Sierra Nevada College opened its doors in the fall of 1969 with 23 students. Among the goals of the founders was incorporation of the unique environmental qualities and characteristics of the Lake Tahoe region into the academic programs at SNC. Decades later, fidelity to this goal is still reflected in the SNC academic mission and core curriculum, which emphasize the importance of environmental, social, economic, and educational sustainability. Within four years of its founding, SNC had achieved candidate status for accreditation with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), and accreditation was granted in 1976. SNC experienced substantial growth in academic programs during the ‘70s, adding the undergraduate departments of Fine Arts and Management (now Business).