With the historic enactment of a predictable tuition policy for CUNY and SUNY last year, coupled with a maintenance-of-effort provision and an assurance that tuition revenues will be retained by the universities, the executive budget maintains operating support for both systems at prior-year levels.  This offers the University a critically needed measure of stability.  All of us at CUNY deeply appreciate the support of the governor, the State Senate, and the State Assembly for a tuition policy that enables New York’s families to better plan for the costs of college, encourages students to advance their education, and enhances the University’s ability to plan for the future.  In the last few years, CUNY has helped to organize two national summits on public higher education, working closely with the leaders of large public university systems, and I can tell you that this forward-thinking policy has made New York State the envy of the other systems.  We look forward to building on our work to prepare New York’s students for the very competitive global marketplace they will enter.

At CUNY, record numbers of students are seeking that preparation.  As of fall 2011 we are serving more than 270,000 degree-seeking students and 223,000 adult and continuing education students.  We are also delighted to be the point of connection for the 1 million CUNY graduates currently living and working and paying taxes in New York State.  Our efforts to meet growing student demand continue to be very well received.  For example, enrollment in our winter session—the short period between the fall and spring semesters—set another record this year, with nearly 15,000 students, an 8.5 percent increase over last year’s enrollment.  Winter session enrollments have more than quadrupled since the initial session in 2006.

Just as student demand has increased, so has student achievement.  In fall 2011, the University accepted more than 20,000 applicants with a high school average of 85 or above.  This is a 7.8 percent increase in top applicants from fall 2010.  In 2011, we were also pleased to see CUNY students distinguish themselves nationally, with two winning Truman scholarships, four garnering Goldwater scholarships, three receiving National Science Foundation graduate research fellowships, and two winning $100,000 Math for America fellowships.  They are only the latest in a succession of CUNY award winners, joining several previous CUNY Truman, Goldwater, and NSF recipients over the last decade.  Our students are also fulfilling their promise when they graduate.  We were pleased to learn just last week that nearly every December graduate of Baruch’s financial engineering master’s program has already received an offer of employment.

However, this is only part of the story of CUNY’s growing enrollment.  The story is one I have called “The Tale of Two Tails.”  We are enrolling more high-achieving students—a tail at one end of the preparedness spectrum—as well as a growing number of underprepared students, a tail at the other end.  Today, nearly eight out of 10 students who come to our community colleges from the New York City public schools need some remediation.  CUNY, working with the New York City Department of Education, addresses their wide range of needs through a number of carefully developed academic programs, including College Now courses, pre-session skills initiatives, and intensive language immersion programs.  But meeting the needs of students who are at very different levels of readiness is a challenge, both academically and financially.  While some students may be seeking advanced research opportunities, for example, others may need learning communities and intensive advisement.

I’d also like to note, with great pride, that CUNY has seen a 55 percent increase in its enrollment of veterans since 2009.  The University has always had a strong commitment to ensuring that its student veterans receive the services they need to succeed in transitioning to college and completing their degree—including financial advisement, counseling, and disability services.  Late last year I announced the creation of a University-wide committee to review policies and programs that affect our student veterans and make recommendations to enhance our services.  It is our view that those who have given much to their country should be given every opportunity to succeed as students and civilians.

I am also proud to note that CUNY’s faculty continue to be recognized for their innovative research efforts.  This year grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Institutes of Health are advancing the work of CUNY researchers across our senior and community colleges.  In addition, funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the MacArthur Foundation, and the Department of Homeland Security is helping faculty members improve all of our lives through health and crime-prevention initiatives.  And a $20 million federal grant—the only one received in New York State—will enable CUNY to assist out-of-work adult New Yorkers who are changing careers. 

The outstanding work of our faculty highlights the need to increase their numbers in order to keep pace with our record enrollment.  This is a priority of the University’s 2012-13 Budget Request, which emphasizes investment in our academic core: full-time faculty, academic programs, research opportunities, academic support services, and information management and technology capacity.

For our operating budget, the State Executive Budget proposal recommends an increase of $70 million for our senior colleges, mainly to meet mandatory needs—including health insurance for some adjunct instructors, which our board unanimously recommended last year—and to restore some funds that were reduced last year.  Consistent with the state’s new tuition policy, the budget also recognizes revenue from CUNY’s 2011 and 2012 tuition increases.

As I mentioned, for the University a key provision of the tuition policy is the maintenance-of-effort agreement that ensures that funding cannot drop below the prior-year level.  Stable funding not only allows University planning but also sends a strong signal to donors that an investment in public higher education is a statewide priority.  It assures philanthropists that their gifts are not a substitute for public support but an enhancement in key areas that can make a transformative difference to the University.  Our $3 billion “Invest in CUNY” campaign remains a top priority.  Just last week, we brought together our many philanthropic partners to thank them for their tremendous support of CUNY and to identify opportunities to leverage state funds to maximize their impact on students and faculty.

On the community college side, the executive budget recommends a $7 million increase in operating funds, resulting mainly from our increased enrollment, and keeps base aid at $2,122 per student.  As you know, over the last four fiscal years, base-aid funding has been reduced by $553 per FTE, for a total reduction of over 20 percent.  Given the key role that community colleges play in our city and state, and given CUNY’s national leadership in creating innovative and effective models of learning at our community colleges—including the New Community College set to open this year—we are concerned about the flat funding proposed for these colleges.

Our community colleges are the locus of nationally recognized workforce development efforts, as well as the most promising work to advance student success.  The University has several initiatives to address the range of student needs I alluded to earlier.  For students with minimal remedial needs, we are expanding the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs, or ASAP initiative; for students with some or no remedial needs, we emphasize learning communities and cohort education; and for students with needs in reading, writing, and mathematics, we encourage deferred admission and enrollment in CUNY Start, an immersion program that preserves their financial aid and accelerates preparedness for college-level courses.

We are proud of the progress of these programs.  For example, ASAP students have experienced a graduation rate that is double that of a comparison group.  Participants in learning communities have shown higher course pass rates and have earned more credits than non-participating students.  And the majority of CUNY Start students test out of at least one area of remediation, and all make significant progress in meeting remedial needs.  In order to continue this progress and our essential work at the community colleges, we ask for your support for at least a $100-per-FTE increase.

We also request your support to expand the successful ASAP initiative across our community colleges and, going forward, to all of our associate degree programs, including those at the College of Staten Island, New York City College of Technology, and Medgar Evers College.  ASAP is designed to create clear pathways to degree completion, through financial support, full-time study, small cohorts, and comprehensive academic, advisement, and career development services.  The results speak for themselves.  After three years, 55 percent of the 2007 ASAP cohort had graduated, compared to 24.7 percent of a similar, non-ASAP group.  Our 2009 cohort, which comprises students who require some remediation, has seen 27.5 percent of its students graduate in just two years; a comparison group had a two-year graduation rate of 7.2 percent. Given these results, we simply must find ways to expand this important program.  We are asking the state for $5 million to support our expansion plans.

I’d also like to draw your attention to two items of particular concern to CUNY.  The first is the CUNY LEADS program (Linking Employment, Academics, and Disability Services).  The program was not funded last year, and CUNY absorbed the cost in order to maintain the important services it provides.  LEADS is a partnership between CUNY and the State Education Department’s Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) that focuses on improving academic success and employment opportunities for students with disabilities.  To date, 2,121 students with disabilities have been referred to VESID and have been retained at an exceptional 86 percent rate.  Those students who are job-ready have a 72 percent employment rate, compared to the 56 percent national employment rate for people with disabilities.

The program is not only effective but also quite efficient.  An investment of just over $10,000 to develop and place a CUNY LEADS student in competitive employment saves New York State more than $14,000 per year in disability benefits.  Much of this is in the form of Medicaid savings.   Clearly, an investment by the state in this model program will yield a tremendous return, and I ask that you consider funding of $2 million.

The second item is funding for CUNY’s child-care centers.  CUNY has 19 campus-based child-care centers enrolling approximately 1,350 children of CUNY student parents.  All of the programs offer quality early care and education programs.  The availability of high-quality child care is critical to enabling student parents to access a college education as they balance the demands of family, work, and school.  Over the past two years, our child-care funding has been drastically reduced, which is why we were very grateful for the legislature’s addition of $544,000 for child care at the community colleges last year.  However, that amount was not included in the executive budget.  Once again, we ask for your help in funding this central component of our student services.

An additional concern going forward is the availability of financial aid.  More than 38 percent of CUNY undergraduates report household incomes of less than $20,000.  It is often financial aid that determines their ability to seek and complete a degree.

Under the state’s tuition policy, universities are responsible for covering tuition costs above the level of the current maximum Tuition Assistance Program award of $5,000.  With the University’s recent tuition increase, tuition at CUNY’s senior colleges, now $5,130, pierces that ceiling.  That increase created a $4.3 million financial aid obligation for CUNY.  To ensure that no student is put in harm’s way because of the TAP limitation, the University has established a $5 million financial assistance program to provide tuition waivers for students at risk of continuing their matriculation. 

As tuition continues to be raised by $300 annually for the next four years—from fall 2012 through fall 2015—the tuition waiver obligation will also continue to grow.  We anticipate a total obligation of more than $44 million by fiscal year 2016.  Pursuant to the state statute, we are working with SUNY on an analysis of the Tuition Assistance Program, which is due in 2013, and we look forward to working with the executive office and the Finance and Ways and Means committees, as well as the entire legislature, to review this critically needed financial assistance program.

Turning to our capital program, the executive budget recommends another $284 million allocation to our senior colleges for critical maintenance projects and almost $27 million to our community colleges for projects that have received funding from the City of New York.  We are particularly grateful for this attention to our maintenance needs, which have become more urgent as enrollment grows.  In just the last decade, our enrollment has increased by nearly 30 percent—an additional 62,000 students.  Our campuses are open seven days a week and classes are scheduled throughout the day, increasing the wear and tear on classrooms and common areas.

As you know, CUNY does not have land to build additional facilities; we must maintain and upgrade our existing buildings.  The majority of our 27 million square feet of campus space is more than 30 years old, and the average building is more than 50 years old.  In fact, some of the University’s buildings are more than 100 years old.  Our aging building stock and the history of deferred maintenance are the most significant issues impacting our capital program.

We are grateful for the appropriations allocated in previous budgets, starting with the first year of the current five-year plan.  I’d like to mention just a few of the things that have been accomplished with that support.   Thanks to your help, last year we opened a new, 600,000-square-foot facility at John Jay College, and we took ownership of a new location for the CUNY School of Law in Long Island City.  In addition, by maximizing state funds through public-private partnerships, last fall we opened the Lois V. and Samuel J. Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, as well as student-faculty housing for the Graduate Center.  And in late 2010, Medgar Evers College opened the five-story building that houses its School of Science, Health and Technology.

Thanks to you, we will continue making progress at CUNY.  For example:

• At BMCC, the new Fiterman Hall, which replaces the building destroyed on 9/11, will be open for the fall term.
• At Bronx Community College, the North Instructional Building will also open for the fall term, the first major building constructed on the campus since it was acquired from NYU in the early 1970s.
• At Lehman College, a new science facility with laboratories for teaching and research will be completed by the end of this year.
• At City College, both the Marshak building façade replacement and the Shepard Hall exterior rehabilitation will be completed in late spring.
• The CUNY School of Law’s new facility in Long Island City will be open for the fall term.
• And at Queens College, we anticipate completing the Kupferberg Center Arts Complex renovation in the spring.

We deeply appreciate your support of these important efforts, all of which are alleviating space pressures and a backlog of deferred maintenance caused by increasing student demand.

All of these projects were years, even decades, in the making, and we are completing them at a critical time: when New York City needs jobs.  Today, 20 percent of all the construction projects in the city are CUNY projects.  We estimate that CUNY is generating thousands of jobs from its construction program.  For every $10 million spent in construction, it is estimated that 60 jobs are created at the job site and 30 jobs are created offsite in materials fabrication on an annual basis.  We also can’t forget our important partnership with the successful New York State Small Business Development Centers at six CUNY colleges to spur job creation and economic development.  The centers have together created or saved more than 21,000 jobs in key industries, including construction, with an economic impact of well over $500 million.  We are eager to work with the executive office and the legislature to expand the work of the centers.

However, after this year, CUNY’s construction program will slow down.  After that it will be several years before our next significant project completion.  In fact, if we do not start more projects soon, it could be five to 10 years before another large project is completed.  This is not for lack of projects; CUNY has several that are shovel ready and will alleviate serious space deficits at our colleges.  We would like to see the executive budget provide additional funding for programmatic projects.

This includes two key projects at our senior colleges.  One is the new academic building proposed for New York City College of Technology.  You might remember that last year the governor, with the support of many state legislators, announced the launch of his innovative statewide economic development initiative at this campus—and fittingly so, as there is no better illustration of the need for economic development than City Tech’s antiquated building in downtown Brooklyn, a community desperate for job creation and economic growth.  Our building project would provide that; it is designed and ready for construction.  The new facility will not only address serious overcrowding at the campus but will also modernize a college that, as its name implies, focuses on the latest occupational technologies.  The facility will provide essential instructional, computer, and laboratory space, upgraded classrooms, and an emphasis on health sciences technology, including a nursing simulation center.

I should note that the City Tech project already has $252 million appropriated to it.  Our cash-flow plan includes spending those appropriations over the next three years, so we do not need an increase to our spending cap in the next three years.  However, we do not have approval to move this project forward.  We have been advised that we need to have full construction appropriations in place in order to start.  As a result, we still need an additional $128 million in appropriations, despite the fact that we will not need to spend the funds for another three to four years.

The other project is the renovation of the Field Building, Baruch College’s facility at 17 Lexington Avenue.  This is a facility that sits on the site of City College’s original home, the Free Academy, dating it to the very origin of CUNY and public higher education in New York City.  As the birthplace of the University, this site has very special meaning for CUNY and for the city.  The current building has been in use almost continuously since 1928, with minimal upgrades.  It is in dire need of a complete infrastructure upgrade and renovation, including new science labs, classrooms, and enhanced ADA accessibility.  

These projects demonstrate why CUNY’s capital program remains such a high priority for the University.  It has been critical to our academic growth, helping to improve classroom instruction, research capacity, and laboratory and library work.  It has been equally critical to New York City, creating much-needed jobs in a struggling economy.  With your support, we hope to continue this important work.

Chairperson DeFrancisco, Chairman Farrell, and members of the committees, let me thank you again for your continued efforts to strengthen public higher education in New York.  A highly skilled workforce is the foundation of the state’s future, and we look forward to working with you to help ensure the state’s vitality in the coming years.

I have reviewed the recommendation thoroughly and consulted extensively with presidents, chief academic officers, and faculty about its specific components. After candid discussion and careful deliberation, I am convinced that the questions brought to my attention can be addressed within the recommended common core structure. Therefore, I have accepted the task force’s recommendation, which can be found on the Pathways website (www.cuny.edu/pathways).

The task force’s recommended structure is commendable for its academic rigor and integrity, clarity of organization, and consistency with national norms for general education. It puts students at the center of the University’s academic enterprise, with clearly articulated, challenging outcomes and better defined pathways across the institution. It is the result of an inclusive, consultative process that engaged the entire University. Indeed, the recommended structure reflects suggestions and concerns offered by every CUNY campus.

I am deeply grateful to the faculty, staff, and students throughout CUNY who contributed to the research, debates, and discussion that led to the task force’s recommendation. In particular, I thank the members of the task force and its chair, Michelle J. Anderson, dean of the CUNY School of Law, for their diligent and committed work to develop the common core structure.

The implementation of the new common core must be undertaken with the same diligence and care. In order to prepare for full Pathways implementation in fall 2013, the University will establish two new committees. An Implementation Advisory Committee will ensure that the campuses and the Central Office work together to enact changes as smoothly as possible. The committee will include a representative from each campus. In addition, a Course Review Committee, specified by the original resolution, will review campus-submitted courses for their suitability for the common core. This committee will comprise faculty from many different disciplines and all campuses. More details about these committees, including nomination procedures, will be forthcoming.

To assist the colleges with the implementation of this transformative University initiative, the Central Office will also provide several forms of support. CUNY presidents will receive more information about available support shortly. The University will also ensure that all catalogs and registration systems clearly identify the courses that will make up the common core.

Once again, I thank and commend the many faculty, staff, and students who have worked with great dedication to complete this initial phase of Pathways implementation. Please visit the Pathways website (www.cuny.edu/pathways) for more information and continued updates.

As I told the assembled group, listening to their stories and experiences reminded me of the first time I met veterans as a very young boy.  On a warm night in 1945, my mother took me to see a parade of soldiers walking from Avenue D to Avenue C on Seventh Street, where we lived.  My mother gave me a pot and a wooden spoon and told me that while I was too young to understand what was happening, this experience would be etched in my memory for the rest of my life.  Then I heard the bugles and the drums and out of nowhere came hundreds of returning veterans walking through Manhattan.  Cheers emanated from those crowded on sidewalks, children banged on pots, and people cried out, “Thank you! Thank you!”  Like many other women, my mother was crying.  And she was right: that experience has stayed with me ever since. 

Today, our veterans continue to return home from their military service—but they are not always met with parades and effusive gratitude.  They may even be met with indifference or skepticism.  And they may find themselves facing very real challenges as they try to return to their lives.  As President Obama noted recently, almost 3 million servicemembers have transitioned back to civilian life over the past decade.  A million more will return over the next five years.  Yet more than 850,000 veterans nationwide remain unemployed.

Our CUNY veterans have served their country honorably, and the University is deeply committed not only to celebrating their return but to ensuring that they can access the opportunities and assistance they need to advance their educational, professional, and personal goals.

This includes the 3,000 student veterans currently enrolled at CUNY.  This number represents a 55 percent increase in student veteran enrollment over the last two years alone.  It places the University among the top 10 public university systems for student veteran enrollment.

It is critical that CUNY’s student veterans know how to take advantage of enhanced post-9/11 GI bill educational benefits, including tuition payments made directly to institutions, as well as living allowances and stipends for books and materials paid directly to students.

They must also be able to access appropriate assistance to meet the challenges faced by veterans across New York State, whether mental health issues, unemployment, or difficulties with their disability evaluations. 

Several CUNY campuses have hired full- and part-time staff to enhance campus-based programs and services for student veterans.  Their dedicated efforts help hundreds of student veterans navigate the University and the transition to civilian life.  In fact, for the second consecutive year, The City University of New York has been recognized as a “Top Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities” by Military Advanced Education.  The publication cited the University’s “inspired effort” in making it easier for our men and women in uniform to advance their careers by enhancing their educations.

But there is much more that we can do to fully understand and address the challenges that may compromise the ability of our student veterans to have a full and rich experience at the University.

That’s why I announced at the “Thank You for Serving” event that the University is creating an ad hoc committee of CUNY’s Council of Presidents to strengthen services to veterans.  The committee will be chaired by President Tomás Morales of the College of Staten Island and will recommend changes in University policies and procedures in order to better serve our student veterans.  The committee will draw on the suggestions and experiences of student and alumni veterans across the University, who know firsthand of the barriers that impede progress and the programs that have real potential.

The goal of the committee—just like the goal of the University’s Office of Veterans Affairs, ably directed by Wilfred Cotto (U.S. Navy, retired), as well as all of our campus services and programs—is to improve student veterans’ engagement with their education, their success in their program of study, and their preparation for the workforce.  They have already given much to our country.  Now we need to give them every opportunity to reach their fullest potential.

On behalf of the entire University, I extend my profound gratitude to all of our veterans and our sincere commitment to ensuring the support that every veteran has earned.

First, permit me to provide background about the public hearing itself.  The CUNY Board of Trustees holds a public hearing approximately one week prior to its scheduled board meetings in order to provide the public and interested constituencies an opportunity to speak to items on the board agenda.

Those who wish to speak must give notification at least one (business) day in advance of the hearing.  They are then signed in to speak and are asked to submit written statements, a summary of which are submitted to all trustees prior to the board meeting.

For the November 21 hearing, 95 people signed up to speak.  Speakers are permitted three minutes each for their remarks, and arrangements were made to accommodate all signed-in speakers.  At the hearing, a total of 65 people spoke, and the hearing lasted nearly four hours.   Faculty, staff and students spoke at the hearing and were in the audience.  The trustees and members of the chancellery in attendance were prepared to remain at the hearing for as long as there were speakers.

Many of the speakers commented on the need for funding health benefits for eligible adjuncts and acknowledged that the CUNY administration will be including a program of support in the proposed 2013 University budget request to the State and City of New York.  At the September 26, 2011, meeting of the Board of Trustees, I announced my support to seek financing for this compelling need and indicated that I would ask the board to endorse the request on November 28.

Other speakers focused on the multi-year tuition plan approved this past summer for both CUNY and SUNY after many years of consideration by the State of New York through the Executive and the State Legislature.  The law includes a rational tuition policy, operational stability through a maintenance-of-effort requirement, assurances that funding derived from tuition will be directed to the University’s budget, and financial aid coverage for students eligible to receive Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) support.
There were speakers both pro and con on the $300 per year tuition increase proposal from 2013 through 2016 for full-time resident students.

Second, that afternoon, a group primarily comprising students marched from Madison Park to Baruch College.  As they arrived at the college, the hearing room had already filled with those who had signed up to speak. I am advised that the students were directed to an overflow room in the college, which was equipped with a video feed of the hearing.   Students were also informed that they would have an opportunity to enter the hearing room as speakers began to leave and space became available.  They declined to remain in the overflow room.

As more students began to accumulate in the lobby, entrance to and exit from the lobby became blocked.  Several students sat down, further hindering the flow of other students attending classes.  Public safety officials advised the students a number of times that they must proceed to the overflow room or leave the lobby.  The students did not leave the lobby or access the overflow room; rather, more students entered the lobby.  When public safety officials determined that the number of people in the lobby was causing a danger to public safety, they made several announcements asking students to leave or use the overflow room.  Only after students did not comply did officers move forward to remove students from the lobby.  I have seen no evidence that public safety officers used their batons to hurt or strike students.  While there were New York City police officers outside of the college building, CUNY chose to use its own public safety officers inside the building.  They acted commendably under difficult circumstances.

Several students refused to leave the lobby, and a total of 15 arrests were made for trespass and/or disorderly conduct.  At the Board of Trustees meeting on November 28, we expect that there will be additional people seeking access, and we will adjust security procedures as appropriate.   We will post any significant changes on the CUNY homepage.

As I noted in a statement distributed and posted on October 14, “At CUNY we deeply value the exchange of ideas and the participation of the citizenry in the shaping of public policy.  We are also mindful of the need to respect the interests of all members of our communities.  We must ensure that expressions of protest do not infringe on others’ rights.”

These are the principles that inform our approach to public safety on our campuses and at events such as the public hearing.  The safety of our students, faculty, and staff is paramount.  In addition, we must be sure that the business of the University is not disrupted.  Students must be able to access their classes, and buildings, libraries, and labs must remain open for student and faculty use.

The very purpose of our public hearings is to encourage participation and feedback by members of the University community and the public.  We are committed to that process, just as we are committed to the safe operation of our educational programs.

We are deeply committed to ensuring that all CUNY students continue to have access to a high-quality education.  All of us at the University understand that CUNY students face pressing financial issues and lead complex lives that most frequently involve juggling family and work responsibilities with their academic course load.   Many currently receive state, federal, city and employer financial aid.   All of CUNY’s colleges and professional schools are involved in extensive fundraising campaigns to raise student scholarship support.  We will continue to do everything we can to assist students in securing available aid and achieving their educational goals.

Thank you for your support.

Today, many thousands of undocumented students across New York State are pursuing their educational ambitions, aided by a state law that allows undocumented students educated in the state’s high schools to attend public colleges and pay in-state tuition rates.   We review their educational credentials as we do all students and welcome them to the University.  However, their access is limited by their inability to receive financial assistance, including aid from the state’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).

Students who graduate from a New York State high school should be eligible to receive government-supported financial assistance.   If they have earned their high school degrees in New York, and under state law are eligible to attend public colleges, they ought to have access to the support they need to advance their education–especially at a time when New York needs a skilled workforce.

New York recently enacted a state law that establishes a rational tuition policy at CUNY and SUNY and requires the two systems to conduct studies of the Tuition Assistance Program.  We will utilize this opportunity to assemble the information needed to inform policy recommendations on this important matter, as part of the overall effort.  We look forward to working with the executive and legislative offices of the state as we continue to provide educational opportunities that lead to the advancement of our society, both individually and collectively.

I have designated Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Frank Sanchez to coordinate University-wide relief efforts.  Those who wish to make donations may also contact the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City through www.nyc.gov.

Dear Members of the CUNY Community:

In recent weeks, there have been a number of public protests in New York City and across the country.  The concerns expressed include a range of economic and political issues.  In turn, there has been much commentary about the objectives and methodologies of the protests.

Both the American economy and the quality of life in our society are inextricably linked to changing global developments.  At the same time, our core democratic values must always be reflected in our responses to dialogue and dissent.   At CUNY, we deeply value the exchange of ideas and the participation of the citizenry in the shaping of public policy.  We are also mindful of the need to respect the interests of all members of our communities.  We must ensure that expressions of protest do not infringe on others’ rights.

These principles will remain steadfast guideposts as we conduct the business of the University during these turbulent times.  As always, your support of the University and the work of its faculty and students is appreciated.

Sincerely,

Matthew Goldstein

Chancellor

Record Financial Aid Keeps CUNY Within Reach

An estimated $770 million in combined need-based federal Pell grants and New York State Tuition Assistance Program awards went to some 170,000 City University of New York undergraduates during the past academic year, keeping a college education within reach for a record number of CUNY’s neediest students, Chancellor Matthew Goldstein announced today.

Need-based financial aid is but one aspect of the support available to undergraduates at CUNY colleges, but an important one, the Chancellor said. He urged eligible students to visit the University’s web based financial aid center for opportunities to pursue an affordable college degree at the University, which is experiencing record high enrollment this year.

“It’s critical that eligible students avail themselves of financial aid,” he said. “TAP and Pell provided need-based funds that covered 100 percent of tuition costs last year for more than 90,000 CUNY students. For many CUNY undergraduates, this opportunity ensures their ability to complete their studies without accumulating debts that may be impossible to pay off.”

As University enrollment continued its ascent to this year’s record levels, CUNY administered about $541 million in Pell grants for 139,609 recipients and $228 million in TAP awards to 100,118 students for the 2010-11 academic year, which encompassed summer and fall of 2010 and spring 2011.

The 2010-11 financial aid enabled nearly 90,000 students to attend CUNY tuition-free. Another 10,000 had at least half their tuition covered by TAP and Pell and were eligible for a federal tax credit covering the balance of their tuition. All told, 50 percent of CUNY undergraduates had their tuition fully covered.

Overall, Pell and TAP aid are holding steady this fall as a record 269,300 students, drawn by the consistent value of a CUNY education, are expected to enroll at the University. They include 8,200 more undergraduates than last fall.

Preliminary figures for the current, 2011-12 year indicate at least $763 million in Pell and TAP aid will go to CUNY undergraduates, with some 140,000 students projected to receive at least $509 million in Pell grants and 100,450 to receive $253.6 million in TAP.

Pell and TAP will enable some 89,000 students, or 40 percent of all 221,000 CUNY undergraduates, to attend college tuition-free this academic year. These students include more than 51,000 at the senior colleges and more than 37,000 at the community colleges, according to the latest University figures.

An additional 9,700 students — 7,230 in CUNY’s senior colleges and 2,427 in the community colleges — are expected to have at least half of their tuition and fees covered by the need-based financial aid, and be eligible for full coverage of their tuition with the federal tax credits, worth up to $2,500.

Tuition this year is $5130 at CUNY’s senior colleges and $3,600 at the community colleges.

Additional sources of support and funding for CUNY students result from the efforts by the various colleges to raise private and philanthropic dollars from generous alumni, foundations, friends and other supporters of public higher education in New York City. Find out more about these opportunities on your campus.

The University’s figures for 2011-12 are preliminary and expected to change during the year. They reflect this year’s surge in the number of full-time and undergraduate students at CUNY, as well as Pell program reductions due to federal elimination of full-year Pell payments.

With further storm clouds ahead regarding federal financial aid for the nation’s neediest college students, CUNY remains in the forefront of efforts to urge federal officials to ensure continued Pell eligibility for students. Under Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recent budget legislation, CUNY’s current funding level will be maintained for five years, supported by predictable tuition increases of up to $300 a year. The state’s TAP program also was enhanced, with a portion of the additional tuition revenue providing full tuition for needy students eligible for the full TAP grant.

The new state legislation also includes a provision for CUNY and SUNY to conduct studies on the TAP program, which will provide the opportunity for recommendations to further improve student financial aid in New York State.

This is the University’s 11th straight year of enrollment growth, with more high-achieving students than ever in the mix. This fall CUNY accepted 20,202 applicants with a high-school GPA of 85 or more — 7.8 percent more top applicants than in fall 2010 and 104.5 percent more than in fall 2002, illustrating CUNY’s steadily rising reputation for high-quality academics.

I want to begin that process with a challenge to each one of you: to join me in raising your voices in a clarion call on behalf of this underappreciated and essential asset class in higher education.  If we don’t reimagine community college education, and convince the marketplace of its tremendous value to our future, our country’s entrepreneurial capacity and its educated workforce—that is, our social and economic front line—will be seriously compromised.

Community colleges comprise the largest and fastest-growing sector of higher education.  They are the focal point of national and state economic recovery efforts.  And they are a truly American form of higher education, welcoming all and serving a student body that, perhaps more than that of any other higher education sector, reflects our country’s changing demographics.

That’s certainly the case at the six—soon to be seven—community colleges that are part of the CUNY system.  Three out of five of our community-college students are women.  About two-thirds are black or Hispanic.  Almost half say that their native language is not English.  And three-quarters come from families earning $40,000 or less.

Our community colleges serve more than 91,000 degree-seeking students.  Over the last decade, we have seen their enrollment increase by 30 percent. 

CUNY is not alone.  More and more students, especially in this economy, understand the need to advance their education and the incredible value that a community-college education offers.  These students have a range of aspirations and deserve the best education we can offer. 

And that’s why we’ve come together today.  To paraphrase poet William Carlos Williams’s wonderful little poem, “The Red Wheelbarrow,” so much depends on community colleges.  There is much work to be done in order to fully tap their potential—and that of their students. 

Today, the national three-year graduation rate for two-year institutions is about 22 percent.  For large urban community colleges, it’s closer to 16 percent.  And poorer students and students of color are even less likely to graduate with a degree. 

Let’s make no mistake: a degree matters.  Degree recipients earn more, have better food and housing security, are healthier, and participate more in their communities. 

So why don’t more students graduate?  We all know that financial pressures, family obligations, work schedules, and even a lack of information are factors for many students.  But as remediation rates point out, a significant reason is the disconnect between students’ skill levels and what is expected of them in college.  As we well know, success in college doesn’t start the first day of your freshman year.  It starts long before that. 

Today is all about harnessing the creativity and the will needed to address these issues and to bring together the best practices and new ideas from across the country.  It has been gratifying to see some national attention paid to our community college students.  The American Jobs Act proposed by the president a couple of weeks ago includes assistance for modernizing facilities at community colleges.  And the federal American Graduation Initiative announced a couple of years ago acknowledges the essential role of community colleges to the country’s future, and sets a goal of graduating an additional five million Americans from two-year colleges by 2020. 

But how will we get there?  I am speaking to the group that I believe holds the answers to that question.  Your expertise and creativity will help us reimagine community-college education. 

More than anything, we must act boldly.  We must be willing to question established practices and experiment with new ones.  At CUNY, we’re doing just that.  And it’s producing some astonishing results.

In 2007, we began a new program designed to help community-college students graduate in a timely way and gain employment.  The ASAP initiative—which stands for the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs—was created in partnership with the New York City Center for Economic Opportunity.  It began with just over 1,000 students and is now under way at our six community colleges.

The program is motivated by a guiding principle: minimizing students’ uncertainty as they enter the new world of a community college.  That includes everything from uncertainty about the registration process to uncertainty about how to balance school with work. 

As a result, ASAP students receive financial incentives, such as tuition waivers for eligible students and free monthly transit cards and use of textbooks.  They attend full-time, and they are grouped together in cohorts.  They take small classes in convenient scheduling blocks, and they receive intensive academic, advisement, and career development services.  I should note that many of the ideas developed for ASAP came from research you are all familiar with and, in some cases, have even conducted.

So you might be saying: great program, but isn’t it much more expensive?  The answer is yes. 

The answer is that success merits investment.  Budgets are about making choices.  The countries that will lead in the future are the ones that invest in innovation.  If we are going to maintain our presence as a country of leaders, we must educate our students in the best ways possible.  If we can collectively demonstrate that we can raise graduation rates while maintaining quality, then it’s time to consider some very real policy changes.  Are we willing to make investments in new, effective models?  Or will we maintain the status quo, and compromise our ability to compete in global markets?

I believe that if we don’t alter our methods of funding—if we don’t make investments that have been shown to offer strong returns—then we will continue to have what I refer to as a national security issue.  It is not our borders that will be threatened but our economic security.  In the end, our economic well-being depends on a well-educated citizenry, one that can compete in an unforgiving marketplace.  There is no better investment in our collective future than an investment in education.

As we found out with the ASAP initiative, investing in innovation pays off.  Our goal for ASAP was ambitious: a three-year graduation rate of 50 percent, substantially beyond the national average.  I’m delighted to tell you that we ended up with a 55 percent graduation rate.  This was cause for real celebration—especially because the results have been subjected to rigorous evaluation.  Today, we are tracking the progress of a new cohort, one that has some remedial needs.  Preliminary results show that it, too, is already outperforming a comparison group.  And we are teasing out the effects of the different ASAP elements as we figure out how to scale up the program—and what that will cost.  What we do know is that while the cost per student may be more than the traditional model, the cost per graduate is not.  And what we need are more graduates.

But to really understand the impact of a reimagined approach like ASAP, you need to see it.  That’s why I’ve invited six of our ASAP graduates to join us as honored guests this morning.  What better way to begin our conversation about community colleges than meeting their graduates?

I’ll ask each student to stand as I introduce him or her, and then we can acknowledge all six together.

Loukman Lamany

Bronx Community College Class of 2011

Loukman is originally from West Africa and came to the United States after more than four years away from school.  With perseverance, and daily meetings with an ASAP advisor, he learned to study in English and manage a full course load, and found, in his words, “a motivating environment for success.”  He earned his associate degree in business administration and is now studying accounting and political science at CUNY’s Baruch College.

Geizel Amadour

LaGuardia Community College Class of 2009

Geizel graduated in business administration at LaGuardia in two years, then transferred to CUNY’s Queens College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree just two years later.  She calls the ASAP staff her “second family” and says that getting both financial assistance and individualized guidance was “too good to be true.”  She now plans to become a physician assistant.

Sinai Cuahutenco

Hostos Community College Class of 2011

As an 18-year-old who had spent four years in Mexico following the death of her mother, Sinai enrolled in a CUNY program that enables out-of-school youth to earn their GEDs and go on to college.  She earned her high school diploma, then graduated from the ASAP program at Hostos with a GPA of 3.98.  She is now at CUNY’s Hunter College studying biochemistry and plans to attend medical school.

Fatima Ali

Queensborough Community College Class of 2009

Fatima earned an associate degree in liberal arts after being on the dean’s list each semester and earning an award for excellence in literature and writing.  She just earned her bachelor’s degree in English this spring with a GPA of 3.97.  You’ll be glad to hear that Fatima is now considering graduate school options and is interested in pursuing higher education administration.

Linda Berkeley

Borough of Manhattan Community College Class of 2011

Linda began ASAP determined to earn a degree—and with academic and financial support, she did, graduating in two years with a degree with honors.  She also became a star on the big screen, having been featured in the ASAP Leadership Program recruitment video.  Linda is a public health major at CUNY’s Hunter College and hopes to work in health care administration.

Jamel James

Kingsborough Community College Class of 2011

Jamel earned his degree in liberal arts in two years.  Raised by a single mother, he mentored high school students through his involvement in Project Reach Youth and won a highly selective New York Needs You fellowship in 2010.  He is currently studying public affairs at CUNY’s Baruch College and plans to go to law school after graduation.

Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you share my pride in these community-college graduates.  Please join me in acknowledging their outstanding achievements.  I also want to recognize the remarkable director of the ASAP initiative, Donna Linderman, who has been a force of nature in creating a results-oriented program.

As these students’ stories demonstrate, we have many lessons to learn about shaping a community-college education that acknowledges the complex nature of two-year education.  What we’re learning through the ASAP initiative is also informing our development of CUNY’s new community college, set to open in 2012.  It is being created with the very idea we are addressing today: reimagining community college education.  Our goal is to improve students’ graduation rates and their career prospects.  We’re including elements like required full-time enrollment in the first year, a common first-year curriculum, college-wide learning communities, an Office of Partnerships to establish employer relationships, and a college-wide theme centered around sustaining a thriving New York City. 

The creation of a new community college model exemplifies why we are gathered today: to find ways to engage students and help them achieve real proficiency.  This is no small task.  It requires, among other things, real collaboration with city, state, and federal partners.  Here in New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo has been a true advocate of quality public higher education across the state.  In fact, I am delighted to announce that the governor just this week approved CUNY’s new community college, officially establishing it as part of the CUNY system.  And I am also very pleased to acknowledge, with admiration, the governor’s latest appointment, David Wakelyn, the state’s new deputy secretary of education for New York State.  David has extensive experience in leading national projects to improve educational performance, through both the National Governors Association and America’s Choice School Design.  And I have to add that he also taught math to 7^th and 8^th graders through the Teach for America program.  David, on behalf of CUNY and all of us here, I welcome you. 

As I leave all of you to your work today, let me again challenge you.  Community colleges are the true testing ground for the public higher education mission of access and excellence.  This is where the ideal becomes reality: for the students who had less-than-inspiring experiences in their K-12 education, or whose aspirations have been pushed aside by real-world needs, or who may be the first in their families to go to college, or whose potential is yet to be tapped.

How do we engage them, challenge them, retain them?  As our ASAP student Sinai said, ASAP was the force that helped her crack the shell in which she was enclosed.  How do we give every student that opportunity?

I hope that today we find answers to these questions.  I am delighted that all of you have joined us, and I wish you a day of stimulating conversation and bold ideas.

For the better part of a decade I have advocated for a predictable tuition policy, one that allows students and their families, and the University, to plan for the future.  The centerpiece of the CUNY Compact model is the establishment of a rational tuition plan, one that builds in modest, predictable increases tied to state funding and protects the neediest students.

In June, such a policy came to fruition.  The New York State Legislature passed a five-year tuition plan for CUNY and SUNY, after an agreement reached by Governor Andrew Cuomo, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos.  Chairwoman Deborah Glick and Chairman Kenneth P. LaValle, who lead the higher education committees of the legislature, worked diligently to achieve a new statewide plan.

The legislation allows CUNY to raise tuition up to $300 a year in each of the next five years for undergraduates from New York State.  Effective this fall, full-time, in-state, undergraduate student tuition at the senior colleges is $5,130 a year.  Full-time, in-state tuition at the community colleges is $3,600 a year.  The plan also contains a state “maintenance of effort” commitment that the state’s financial support cannot be reduced from prior-year levels (except in cases of financial emergency).  

Consistent with the CUNY Compact, the legislation also provides an offset for students who receive full aid under the state’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), which is now capped at $5,000 a year.  Students who receive less than the full TAP allocation will receive partial offsets. The legislation directs CUNY and SUNY to conduct a study and report on the effectiveness of TAP, including recommendations to improve the program to enhance student affordability and success.  I should also note that, as a result of the adopted state budget and the recent federal debt ceiling agreement, both TAP and the federal Pell Grant program are funded for this academic year.  In the academic year ending in 2010, nearly 167,000 CUNY students received state and federal financial aid.  Approximately $716 million in TAP and Pell awards alone went to CUNY students in need.

In addition to helping families plan for the costs of higher education and protecting students in need, the state’s rational tuition plan has several other advantages.  It allows the University to keep all of the revenue from the new tuition, rather than returning all or a portion of it to the state, as in past years.  This important provision ensures that students’ investment in their education stays at the University, supporting academic priorities and student services.  Moreover, it enables multi-year planning by the University, which increases our overall efficiency.  The plan also encourages philanthropy.  It demonstrates to donors that the state is investing in the University’s financial stability and that philanthropic gifts are not substituting for a lack of state support.

In addition, the five-year plan helps the University meet the growing needs caused by record student enrollment.  This fall, the University’s enrollment of degree-seeking students tops 269,000.  Over the last three years, senior college full-time equivalent enrollment increased by 10.7 percent. In the same period, the University’s operating budget sustained reductions of $205 million.  This year, an additional $95 million was cut, for a total of $300 million. State base aid at the community colleges has been reduced by more than 20 percent over the last four years, and the 2012 city adopted budget included further reductions.

Cuts of this magnitude are unsustainable.  Without increased and predictable income, the University simply could not meet students’ needs, whether sufficient course sections, laboratory equipment, or financial aid staff.   We must facilitate our students’ progress and their ability to earn a degree.  The longer it takes for students to graduate, the greater the financial burden they and their families face.

The state has taken a historic step in approving a rational tuition policy for CUNY and SUNY.  Its actions send a strong signal that developing a highly skilled workforce through a vibrant, competitive public higher education system is a priority in New York.  That bodes well for all New Yorkers.