It’s a classroom with a view.
The city’s first new community college in more than 40 years opened smack in the middle of bustling Manhattan yesterday — with a stunning view of Midtown’s Bryant Park.
The New Community College is starting the year with 330 freshmen in temporary leased space on West 40th Street.
The school — the seventh community college under City University of New York’s wings — expects to serve 5,000 students and move to permanent digs at Columbus Circle in about 10 years.
“This has been a long and arduous journey, but we have arrived,” CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein said in a ceremony at the nearby New York Public Library.
At a time when community colleges nationally are struggling with high rates of student remediation and low graduation rates, the new college is trying creative measures to reverse the trend.
It’s requiring all students to attend freshman year full time — something that has been shown to boost results — and is giving students remedial courses only alongside credit-bearing classes.
Students are initially being offered five areas of study: liberal arts, business, human services, urban studies and information technology.
“It’s really cool. It’s a brand-new experience and a fresh start in a new place,” said freshman Simone Mitchell, 19, of The Bronx.
Last February, CUNY officials said the city had contributed $9 million toward the new college.