at Utica, it was one of five post-secondary institutions established on an experimental basis after World War II. The two-year public college offered programs leading to technical and semiprofessional employment in business and industry.

In 1948, the State University of New York was created and authorized to recommend the establishment of community colleges. The College became a constituent unit of the State University in 1950. The following year, the College was authorized to grant the Associate in Applied Science degree.

In 1953, the County of Oneida assumed the sponsorship of the College, then known as Mohawk Valley Technical Institute, under the "Community College Law" section of the 1948 Education Law. This section authorized the cost of operating a community college to be shared equally through student tuition, state aid and charges to the counties of New York State.

The following year, MVCC began offering classes in Rome, New York, to better serve the needs of northern and western Oneida County. Classes were offered at the former Griffiss Air Force Base from 1954 to 1958 and again from 1969 to 1974, a branch campus was established in Rome at the current location on Floyd Avenue.

As a community college, MVCC saw its enrollment and facilities grow. From 1946 to 1960, the College occupied temporary quarters in New Hartford and downtown Utica. In 1960, the College moved to new buildings on an 80-acre site in southeast Utica.

The Utica Campus completed a Master Plan in 2002 that included renovating virtually every building on campus and adding a new information Technology/performing Arts/Conference center building.

The College's academic offerings have continued to expand in response to the community needs determined through community surveys. The College now offers an exceptionally wide variety of transfer, career and vocational programs.

College Overview

Mission Statement

What is a Community College?

A Community College is the first two years of your four year degree program. "MVCC First"
A Community College offers 2 year Associate Degree Programs design for career and transfer opportunities
A Community College will give you access to countless transfer opportunities to the 4 year University of your choice
A Community College offers 2 + 2 programs with specified 4 year Universities
A Community College offers you a valuable College experience
A Community College is half the cost of a 4 year University

The Community College Concept:

Community colleges are a uniquely American institution, Their mission is to provide access to higher education to everyone- regardless of race, gender, social status, income, geographic location, etc. In support of this goal, community colleges have a tradition of open admissions and low tuition. Public support enables them to keep tuition low and quality high.

Across the U.S., over 10 million students attend community colleges to improve their future- and that of their families. In return, they improve the country's ability to compete with the rest of the world, and they provide the educated populace on which a free nation depends. For this reason, community colleges have been referred to as "democracy's colleges."

Community Colleges are teaching institutions. As such, their entire focus is on creating a learning environment centered. Classes are kept small and opportunities for interaction between instructor and students are frequent. Community colleges are leaders in developing new programs and new instructional techniques.

Community colleges are strongly oriented toward meeting the needs of the areas they serve. They are actively involved in providing continuing education for adult students, and training needed to support employers services, Center for Community & Economic Development and two campuses are all the result of its commitment to this orientation.

A unit of The State University of New York

International Admissions