New College was established in 1971 to provide "education for a just, sacred, and sustainable world." The main building was at 777 Valencia Street in a former mortuary built in 1914. The college also had a School of Law located at 50 Fell Street, a Cultural Ecology and Sustainable Campus in Santa Rosa, and a Science and Math Institute in Whittier CA. It was a utopian experiment with an unorthodox left-leaning curriculum and teachers who mentored rather than lectured. The school took over the Roxy Theater and intended to expand the Media Studies Program. In 1983, it had 1,000 students; by February 28, 2008, the SF Chronicle reported that it lost accreditation and the federal financial aid was withheld in fall of 2007. On June 20, 2008, the Chronicle reported that New College closed after its final graduation. New College of California is now The Chapel, a live music venue, restaurant, and bar. The chapel itself is the music room; the restaurant is called The Vestry.
