Mahanaim Obtains License to Operate in New York State
The first step of many towards becoming a viable college in New York has become a reality for Mahanaim

Mahanaim received its license to operate as a licensed private school on November 3, 2008. After nearly two years of planning and development, the administration at Mahanaim welcomed the Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision (BPSS), its licensing and compliance body of the State Education Department, on campus for a comprehensive site visit, where everything from teacher-to-student ratios and classroom space was reviewed. As the final step before licensure, Mahanaim’s staff was eager to complete this very difficult process.

In New York State, schools are not allowed to use the words, “college”, “university”, “degree”, and other keywords that indicate college-level credit distribution without being given formal permission from the State Education Department. Mahanaim was first established with long-term goals of being a full-service university and a center for life-saving medical research, but lacked and still lacks the experience needed for degree-conferring status. However, its unique endeavors for higher education sparked the interest of New York State from the beginning, which has finally led to licensure for operation.

In late January of 2007, Mahanaim started its journey operating out of a small office in Flushing, New York, with just a few key volunteers, all focused on higher education planning. After acquiring the main campus facility in Huntington on June 2007, essential renovations to the building were completed soon thereafter. Mahanaim submitted its official application to become a school earlier this year.

With this new school license, Mahanaim plans on offering theology, music, and ESL programs beginning February 2009. There are still many obstacles to overcome and mountains to climb, but this encouraging first step is the one that will trigger Mahanaim to become an institution that not only creates individuals that excel academically, but future leaders that operate with faith.