COVID-19

Dear Members of the Campus Community, I'm writing to discuss the campus budget situation, and the measures we will be taking to meet the financial challenges in which we find ourselves. I'll begin by saying that we have no real idea where our finances stand—although we should have our first preliminary indication by the end of this week.  As you probably know, the governor's budget director has been given the unilateral authority, at three separate times during the year, to make total cuts of up to $10 billion dollars in the state budget, if revenue collection falls short… Read More »


I hope this memo finds you in good health and spirits.  The COVID-19 virus has tested us all and will continue to do so, both in terms of the threat it poses to our collective health, and in terms of the impact, it will have on our institutions. I write to you now to discuss our budget and to enlist your support and participation in planning for budget reductions.  Due to the nature of the state's planning around budget reductions—that is, that it may at three moments reduce the state budget by amounts that could total as much as 10 billion dollars (representing a… Read More »


Dear Colleagues, I write to you about the uncertainty surrounding our fall semester. Unfortunately, I am not going to resolve that uncertainty in this memo, but rather tell you what we are thinking and how we are planning for the fall in the midst of it. We can all follow the media reports and make our own judgments about the likelihood of being back on campus come late August or continuing in a fully online mode. What is clear to me is that regardless of the primary modality of our instruction, there will be students and probably faculty and staff as well who will feel unsafe… Read More »


To: All Faculty and Staff From: Celia P. Lloyd, Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management; Tony Liss, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Date: April 28, 2020 Re: Clarification Memo on CUNY's NEW Flexible Grading Policy, Implementation, and Other Important Matters The purpose of this memo is to provide the faculty and staff with some clarity regarding the implementation of the recently approved flexible grading policy. Additionally, we would like to offer some information on other grading matters, end-of-term processes, and timelines.… Read More »


Dear Members of the City College Community, I hope this note finds you coping, as best you can, with the hardships imposed on us by this COVID-19 outbreak.  By this point, virtually every one of us will have lost loved ones on this campus, in our families and among our communities, and I sincerely hope that you are finding what comfort and support you can.  It's truly frustrating, I'm finding, to attempt the construction of warm and human social support via an electronic screen—but I know we are all doing our best to seek the solace we need, and give the care that… Read More »


Dear Members of the City College Community, Last week, I sent around a note that anticipated the mobilization of CCNY expertise to produce short radio pieces for broadcast over WHCR 90.3 FM. In some cases, we would want you to be a guest on a one-hour call in talk show form around issues related to the virus. In other cases, we would invite you to put 14-minute, stand-alone segments on tape—perhaps as a monologue, perhaps in conversation with a moderator. To get the process started, I’d like to generate a roster of experts, with your name, your contact information, and the… Read More »


Campuses are reporting instances in which strangers have accessed Blackboard Collaborate sessions and caused disturbances. These uninvited guests have not hacked into Blackboard--they have simply taken advantage of Blackboard Collaborate settings similar to "Zoom Bombing" as reported in the news. Intruders had simply received the guest link and telephone number and joined the Blackboard Collaborate session anonymously. Instructors can avoid intruders in Blackboard Collaborate by: Creating a separate Collaborate session for each online meeting Disabling guest access and… Read More »


As you may be aware, Congress approved the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), an economic stimulus plan aimed at addressing the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on Americans.  The FFCRA provides paid sick leave and/or expanded family and medical leave to employees for specific reasons related to COVID-19. Please go to https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/families-first-coronavirus-response-act-ffcra-or-act  on the Human Resources’ webpage to view the Department of Labor's FFCRA notice.  Additionally, please note: The FFCRA provisions apply to full… Read More »


James and Judith K. Dimon Foundation, Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation Each Grant $1 Million to Establish Unprecedented Fund; Robin Hood, Other Donors Add $1.25 Million CUNY Starts Accepting Individual Donations to Fund via New Website   The City University of New York announced today the launch of a Chancellor's Emergency Relief Fund to help students facing financial hardship during the COVID-19 crisis. With initial support from the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation and the James and Judith K. Dimon Foundation, the Chancellor's Emergency Relief Fund will… Read More »


Dear Students, We write to urge your participation in an important study about how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting you and your families. We ask you to complete the CUNY COVID Study in order to help us better understand and respond to the kinds of stresses the virus outbreak has created in your life. The survey results will inform our efforts to more efficiently direct support in ways that meet your expressed needs. They will also feed into a larger national study focused on how college students have been affected by—and have responded to—the COVID-19 pandemic.… Read More »


Last Updated: 07/23/2020 13:57