Author: rontal

CUNY is experiencing its largest spring enrollment ever this year, and the University projects that fall 2010 registration will likely top last fall’s record high.

Preliminary estimates issued in February showed total University enrollment for spring 2010 at 257,474, up 5.2 percent from spring 2009’s 244,687 headcount. Senior college enrollment was up 5.4 percent to 161,581, and community college enrollment increased 4.9 percent to 89,346 over last spring.

The increases are in keeping with the national trend, as the difficult economy propels more students to college to update skills and earn new credentials. President Obama spotlighted community colleges with a $12 billion, multiyear pledge of support. And the Post-9/11 GI Bill is paying tuition for a flood of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.

The birth of the CUNY Justice Academy, which links six community colleges with John Jay College of Criminal Justice, is drawing additional students. Last fall, some 1,600 started in criminal justice and 200 in forensic science. When they earn their associate degrees, they’re guaranteed admission into John Jay’s bachelor’s program.

As in the fall, the rush to college prompted some community colleges to close spring 2010 admissions early. Borough of Manhattan Community College, for example, stopped new admissions on Dec. 21 and cut off registration for returning students on Jan. 8. “We’re closing early because there’s no space to put people,” said college spokesman Barry Rosen. BMCC spring headcount was estimated at 22,450, up 251 from spring 2009.

LaGuardia Community College, with estimated headcount at 16,483, up 240 from last year, expected to retain many more returning students this spring. As of Jan. 4 it had registered 7,551 returning students, up from 5,107 on the same day in 2009 — a 47.9 percent spike. “The economy is such that many more students are opting to stay enrolled so they can proceed to completion of their degrees,” said Michael Baston, associate dean for enrollment management and student development.

Reine Sarmiento, LaGuardia’s assistant dean of enrollment services, said that with so many students surging through the University’s central application center, the college did not expect to have direct admissions for the spring. Meanwhile, LaGuardia expanded online and hybrid classes for students, as well as remedial and English as a second language courses to prepare students for college entry.

Kingsborough Community College, which divides its fall semester into 12-week fall and six-week winter modules, in January reported a 25 percent increase in winter registrants over 2009. “That surprised us, because normally you’d assume that registration would be the same” in the two modules, said David Gomez, dean for instructional services. He also noted an increase in preparedness. “We’re placing more directly into freshman comp, rather than developmental courses.”

At New York City College of Technology, which offers associate and bachelor’s degrees, students registered early “because they want to be sure they have programs and will be full time for the spring semester,” said Marcella Amorza, vice president for enrollment and student affairs. As of Feb. 8, City Tech was expected to enroll 14,410 in the spring, an increase of 424 or 3 percent from spring 2009.

More students who have earned associate degrees or interrupted their studies are returning for bachelor’s degrees, along with more veterans, and parents are attending student orientation sessions, Amorza said. “There is a sense that in the face of such uncertainty, this is a good time to prepare for the future.”

At Queens College, Admissions Director Vincent J. Angrisani noted an influx of second-semester transfers from expensive colleges like Adelphi, Hofstra and residential SUNY campuses. “These are bright students with 90 averages and 1300 SATS who are coming to Queens after one semester because they’re struggling financially,” he said. “We don’t pry, but they’ll say they can afford the tuition, but not the room and board. They’re very strong students, which is great to see.”

The City University of New York is the nation’s leading urban public university. Founded in New York City in 1847 as The Free Academy, the University’s 23 institutions include 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, the Graduate School and University Center, the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, the CUNY School of Law, the CUNY School of Professional Studies and the CUNY School of Public Health. The University serves 260,000 credit students and 269,808 adult, continuing and professional education students. College Now, the University’s academic enrichment program for 32,500 high school students, is offered at CUNY campuses and more than 300 high schools throughout the five boroughs of New York City. The University offers online baccalaureate degrees through the School of Professional Studies and an individualized baccalaureate through the CUNY Baccalaureate Degree. More than 1 million visitors and 2 million page views are served each month by www.cuny.edu, the University’s website.

Chancellor Matthew Goldstein praised  President Obama’s proposal to expand the Pell Grant program next year to nearly $35 billion in aid for low and moderate-income families.

At CUNY, the Obama proposal would raise the total federal support for eligible students to $406 million.

Noting that the grants are a primary safety net for many of CUNY’s financially disadvantaged students, the Chancellor urged that the proposal be accepted into the final budget.

“This proposal will enhance students’ access to a college education, with dramatic impact on New York’s communities and economy,“ said Chancellor Goldstein. “Many thousands of bright, promising students would benefit from enhanced access to affordable higher education.”

Under President Obama’s plan, the maximum award would be increased by $160 to $5,710 in 2011.  After that, the maximum would increase annually by the rate of inflation plus 1 percent, bringing it to an estimated $6,900 by 2019.

In the 2008-2009 academic year, approximately 107,200 University students received $334 million in Pell grants.  About 110,000 students are receiving $385 million in aid this academic year.

In 2010-11, under the proposal, the number of Pell recipients would increase by about 6% to 117,000 and the total expenditures would go up $21 million to $406 million.

The neediest students would receive a $160 a year increase. The other recipients would receive a pro-rated increase.

Nationwide, about 9 million students will receive the grants – an increase of about one million.

The City University of New York is the nation’s leading urban public university. Founded in New York City in 1847 as The Free Academy, the University’s 23 institutions include 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, the Graduate School and University Center, the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, the CUNY School of Law, the CUNY School of Professional Studies and the CUNY School of Public Health. The University serves 260,000 credit students and 269,808 adult, continuing and professional education students. College Now, the University’s academic enrichment program for 32,500 high school students, is offered at CUNY campuses and more than 300 high schools throughout the five boroughs of New York City. The University offers online baccalaureate degrees through the School of Professional Studies and an individualized baccalaureate through the CUNY Baccalaureate Degree. More than 1 million visitors and 2 million page views are served each month by www.cuny.edu, the University’s website.

A new CUNY website is scheduled to launch February 11, but users still have time for a test-drive and to post their feedback by visiting the site in beta form via a link at the top of cuny.edu, the University homepage or take a video guided tour of the beta site at  http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid64924289001

The new website is a comprehensive media tool designed by the University Relations Web Services Team to provide fast, efficient links to a host of useful services for students, faculty, staff, alumni and increasingly, the world.  More than one million visitors searching more than five million page views rely on the University’s premier information source each month.

The new website offers quick access to the CUNY Portal, where users can log in to carry out University business, such as applying for admission, registering for classes, accessing Blackboard and other services. There are quick links to academic and library resources, as well as to all of the colleges and professional schools.

Navigation is simple. With one click from the home page, you can:

·       Check the CUNY catalog for available courses;

·       Find office telephone numbers for faculty and staff at every campus;

·       Sign-up for e-mail alerts;

·       Apply for jobs across the University—and much more.

There are also easy links to the site’s “role-based pages” above the main navigation bar, where you’ll find information, updates and links customized to specific University audiences—future students, current students, faculty/staff and alumni. Click on “Current Students,” for instance, and you’ll find student news, events, and links to online apps like e-SIMS course registration, financial aid information and student services, from child care to counseling. Or click on “Faculty/Staff” to find resources ranging from the Citizenship and Immigration Project to information about key University benefits and policies.

The Google search function is customized for CUNY data, returning more productive, relevant results with suggested links. The “About” section offers a bigger, broader source of general information about CUNY. And one of the newest features, the “Find It” section, features the most popular topics searched by users.

The new site was developed with wide involvement from the CUNY community, said Senior Vice Chancellor for University Relations Jay Hershenson.  More feedback is being sought during this week’s countdown to the launch. “We have made it a priority to reach out across the University to incorporate the community’s needs,” Hershenson said. “We want to ensure that people see the new site now, and we welcome continuing public comment.”

more

Throughout the site are many images—starting with the home page “billboard,” a multimedia showcase of slides and videos, featuring top news, special events, campaigns and achievements around the University. Click on the link that says “CUNY Channel” and there is a constant stream of new videos being produced on campuses across the University.

More than a year ago, the Office of University Relations began gathering opinions and ideas to assemble a deeper understanding of users’ experiences. Data, comments and suggestions were gathered through a user-satisfaction survey, and through dozens of meetings with students, faculty, staff and friends of the University. The Web Services team site design and architecture reflect these intensive outreach efforts directed by University Web Services Manager Daniel Shure. The result is a fifth-generation website that extends CUNY’s reputation for service with advanced function and innovative design inspired by ideas from across the University community.

The City University of New York is the nation’s leading urban public university. Founded in New York City in 1847 as The Free Academy, the University’s 23 institutions include 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, the Graduate School and University Center, the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, the CUNY School of Law, the CUNY School of Professional Studies and the CUNY School of Public Health. The University serves 260,000 credit students and 269,808 adult, continuing and professional education students. College Now, the University’s academic enrichment program for 32,500 high school students, is offered at CUNY campuses and more than 300 high schools throughout the five boroughs of New York City. The University offers online baccalaureate degrees through the School of Professional Studies and an individualized baccalaureate through the CUNY Baccalaureate Degree. More than 1 million visitors and 2 million page views are served each month by www.cuny.edu, the University’s website.

###

Ernesto Malave, Vice Chancellor for Budget and Finance at The City University of New York, passed away unexpectedly on November 22, 2009. He was 51 years old. Throughout his 27-year career at CUNY, including the last six years as the University’s chief financial officer, Ernesto was known for his keen financial acumen, creative leadership, and genuine concern for students and colleagues alike. His distinguished and dedicated service enhanced the University in every way. A memorial service, “A Celebration of the Life of Vice Chancellor Ernesto Malave,” will be held at Hostos Community College and will be cablecast live at 10 a.m. on February 5 on CUNY-TV/75 and will be webcast live at cuny.edu/ernestolegacy.

Haitian refugees are urged to attend a free Temporary Protected Status application clinic Saturday sponsored by The City University of New York,  New York State Senator John L. Sampson, New York State Assemblyman Karim Camara, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the Legal Aid Society and the Office of Temporary Protected Disability Assistance and the CUNY School for Professional Studies. The free event is set for Saturday, February 6, 2010 at P.S. 181, 1023 New York Avenue in Brooklyn.

The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs is working in partnership with CUNY Citizenship Now!, the CUNY School of Professional Studies, the Legal Aid Society, Medgar Evers College and the Office of Temporary Disability Assistance to provide free legal and administrative support for Haitian immigrants eligible for Temporary Protected Status by providing a series of three immigration clinics in Brooklyn and Queens.  Saturday’s clinic in Brooklyn is the second clinic; the first was held last week at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn and the third will be on February 20^th at York College in Queens.

Volunteers at the Brooklyn application clinic will assist Haitian immigrants in navigating through the basic eligibility requirements and the documents needed to apply for Temporary Protected Status.

On Friday, January 15^th, President Obama’s administration announced an 18-month designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for all Haitians present in the United States on or before January 12, 2010.  TPS is granted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to individuals who cannot safely return to their countries of origin due to grave disturbances, such as natural disasters. TPS grants individuals in the United States the right to live and work legally in the United States for as long as Haiti is designated a TPS country. Attorneys and other legal professionals will help applicants fill out forms, advise them on legal issues, provide them with fee information, mailing envelopes pre-addressed to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office, and pre-addressed Certified Mail/Return Receipt forms.

Assistance clinics and all services, including photos, are free to the public.

The City University of New York is the nation’s leading urban public university. Founded in New York City in 1847 as The Free Academy, the University’s 23 institutions include 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, the Graduate School and University Center, the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, the CUNY School of Law, the CUNY School of Professional Studies and the CUNY School of Public Health. The University serves 260,000 credit students and 269,808 adult, continuing and professional education students. College Now, the University’s academic enrichment program for 32,500 high school students, is offered at CUNY campuses and more than 300 high schools throughout the five boroughs of New York City. The University offers online baccalaureate degrees through the School of Professional Studies and an individualized baccalaureate through the CUNY Baccalaureate Degree. More than 1 million visitors and 2 million page views are served each month by www.cuny.edu, the University’s website.

La iniciativa de textos universitarios de CUNY de $2 millones ha facilitado, para miles de estudiantes, el acceso a costosos textos universitarios este año, y las ofertas de la Universidad impresas y electrónicas continuarán acrecentándose. El costo anual de textos está entre $700 y $1,000 – aproximadamente un 22 por ciento del costo de matrícula en las universidades de cuatro años de CUNY y un 32 por ciento de matrícula en las universidades comunitarias de esta institución, de acuerdo a Curtis L. Kendrick, bibliotecario de la Universidad. Kendrick resalta que el precio de los textos es particularmente agobiante para los estudiantes de CUNY, un 38 por ciento de los cuales pertenecen a familias con ingresos económicos de menos de $20,000.

Los estudiantes han elogiado el programa:

“Si no tuviera estos libros a mi disposición, reprobaría mis clases”, escribió un estudiante de Hostos Community College, refiriéndose a libros que incluyen un texto de anatomía de $191. “No podría comprarlos  este año”.

Genevieve Castillo, estudiante de John Jay College, escribió que la adquisición de 800 nuevos textos por la Universidad el semestre pasado, incluyendo un libro de $150 de psicoterapia que le asignaron, “fue una gran ayuda para los estudiantes, no sólo porque les ahorró dinero, sino porque hubo más libros disponibles para préstamo… y eran las nuevas ediciones exigidas por los profesores. Mientras trabajaba en el escritorio de circulación, observé un notable incremento en el número de estudiantes que se hicieron miembros de la biblioteca para poder solicitar libros prestados”.

“Los textos universitarios son inasequibles”, escribió Dennis Kim de Lehman College. “La recesión ha exacerbado  las dificultades de los estudiantes al acceso de textos de sus cursos y algunos ni los obtienen, lo cual los perjudica. El precio que deben pagar por no tener el texto requerido es quedar a la zaga en clase y luchar por comprender las clases. Por último, ello afecta seriamente la calidad de la educación de los estudiantes”.

Como parte de la Iniciativa de Ayuda Financiera Estudiantil por $10 millones de CUNY, preparada por el canciller Matthew Goldstein y aprobada por el Consejo Administrativo de CUNY, la Universidad asignó $2 millones a sus universidades para la compra de textos universitarios. Gran parte de este esfuerzo lo inició el desaparecido vice canciller de Presupuesto y Finanzas Ernesto Malavé. El objetivo fue ayudar a mitigar el incremento en matrícula aprobado por la legislatura. Al final de 2009, los casi 5,300 libros adquiridos bajo esta iniciativa habían circulado 87,741 veces. Los fondos venían con consejos para alentar a las bibliotecas universitarias a:

• Colocar textos en reserva o clasificarlos como “material de referencia”.
• Adquirir el número necesario de ejemplares.
• Tomar en cuenta la opción de “alquilar”.
• Tomar en consideración textos universitarios electrónicos.
• Seleccionar textos apropiados para los estudiantes de pregrado del campus.
• Elegir textos de apoyo a los estudiantes y al currículo actual.
• Colaborar entre sí para investigar cómo obtener permisos de reproducción para todo el sistema.

Generalmente los cámpuses usaron los fondos para la compra y colocación de textos en reserva, dijo Kendrick. Éstos son libros de mayor demanda que apoyan directamente el currículo. Los cámpuses además adquirieron materiales de referencia que ayudan a los estudiantes en sus trabajos escritos y sus investigaciones. Kendrick dijo que los textos abarcan todo el rango de disciplinas y tienden a ser ejemplares de textos universitarios de gran demanda, ejemplares que contienen las lecturas obligatorias en clases de educación general y lecturas obligatorias para ciertos cursos avanzados. Mirando al futuro, Kendrick dijo que además de adquirir textos impresos, CUNY está explorando las opciones de libros electrónicos, colocando así decenas de miles de libros electrónicos a disposición de estudiantes y profesores en los cámpuses, al igual que en sus hogares y oficinas. Añadió que CUNY ha establecido un comité para evaluar propuestas de libros electrónicos y ha invitado un grupo de proveedores para discutir los detalles.

Kendrick resaltó que el Acta de Acceso al Libro de Texto del Estado de Nueva York, que empezó a regir el 1 de julio de 2009, requiere que las universidades adopten normas que motiven a los profesores a enviar sus pedidos de libros con anticipación para que las librerías obtengan el material disponible usado o en formato digital. A nivel federal, una disposición del Acta de Oportunidad para la Educación Superior que entrará en vigor el 1 de julio de 2010, requiere que las universidades publiquen en línea el ISBN (Número Estándar Internacional del Libro) y el precio de venta al público. CUNY se apresta a cumplir con el Acta.

La Universidad de la Ciudad de Nueva York es la universidad pública más importante del país. Fundada en 1847 en la ciudad de Nueva York bajo el nombre Free Academy (Academia Libre), la conforman 23 instituciones que incluyen 11 universidades de pregrado, seis universidades comunitarias, el William E. Macaulay Honors College, el Centro de Estudios Graduados, la Escuela de Periodismo de Posgrado, la Escuela de Leyes, la Escuela de Estudios Profesionales y la Escuela de Salud Pública.

La Universidad educa a 260 mil estudiantes acreditados y casi 270 mil estudiantes adultos y en educación continuada y profesional. College Now, el programa de enriquecimiento académico para 32,500 estudiantes de secundaria se ofrece en los cámpuses de CUNY y en más de 300 escuelas secundarias en los cinco condados de la ciudad. La Universidad ofrece programas de grado en línea a través de su Escuela de Estudios Profesionales y un programa personalizado de grado (bachillerato universitario) a través del CUNY Baccalaureate Program (Programa de Bachillerato Universitario).  Más de un millón de visitantes únicos y dos millones de visitas se registran cada mes en el sitio web de la Universidad: www.cuny.edu.

Contacto:

Jay Hershenson: 212 794 5317

Michael Arena: 212 794 5685

Universidad de la Ciudad de Nueva York

Oficina de Comunicaciones y Mercadeo

535 East 80th Street, New York, NY 10075

Tel: 212 794 5685

www.cuny.edu/news

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and City University of New York Chancellor Matthew Goldstein are urging Haitian refugees to attend the City’s first free Temporary Protected Status application clinic this Saturday, January 30 at Medgar Evers College. During the Mayor’s radio show this morning on WOR 770 AM, the Mayor and Allan Wernick, Director of CUNY’s Citizenship Now! program announced the launch of a series of immigration assistance clinics starting, this Saturday, as promised in the Mayor’s State of the City speech last week.

The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs is working in partnership with CUNY Citizenship Now!, the CUNY School of Professional Studies, the Legal Aid Society, Medgar Evers College, the Office of Temporary Disability Assistance to provide free legal and administrative support for Haitian immigrants eligible for Temporary Protected Status.

Hundreds of volunteers at three application clinics in Brooklyn and Queens will assist Haitian immigrants in navigating through the basic eligibility requirements and the documents needed to apply for Temporary Protected Status.

“New York City stands ready to assist the Haitian community affected by the tragic earthquake in any way we can,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “For many Haitians New Yorkers wanting to support family and friends back home, filing for Temporary Protected Status is a critically important step, because it allows them to find legal employment here and send more money back to their loves ones as they work to rebuild their lives.  We’re fully committed to helping Haitian immigrants avail themselves of this opportunity by working with CUNY and community organizations to ensure they receive adequate legal counseling.”

“The City University of New York is very pleased to join with Mayor Bloomberg in strong support of this vital initiative to help enable Haitian immigrants to obtain Temporary Protected Status as authorized by the national administration,” said Chancellor Goldstein.  “We have committed the talents, resources, and expertise of CUNY’s highly regarded Citizenship Now project to work together with the Mayor’s Office and participating organizations in a comprehensive outreach program of free assistance, beginning this weekend at Medgar Evers College.  Help for Haiti is very much a part of all of us at CUNY.”

On Friday, January 15^th, President Obama’s administration announced an 18-month designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for all Haitians present in the United States on or before January 12, 2010.  TPS is granted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to individuals who cannot safely return to their countries of origin due to grave disturbances, such as natural disasters. TPS grants individuals in the United States the right to live and work legally in the United States for as long as Haiti is designated a TPS country. Attorneys and other legal professionals will help applicants fill out forms, advise them on legal issues, provide them with fee information, mailing envelopes pre-addressed to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office, and pre-addressed Certified Mail/Return Receipt forms.

Assistance clinics and all services, including photos, are free to the public. Three free TPS Application Assistance clinics are currently scheduled for the following dates:

Saturday, January 30, 2010
11:00am to 4:00pm
Medgar Evers College
1650 Bedford Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11225

Saturday, February 6, 2010
11:00am to 4:00pm
P.S. 181
1023 New York Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11203

Saturday February 20, 2010

11:00am to 4:00pm

York College

94 – 20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd

Jamaica, NY 11451

Contact:           Stu Loeser / Evelyn Erskine      (212) 788-2958

Michael Arena (CUNY)           (212) 794-5685

The City University of New York is the nation’s leading urban public university. Founded in New York City in 1847 as The Free Academy, the University’s 23 institutions include 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, the Graduate School and University Center, the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, the CUNY School of Law, the CUNY School of Professional Studies and the CUNY School of Public Health. The University serves 260,000 credit students and 269,808 adult, continuing and professional education students. College Now, the University’s academic enrichment program for 32,500 high school students, is offered at CUNY campuses and more than 300 high schools throughout the five boroughs of New York City. The University offers online baccalaureate degrees through the School of Professional Studies and an individualized baccalaureate through the CUNY Baccalaureate Degree. More than 1 million visitors and 2 million page views are served each month by www.cuny.edu, the University’s website.

The City University of New York in conjunction with New York Blood Center will host blood and bone marrow drives at CUNY campuses throughout the five boroughs to help save the lives of patients in need of life-saving blood products and patients who are battling a life-threatening disease and need a bone marrow or cord blood transplant to survive.

CUNY will hold a press conference to announce the combined drives on Monday, February 1, 2010,  1:30pm, at Borough of Manhattan Community College located at 199 Chambers Street, in the Richard Harris Terrace, New York, NY 10007. BMCC will also hold a blood drive on February 1^st from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

Among CUNY leaders attending the press conference will be Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Peter Jordan and BMCC President Antonio Perez.

“The uniqueness of CUNY’s diverse student body becomes an invaluable asset to the New York City’s blood supply.  It is of utmost importance to have a blood supply that mirrors the landscape of recipients, especially when a recipient requires a specific antigen that few possess, and CUNY students mirror New York’s population.  I strongly encourage CUNY students, faculty and staff to participate in this blood drive and to volunteer to be bone marrow donors,” said CUNY Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Peter Jordan.

“The BMCC community is well known for generosity toward those in need, and we are proud to participate in The City University of New York/New York Blood Center’s Blood and Bone Marrow Drive,” said Antonio Pérez, President of Borough of Manhattan Community College.  “Our kickoff event on February 1st will raise awareness and address the inequity reflected in the City’s current donor pool, in which less than half of all African Americans seeking a bone marrow match are able to find one. A case in point is that of Jennifer Jones Austin, a beloved community activist with over two decades of service to our City, who has been diagnosed with leukemia and is now urgently seeking a bone marrow match.  Join BMCC students, staff and faculty, as we strive to offer aid to Ms. Austin and countless other New Yorkers by registering as a possible marrow donor.”

Healthy individuals, ages sixteen (with parental permission or consent) and older, are encouraged to donate blood at any of the scheduled CUNY blood drives. Blood donors at each of the blood drives will also have an opportunity to help save the life of Jennifer Jones Austin by joining the Be The Match Registry, a national bone marrow registry that matches donors to patients in need of a life-saving bone marrow transplant. The donor registry drives in honor of Jennifer Jones Austin are an effort to raise awareness about the need for more African American bone marrow donors, and to perhaps find a matching donor for 41-year old Austin and many other patients like her.

Austin, a well-respected community activist for children and families, was recently diagnosed with leukemia and her only hope for a cure is a marrow transplant. Like 70 percent of patients, Austin does not have a matching donor in her family and is depending on the Be The Match Registry – the largest listing of volunteer marrow donors – to find a match.

“Thousands of people like me are searching for their donor match,” Austin said. “By joining the Be The Match Registry you have a special opportunity to offer the gift of life to someone. No higher act of service exists.”

The Be The Match Registry drive for Ms. Austin is aimed especially at recruiting more African Americans to join the registry. Patients are more likely to find a match from among donors who share the same race or ethnicity. Yet out of a registry of millions, fewer than 10 percent are African Americans.

Interested volunteers can join the Be The Match Registry at several locations throughout the United States. People also can sign up to be the one to save a life by visiting BeTheMatch.org. To join, people need to be between the ages of 18 and 60, willing to donate to any patient in need, and meet health guidelines.

Registration is simple and involves completing a health history form and giving a swab of cheek cells. There is no cost to join the Be The Match Registry, but financial contributions help cover the $100 it costs to add each new registry member. For more information, visit www.BeTheMatch.org or call 1(800) MARROW-2.

The need for blood is constant.  New York Blood Center calls upon the community to please donate blood. Blood drive cancellations from the weekend storm of December 19, 2009, coupled with unusually high demand from regional hospitals, have impacted Rh-negative blood supplies, especially type O-negative.

Please join CUNY and New York Blood Center to help save the lives of those in need of life-saving blood products by donating blood and joining the Be The Match Registry to help save the lives of patients in need of a life-saving bone marrow or cord blood transplant. A list of the combined CUNY blood and bone drives is attached.

To donate blood, please call:

Toll Free:  1-800-933-2566
Visit:  www.nybloodcenter.org

Any company, community organization, place of worship, or individual may host a blood drive.NYBC also offers special community service scholarships for students who organize community blood drives during the winter holiday and summer periods.  Blood donors receive free mini-medical exams on site including information about their temperature, pulse rate, blood pressure and hemoglobin level.  Eligible donors include those people at least age 16 (with parental permission or consent), who weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, are in good health and meet all Food & Drug Administration and NY or NJ State Department of Health donor criteria.  People age 76 and over may donate with a doctor’s note.

About New York Blood Center: New York Blood Center (NYBC) is one of the nation’s largest non-profit, community-based blood centers. NYBC has been providing blood, transfusion products and services to almost 200 hospitals, serving 20 million people, in greater New York since 1964.  NYBC is also home to the Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute and the National Cord Blood Program at the Howard P. Milstein National Cord Blood Center, the world’s largest public cord blood bank.  NYBC provides medical services and programs (Clinical, Transfusion, and Hemophilia Services) through our medical professionals along with consultative services in transfusion medicine.

About Be The Match^®

Be The Match is a movement that engages a growing community of people inspired to help patients who need a marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant. The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), a leader in the field of marrow and cord blood transplantation, created Be The Match to provide opportunities for the public to become involved in saving the lives of people with leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening diseases. Volunteers can join the Be The Match Registry – the world’s largest and most diverse listing of potential adult marrow donors and donated cord blood units – as well as contribute financially to Be The Match Foundation or give their time. Be The Match Foundation supports the NMDP by raising funds to grow the Be The Match Registry, help patients with transplant costs and advance medical research. Since operations began in 1987, the NMDP has provided more than 35,000 transplants to help give patients a second chance at life. For more information, visit BeTheMatch.org or call 1 (800) MARROW-2.

The City University of New York is the nation’s leading urban public university. Founded in New York City in 1847 as The Free Academy, the University’s 23 institutions include 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, the Graduate School and University Center, the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, the CUNY School of Law, the CUNY School of Professional Studies and the CUNY School of Public Health. The University serves 260,000 credit students and 269,808 adult, continuing and professional education students. College Now, the University’s academic enrichment program for 32,500 high school students, is offered at CUNY campuses and more than 300 high schools throughout the five boroughs of New York City. The University offers online baccalaureate degrees through the School of Professional Studies and an individualized baccalaureate through the CUNY Baccalaureate Degree. More than 1 million visitors and 2 million page views are served each month by www.cuny.edu, the University’s website.

Contact:

Michael Arena, CUNY

(212) 794.5685  Office

Keith Hudson, New York Blood Center

(212) 570-3327 Office

(646) 373-8605 Mobile

[email protected]

###

New York Blood Center -City University of New York

Blood & Bone Marrow Drives Schedule

JANUARY 2010

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Kingsborough Community College

10:00am – 4:00pm

FEBRUARY 2010

Black History Month

Monday, February 1, 2010

Borough of Manhattan Community College

10:00am – 4:00pm

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Hostos Community College

9:30am – 3:30pm

Monday, February 8, 2010

CUNY – The Graduate Center

10:00am – 4:00pm

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

John Jay College of Criminal Justice

12:00pm – 6:00pm

(NYBC Mobile Bus Unit)

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Bronx Community College

12:00pm – 6:00pm

(NYBC Mobile Bus Unit)

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Hunter College

10:00am – 6:00pm

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Bronx Community College

12:00pm – 6:00pm

(NYBC Mobile Bus Unit)

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Hunter College

10:00am – 6:00pm

Monday, February 22, 2010 – 12:00pm – 6:00pm

Herbert Lehman College

Herbert Lehman College Music Building

12:00pm – 6:00pm

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Herbert Lehman College

Herbert Lehman College Music Building

12:00pm – 6:00pm

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Brooklyn College

12:00pm – 6:00pm

(NYBC Mobile Unit)

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

York College CUNY

11:00am – 6:30pm

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

City College of New York

9:00am – 4:00pm

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Brooklyn College

12:00p – 6:00pm

(NYBC Mobile Bus Unit)

Thursday, February 25, 2010

City College of New York

9:00am – 4:00pm

Thursday, February 25, 2010 – 12:00pm – 6:00pm

Brooklyn College

12:00pm – 6:00pm

(NYBC Mobile Unit)

MARCH 2010

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Baruch College

11:00am – 4:30pm

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

College of Staten Island

12:00pm – 5:30pm

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

College of Staten Island

12:00pm – 5:30pm

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Baruch College

11:00am – 4:30pm

Tuesday, March 23, 2010 – 10:00am – 6:00pm

Kingsborough Community College

10:00am – 6:00pm

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 – 10:00am – 6:00pm

Kingsborough Community College

10:00am – 6:00pm

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Kingsborough Community College

10:00am – 6:00pm

APRIL 2010

Monday, April 12, 2010

John Jay College of Criminal Justice

12:00pm – 6:00pm

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Borough of Manhattan Community College

11:00am – 5:00pm

Monday, April 26, 2010

New York City College of Technology

10:00am – 7:30pm

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

New York City College of Technology

10:00am – 7:30pm

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

New York City College of Technology

10:00am – 7:30pm

Wednesday, April 28, 2010 – 12:00pm – 6:00pm

Herbert Lehman College

Herbert Lehman College Music Building

12:00pm – 6:00pm

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

LaGuardia Community College

10:30am – 6:30pm

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Herbert Lehman College

Herbert Lehman College Music Building

12:00pm – 6:00pm

Thursday, April 29, 2010

New York City College of Technology

10:00am – 7:30pm

JULY 2010

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Kingsborough Community College

9:00am – 5:00pm

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Kingsborough Community College

9:00am – 5:00pm

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Kingsborough Community College

9:00am – 5:00pm

January 27, 2010

Good morning, Chairman Kruger, Vice Chairwoman Krueger, Chairman Farrell, Senator Stavisky, Assemblywoman Glick, members of the Finance, Ways and Means, and Higher Education committees, staff, and guests.  Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today about The City University of New York and the 2010-11 State Executive Budget Proposal.  I will ask the senior officers of the University accompanying me to introduce themselves, starting on my left.

I come to you at an unprecedented moment in CUNY’s history, when we are experiencing our highest enrollment to date: more than 260,000 degree-credit students, including more high-achieving students than ever before.  While we know that economic hardships have driven many New Yorkers to college to acquire new skills and attain additional certification, our decade-long growth is also a manifestation of two ongoing factors.  First, the University continues to be recognized for its academic quality and has become a destination for students seeking an exemplary education.  Second, students are coming to CUNY better prepared for college-level work, and we are therefore seeing better retention across the University.

We take great pride in the increased interest in CUNY and the improved performance by CUNY students.  However, our explosion in enrollment—an additional 65,000 students since 1999—poses serious challenges.  The need for faculty and the demands on space are also at unprecedented levels.  With our freshman applications for fall 2010 also showing a double-digit increase, we expect these demands to grow even more urgent.

At the same time, the University’s commitment to quality is unwavering.  The Macaulay Honors College’s class of 2013 has an average SAT score of close to 1400.  A recent Macaulay graduate, Ryan Merola, was just named one of nine scholars nationally to be a 2011 Mitchell Scholar.  Students across the CUNY campuses are also winning competitive national awards; most recently, five CUNY students were awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships for 2009.

Hunter College was named the nation’s No. 2 “Best Value Public College for 2010” by the Princeton Review and USA Today.  Queens College and Baruch College were named to the Princeton Review’s “Best Northeastern Colleges” list.  In November, Hunter College Distinguished Lecturer Colum McCann won the 2009 National Book Award in fiction, the top American prize for literature.  And three outstanding educators joined the University in 2009: Karen Gould, president of Brooklyn College, Félix Matos Rodriguez, president of Hostos Community College, and William Pollard, president of Medgar Evers College.

We are also very pleased to announce that based on recent actions by the national accrediting agency, we anticipate that the new CUNY School of Public Health will soon be fully accredited.  It is the first public school of public health in New York City and the only one in the country to focus on urban health.  Two prominent scholars and medical doctors from Harvard Medical School, David Himmelstein and Steffie Woolhandler, recently accepted offers to join the CUNY School of Public Health.

These are only a few of the countless ways that the entire University community is working diligently to give students the best educational experience possible.  Just as our citizens turn to public higher education to help them prepare for an uncertain future, so, too, does the state depend on CUNY and SUNY to build the workforce and innovation capacity of New York.  I know that Chancellor Nancy Zimpher shares our deep commitment to serving our state and its students, and she and I will continue to work together—and in partnership with the governor and the legislature—to advance this critical goal.

Our 2010-11 budget request, adopted unanimously by the CUNY Board of Trustees, reflects that commitment.  It marks the fifth year of the CUNY Compact, our multiyear financing approach that offers an economically efficient way to finance the University by delineating shared responsibility among partners and creating opportunities to leverage funds.  It prioritizes the University’s needs in meeting the demands of a rapidly growing student body, including additional full-time faculty, expanded student services, facility improvements, and educational technology.  These are requests that address the very core of the University’s mission to ensure that students have the academic grounding they need to compete in an unforgiving marketplace.

All of us at CUNY appreciate that the State Executive Budget calls for full funding of the University’s mandatory costs, consistent with the CUNY Compact.

For our senior colleges, the Executive Budget recommends a total of $1.8 billion, which reflects a decrease of state support of about $84 million, offset by additional funding of $91 million for mandatory costs and collective bargaining and $11 million from the FY 2010 tuition increase.  The $11 million reflects an increase from 20 percent to 30 percent in the amount of the FY 2010 tuition increase retained by the University.  A portion of the $84 million reduction, about $21 million, is related to across-the-board proposals to reduce salary and fringe benefits costs, to be negotiated with the unions.

The proposed reduction will have a very real effect on the work of our senior colleges.  Since 1999, these colleges have together welcomed almost 38,000 additional students to their campuses—nearly an entire NYU.  Our colleges remain uncompromising in their commitment to academic quality.  But the fact remains that continued budget cuts combined with growing enrollments means a serious strain on resources and an acute need to add full-time faculty and academic support personnel.

Let me discuss the Executive Budget’s proposed Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act, which recommends a number of adjustments related to tuition and regulatory provisions.  The act would allow CUNY and SUNY to receive and disburse revenues from tuition and self-supporting program activities without an appropriation.  It would also authorize the CUNY Board of Trustees to raise tuition incrementally up to an annual cap of two and one-half times the five-year rolling average of the Higher Education Price Index.  I would note that the Board of Trustees recently approved our budget request proposal to increase tuition rates by 2 percent for fall 2010.  The act also permits differential tuition rates by campus and program.  As we indicated through meetings and recommendations of the New York State Commission on Higher Education, CUNY has long supported differential tuition by program, informed by market competition and price elasticity.  The act would also allow for greater flexibility in procurement procedures, and we fully support this effort to improve the efficiency of our purchasing.

The State Executive Budget also recommends a reduction in community-college base aid of $285 per FTE for next year, which would be a decrease of $21.8 million.  The proposed reduction follows this year’s base-aid cut of $130 per FTE, bringing the total reduction, if enacted, to a $415-per-FTE cut.  The proposed base-aid cuts would reduce the rate to $2,260 per FTE—the lowest rate since 2005.

Members of the committees, all of us at the University are deeply concerned about the proposed community-college reduction.  Community colleges are the largest and fastest-growing sector of higher education and enroll almost half of our country’s undergraduates.  They are essential to our nation’s recovery effort, a pipeline to jobs.  In New York City, where the jobless rate just rose to 10.6 percent, CUNY’s six community colleges are leading the way toward recovery, serving more than 88,000 students.

More than ever, New Yorkers rely on our community colleges for their professional advancement, through job training, professional development, and career-ladder opportunities.  Our six community colleges are obligated to meet an extraordinary array of academic needs for the most diverse group of students, whether that’s state-of-the-art training programs for emerging industries, specialized cohorts to improve academic performance and graduation rates, or additional advisement to assist returning students.  Their work on behalf of our students continues to be nationally recognized.  What’s more, almost 97 percent of our most recent associate-degree recipients reside in the state, contributing to its progress.

Today, however, our community colleges are bursting at the seams, in serious need of faculty and classrooms to meet unprecedented demand.  In order to meet that demand, as well as the workforce needs of the state, they must have appropriate support and the full restoration of their funding.

The 2010-11 Executive Budget also recommends several changes to the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).  In the 2008-09 academic year, 75,000 CUNY students received $178 million in TAP awards.  This financial assistance makes it possible for many of our students to pursue and attain a college degree.  We are concerned that the recommendations include an across-the-board reduction of $75 to TAP awards.  CUNY accounts for about 20 percent of students statewide who receive TAP, students who are among the poorest in the state.  The University’s priority will always be to assist the neediest students.  Financial aid is most equitable when it is aimed at students with the greatest need and those in the hard-pressed middle class.

Let me introduce the subject of the capital budget by returning to a point I made earlier.  CUNY’s unprecedented enrollment growth, while a welcome indication of New Yorkers’ confidence in the University to help them prepare for the workplace and compete for fewer jobs, has also created a pressing demand for space and a pronounced strain on our facilities.  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.  As a result, our facilities program remains a high priority for the University.

We are very grateful for the generous appropriations allocated over the last few budget cycles.  Recent events at our campuses demonstrate the progress that has been made to increase space and meet educational needs.  These include the groundbreaking for the Lois V. and Samuel J. Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, which will include the CUNY School of Public Health, in East Harlem, the new Fiterman Hall at Borough of Manhattan Community College, and the topping out of both the building expansion at John Jay College and the North Instructional Building at Bronx Community College.  We have also selected an appropriate new site for the CUNY School of Law in Long Island City, Queens, and are moving forward with facility plans.  I appreciate your support of these important efforts, all of which are alleviating space pressures caused by increased demand for the nationally recognized programs at these colleges and schools.

These projects also illustrate the ways that CUNY has been leveraging its capital funding through public-private partnerships.  These much-needed buildings—whether the School of Social Work, the law school, or our residential halls at CCNY and Queens College—were made possible through innovative collaborations with private developers.  Anything that can be done to expedite such efforts in the future is greatly appreciated.

Still, many of our campuses are in disrepair and badly in need of modernization.  Over 65 percent of CUNY’s buildings are more than 30 years old, and some of the University’s buildings are more than 100 years old.  In 2007, CUNY, in partnership with SUNY, completed a facilities analysis that showed that CUNY has a backlog of more than $1.7 billion in critical maintenance needs.  With the support of the legislature, for the last two years CUNY has received funding for critical maintenance projects, including those at our community colleges, to be matched by the city.  I am very pleased that this year the Executive Budget recommends another $284 million allocation for our senior colleges and almost $35 million for community-college projects, including urgent needs such as LaGuardia Community College’s Center 3 Building façade replacement, continued utility upgrades at Bronx Community College, and electrical upgrades at Queensborough Community College.  We are grateful for this attention to our maintenance needs.  Ongoing maintenance allows us to prevent the greater, long-term expenses that inevitably result from deferrals.

The Executive Budget also includes a $256 million dollar reduction in the CUNY capital disbursements cap over the next five years, limiting the University’s ability to fit new projects into its plan.  I must point out that, in this economy, spending on construction makes sense.  Costs are now lower, and much-needed jobs can be created.  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.

CUNY’s capital program has also benefited from the compact approach to financing, which relies not only on public funding but on the University’s ability to raise considerable private funds.  A public-private partnership, which leverages all funds, often provides an incentive to those wishing to support public higher education.  Reductions to facilities funding could impede private fund-raising efforts.

Chairman Kruger, Vice Chairwoman Krueger, Chairman Farrell, Senator Stavisky, Assemblywoman Glick, and members of the Senate and Assembly, all of us at CUNY are grateful for your longtime support of CUNY and public higher education in New York.  These are undoubtedly challenging times, but we are confident that by working in partnership with you, CUNY can continue to be a powerful vehicle for New York’s economic and social revitalization.  Thank you.

The $2 million CUNY textbook initiative has helped thousands of undergraduate students to have access to expensive textbooks this school year, and the University’s print and electronic offerings will keep growing.

A year’s worth of textbooks typically costs $700 to $1,000 – about 22 percent of tuition at senior colleges at The City University of New York and about 32 percent of tuition at CUNY’s community colleges, according to University Librarian Curtis L. Kendrick. He notes that the price of books is particularly burdensome to CUNY students, 38 percent of whom come from families with household income of less than $20,000.

Students have praised the program:

“If these books were not here, I would fail my class,” one student at Hostos Community College wrote, referring to books including a $191 anatomy text. “I cannot afford to buy the textbooks this year.”

John Jay senior Genevieve Castillo wrote that the addition of 800 new textbooks last semester, including a $150 psychotherapy textbook that she was assigned, “was a great help to the students, not only because it saved them money, but because there were more books available for loan … and they were the newest editions required by professors. While working at the circulation desk, I noticed a sharp increase in the number of students who registered as patrons of the library for the purpose of borrowing books.”

“College textbooks have become unaffordable,” wrote Dennis Kim of Lehman College. “The recession has only exacerbated the difficulty of students’ access to their course textbooks and some even go without to their detriment. Going without one’s required text is at the price of being left behind in class, struggling to comprehend class lectures, and this ultimately undermines the quality of the students’ education.”

As part of CUNY’s $10 million Student Financial Aid Initiative prepared by Chancellor Matthew Goldstein and approved by the CUNY Board of Trustees, the University targeted $2 million for campuses to buy textbooks. Much of the coordination was initiated by the late Vice Chancellor for Budget and Finance Ernesto Malave.  The goal was to help offset the modest rise in tuition voted by the Legislature. By the end of November 2009, the almost 5,300 books that were purchased under this initiative had circulated 87,741 times. The funds came with guidelines, encouraging college libraries to:

• Put titles on reserves or make them available as “reference materials.”
• Purchase multiple copies as warranted.
• Consider “rental” options.
• Consider “e-textbooks.”
• Select books appropriate for undergraduates at the campus.
• Choose books that support current students and the current curriculum.
• Work collaboratively to investigate systemwide licensing opportunities.

Campuses generally used the funds to order books to place on reserve, Kendrick said. These represent high-use items that are most in demand and that most directly support the curriculum. Campuses also bought reference materials to support students writing papers and conducting research. He said the books span the full range of disciplines and tend to be multiple copies of high-demand textbooks, copies of all readings required for general education classes and readings required for selected upper-division courses.

Looking to the future, Kendrick said that in addition to purchasing print textbooks, CUNY is exploring electronic book options. That could make tens of thousands of electronic books available to students and faculty on campus, as well as from their homes and office. He added that CUNY had established a committee to evaluate e-book proposals and had invited in a group of vendors for detailed discussions.

He noted that the New York State Textbook Access Act, which took effect on July 1, 2009, requires colleges to adopt policies that encourage faculty members to place their book orders early enough to enable bookstores to obtain the requested materials in used or digital formats, if available. At the federal level, a provision of the Higher Education Opportunity Act taking effect on July 1, 2010, requires that colleges disclose online ISBN and retail price information; CUNY is moving toward compliance.

The City University of New York is the nation’s leading urban public university. Founded in New York City in 1847 as The Free Academy, the University’s 23 institutions include 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, the Graduate School and University Center, the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, the CUNY School of Law, the CUNY School of Professional Studies and the CUNY School of Public Health. The University serves 260,000 credit students and 269,808 adult, continuing and professional education students. College Now, the University’s academic enrichment program for 32,500 high school students, is offered at CUNY campuses and more than 300 high schools throughout the five boroughs of New York City. The University offers online baccalaureate degrees through the School of Professional Studies and an individualized baccalaureate through the CUNY Baccalaureate Degree. More than 1 million visitors and 2 million page views are served each month by www.cuny.edu, the University’s website.