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Dear Faculty and Staff Members,

As you are aware, we are in a serious budget crisis and I'd like to share with you information regarding the budget cuts.  Therefore, I will be holding a Town Hall around these issues, so that we are all aware of what we are facing.

The Town Hall will take place on Thursday, February 16, 2023 from 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm in Shepard Hall, room 250.

A recording of this Town Hall will be posted on the President's page of our website.  

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the City College Community,

I am so sad to bring you the news that Professor Rishi Raj passed away this week, following a protracted illness against which he struggled mightily. He was at home, surrounded by his family and that, his daughter Rashmi reports, was a great comfort to them all.
She was also particular to share the news that Rishi was tremendously proud to have finished off this past semester with his students; seeing it through to completion became one of his most fixed goals as his health declined, and that drive is emblematic of his dedication to CCNY. 

Those who knew Rishi knew that he was devoted to this college and to his students.  He was proud of his military service, his role in guiding ROTC at the college, but especially of his long years of service to CCNY.  At our college, he served as a professor in the Engineering School, as the campus director of our ROTC program since its inception, and for years as the President of the Faculty Senate.  He left a deep imprint on our college and our community will miss him dearly.

Please click on the link for details for the funeral service and ceremony for Professor Raj on Saturday, January 28th and cremation on Sunday, January 29th. 

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Colleagues,

It is with great sorrow and a heavy heart that I communicate the unfortunate passing of our dear friend and colleague Barry M. Gross, Professor of Electrical Engineering.

Barry passed away on December 27, 2022 at Mount Sinai West Hospital surrounded by family and colleagues.

Barry was a two-time alumnus of the Department of Electrical Engineering at CCNY, having earned his master's in 1988 and his PhD in 1992. He then returned to join the electrical engineering faculty in 1993. Throughout his tenure, he displayed an unwavering devotion to the College, his students, and his research and scholarship. He mentored or co-mentored over 15 PhD students, as well as, countless master's and undergraduate students, and trained a number of postdoctoral research associates. Through his research, Barry made significant scholarly contributions in the areas of photonics engineering, optical communications, and remote sensing. He was deeply dedicated to his teaching and was well-known for going out of his way to support his students in and out of the classroom. Barry will be greatly missed by all whose lives he touched and by the electrical engineering profession.

The Grove School will be holding a memorial gathering with Barry's family this Friday, December 30th to mourn his passing and to celebrate his life. The details are found below:

Memorial Celebrating the Life of Barry M. Gross
The Grove School of Engineering
Steinman Exhibit Room
Friday, December 30, 2022
1:30 - 3:30PM
Zoom Link: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/81615100644?pwd=blJTY09NZEFTbU5OaWlnZlhqOUQzdz09

I know that the Grove School Community and the CCNY Community at large join me in mourning this tremendous loss of one of our own and in extending our heartfelt condolences to Barry's family and all who were fortunate to have known him.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

This memo serves as a reminder of the importance of the timely submission of timesheets.  Timesheets are required by the College and CUNY and are an important accounting tool for recording the hours employees work.  Timesheets also allow for effective and accurate tracking of employees’ time and leave balances. 

It is the responsibility of the Office of Human Resources Time and Leave Unit to ensure the College is in compliance with CUNY’s requirement that complete and accurate timesheets are on file for all employees.

Accordingly, all staff who submit timesheets through eCT (Electronic Central Timekeeping), please review your timesheet history in eCT to ensure that you are current with your submissions.  Employees who are missing timesheets must submit them through eCT no later than Monday, December 19, 2022.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Time and Leave via email at timeandleave@ccny.cuny.edu or via phone at 212-650-7796.

Dear Friends,

It's Karaoke time! Some of you cheer. Some of you groan. But really, what better way can there be to mark the start of the holiday season than a gathering that highlights the talent (or the audacity) of your colleagues? And what holiday gift can be more sweet than the discovery of a hidden talent in someone who works down the hall from you? At any rate, by now it's a tradition, and like fruitcake or cranberry sauce, whether or not you like it is actually beside the point. Ah: tradition!

Seriously, I'm really happy to invite you all to the CCNY Holiday Karaoke party. Of course, it won't be all singing, all the time. There will be food and drink and the shared company of our community, and I hope you'll all make time to stop by and lend your voices or your ears.

We'll gather on Thursday, December 8th from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm. If you want to come in person we'll be meeting in Shepard Hall, Room 350. If you're more comfortable joining online, there will be a zoom option. Click this link for zoom details.

We ask those of you who plan to sing, to select your songs in advance by visiting: https://www.youtube.com/ and when you do, select a non-vocal Karaoke version of your song.

For your pre-selected song choices, please fill out this google form. The deadline to sign up for song selection(s) is December 2 by 5pm.

I'm really looking forward to seeing you all, and listening to some of you!

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear CCNY Community,

Faith is a common thread among people of all backgrounds, and here at CCNY, we want people from all faiths to feel welcome on campus. Recognizing the need to provide a place where the campus community can pray, meditate, or reflect, the college has identified a Multi-faith, Meditation Prayer Space for students, staff, and faculty members to use on campus.

The room is a neutral space designed to provide the opportunity to practice faith and spirituality freely and comfortably. The space will be used for prayer and meditation and quiet reflection.

The Student Life Department will manage the space in cooperation with the religious student organizations. Going forward the Interfaith space will be located in the North Academic Center (NAC) on the first floor in Room 1/211.

While the space is available immediately for use, we will be convening discussions on the management of the space.

Celia P. Lloyd
Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
The City College of New York
160 Convent Avenue
New York, NY 10031

Tel: 212.650.7859
Fax: 212.650.8480
www.ccny.cuny.edu

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

I've expressed, in other campus outreaches, my great pleasure in being able to participate in the resumption of our on-campus life. Following months of social isolation, the repopulation of our buildings and grounds by students, faculty and staff is an undiluted joy, and I hope you share with me that pleasure. 

But our reunion is not without difficulties. We now meet one another in a moment of substantially rising social anxiety, without the assistance of practiced and smooth social interaction. Some of the anxiety lies rooted in the lingering threats we face to public health. Some come from concerns about what seems an unstable economic situation. Some rise from the extraordinary and sometimes violent political polarization that marked these last few years. 

We need to make the reconstruction of our community a deliberate effort. On campus, we talk of our diversity with great and justifiable pride, but sometimes act as if the mere fact of a diverse community accomplished the inclusion and justice we so desire. It does not. It merely sets the stage for the work we must undertake together. 

As a diverse campus, we have the opportunity and responsibility to delve more thoroughly into the work of creating a just society. That work starts with making sure every person on campus feels safe and welcome here, and so let me state the obvious: our bedrock value, the idea on which everything else we undertake depends, is the potential embodied in every individual and the essential contribution that each cultural experience contributes to human achievement and aspiration. 

As a campus, we defend these values. As individuals, however, that defense should inspire in us all a relentless endeavor to appreciate the perspectives of others, especially those most different from ourselves. Only in the endeavor to find common ground across differences can we realize the promise of our diversity: to be more than merely a place of difference, but a model of understanding across differences. 

We're nearing the culmination of an election season where the dog whistles of racism, anti-Semitism, anti-Islam, homophobia, the fear of new Americans and immigrants have become commonplace. Many have ceased even to camouflage their bigotry. Our campus does not stand apart from these influences. But I think we have the advantage of being a place of education, making our reflexive response to ignorance an effort to teach a better way. 

We'll have ample opportunity. Last week, a social media account posted a picture of a crude swastika drawn inside one of our bathroom stalls. I know the horror that symbol evokes in Jewish people, historically and in the present moment. If you don't fully understand that, educate yourself in their history and experiences. As I write this, we are settling on a new location for our interfaith space, an area designated for the use of all faiths to meditate, to pray, and to pursue their varied spiritual paths. While college facilities do not substitute for established houses of worship, I know how important a space for spiritual practice is to many on campus, and establishing that space validates the legitimacy of those values, even among those who do not share them. Because I review cases filed with our Office of Diversity and Compliance, I know how commonly people of color, or with uncertain immigration status, members of the LGBTQ community or others feel themselves belittled, discriminated against, or in danger. The only way to fulfill the great promise of this institution is for each member of our community to set themselves against all modes of discrimination, and I urge each of you to do so. 

We have an extraordinary opportunity on this campus, every day, to be better than the simmering bigotry that has crept into so many corners of American life. We have the opportunity of one another, the chance to engage across differences, sometimes across passionate disagreement. We have the chance to search out and celebrate common ground and to demonstrate in our example more than the mere existence of diversity, but its advantages. 

As a campus, we condemn every form of discrimination, both because of its essential inhumanity and because it so often sets itself against the social progress we strive to create. I commit this campus as a place of safety for all—protecting against harm to their person, their work, and their humanity. But more, I urge us to build, from the remarkable timber we have inherited, a better social edifice, one based on mutual support, understanding, and a defense of what is precious in one another. 

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President 

CUNY will provide up to 3 hours of paid leave for the purpose of voting in most local or federal elections, to employees who are registered to vote. This leave can be taken at the beginning or the end of the work day. 

Employees who need time off to vote must notify their supervisor at least two (2) working days prior to the Election Day. Employees requesting leave under this policy should comply with the following requirements:

1. Notify your supervisor at least two (2) working days prior to the Election Day.
2. Coordinate the time off with your supervisor (i.e., arrive up to three hours late or leave work three hours early) prior to the Election Day to ensure as little disruption as possible in the flow of work.
3. Time off for voting should be reported and coded appropriately on timekeeping records. For Electronic Central Timekeeping, please use the Leave Type for Voting-VTE.

Below please find CUNY’s official notice:
Time to Vote on Election Day

Should you have any questions, please contact timeandleave@ccny.cuny.edu .

Dear City College Community,

Last week, we announced that Peter Baptiste was leaving CCNY.  Today, I’m pleased to spread the word that Euda Gary has joined the team in my office, taking on many of the responsibilities that had formerly fallen to Peter. Euda will be working to keep my schedule and also to manage reception activity.  You will begin seeing her email on cc lines starting today–it’s EGary@ccny.cuny.edu .  Please copy her in on messages sent to my office.  I know you’ll join me in making her welcome on our campus. 

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

To the City College Community,

I’m pleased to announce the third annual “Community Read” project at CCNY. Our project is an effort to pull the entire CCNY community, including our partner organizations throughout Harlem, together around an effort to read, and discuss, a work that carries particular significance to our campus, especially in these difficult times. Conceived initially as a way to welcome new students to the college by engaging them in a joint exploration of a text, we are happy to include anyone on campus who would like to join.

Once again, the selection committee worked diligently over the past months to select an appropriate work, and I am happy to say that they have made an inspirational selection. After reviewing dozens of nominated books, the committee decided to adopt The Book of Delights, written by Ross Gay, a poet and faculty member at Indiana University who took on the project of disciplining himself to observe the world around him closely to identify things that provide him with delight. While his essays often consider matters such as the complexities and problems of modern life, racial inequality in the United States, and illness, they insistently return to a practice that affirms our connections with each other and the resilience of the human spirit.

As part of the project, we are thrilled to announce that Professor Gay has agreed to serve as the keynote speaker at this year’s Freshman Convocation, giving our campus community the opportunity to discuss his essays.  

The committee that worked on this selection process put in many hours, sifting through recommendations, weighing the merits of one work against another, and thinking deeply about what kind of a conversation they wish to convene. All of us at CCNY will benefit from your careful review of these works and each of you have my gratitude for your hard work and wisdom.  

New students who attended the College’s orientation program have already received complimentary copies of The Book of Delights. Continuing students, faculty, and staff who would like to receive a copy can pick one up while supplies last in NAC 5/225—the offices of the Division of Humanities and the Arts.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the City College Community,

I'm thrilled to be able to welcome our community back to the campus and excited every day to see all of you filtering through our gates and into our buildings, and down our hallways. It's been a long and difficult journey back to where we are now, and while we can't claim to have put the pandemic entirely in the rearview mirror, we now have better tools to cope with what it may still have in store for us.

Managing the campus over these past years has always been a balancing act, and I've tried to think of it that way. On the one hand, each of us labored under the weight of trying to keep one another safe, and especially in those early days when we understood so little about COVID, safety meant social isolation and a campus that was on an almost entirely remote footing. (I say almost because we should never forget or show gratitude for the sacrifice made, in those months, by our essential staff: men and women who traveled to campus to preserve sanitary conditions, keep the physical plant running, and protect the security of our college).

But we also knew that social isolation and remote work had their costs. While there is certainly a place for remote work and online education, we also acknowledge that a computer screen is a pale substitute for myriad tasks, and does not return many of the rich benefits of human contact.

Over these past months, the balance between the need to isolate and the benefits of contact have shifted, thankfully, towards the joyful interactions on campus today. We're still not fully safe, of course, and we must all protect and respect one another. Nor are we necessarily used to the negotiations and compromises that make a community whole, and so we'll need to approach these next few months with as much awareness of one another as we can muster. Let's be vigilant to identify and assuage the misgivings and anxieties of those around us, and generous when we encounter rust on the face of smooth social interaction. In short, let's work together to make the reconstruction of our community an intentional part of how we live and work together.

But, wow! What a pleasure it is to see you back on campus. May you rediscover the joy of teaching in a full classroom, of working in teams toward some collective goal, of planning a conversation session over coffee, or enjoying the beauty of our campus as summer inches toward fall. I wish you all a joyful and productive academic year, filled with the grace of learning, the grave import of our educational mission, and the pleasure of one another's company.

Welcome back, CCNY.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Colleagues,

I am sorry to share the news that Professor Paul Oppenheimer, who taught at CCNY for over 50 years, has passed away. Paul was a fixture in the English department for the years of his service, working across the mediums of poetry, expositional writing and academic criticism. Emails I’ve received from his colleagues remark on his wit, his warmth, and his commitment  to clear and rigorous thinking. He was also revered for the leadership and mentoring he provided to junior colleagues over the course of his decades of service. Truly, those who work and study at CCNY’s Division of Humanities and Arts and particularly in the English Department, will feel Paul’s influence on their lives and careers for years to come.

The Department of English and the Division of Humanities and Arts are planning a service to commemorate Paul’s life and work in September, and we’ll broadly share information about that ceremony as the date approached and plans finalize.

On behalf of the college, I wish to extend our deepest condolences to all of those who loved and worked with Paul, on this campus and beyond.
 
Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President 

Dear Members of the City College Community,

It is my sad duty to relate the news that Professor Jamaal Manassah passed away recently. Professor Manassah was a City College institution, renowned for his research in Electrical Engineering, theoretical physics and photonics and for his leadership and standing in Electrical Engineering and in the Grove School. We will also remember him for his persistent and impassioned defense of faculty governance, both during his years of service as the President of the Faculty Senate, and in the time since.

Professor Manassah completed his fortieth year of service to the college this past May, and he left an untold number of students indebted to him for his careful and demanding instruction. Over the years, as president, I’ve lost count of how many engineering graduates remarked particularly on how deeply his teaching and guidance impressed itself upon them. He had a reverence for our college, for its mission and design and was to the end concerned that we educate our students in the highest standards of the discipline. In Faculty Senate, he was an exacting critic of anything he felt fell short of those standards, and we are a better institution, by far, for his efforts and his passion.

In accordance with his family’s wishes, funeral arrangements were made privately a few weeks ago. They intend, however, to work with the college on a memorial service in the near future. We’ll certainly share the details of that service as they develop.

I am deeply sorry for the loss of Jamaal. CCNY was a better place when he worked alongside us, and we’ll miss him terribly.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President 

Dear members of the campus community,

I am pleased to announce the formalization of a program that has been in development for some time.  The Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Development Initiative (RIWI) has been chaired by Professor Robert “Buz” Paaswell, directing a team that has been hard at work for over a year to develop the curriculum and roll out a plan for a program designed to prepare young people for jobs in a new, smart and environmentally sustainable infrastructure.  As a non-degree program, RIWI will represent part of CCNY’s Adult and Continuing Education program, directed by Dean Juan Carlos Mercado, and will serve non-traditional students enrolling in programs of from several weeks to a full year’s duration. This initiative represents a key element in our revitalized workforce development programming.

As part of this formalization, I am happy to name Professor Angelos Lampousis as the Interim Executive Director of the program.  Dr. Lampousis will assume the main operational authority, with the responsibility of managing the program and its staff. Dr. Paaswell will retain the title of Program Chair, and contribute his vision and leadership to the task of expanding the program’s reach in the field, and making sure that it addresses the critical needs of the nation’s infrastructure.

This is an exciting development at CCNY and a critical contribution that we can make in the effort to help our nation and our neighbors recover from the difficulties of the last years. I want also to acknowledge the visionary support for Congressman Adriano Espaillat and Governor Kathy Hochul for their investments in this project, and the energy and enthusiasm of our Statesman-in-Residence, the Honorable Charles B. Rangel, for initiating this conversation and making sure that it kept moving forward on all fronts.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President 

To the City College Community,

As a public institution, The City College of New York is strictly non-partisan, but that does not mean that we are apolitical.  We have, for 175 years, embraced the explicitly political mission of contributing to the democracy and justice of our society by helping to shepherd the aspirations and futures of the least served members of our society, to be a place where new Americans can gain a foothold in the United States and those born on its economic margins can develop a path to stability and security.  This is an inherently political undertaking, as is any effort at social change, and we can’t shy away from engaging developments that arise to threaten that undertaking.

For generations of CCNY students, the journey was never easy.  Alumni from every graduating class tell stories of hardship and sacrifice, hard work and challenge on their way to graduation and the benefits that followed.  For most, their ability to prosper at CCNY and afterwards depended on their capacity to make strategic decisions about their lives and their persons.  Staying safe in impoverished neighborhoods, making healthy choices, marshaling resources and focus, were critical to their pathways to success.  In each of these aspects, our community has depended on the wisdom and foresight of policymakers enabling and allowing the fullest range of personal choice and freedom, privacy and the right to self-expression.

For that community, our community, this past week’s Supreme Court decisions on Roe v Wade and on New York’s open carry gun restrictions are devastating.  In the midst of an upwelling of gun violence in our city and nation, the courts have undercut our state’s wise decision prohibiting the open carry of firearms.  As we enter the hot summer of 2022, gunshot incidents have risen sharply in our immediate neighborhood and across the city.  We are, in fact, joining an August 13^th anti-gun violence march sponsored by the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce—our good friends and neighbors—designed to give voice to community concerns on this issue.  And in this exact context, the Supreme Court has mandated that our policy makers do not have the right to regulate where and how guns can enter our public sphere. 

Just days later, the Court took the astounding step of invalidating Roe v Wade, and already across the nation, states are radically restricting access this crucial aspect of healthcare—with more restrictions clearly on the docket. No person is untouched by this decision, but it clearly falls most heavily on the shoulders of people with insufficient economic or social resources. Deciding whether and at what time to become a parent is an intensely personal and private matter.  For many, wrenching decisions around parenting hinge on questions of how emotionally or materially prepared they are to raise a child. For others, carrying a pregnancy to term poses grave health risks. Children born of some form of violence, in societies where violence is disproportionally visited upon the underserved, represent another unfair burden of this law.  Forcing parenthood on every pregnant person represents an astounding curtailment of the right to navigate what are often tremendously difficult life circumstances, and bespeaks a more pervasive and ominous inclination of the government to regulate the most intensely personal aspects of our lives. 

As an institution devoted to social mobility and the wellbeing of the whole people, we particularly call out the disproportionate burden these two decisions place on under-resourced communities.  Until our society can commit to the idea that all children will be taken care of as they grow, anti-abortion legislation will have a powerfully anti-poor aspect to it.  Until our police forces are able to insure the safety of all citizens, permitting the open carry of guns, particularly in communities that have risen against such permissions, is especially reckless.

I recognize that many in our community will have reason to think that these measures represent assaults on fundamental rights and freedoms and demonstrate a special disregard for the security, the wellbeing and the privacy of our people.  I agree.  We will, in the weeks and months to come, find avenues for advocacy, debate and direct service to help cushion the blow of these decisions because the mission of this college is to motivate and participate in the elevation of the whole people. Until then, I hope we all find ways to comfort those who are particularly distressed at these developments and to rebuild a community that seems more and more to be under attack.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the Campus Community, 

I’m writing to announce a reorganization of our Government, Community & Cultural Affairs and its associated unites (City College Center for the Arts and the Events Management Team headed by Anthony Achille). 

Following the retirement of Vice President Witherspoon, I’ve taken some time to assess the proper location of these units, and wanted to bring them, managerially, into closer alignment with our other events planning apparatus, in the office of institutional advancement and communications. The events team will now be consolidated under the leadership of Vice President Mozeleski, in the process unifying our approach to the management of activities designed to be forward facing, including space rentals, management of events logistics, film and television rentals, and the organization and management of the campus events calendar. We expect connections between the college’s performing arts departments and our theater facilities to deepen in this reorganization, and for the leadership of the theater management to report to the OIAC as well. I will continue to rely on the support of Anthony Achille, but will serve as the college’s main liaison with government and community actors. The department formerly known as The Office of Institutional Advancement and Communications will now be renamed: The Office of Institutional Advancement, Communications, and External Relations. 
 
These moves, in part and as a whole, have been designed to bring more coherence, coordination and power to the management of the college’s events and community relations. I’m grateful for the hard and dedicated work of the various teams moving into their new organizational positioning on the campus. I’m also grateful to Dee Dee Mozeleski for her willingness to take on this new management challenge. Especially as we gear up for the Campaign for City College, it will be important to align all our assets in the most strategic way possible and this reorganization is a big step in the right direction.  

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the City College Community,
The appalling news of the Texas school shooting arrived before the last victims of the Buffalo shooting had even been memorialized, and in between, we learned of yet another assault in a California Church. There hasn’t even been time to process one act of horrific violence before the next one is upon us.

We are living in a moment when the accumulated anxiety of the pandemic years, stark underlying political tensions, the proliferation of dangerous high-powered weapons, and the rising tide of white supremacism have combined to create a dangerous and tragic season. Like the rest of our nation, we feel sorrow, frustration, and rage for the innocent victims of these attacks. The lives shattered in these shootings are beyond any conceivable calculous, and our college mourns with all of their victims.

I truly believe that the work we do on this campus is directly responsive to these tragedies. The anger of frustrated hope finds solace in the opportunity of an education. The white supremacist lies withers in the face of our accomplished and inclusive community. We understand that progress and security require collaboration and a willingness to build together rather than tear one another apart. And we regard the places where people gather—in churches and mosques and synagogues and schools—as sanctuaries rather than targets.

But the weight of these events is heavy indeed—it wears on me and I know it wears on us all. I urge you to pay particular attention to yourself, your level of anxiety, and fear. Keep a close eye on those around you and be prepared to comfort those you find troubled. Let’s also try to see anxiety and fear, rather than hostility and offense when we encounter bad behavior or ill humor and provide support to those around us who need it.

These killings are beyond comprehension but I believe that we can find strength in one another, in the work we do together building a better future. I hope desperately that these events will spur our leaders to enact policies that can finally constitute a relevant response to these killings—but until they do, let us assume the responsibility for one another’s care. 
 
Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President 

CCNY will continue its participation in the summer four-day workweek schedule starting the week of Monday, June 13, 2022, through Friday, August 12, 2022 excluding the workweeks that include Juneteenth (observed on Monday, June 20th), and Independence Day (observed on Monday, July 4th)

The following guidelines will be in effect for the summer four-day work schedule:

1. Employees will be given the option, pending supervisor approval, of working 35 hours in 4 days; or working a regular 7-hour day and charging the fifth day (Friday) to their annual leave or remaining unscheduled holidays balance.
2. Alternatively, supervisors may approve a flexible work schedule as appropriate, while ensuring that there are no lapses in service to students, staff and other stakeholders.

Supervisors are reminded that they must consider their employees existing remote work agreements, when deciding on the best summer workweek schedule options for their department.

The following options are examples of flexible work arrangements:

Option A

• Employee works 7 hours per day; Monday thru Thursday 9:00am – 5:00pm
• Employee takes a one (1) hour lunch break
• Employee charges 7 hours of annual leave remaining unscheduled holiday for Friday

Option B

• Employee works 8.75 hours per day; Monday thru Thursday 8:00am – 5:15pm
• Employee takes a 1/2-hour lunch break
• Employee does not charge annual leave for Friday
• If an unscheduled holiday is used Monday thru Thursday, please note an additional 1.75 hours will be charged to annual leave

In accordance with past practice, during the work-week that includes Juneteenth and Independence Day, the remaining four (4) weekdays will be regular un-extended workdays. This year, Juneteenth is observed on Monday, June 20th, hence, Tuesday, June 21st, Wednesday, June 22nd and Thursday, June 23rd and Friday, June 24th will be regular un-extended work days. Independence Day is observed on Monday, July 4, 2022 hence, Tuesday, July 6th, Wednesday, July 7th and Thursday, July 8th and Friday, July 9th will be regular un-extended work days.

Employees covered by the Blue-Collar Contract and various Skilled Trade Agreements may also be included for participation in the four-day workweek, based on departmental discretion and operational need. Those titles include but are not limited to: Campus Security Assistants, Campus Security Officers, Campus Peace Officers, Campus Public Safety Sergeants, Maintenance Workers, Painters, Plumbers, Carpenters, Electricians, High Pressure Plant Tenders, Oilers, Stationary Engineers, Supervisor of Mechanics, Thermostat Repairers, Supervisors of Thermostat Repairers, Supervisors of Electricians, Supervisors of Plumbers and all Custodial employees.

As was the case in 2021, DC37 Local 924 has not agreed to the summer four-day workweek for our Laborers, which means that Laborers must work their regular daily eight-hour work schedule of Monday to Friday. Additionally, proper supervision must be ensured. Laborers who still wish to work a four-day week may do so by working four regular days and requesting Fridays off as annual leave; this is strictly voluntary.

Supervisors and managers should contact the HR Office at (212) 650-7226 with any questions or concerns. Additionally, please be advised that HR may also contact supervisors if there are questions or concerns about their proposed summer scheduling plans.

Electronic Central Timekeeping (e-CT) Procedures for Summer Four-Day Workweek

To ensure attendance and absences are reported accurately on full-time non-teaching titles (i.e., CLT’s, HEO, RA series employees and White Collar Classified employees) timesheets, Human Resources has added a Summer Four-Day Workweek selection option to Electronic Central Timekeeping.

To select your Summer Four-Day Workweek option designation, please follow the steps below:

• Log in to e-CT
• The “Choose Summer Schedule Option” screen will appear
• Select Option A to work 7 hours a day Monday through Thursday and charge 7 hours of annual leave for Friday
• Select Option B to work 8.75 hours per day Monday through Thursday and no annual leave will be charged for Friday

lease note, to change your summer schedule selection you must contact Time and Leave via email at timeandleave@ccny.cuny.edu .

Dear CUNY Community, 

As you are probably aware, New York City’s Covid-19 level is currently high according to the NYC Department of Health’s Alert Level system and the CDC’s Community Level tracking.

Health officials recommend we wear a mask in indoor public settings and people over 65 and those at high risk of severe illness should also wear a mask in crowded outdoor spaces.

As the semester comes to a close and many of you prepare to attend commencements with your loved ones and friends, we urge you to wear a mask in public indoor spaces – for your safety and that of those around you.

A reminder that the best way to avoid serious illness from COVID-19 is to stay up to date with the vaccines and boosters. If you have symptoms or were exposed, get tested to ensure you're not spreading the virus. And if you test positive, talk to your doctor about treatment. You can find additional CUNY guidance here.

Wishing you a strong finish to the semester, good luck with final exams, and spirited congratulations to the tens of thousands of students who are graduating in the coming weeks. 

Best,  

Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, Ph.D. 
Chancellor

It is my sincere pleasure to announce that the College has appointed Christine Falzerano as its next Bursar Director.  Christine comes to City College with a breadth of experience in both financial aid and bursar operations.  Christine has experience implementing One-Stop centers, and consolidating enrollment management to seamlessly align customer-facing student services.  Christine also has experience designing and implementing ERP systems such as Banner and PeopleSoft in the student finance space.

Before coming to City College, Christine was the Director of Student Financial Planning at the Culinary Institute of America.  She also served as the Director of Student Financial Services at the University of Bridgeport, the Director of Financial Aid at Polytechnic Institute of NYU, as well as experience at other universities and colleges.

Please join me in welcoming Christine to City College.  Feel free to stop by her office on the first floor of the Administration building or send her a note.

I am pleased to announce that Interim Dean Marta Gutman is appointed Dean of the Spitzer School of Architecture, effective May 1, 2022.

Professor Gutman, an historian and licensed architect, has been at City College since 2004 and has served as Interim Dean since last August. She teaches architectural and urban history at both the Spitzer School of Architecture and the CUNY Graduate Center. She is a prolific author and the 2021 recipient of the Catherine W. Bishir Prize which is awarded to the scholarly article that has made the most significant contribution to the study of vernacular architecture and cultural landscapes. In addition to her teaching and scholarship, Professor Gutman is dedicated to the College mission, serving on countless committees College-wide and in the Spitzer School where most recently she chaired the School’s committee on Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.  Professor Gutman is the president of the Society for American City and Regional Planning History and a founding editor of PLATFORM, the online forum for conversations about buildings, landscapes, and spaces.

It has been my great pleasure to work closely with Dean Gutman this past year. She has shown extraordinary leadership in the School of Architecture and it is gratifying to see the enthusiastic support of Architecture colleagues for her permanent deanship.  Spitzer has benefitted this past year from her steady hand and vision for its future. I look forward to working with her to make that vision a reality.

Please join me in congratulating Dean Gutman.
 

I am delighted to announce that, following a nationwide search, Interim Dean Alexander Couzis is now the permanent Dean of the Grove School of Engineering.

Dr. Alex Couzis came to CCNY in 1994 as an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering. He rose through the ranks to Full Professor in 2004, when he became the Herbert G. Kayser Professor of Chemical Engineering. He served as Department Chair from 2008-2013. In January of 2013, Alex went on leave from the College for five years to assume the role of Chief Technical Officer of Urban Electric Power, a NY-based clean energy company start-up that spun off from CCNY. In 2014 he was appointed CEO of UEP by its Board of Directors. Alex returned to CCNY in January of 2018, but UEP is going strong and two years ago turned its production to hand sanitizer to help with the coronavirus crisis. On July 1, 2020, Professor Couzis was appointed as Interim Dean of the Grove School, replacing Dean Barabino who left the College to become President of Olin College.

It has been my great pleasure to work closely with Dean Couzis these past seventeen months. He has shown great leadership in the Grove School, important strategic thinking about how best to deploy our scarce resources, and fresh ideas about how to advance the goals of the Grove School of Engineering. It comes as no surprise that he was very strongly supported by his engineering colleagues for the permanent deanship. Personally, I am very much looking forward to continuing to work with him.

Please join me in congratulating Dean Alex Couzis.

Dear CUNY community,

I would like to welcome you back from what I hope was a restful Spring Break. We are now in the home stretch of the semester across our colleges, and I am especially looking forward to commencement season, my favorite time of the academic year.

We are closely following COVID-19 data and levels across the city. The CDC’s COVID-19 Community Levels remain green (low) in Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens and are yellow (medium) in Manhattan and Staten Island. And the city’s new alert level system that tracks transmission and health care capacity across the five boroughs remains green (low). We will continue to monitor CDC guidelines and consult with our state and city health officials to ensure the safety of our community. To that point, you can continue to monitor positive rates on CUNY campuses via our COVID-19 Safety Tracker.

While mask-wearing remains optional at the University, anybody who wants to continue wearing a mask should do so as an additional precaution to protect themselves and others. Remember that if you are up-to-date on your vaccinations and are exposed to a person who tests positive for COVID-19, you will need to wear a mask for 10 days after you last had close contact with that person and get tested at least five days after the contact. We continue to urge everyone who is not up-to-date on their vaccinations or has been granted a medical exemption or religious exception to wear a mask. Our full guidance on isolation and quarantine can be found here.

Free PCR testing continues to be available at CUNY testing sites for students, faculty and staff who may need it for any reason, and the University is continuing both its random testing program for vaccinated individuals and its mandatory testing for any employee still unvaccinated or anyone with approved medical exemptions or religious exceptions.

We have all worked very hard to make it to this point, despite the challenges and constant changes we have been presented with these past two years, and still we continue to move forward. I am proud of our sustained resilience and commitment, and I look forward to celebrating all of your accomplishments in the coming weeks. 

Sincerely,

Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, Ph.D.
Chancellor

Dear Colleagues,

After yesterday’s horrific subway shooting, many of our community are frightened of returning to their normal commuting routines. As the Chancellor said, the attack taps our deepest fears as New Yorkers. At a time when we have all come through two pandemic years, many in our community are feeling particularly vulnerable. I write to ask you all to be aware of the struggles our students are experiencing and to be understanding of students who may be afraid to return to campus in the immediate aftermath of yesterday’s attack.

Dear CUNY Community, 

The shooting on our subway system this morning is the kind of horrifying incident that taps our deepest fears as New Yorkers. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who were personally impacted and their loved ones, and we pray for their full recovery. 

The transit system is an integral part of day-to-day life in New York City, including for CUNY’s 300,000 students, faculty and staff. Our reliance on it speaks to our very ability to travel freely and safely and to meet the many obligations of our work, school and lives. It is very natural then to feel vulnerable and exposed, even for those of us who were fortunate enough to have avoided the trauma of direct exposure. I understand the emotions, and the difficulty that they add to the many challenges we are already facing as we struggle to restore normalcy amid a persistent pandemic.

Incidents like this bring about shared emotions but they also affect each of us in our own ways. If you are struggling to overcome anxiety and fears that were sparked by today’s event, I urge students to contact your campus counseling center or make use of the other services outlined here. Faculty and staff can turn to our employee assistance program for support. 

Let this incident remind us to be especially kind, and to look out for each other. 

Sincerely, 

Felo

Dear Colleagues,

I’m so sorry to be sharing the news that Professor Colin Chase, a beloved member of the Art Department faculty, passed away recently. Professor Chase, in his quiet, persistent and kind way, left a deep impression on the lives of those he encountered. In the art world, he was known as a highly accomplished sculptor, whose works utilized a variety of media and were designed to encourage contemplation in those who beheld them. Indeed, this inclination—the encouragement of and support for contemplation and reflection—marked so many aspects of his life.

He was a Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters & Sculptors Grant recipient, represented by June Kelly Gallery in New York. His work has been included in one person and group exhibitions in several galleries including Jamaica Arts Center, Socrates Sculpture Park, The Studio Museum in Harlem, and the Neuberger Museum of Art. He was also formerly a resident of the Institute for Contemporary Art, P.S. 1 Museum and Longwood Studios, and received public commissions from the Queens Hospital and the Malcolm X Memorial.

His students and colleagues, in particular, will remember him as an astute and interested observer of people, gently and encouraging to those who came to him for help and advice. As news of his passing spread, many of his current and former students wrote to express their sadness, and to share their impressions of the man and his presence in their lives. I present a mere sampling of these expressions below, without individual attribution, as a sampling of the broad collective outpouring of affection and gratitude for his presence among us.

One student writes: His kindness radiated everywhere he went. It’s those who have a gentle heart who impact the most. Acts of kindness make this world a better place, for sure. He made the world a better place. So many things we will take from him and can hopefully pass along. He truly is an angel. I hope to one day be even a tad bit as impactful as an educator as he was, truly a role model.

From another: Colin was a tremendously brilliant, inspiring and beautiful soul. It was a pleasure to have known him, albeit far too briefly. I think in my lifetime I have met only a handful of folks that immediately had a powerful influence over me and changed the way I view the world; Colin was certainly one of these select few. I, selfishly, would have liked more time, as I am sure everyone that knew him feels the same.

A Third reflected that: Professor Colin Chase radiated joy and excitement in everything he did. He was optimistic and empathetic, and he sincerely cared about each one of his students. He was a great giver of wisdom and was full of kindness. He constantly went above and beyond to help and teach his students.

Finally: He was an incredibly generous, kind and positive person and his work embodied all the things humanity should be about. I am going to miss him incredibly; he believed in me a lot, and he was one of the main reasons I remained at City College and finished my degree there.

The stories go on and on, but contain the same, essential message: this was a man treasured by those around him, someone who made an impact on the people he encountered by helping them find and refine their true voices. In the end, what can any of us, working in a place like CCNY, aspire to accomplish while we’re here?

There are no services currently planned to mark Professor Chase’s passing, but in time, his colleagues and students plan to commemorate his life among us, his legacy in the world of art, and the imprint of his wise tutelage on generations of students.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear College Community:

The Provost and I are pleased to announce the nomination process for the 2022 Faculty Awards.  The awards are one of the most important ways that we honor the accomplishments and contributions of faculty to students and to our campus life.

Please review the detailed descriptions of the award nomination guidelines available here and posted on the Academic Affairs website.

• President’s Award for Excellence
• President’s Award for Outstanding Faculty Service
• President’s Award for Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Service
• Provost’s Outstanding Teaching Award
• Provost’s Award for Pedagogical and Curricular Innovation

The due date for nominations for the awards is April 27, 2022.

The awards recipients will be honored at a reception at the end of the semester.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Tony M. Liss
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dear Campus Community, 

We hope the Spring semester is treating you well! We’re very excited to announce our second CCNY Urban Gardens Planting Day, to be held on Tuesday, May 3rd between 12:00 and 2:00pm (during club hours). If you are interested in joining us, we would advise wearing clothes you wouldn’t mind getting a little dirt on and we'll have all of the seeds, seedlings and tools needed for a great planting day.

If you’re looking to attend RVSP below!

Click here to RSVP

Please join us for a fun and relaxing day! (Please bring sunscreen. If we experience rain May 3rd, our rain date will be May 6th between 12:00pm and 2pm).

Sincerely,

Dee Dee Mozeleski and Charles Ramirez
On Behalf of The Office of Institutional Advancement and Communications 

&

Akasha Solis
Campus Representative, The Appalachian Mountain Club-CCNY Partnership

It is my pleasure to formally confirm Rosemarie (Rose) Wesson as The City College of New York’s Associate Provost for Research.  It is a role that Rose had taken on well over a year ago on an interim basis, and she continues to support and expand the research enterprise at the College. She has been a great partner to me in our efforts to raise the recognition of the research and creative work done at City College and a strong advocate for the needs of all of you doing that work. In her role as Associate Provost for Research, Rose has launched the Research and Innovation at City College website, known as the RICC, spotlighting cutting-edge work at the College, and continues to foster collaboration and creativity across disciplines.

Rose joined CCNY in 2015 as the Associate Dean for Research in the School of Engineering and Professor of Chemical Engineering.  At the Grove School, Rose catalyzed growth by providing strategic vision, guidance, and coordination.  Due in part to the increased research expenditures of the School of Engineering, the Carnegie Classification of City College increased to R2-High Research activity.  Rose continues to build bridges throughout CUNY and with CCNY Offices and Divisions, including the Division of Science, ASRC, and the Grants and Sponsored Research Office, as well building partnerships with industry and universities externally. 

Upon arriving at CCNY, Rose led an effort to provide institutional resources to support junior faculty in the School of Engineering and across CUNY. She worked with CUNY personnel to initiate the CUNY NSF CAREER Proposal Writing Bootcamp to assist tenure track faculty across CUNY develop competitive proposals.  As a result, over 30% of the eligible engineering junior faculty received federally-funded early career awards, including both the prestigious NSF CAREER and DOE Early Career awards. 

Before coming to CCNY, Rose worked at Dow Chemical, at Louisiana State University, and at the National Science Foundation Directorate for Engineering. This varied experience and her track record on our campus make her ideally suited for this position.

I am pleased to formally confirm Rose’s appointment as Associate Provost for Research at the College and look forward to continuing to work with her.

Dear Members of the Campus community,

It is with deep sadness that I share the news that one of our students, Brent Renaud, was killed in Ukraine this morning. Brent was a student in the MFA program for creative writing, although he arrived on our campus with a fully realized career as a photojournalist and filmmaker. It was in that latter capacity that he traveled to Ukraine, specifically to cover the refugee crisis there. An account of his passing was published in the New York Times, and I include that story here:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/13/world/europe/brent-renaud-irpin.html

CCNY gathers a global community to its campus, and that means that we have, every day, people in our midst who are touched in a particular way by the human toll of some global tragedy that might, to others, seem distant. These days, especially because of the nuclear threat it poses, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is particularly salient in our conversations and in the news. We mourn the loss of Brent to our community both because we will miss his remarkable presence among us and for the reminder he represents of the deeply personal pain that every life lost, in any conflict, triggers.

As we mourn Brent’s loss, let us both pay particular respect to his life and work, and take a moment to reflect more generally on the toll that aggression and violence of all kinds take on people around the world, every day. Our work on this campus is, over all things, to construct a community of understanding and respect, underpinned by a search for reasonable solutions to the problems that may divide people. Let us rededicate ourselves to this mission with renewed urgency, spurred forward by the loss of this particular life, the horror that has unfolded in Ukraine, and the too pervasive occasion for violence and human suffering around the world.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Friends,

Last Friday, we announced the passing of Simion Zurka, who worked for years in our mail room.  Simion loved his work and treasured his place in our college community.  I know that, in particular, he was part of a closely knit team—co-workers and close, close friends--and the members of that team are shattered by his loss.  In 2021, in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to the maintenance of campus life during the pandemic, Simion was acknowledged as part of the President’s Covid19 Response S.T.A.R. Award. All of us who depended on his work and service owe him a debt of gratitude.

I would like to express my deep appreciation for Simion’s years of service, and for his good natured and enthusiastic embrace of his responsibilities. Our campus community will miss him dearly.

Funeral service for Simion will be on Monday March 14th (Tomorrow) at 10 AM at the Morton Funeral Home in Ridgewood New York.

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear CUNY Community, 

In response to revised guidance issued by the CDC last week, we are lifting the temporary mask mandate that has been in place since August 2021 and required all CUNY students, faculty, staff, and visitors to wear masks inside University campuses, office buildings, classrooms, and other non-enclosed spaces. This policy change, which takes effect on Monday, March 7, follows recent announcements by Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams that ended mask mandates for pre-K through 12th-grade schools across New York State and City. 

Anyone who would like to continue wearing masks in any setting is welcome to do so at any time. Masks will continue to be available on campus and in offices for people who want them. The CDC is not requiring people to wear a mask in communities that have low or medium COVID-19 levels like New York City's boroughs, but I urge the small number of faculty, staff, and students who are still not vaccinated, or those who have been or will be granted a medical exemption or religious exception, to wear a mask.

We are very hopeful for the coming weeks and months, but as we all know by now, the pandemic has taught us that public health conditions can change rapidly. CUNY will continue to monitor CDC guidelines and consult with our State and City health officials and should the evolving circumstances require a reconsideration of this or any policy, we will make the necessary changes to keep the CUNY community safe. I ask you to remain vigilant to ensure the safety of our campus communities. You can check our campus-by-campus positivity rates on our COVID-19 Safety Tracker, which has been posted on our website since September 2021. 

Masks After an Exposure

The University's quarantine guidance will remain unchanged. A reminder that if you are fully vaccinated and have received a booster shot, or if you tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days, and you come into close contact with someone with COVID-19 you do not need to quarantine and can return to work or class. But you need to wear a mask for 10 days from the date of your last close contact and get tested at least 5 days after the close contact. 

Vaccines and Boosters

The suspension of mandatory masking does not affect the student booster requirement for those enrolled in hybrid or fully in-person courses. Students must upload proof of their booster within 30 days of the date they first become eligible to receive the booster. A reminder that all full- and part-time faculty, non-teaching instructional staff, and ECPs are required to be fully vaccinated and their proof of vaccination uploaded into CUNYfirst by April 1. Requests for medical exemptions or religious exceptions will be considered and the employee process for submitting such requests will be communicated in the near future.

Testing and Random Testing

To monitor COVID-19 moving forward, CUNY's mandatory testing for anyone with medical exemptions or religious exceptions and the random testing program for vaccinated individuals will continue to operate without change. Free PCR testing continues to be available for students, faculty, and staff at CUNY testing sites and I encourage you to take advantage of this service for any reason you might need it.

Ventilation

The upgrade and maintenance of our campus ventilation systems have been a priority since the early stages of the pandemic. In the last two years, we have injected $150 million in capital funds into our HVAC systems, and we requested additional capital dollars in our current budget request to continue these upgrades.

Since the peak of the omicron surge, the rate of positivity detected on our campuses has drastically and steadily declined. I want to thank each of you for the diligence, cooperation, and care that have been so very critical to CUNY's safe progression through the stages of the pandemic. We've arrived at this point because of the effort that we all have put forth to protect one another as we looked out for ourselves and our loved ones.

Sincerely,

Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, Ph.D.
Chancellor

Dear members of the Campus Community,

I write to announce that, with some substantial regret, I’ve approved Vice President Karen Witherspoon’s application for retirement. As the head of CCNY’s Division of Government, Community and Cultural Affairs VP Witherspoon managed a broad and diverse portfolio, ranging from the direction of CCNY’s interactions with elected officials and community institutions to the organization of campus events.  When television and film crews come to our campus to shoot, it reflects the efforts of VP Witherspoon and her team.  Logistical support for a broad range of events across the campus are also managed under her leadership, as are the activities and programs of the City College Center for the Arts and much of what takes place in Aaron Davis Hall.

VP Witherspoon has kept myself and previous campus leaders up to date on the challenges and opportunities that influence the college originating in the political sphere.  Her deep knowledge of (particularly) local electoral and policy dynamics have meant we are able to anticipate and position ourselves as advantageously as possible when change is afoot. She has managed our engagement with the capital funding process, by which members of the NY City Council allocate resources to institutions like CCNY, and scores of capital projects across the campus reflect the fruits of her work in that sphere.

Above all, we have benefitted from the fact that our Vice President for the Division of Government, Community and Cultural Affairs comes from a family that is a Harlem institution, and she’s brought that sense of position, and the good will it engenders, into our work.  Today, we have vibrant and robust relations with our immediate community, and are committed to expanding and deepening these.  So much of this reflects VP Witherspoon’s skill, assets and commitment to this work and to our college. I have benefitted from her insight and advice, and am deeply indebted to her.

I hope you will join me in thanking her for her years of service, and in wishing her the very best in the next stage of her life.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

I’m so sad to share the news that our Bursar, Anthony Ricca, has passed away. Anthony was a devoted and beloved member of our campus community, and served us all in the capacity as interim Bursar under exceptionally trying times. During the pandemic in particular, Anthony provided strong personal and moral support to one of the few essential administrative offices that continued to work on site over the duration of these last two years.

He was deeply committed to this college, and to the people he worked with. At a time of leadership change and strain, he stepped into the Bursar’s position and by the force of his example and encouragement, pulled that team together. He mattered deeply to the people he worked with. For thousands of others on this campus, people who may never have spoken to him directly, he provided steady and reliable support. I am personally and deeply grateful to have known him. His passing is a grave loss to the campus, and to the many here who loved him.

For additional information about visitation and funeral services, kindly use the provided link below.

https://www.colonialfuneralhomesi.com/memorials/anthony-ricca/4848295/

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

I write to update you on space available on campus for connecting to an online class during the Spring semester. The spaces are as follows, with room capacities in parentheses:

• Library
• The Tech Center, including STC1 (50), STC2 (35), STC3 (35)
• The following rooms in NAC  
• 4/148 (20)
• 4/206 (20)
• 4/207 (30)
• Student Cafeteria

Please be considerate of your fellow students while using these spaces. Speak quietly, and bring a headset to use for your online class. Remember that a mask is required at all times indoors.

To view the transcript: Open the video on YouTube, click the three dots, and click "Show Transcript"

Dear Members of the City College Community,

I'm writing to invite you to a campus-wide Town Hall via Zoom on Thursday, January 20th at 12:30 pm, focused primarily on campus safety/reopening/and vaccine information.

The current health situation is evolving with extreme rapidity, and while we are on track to be substantially more open in the spring as compared to previous semesters, we must all be prepared to shift as external conditions shift.

Before the semester gets underway, I wanted to take the opportunity to describe the work we’ve done to make the campus safer and the resources we have to help—in part because many of you may not have been on campus for most of the past two years. We’ll also talk about testing protocols and vaccination mandates, mask mandates, and other covid measures that we’ll all need to adhere to.

I look forward to seeing you at the town hall, hearing your concerns, and providing answers to your questions.

Here are the details for the Zoom access:

When: Jan 20, 2022 12:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: President's Town Hall

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://ccny.zoom.us/j/84417649680

Or One tap mobile:
  US: +16465588656, 84417649680# or +13017158592, 84417649680#
Or Telephone:
  Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1
346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 6833
Webinar ID: 844 1764 9680

International numbers available: https://ccny.zoom.us/u/kdfaNKbKLO

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

As we come to the end of another long and difficult year, it would be disingenuous not to acknowledge the disappointment and frustration that many of us, myself included, feel at this newest COVID surge. Twice now, in the summer of 2020 and in the early months of this past semester, we have had a brief taste of what a more normal, less fraught life together would feel like, and each time witnessed it recede in the face of a COVID surge. And so it may be tempting at this crossroads to surrender to a creeping sense of near despair.

In this specific moment, I want to urge you towards a reflection of what we've accomplished together, this year and over the course of the pandemic. Faculty and staff have labored to take care of our students and to make sure that the work of our college, more necessary now than ever, continues. You've seen the figures: the best value college in America according to the Wall Street Journal; tops in producing social mobility; climbing the rankings as CUNY's only national, research-intensive campus. When I read those accolades, the assessments that others make of our work, I think of each of you, dedicated to creating a place and culture that moves our society towards justice by providing a path forward for our students.

I think of you students, many of whom must draw on reserves of courage and determination to simply persist in the pursuit of a degree, of a better life: how hard you work, how much more difficult that work is under pandemic conditions, and how you've refused to allow your futures to be derailed by the headwinds of the day.

I see the contributions of our entire campus community, reflected in our big victories and our workaday accomplishments. I see an assembly of people who recognize their place in a grand design of an institution that matters deeply to our city and to the world.

I don't for a moment discount the difficulties we have faced, together on this campus and in our home and community lives. I've had countless conversations with one or another of you, and you've helped me more fully appreciate the weight this pandemic has placed on you, how difficult it has been to assuage personal fears, to satisfy the urge to protect loved ones, to withstand the grind of a pandemic we once thought would be long over by now. And so I am deeply respectful and grateful at how we've held fast to our animating values. 

We will be remembered, in the end, for how we manage the big obstacles in our lives. Some of those are personal and individual and some come to whole generations on the winds of great external challenges. Today we share the burden of shepherding a vision through deeply perilous terrain, and I have been proud to work alongside you, to be part of a community that refuses to concede the important ground of our mission.

I hope that as you assess the year that's just passed and prepare for 2022, you recognize these accomplishments. I never for a moment discount your work, your resilience, and your commitment to our tradition and purpose. I hope we may all look forward to a safer and more normal 2022, and I wish the very best for you in the months to come. I hope for you a joyful and blessed new year. But I also want you to be proud of the year we've spent alongside one another, and to know that I'm grateful and full of admiration for your character and conduct. 

With my best wishes for a Happy New Year,

Vince Boudreau
President

Effective November 17, 2021, CUNY implemented a random testing program for vaccinated employees. Fully vaccinated employees with approved vaccination information in CUNYfirst will be randomly selected to participate in the COVID-19 testing program. Being tested when you are notified is not optional and is necessary in order to obtain campus-wide results each week and thus help keep everyone safe.

In any given week, selected individuals will receive an email from no-reply@cleared4.org with the subject line "Message from City University of New York (CUNY)". This email includes instructions to complete their registration via a personalized link and will have to test at a CUNY test site within 7 days (no appointment necessary). CUNY test centers will be closed over Thanksgiving weekend. For your convenience, the list of CUNY-approved testing sites is available here. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT TEST RESULTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FROM A NON-CUNY TESTING SITE.

Test results will be available within 48 hours and employees will maintain their Access Pass to CUNY facilities while the results are pending. If the COVID-19 test result comes back positive, the Access Pass will be removed and the employee will be contacted by a Coronavirus Task Force Liaison for guidance. If an employee does not show up to be tested within the required 7-day period, they will be contacted by a campus or program representative on the next steps.

More Information about Testing Sites

City College's COVID-19 testing site is in the Faculty Dining Room located in the North Academic Center (NAC) Building. The entrance is on 138th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.

The hours of operation for CCNY's testing site are as follows:

• Monday 2 pm - 5 pm
• Tuesday 2 pm - 5 pm
• Wednesday 9 am - 12 pm
• Thursday 9 am - 12 pm
• Friday 9 am - 12 pm

Time off to get tested and Reporting Time off on the Timesheet:

• Employees who schedule a testing appointment during their scheduled workweek will be given 30 minutes of paid time if the testing site is on their campus or office location, and 45 minutes if they need to travel to another CUNY location.
• When entering this time on their timesheet employees should select "Leave Type" COVID-19 Priority Testing (CPT).

For additional information about the COVID-19 random testing program, visit this FAQ or www.adnas.com/CUNYhelp or& humanresources@ccny.cuny.edu .

Thank you.

To view the transcript: Open the video on YouTube, click the three dots, and click "Show Transcript"

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

Many of you have expressed concern at the news that City College's former Bursar, Joseph Boselli, has been arrested on charges of stealing nearly $500,000 from the College from as early as 2012 through his separation from his Bursar duties in 2017.

Please be assured that the College takes these matters very seriously.  In fact, it was City College itself that originally discovered the anomalies related to this theft.  The College initiated the investigation, collected evidence related to the theft, and it was the College that reported the matter to the relevant authorities.

Please see the press release from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office https://www.manhattanda.org/d-a-vance-former-bursar-at-city-college-of-new-york-charged-with-stealing-students-checks/

Given the complexities associated with the alleged financial crimes, the audits and criminal investigations took time to complete.  However, as soon as the College had sufficient evidence to take an employment action against Mr. Boselli, the College terminated his employment.  Even before that, however, we immediately took measures to safeguard the college’s monies.

The College is certainly relieved that Mr. Boselli has been arrested and charged, and that his alleged crimes are now being prosecuted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

Let me be clear, it was the College’s internal controls that detected these financial anomalies in the first instance, leading to the termination and arrest of Mr. Boselli.  The College has taken affirmative steps to strengthen these controls even further.

The College is working with the relevant law enforcement authorities to identify any students who may have been adversely affected by the alleged criminal behavior.  This process may take some time due to the complexities and due process afforded by the criminal justice system.  

While we wait for the criminal justice process to unfold, the College is taking the initiative to reach out to students.  If any student believes that they may have been adversely affected by the alleged actions associated with the arrest of Mr. Boselli, please send an email to  BursarClaims@ccny.cuny.edu , and we will make sure to document your particular situation for appropriate follow-up with law enforcement agencies.  

If you expected to receive a scholarship or other award between 2012 and 2017, please email BursarClaims@ccny.cuny.edu with the following information: 

• First and Last Name
• Contact Email
• Contact mailing address
• CUNYfirst EMPLID, if known
• A short description of why you think you may have a claim related to the announcement by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.  Please be as specific as possible, including dates, amounts, and names of persons.

We will make a continuation of our internal controls and auditing efforts a central part of our ongoing management practices so that everyone in our community can be confident in the integrity of your College.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

I would like to invite you to attend an all CCNY Campus Community Public Town Hall via Zoom on Tuesday, November 9th 2021, at 12:30 pm. Over the past few months, there has been some reason for heightened concern around security issues in our immediate neighborhood, and I want to make sure that as a campus, we are doing everything we can to protect ourselves and one another. To that end, we are convening a discussion to review the security condition of our neighborhood, and to discuss safety measures being taken by our campus Public Safety team as they coordinate with our local 26th and 30th Precincts.  

During this Town Hall, we will be joined by Pat Morena, Executive Director of the Public Safety Department at CCNY and members of his team, Lieutenant George Crinnion and Specialist Taish Rochester. Also attending, are Deputy Inspector Alexandra Sarubbi, from the 26th Precinct, and Captain Johnathan Korabel, from the 30th Precinct, both of whom will share information concerning general safety as it relates to our local community, as well as specific measures being taken on the City College campus to ensure the safety of each of us. 

Here are the details to access the Zoom webinar:

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Nov 9, 2021 12:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: CCNY Community Public Town Hall

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://ccny.zoom.us/j/85901134469

Or One tap mobile :  
US: +16465588656,,85901134469#  or +13126266799,,85901134469#  Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 646 558 8656  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 301 715 8592  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 669 900 6833  or +1 253 215 8782  
Webinar ID: 859 0113 4469
International numbers available: https://ccny.zoom.us/u/ksGm4tDbz

This is an important conversation and I hope that each of you will be able to join us. There will be a Q&A during the Town Hall, so please feel free to come prepared with questions about how we can all partner to ensure the continued safety of our shared community.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President 

Dear Campus Community,

While today’s Nor’ Easter will cause local flooding in areas across our region, our campus will remain open today.  At this time, the MTA and other public transit lines are operational.  Please be careful if you are coming to campus as more high winds and heavy rain are expected. 

Sincerely,

Ken Ihrer
Vice President of Operations
Coronavirus Coordinator
The City College of New York

Dear City College Community,

The City College of New York joins the rest of the world in mourning the loss of General Colin L. Powell. He was a deeply important man to us, both for what he did for his alma mater and how he talked about City’s role in his life. 

General Powell never forgot the young man he was when he came to CCNY, and throughout his life, he sought out young people who embodied that moment and went out of his way to help them along. He spoke frequently and with genuine emotion about the first time he met the inaugural cohort of Colin Powell Fellows at CCNY—a group of students on scholarships that he supported.  Invariably he summed up the impression they made on him with the phrase, “They were me.  I met them, and they were me.”  It’s an extraordinary thing for a man of his experience and accomplishments to see himself in those uncertain and early lives, but he was an extraordinary, extraordinary man. 

That insight, and his generous willingness to share it, allowed us to remind students each year that men and women of great (eventual) accomplishment enter the college each year provisioned only with a will to work, a store of intelligence, and an institution-borne opportunity. Against the momentum of an 18-year old’s uncertainty, sometimes shading into self-doubt, we could deploy General Powell’s own words: his pride at his public education, his clear sense that it fulsomely equipped him for success, and his own uncertain entry into the college.

I had the opportunity, in these last months, to impress on General Powell the extent to which he remade CCNY by his deep and committed involvement in the Colin Powell Center, and later the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership.  When he first began more extensively to involve himself in our work, there were virtually no resources to support students apart from state and federal financial aid.  The scholarships we did have mainly delivered monies to student recipients. 

The Colin Powell Fellowships were different.  Under his influence, we built them around leadership training and service requirements.  We impressed on students the idea of public service as an exchange for the public investment in their education—and General Powell frequently and generously offered himself up as an example for them to follow.  Today, the college is rife with student support programs—not as many as we need, but far more extensive than we would ever have imagined when we began in 2005. Students who leave these programs understand that the College of the City of New York (as Mark Twain called us) is a place where investments in their education commit them to lives of service. General Powell, by his example, his leadership, and his support engineered that change, and we are unimaginably better for it.

We are heartbroken at the loss of this man.  He will be remembered across the world for many things, by vast numbers of different people.  On this campus, we will remember him as one who committed himself to our institution. He demonstrated that in the underserved places in our society there exists a great and irreplaceable potential, and we risk a tragic loss when we overlook it.  And he leaves, in the sad and stunning moment of his departure from us, the admonition that we honor his memory and example by striving never to miss the next Colin Powell, out there somewhere trying to figure out what she will become.

On behalf of the college, we send our deepest sympathies to General Powell’s family and friends.  At an appropriate time, the college will announce a plan to adequately honor this most distinguished son of City College.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President 

Dear Colleagues,

I am profoundly sad to share the news that Professor Myriam Sarachik passed away yesterday. We are privileged to live and work at an institution peopled by many remarkable individuals, but even among this company, Myriam was exceptional. She was a distinguished professor of physics, both as formally recognized in her CCNY professorial rank, and in terms of the many honors and awards she received from the academy throughout her life.She was exceptional, as well, in her kindness, her boundless enthusiasm, and the influence she exercised by her example to all who knew her. Over the course of her long and remarkable life, she repeatedly overcame tragedies and hardships that might have brought others up short, and just as repeatedly gathered herself to persist in her pursuit of knowledge, humanity, and a life well lived. It is difficult to imagine this place without her, but impossible to think of today’s CCNY without the influence of her great mind and heart.

Services will be held Sunday, October 10 at  11:30 AM

Riverside Memorial Chapel
180 West 76th St
NY, NY 10023

There is also a zoom link on their website for remote family and friends:

www.riversidememorialchapel.com

or more directly:

https://www.legacycelebrated.com/myriam-sarachik/

The burial will follow at Beth Israel Cemetery in Woodbridge NJ.

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear members of the City College Community,

It is my sad duty to share the news that Dr. Neville Parker, who for years served as a faculty member in the Grove School of Engineering, passed away this past week.  Dr. Parker graduated from the City College of New York with the BE in Civil Engineering in 1965, and went on to earn a PhD from Cornell University.  He returned to his alma mater in 1988, after stints at Howard University and the University of Dar Es Salaam. At CCNY, he joined the civil engineering department, held the Herbert G. Kayser professorship, and served as associate director and director of the Institute for Transportation Systems.  Throughout his career, he worked to promote the entrance and success of students of color in STEM fields and made huge advances in this area on campus. In recognition of his stature in the field, the Council of University Transportation Centers awards two Neville Parker Awards each year to graduate students working in the field of transportation.  Dr. Parker was a distinguished and committed leader in his academic field and on our campus, and we will miss him dearly.

Viewing, Service, and Floral information is as follows:

Monday, October 4, 2021: Volk Leber Funeral Home
789 Teaneck Road, 
Teaneck, NJ 07666
(201) 836 0202 
Viewing:  9:00 am – 11:00 am
Service:  11:00 am
https://www.volkleberfuneralhome.com/

Livestreaming:  The service will be livestreamed through the Funeral Home’s website.  A link to Dr. Parker’s tribute page is below:
https://www.volkleberfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Neville-Parker/

Repast following service at: 
Amarone Restaurant 
63 Cedar Lane 
Teaneck, NJ 07666

Floral arrangements can made with Barbara’s Flower shop in Harlem: 
2522 Frederick Douglass Blvd.
New York, NY 10030
T: 212.234.3211
F: 212.234.3354
https://www.barbarasflowers.com/index.html

Dear All,

The City College of New York (CCNY) has a long-standing commitment to diversity and equal opportunity in all aspects of employment practices. The senior management team fully supports the policies and practices we have implemented to foster non-discrimination, affirmative action, and diversity and inclusion in the workplace. CCNY is enriched by the strengths of the people and perspectives represented in our institution. Accordingly, I continue to be committed to the CCNY's compliance with the CUNY Policies and Procedures on Equal Opportunity, Non-Discrimination, and on Sexual Misconduct.

The Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy states CUNY's commitment to recruit, employ, retain, promote, and provide benefits to employees without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, partnership status, disability, genetic information, alienage, citizenship, military or veteran status, unemployment status, status as a victim of domestic violence/stalking/sex offenses, or any other legally prohibited basis in accordance with federal, state and city laws. Additionally, as a federal contractor, CUNY engages in affirmative action for women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans consistent with federal requirements for employees in all title groups. I also remind you that Italian Americans are included among CUNY's protected groups. I invite you to view the Equal Opportunity Policy in its entirety, including the complaint procedures and prohibition against retaliation at:

https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/legal-affairs/policies-procedures/

CCNY’s executive and administrative officers are responsible for maintaining a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment, and for promoting diversity and inclusion in their respective units. I have assigned the responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of our compliance program to the Chief Diversity Officer, Diana Cuozzo, who also serves as the Section 504/ADA Coordinator, responsible for addressing complaints of disability discrimination and related matters. I encourage all managers to contact her to discuss diversity and inclusion strategies that would advance their unit's strategic goals. The Office of Diversity and Compliance is located in Shepard Hall, Room 109A-D and the telephone number is 212-6507330 or via email at dcuozzo@ccny.cuny.edu . Additionally, any individual who believes that they have experienced discrimination should immediately contact the Office of Diversity and Compliance.

I ask for your continued support to ensure equal opportunity, affirmative action, diversity, and inclusion in all employment practices at CCNY.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the City College Community,​

I'm writing as an urgent reminder of our student vaccine mandate for in-person instruction, to outline the consequences of students not being vaccinated, and to urge unvaccinated students who have either in-person or hybrid classes to take immediate action in one or another direction. I include faculty and staff on this note, asking that you'll carry this message forward in your interactions with students.

As we have announced, the vaccine mandate for students enrolled in hybrid or in-person classes took full effect when the Pfizer vaccine received final FDA approval. This means that all students taking in person or hybrid courses must all be fully vaccinated with their information uploaded to CUNYFirst by September 27th, or they will be deregistered. There will be no exceptions to this policy—including students who are in a hybrid class that only periodically meets in person.

Immediately, this means several crucial things for students enrolled in hybrid or in-person classes. This Thursday (September 2nd) is the final day to get your first Pfizer shot, in order to be fully vaccinated before the deadline. The last day you can get a Johnson and Johnson shot and remain in class is September 23rd, and all vaccination information needs to be uploaded to your CUNYFirst account by September 27th. The Moderna deadline has already passed.

A student who is unvaccinated after our deadline will be dropped from their hybrid and in-person classes. This will take place after the point in the semester when you would be eligible for a refund so you would lose tuition monies. If being dropped from a class puts you below 12 credits, you would probably lose financial aid and might lose whatever scholarships you may have, if they require full time attendance.

We will not have flexibility around these consequences. In large part, these policies represent our effort to keep our community safe by establishing conditions where our campus is more fully populated with people who have protected themselves, others, and society by getting vaccinated. We cannot make you take the vaccination, but neither can we long allow students who have chosen not to be vaccinated to be on campus in close classroom quarters.

So, if you are enrolled in an in-person or hybrid class and you are committed to not being vaccinated, you should either transfer to a fully online class, drop the class while you can still receive at least a partial refund, or—and this is my very strongest recommendation—change your mind and get vaccinated. If you do not, you will both be exposing yourself to the consequences I've outlined in the above, and—more importantly—exposing yourself to the dangers of the Coronavirus.

Despite the dangers posed by the delta variant, we have the capacity to crush this pandemic and return to a more normal college experience, without sacrificing your safety. To get there, we must all recognize that many measures we undertook at the start of the pandemic— deep cleaning, erecting plexiglass shields—are far weaker than the protection afforded to individuals who vaccinate themselves. Even masking and social distancing, which do help control the spread, take a back seat in a community of vaccinated people. We need to get there. I urge those of you who are not vaccinated to get the vaccine as soon as possible. I promise our community that we will inexorably be moving toward a more normal college posture and that will require a more thoroughly vaccinated population.

At the risk of belaboring the point allow me to say this; these consequences are not negotiable. You have time, in the next few days, to avoid them by starting a Pfizer vaccination regime, getting the oneshot Johnson and Johnson vaccination, or removing yourself from in-person or hybrid classes. There are extremely limited exceptions to this policy for students with a verified exemption for health or religious reasons, but by and large and absent those exceptions, these rules will be enforced absolutely and without any chance of reconsideration or (in the event that your decision occasions financial consequences) compensation.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Member of the Campus Community,

I'm writing to invite you to join me on Tuesday, August 24th at 12:30 p.m. for a Public Safety Briefing on Neighborhood Safety via Zoom.  

Over the course of these last six months, there have been some troubling increases in crime across New York City, and in the immediate vicinity of the campus. Our public safety team has worked with the 26th and 30th precincts to provide enhanced security to the campus community, however, protecting yourself requires information on steps you can take to be as safe as possible as you move back and forth to campus.  

Please join us for a discussion of the measures our Public Safety team has put in place, the services we provide to enhance safety and information about the evolving circumstances of our neighbourhood.  

Pat Morena and I look forward to seeing you on this Zoom.

Here are the details for the Zoom access:

When: Aug 24, 2021 12:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Topic: Public Safety Briefing on Neighborhood Safety

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://ccny.zoom.us/j/81687849170

Or One tap mobile:
US: +16465588656,,81687849170#  or +13017158592,,81687849170#

Or Telephone:
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 646 558 8656  or +1 301 715 8592  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1
669 900 6833  or +1 253 215 8782

Webinar ID: 816 8784 9170

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the City College Community,

I am writing on the verge of the new semester to talk to you about our reopening posture for the fall semester—I hope you'll forgive this rather long missive.  We have, since March 2020, been struggling to balance two objectives on this campus—keeping our community safe and fulfilling our mission to our students and our society.  Two things have changed over the past several months, and our plans for the fall semester incorporate those changes.

The first is that we now live in a society in which safe and effective vaccinations exist, are free, and are broadly and readily available.  There is a great deal of misinformation about these vaccines, but hundreds of millions have taken them with almost no serious side effects.  While long term studies of the vaccine have not taken place, given the risk of contracting the Corona virus it seems pretty clear that the best way to protect yourself is to be vaccinated.  I received my shot as soon as I was eligible, and never for a moment regretted it. I urge all of you who have been reluctant to get the shot for some reason to do so as soon as you can.

The second change is that the Delta variant is now dominant in the country.  The variant is more transmissible than the original strain of the virus, and may be deadlier.  It also seems more likely to pose serious risks to younger people, including those too young to be vaccinated. Vaccinated people are more likely to carry and transmit the Delta variant than the original strain virus, and more seem to contract mild cases of the virus, but an extremely low percentage of vaccinated people contract serious cases of the Coronavirus of any strain, and fewer still ever require hospitalization. 

What does this mean for our community and our work? First, it means that we have people in three different categories on campus.  

• The first category contains people like me, who have been vaccinated and are not in any regular contact with people in some way unprotected from the virus. These people, like me, will be expected to come to work, albeit on a schedule that allows social distancing, and in situations where you will interact with a community that will be masked, will be vaccinated, or will have a very recent negative Covid-19 test.  The combination of a screened community, social distancing and (most importantly) your own vaccination will combine to provide a substantial measure of safety.  
• The second are people who are vaccinated but in regular contact with others who do not currently enjoy the protection of the vaccine.  These would include people living with children under the age of 12 or others who are in some way immunocompromised, or people who are themselves immunocompromised in some way.  For this group, we have an accommodation process in HR, and you may use it to receive permission to work from home.  I'll say this again: If coming to work subjects you or someone close to you to a risk that cannot be alleviated by the vaccination, you may file an accommodation request and arrange a work from home agreement. 
• The third category consists of people who have not yet been vaccinated.  You will be required to submit weekly negative tests and will be moving in a community that is largely vaccinated and tested—but the stark truth is that when you come to campus, you will be subjecting yourself to danger. We now know that measures we undertook at the start of the pandemic— deep surface cleaning, plexiglass shields—offer comparatively little protection.  The college has focused on making sure our areas are well ventilated, and have provided tours to unions to lay out the substantial measures we have taken to improve air handling and circulation.  But the truth is that none of these measures provide anywhere near the level of safety that a vaccination does, particularly now that we know that vaccinated people can be asymptomatic transmitters of the virus. 

When the pandemic started, the only way to protect our community was to depopulate the campus, and try every measure we could, including those that now appear not to have been effective.  We moved to a remote profile, struggled to teach and provide services online, and as a community and as individuals, grappled with historically difficult conditions.  Significant segments of our community— in facilities, in public safety and in several service offices—were required to come in under persistently dangerous circumstances and they responded heroically.  Others of us remained at home, and worked diligently in an effort to provide an undiminished level of service to our students.  

We are, at base, a service institution, working to advance a desperately important social mission under circumstances where that mission is more necessary than ever before. Over the course of the pandemic, two things have been true, and can be true at the same time.  The first is that as a college we rose to the occasion, worked under dramatically difficult circumstances, made great personal sacrifices and were subject to almost unremitting anxiety.  The second is that we were not, in that distance work profile, able to sustain the level of service necessary to meet the demands of our mission.  I know this because, at the end of the day, I get the phone calls from parents trying to get someone, in an office, in a department, to answer the phone.  We know this because of the myriad student complaints we have received, the number of students calling my office—and probably yours—to say that we have not met one or another obligation to them. 

And so, it is time to recalibrate the appropriate balance between serving our mission and protecting our community.  It is true that case rates around us are rising—but it is also true that if you've taken steps to vaccinate yourself, the risks associated with being exposed to the virus are vastly diminished.  To use Dr. Fauci's terms, we are now facing a pandemic of the unvaccinated, and in that pandemic, our work requires that we be present in numbers that are consistent both with serving what will be a greatly reduced on campus population and providing for social distancing on this campus.  

Our reopening plan and the work schedules arranged by supervisors across campus strike that balance. It was developed on the basis of one assumption that I'll reiterate here: We can implement a host of measures to protect our community—we'll be masked indoors, we've vastly improved ventilation, we will wash hands and social distance—but a vaccinated community is the best way to stop this virus and avoid its most serious effects, and our plan—including the option for accommodation and case by case work from home permissions—is calibrated accordingly.  But we must begin the transition to a more regular and in person work environment, doing so in ways that rely on the science, recalibrate when necessary, and fully incorporate the advantages and protections of the vaccine. 

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Vaccinated and Weekly COVID-19 Testing

As of August 16, 2021, anyone entering the City College campus (or any other CUNY site) will be required to show proof of full vaccination (defined as 14 days after the receipt of the final dose)* or show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than seven days prior to the date the employee enters the campus.

Uploading Proof Vaccination Documentation

All employees can upload their vaccination documentation into CUNYfirst.  For information on the process, please access the following link:  Vaccination Verification Under Guide for CUNY Employees.

Information entered, is reviewed and approved by Human Resources (HR) within 24 hours. Please make sure to review your CUNYfirst account after 24 hours of submission.

VaxPass

Employees who complete the vaccination verification process will be able to access the College’s campus with the assistance of a new feature of the Everbridge App called VaxPass.

As of the August 16, 2021, the Everbridge App’s CUNY Daily Symptom Tracker will be deactivated and replaced by the VaxPass.  Fully vaccinated employees, whose uploaded vaccination information in CUNYfirst was approved by HR, will see a green token in the Everbridge App’s VaxPass system, which affirms their vaccinated status.  These employees will also receive an email via their College email.  The current end date indicated on the green token will be December 31, 2021.  CUNY has advised that prior to December 31st, they will issue guidance on the status of the green token end date.

To begin accessing the VaxPass system, please restart your Everbridge App.

For additional information on accessing and utilizing the VaxPass, please follow the link provided here.  

Weekly Testing at Approved CUNY Sites

Employees who do not submit proof of a vaccination are required to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing at one of CUNY’s designated testing sites.  For your convenience, the list of CUNY approved testing sites is available here.

Test results from CUNY’s testing sites are sent directly to the employee’s email address. At a future date, the test results will be integrated into CUNYfirst for display by VaxPass on employees’ smartphones.  Test results will be available within 24 hours or 48 hours if testing was completed on a weekend.

Please be advised that all participants to weekly COVID-19 testing are required to use one of the CUNY approved testing sites.  TEST RESULTS WILL NOT ACCEPTED FROM A NON-CUNY TESTING SITE.

By now, all faculty and staff who have not provided proof of vaccination in CUNYfirst should have received an email from the test site vendor (ADCL), who is facilitating CUNY’s COVID-19 testing program.  The email includes a personalized link directing employees to register for COVID-19 testing.

If you have not yet seen the email, please check your Spam folder.

For your information, the email was sent from  no-reply@cleared4work.com  with the following subject:  [EXTERNAL] Welcome to safeCircle at CUNY.

Once registered, employees will receive an on-line overview of the program and instructions on how to proceed.  All appointment scheduling, negative test results, and other communications will all flow through the vendor’s (ADCL’s) platform.  A brief overview of the testing program is in the video link provided here. Should you have any issues with the testing program, please contact ADCL’s support desk.

Note:  Employees who test positive for COVID-19 will be subject to the College’s contact tracing protocol.

How to Opt Out of Weekly COVID-19 Testing

Employees can opt out of the testing program at any time by submitting documentation confirming that they are fully vaccinated* via the Vaccination Verification menu in CUNYfirst.

They may also provide proof of vaccination to the City College ID Office – see current schedule – and obtain a vaccination verification sticker.  However, the vaccination sticker is for City College use only – it will not be honored at other CUNY sites.

Reminder:

Employees will receive time-off to receive the COVID-19 vaccination if the appointment is scheduled during their work week.  Employees will be granted up to four (4) hours of excused leave per dose and up to a total of eight (8) hours for those who receive the two (2) dose vaccination.

To find a vaccination location near you, please follow the link below: https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov/

At this time, employees who are approved to work fully remote are not required to submit to the weekly testing (or show proof of vaccination).

More Information about Testing Sites

City College’s CoVID-19 testing site is located in North Academic Center building (NAC)- 3rd Floor – in the Faculty Dining Room.
As a one-time courtesy, the City College COVID-19 testing site will be available this Saturday, August 14th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon to accommodate employees who are returning to work on Monday, August 16th who have not submitted their proof of vaccination.

The normal hours of operation for CCNY’s testing site are as follows:

• Monday 2pm-5pm
• Tuesday 2pm-5pm
• Wednesday 9am-12pm
• Thursday 9am-12pm
• Friday 9am-12pm

Testing by appointment is preferred, but walk-ins may be accepted on a standby basis once those with appointments have been tested.  Please schedule your appointment now!

For more information about CUNY’s COVID-19 testing program, please see the Testing FAQs.

Time off to get tested and Reporting Time off on the Timesheet:

1. Employees who schedule a testing appointment during their scheduled work week will be given 30 minutes of paid time if the testing site is on their campus or office location, and 45 minutes if they need to travel to another CUNY location.
2. When entering this time employees should select COVID-19 Priority Testing (CPT) on their e-CT timesheets.

Feel free to contact HR with your questions at  humanresources@ccny.cuny.edu .

Thank you.

To the City College Community,

I’m pleased to announce the second annual “Community Read” project at CCNY. Our project is an effort to pull the entire CCNY community, including our partner organizations throughout Harlem, together with around an effort to read and discuss, a work that carries particular significance to our campus, especially in these difficult times. Conceived initially as a way to welcome new students to the college by engaging them in a joint exploration of a text, we are happy to include anyone on campus who would like to join.

Once again, the selection committee worked diligently over the past months to select an appropriate work, and I am happy to say that they have made an inspirational selection. After reviewing dozens of nominated books, the committee decided to adopt The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, written by Heather McGhee, former president of the inequality-focused think tank Demos. The Sum of Us relates McGhee’s personal journal as she explores the historical roots of policies that shape the America in which we live, and in so doing challenges our assumptions about the possibilities of contemporary America. 

As part of the project, we are thrilled to announce that Ms. McGhee has agreed to serve as the keynote speaker at this year’s Freshman Convocation, giving our campus community the opportunity to discuss The Sum of Us. 

The last 18 months have been a difficult time for us all. The pandemic has opened fundamental questions about how hardship deepens and exposes the inequities that exist in our society, and how these inequities, in turn, produce disparate experiences of violence, power, and injustice. But the pandemic has also deprived us all of the daily regeneration, in human contact, of our community. The idea of us all joining together to read and discuss relevant work is designed both to direct our collective attention to issues of race and injustice and to help reconstitute our community.

The committee that worked on this selection process put in many hours, sifting through recommendations, weighing the merits of one work against another, and thinking deeply about what kind of a conversation they wish to convene. All of us at CCNY will benefit from your careful review of these works and each of you has my gratitude for your hard work and wisdom. 

We have a limited number of complimentary copies available of The Sum of Us. All divisional offices will have copies of the book, and we welcome you to drop by your advising office in person during the month of August to pick up a hardcover copy. We will also have distribution tables on Lewisohn Plaza (the Convent Avenue side of the NAC Building) on August 23rd from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm, August 24th  from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm, and August 26th from noon to 1:30 pm. Alternatively, if you would like an electronic copy, you can complete the request form here https://forms.gle/3m4MB4gkHGcakFFh6.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

The CCNY Community Read Committee:

Bobby Derival, Executive Director, Master in Public Administration Program, Colin Powell School
Lydia Gerson, Director of the Gateway Academic Center
Karen Hubbard, Professor of Biology
David Jeruzalmi, Chair of Faculty Senate, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Anne Kornhauser, Chair and Associate Professor of History
Loren Mendelsohn, Acting Chief of Technical Services, CCNY Libraries
Wendy Meza, CCNY ’21 MA in English Literature
Michael Miller, Director of Undergraduate Affairs, Spitzer School of Architecture
Renata Kobetts Miller (Chair), Deputy Dean of Humanities and the Arts, Professor of English
Jeff Morris, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Director of the Levich Institute, Grove School of Engineering
Dee Dee Mozeleski, Vice President of the Office of Institutional Advancement and Communications, Executive Director of the Foundation for City College, and Senior Advisor to the President of City College
Herbert Seignoret, Academic Advisor, Colin Powell School
Araceli Tinajero, Professor of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures
Ardie Walser, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Grove School of Engineering, Professor of Electrical Engineering

OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR

Dear Faculty and Staff,

I'm writing today with an important announcement — we have decided to move the start date for our return to in-person work back by two weeks, from August 2 to August 16, in response to requests for additional time to prepare to come back to campuses and offices. 

The decision to delay our return to campuses and offices grew also from our commitment to the protocols for health and safety walkthroughs that we developed in consultation with labor leadership. As you know, part of the preparation for our return to in-person work and instruction includes conducting campus health and safety walkthroughs with your labor representatives. We want to allow adequate time for the scheduling and administration of these walkthroughs.

Campus leaders and managers will retain the flexibility to determine that some employees need to start coming in before August 16 in order to be ready for classes to begin on August 25.

Vaccination and Testing 

The modified calendar will also afford the needed time to institute a University-wide systematic testing protocol. As we have known for many months, vaccination is the key to our safe return to campuses and offices because the highly effective COVID vaccines are without doubt the best way to prevent transmission of the virus. I am pleased that our last survey a month ago found that 87 percent of CUNY faculty and at least 70 percent of staff have been vaccinated, and I urge those who have not yet been vaccinated to do so. As a reminder, employees get up to four hours of paid time off to receive each required dose.

To protect the safety of unvaccinated faculty, staff, and students as well as those who choose not to disclose their vaccination status, these individuals will be required to be tested. Details of the testing protocols and procedures are forthcoming. Unless things change, employees will not need to be routinely tested if they voluntarily provide vaccine information and supporting documentation in CUNYfirst. Starting August 16, anyone entering a CUNY facility will need to be fully vaccinated (two weeks beyond the last vaccination shot) or have a negative COVID-19 test taken within the past seven days.  

Vaccination Verification

All employees can start uploading their information today by signing in to CUNYfirst and clicking on the Vaccine Verification link. To complete your vaccination information, you will need the date of your second shot for Pfizer and Moderna or the date of your single shot for Johnson & Johnson; a scan or photograph of your CDC COVID-19 vaccination record card (or an equivalent document if you received your vaccination outside the U.S.), and, if you have the NY State Excelsior Pass app, a scan or photograph of your pass on your mobile device. We are working with NYS Excelsior to link the pass to CUNY for validation purposes. 

Please note that employees returning the week of August 16 will need to upload their vaccination verification documents by Friday, August 6, showing they will be fully vaccinated by the 16th. For those starting later than August 16, the deadlines for uploading are 10 days before the first week you are due back. For instance, if you are starting the week of August 23, the deadline is August 13. These voluntary submissions will facilitate your access to a campus or office in August and throughout the fall semester. 

If you are not fully vaccinated or do not wish to disclose your status, you will be able to opt-out of testing if you have an approved request for a fully remote accommodation. Approved or pending requests need to be indicated on the Vaccine Information Page in CUNYfirst and will be verified by campus Human Resources offices after they are submitted. 

For a visual guide to submitting information to CUNYfirst, please visit here. For general information on getting back to working in person, please refer to this FAQ. If you still have questions, please consult your HR office. If you have a technical problem, please contact your campus or office help desk for assistance. All CUNY employees — vaccinated, unvaccinated or undisclosed — are required to follow the University's Guidelines for CUNY Fall 2021 Reopening Where Not Everyone is Fully Vaccinated.

Finally, please note that the symptom tracker feature of Everbridge will no longer be in use after the return to workplaces on August 16. We will transition to a new feature in Everbridge that will display a CUNY VAX pass for those who have verified their vaccination information in CUNYfirst.  

CUNY and campus leaders throughout the University are continuing to work hard to facilitate a safe and smooth return for all our students, faculty, and staff. I reiterate our ironclad commitment to protecting the health of all members of our community in a climate that continues to be fluid and rapidly changeable. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in the next month; until then, please continue to stay safe.

Sincerely,

Felo

CCNY's Return to Campus plan is available, learn more >>

To view the transcript: Open the video on YouTube, click the three dots, and click "Show Transcript"

This memo follows and provides further clarification to Human Resources' (HR) May 13, 2021 communication, regarding CUNY's Flexible Work Guidelines and Remote Work Agreement.

As per the Chancellor's May 13, 2021 letter, August 2, 2021 is the date that employees (with the exception of faculty, who are on annual leave in July and August 2021) are expected to return to in-person work, if they have not already done so in some capacity.  Specifically, as of August 2nd, full-time remote work options will no longer be permitted, as employees will be expected to have an on-site presence – fully or partial – in accordance with departmental business needs.

In preparation for the Fall 2021 semester, HR urges managers/departments, whose employees have not been on campus since March 2020, to begin the process of assessing their operational needs in advance of the August 2nd date.  This assessment is vital to help ensure that the College's overall operations are prepared to provide effective and safe in-person services to our students and campus community by Fall 2021.

Managers/department heads are also reminded that as their department's business needs dictate, they have the discretion to require employees to report to work on-site at any time prior to August 2nd – in accordance with the College's and CUNY's current safety and social distancing protocols.

For your convenience, please find the Provost's and COO's communication to the campus regarding the campus access procedure.

REMOTE WORK AGREEMENT FORMS

Managers/department heads who will be approving remote work as part of an employee's flexible work plan are asked to submit the Remote Work Agreement Forms by or before July 8, 2021, to  humanresources@ccny.cuny.edu  with subject line Remote Work Agreement.

Should you have any questions regarding CUNY's Flexible Work Guidelines and/or the Remote Work Agreement please email us at  humanresources@ccny.cuny.edu .

Dear Members of the City College Community,

I'm writing to, once again, invite you to a Faculty and Staff Town Hall via Zoom on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 at 12:30 p.m., focused primarily on campus safety/re-population/and vaccine information ahead of the August 2nd date when many people will begin to return to campus after the last 16 months. 

I know that there will be many questions about the campus that you will return to and I look forward to not only welcoming everyone back, but to answering (along with the Senior Team) questions or concerns you have before August.

As always, I hope that this discussion will be a good way to address concerns about the re-population of the campus and that can allow you to plan for what we know will be a robust Fall 2021 semester.  

Here are the details for the Zoom access:

When: Jul 13, 2021 12:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Topic: Faculty and Staff Town Hall Webinar

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://ccny.zoom.us/j/87115873305
Or One tap mobile :
     US: +16465588656,,87115873305#  or +13126266799,,87115873305#
Or Telephone:
     Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
          US: +1 646 558 8656  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 301 715 8592  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 669 900 6833
Webinar ID: 871 1587 3305
     International numbers available: https://ccny.zoom.us/u/kbntK3Ss70

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Campus Community,

Please note that the information about Eric Weitz's funeral has been updated. His family would like to limit the funeral to family and close friends. They will be holding a larger memorial service several months from now, which they hope many will attend to celebrate his life and accomplishments.

A more detailed obituary for Eric Weitz can now be found here:

(Click For Obituary) 

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

(Click here to view obituary)

I am deeply sorry to share the news that after a protracted and valiant struggle against serious medical issues, former dean and distinguished university professor Eric Weitz passed away yesterday.

Eric came to CCNY with a vision of rebuilding the humanities and arts and an insistence that academic excellence in that division, and in others that he touched, was the highest priority.

A renowned scholar of human rights and the Holocaust, Eric deeply and permanently impressed the importance of studying these issues on the campus and to all those he encountered.

His legacies at this college are many but include the collaborative establishment of the human rights programs at City that remain vibrant to this day, and a vision for scholarship, performance, and education in the humanities and arts that is second to none.

I am including a link to his obituary, which includes both memorial and funeral details and a stunning record of the regard in which he was held by those who loved him. 

Sincerely,

Vince 

To view the transcript: Open the video on YouTube, click the three dots, and click "Show Transcript"

Dear Members of the City College Community,

I'm writing to invite you to a campus-wide Town Hall via Zoom on Tuesday, June 8th at 12:30 p.m., focused primarily on campus safety/reopening/and vaccine information.    

As many of you may know, the City College campus is expected to reopen more fully in the fall, beginning officially on August 2nd. Before that gets underway, I'd like to take time to describe the work we’ve done to make the campus safer, the resources we have to help, and the information we have on how the vaccine works, why it makes sense to get vaccinated, and other insights from CUNY public health authorities.  \

I hope to see you all there and to answer any questions or concerns you might have. I hope that this discussion will be a good way to address concerns about the repopulation of the campus and that can allow you to plan for what we know will be a robust Fall 2021 semester.

Here are the details for the Zoom access:

When: Jun 8, 2021 12:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Virtual Town Hall for Students, Faculty and Staff

Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/84147019552 

Or One tap mobile:
US: +16465588656,,84147019552# or +13017158592,,84147019552#  Or Telephone:
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 253
215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799  
Webinar ID: 841 4701 9552
International numbers available: https://ccny.zoom.us/u/kboFmgjNY6 

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President 

Dear Members of the City College Community,

This past week, our Division of Student Affairs reposted a message from the CCNY Student Government, condemning the State of Israel for its actions in the war with Hamas. That a college entity amplified this message conveyed the impression that CCNY had adopted the Student Government position. We have not, and I directed the Division of Student Affairs post to be taken down to avoid furthering that impression. At the same time, and without endorsing its opinion, the college will not—indeed is constitutionally prohibited from—censoring the speech of our student government or anyone on our campus.

There is sadness, anger, and confusion from every side of this ongoing conflict. Jewish students wonder if the number of CCNY students taking positions critical of Israel makes the campus less safe for them. Students with sympathies for the suffering in Gaza wonder if removing the Division of Student Affairs post implies that the college is indifferent to the predicament of Palestinians.

I believe my mandate—and what must be the focus of college effort in this matter—is clear. It is not to assert the interests of one side over another or to endorse the views of those who have done so. It is, rather, to recognize that the very diversity that we so proudly advertise as a strength on this campus will inevitably produce disagreements and sometimes discord between sections of our community—and the 2021 conflict poses particular and wrenching problems in this regard.

But precisely because we are proud of our diversity, we must work to reconcile the tensions it may sometimes engender. A college campus is precisely the place for people on different sides of an issue to reach a deeper and more nuanced understanding of one another so that despite these differences, we might build a community capable of envisioning pathways out of conflict.

Over the past year, the college has enlisted the services of the Sustained Dialogue Institute to teach members of our community the skills of “sustained dialogue,” a methodology developed during the Camp David Accord negotiations to help divided communities more deeply understand one another as a road to alleviating persistent conflict. With the help of members of our community who have received this training, we will initiate a sustained dialogue addressing this conflict on campus. I will have more information about this as the plans solidify.

For now, however, one thing must be clear. Our diversity means very little if we cannot figure out ways to understand one another, and to provide a climate on campus where people feel that they are safe and welcome and that they can express themselves—something that applies with equal force to everyone on campus. We cannot police expression, nor would we ever wish to. There are revered and well-placed constitutional provisions against doing so. But we will unequivocally ensure the safety of every member of our community and endeavor, despite the challenges, to build here a more nuanced understanding of complicated issues as our contribution to creating the peace and justice our world so badly needs.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

I wondered, when I woke up today, what kind of a statement I would be issuing this afternoon. I hoped it would not be one to soothe the raw emotions of a community deflated and enraged, yet again, by a not-guilty verdict. The decisions in the Chauvin trial today pose a different problem. In the context of the persistent over-policing that put George Floyd on the road, under a policeman's knee, it's impossible to celebrate today's guilty verdicts as anything more than the moment it was: when only the most egregious and public display of violence was sufficient to deliver a judgment in defense of a Black man's right to live.

So, to celebrate the apparent success of the justice system today seems callow, because the high waters of racial violence do not recede in any appreciable sense via one courtroom. It is rather (and perhaps) this: that we cannot allow justice to prevail only when the weight of evidence and public approbation tilt so overwhelmingly in the direction of someone like George Floyd. The exception, as they say, proves the rule—and that rule today remains no less stacked against black and brown people than it has been for centuries. 

That being the case, we have, all of us, work to do. Race, wealth, and power in our society travel together far more than they should. It is our job at CCNY, and the job of colleges like us across the country to unbundle them; to break the association between a people's ethnicity, their wealth, and their power; to work to ensure that opportunity and achievement reflect the talent and drive more than the accident of a person's birth. Racism cannot, of course, be reduced to other forms of class prejudice and disempowerment. But the clearest path towards dismounting racism is an empowered population reflective of the whole people. And that is our work.

This afternoon could have felt so much worse. Let us reflect, with brief gratitude, on what might have been today, and then turn with resolve towards what should be in the future.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

To view the transcript: Open the video on YouTube, click the three dots, and click "Show Transcript"

Dear Campus Community:

The Office of the President, in partnership with the Appalachian Mountain Club, is excited to kick-off the 2021 programming sponsored by our campus Outdoors Club.

Many of you know that the original (modern version) of the Outdoors Club was managed by three alumni, Akasha Solis (’16),  Ashley Stein (’17), and Justin Bailey (’11) with a primary goal of increasing awareness for our campus community of how we might become active stewards of the great outdoors. 

As we have worked to restructure programming during COVID-19, we recognize that there are real challenges in maintaining social distance guidelines while also being a part of the outdoor activity and conservation movement.

While we begin to plan for a possible return to group activities in the late Fall, we’d love to have you join our mailing list where we will keep you updated on planned activities, share news from AMC and special invites geared toward the novice nature enthusiasts and those with deep experience in activities like hiking, climbing, backpacking, conservation activism, and similar activities.

This program is open to all faculty, staff, and students as we believe awareness and education of climate issues and recreational activities should go hand in hand. We would love to hear from you and connect with anyone who is interested in joining our mission and staying up to date with events being planned. And, if you have friends across our sister campuses, we’d love to have them join us!

Let’s make the most out of 2021, stay COVID-19 safe, and explore the outdoors together!

For more information, and to join our mailing list, please email ccnyoutdoors@citymail.cuny.edu .

Sincerely,

Akasha Solis on behalf of the CCNY Outdoors Club

Dear Members of the City College Community,

I'm writing to invite you to join me on Tuesday, April 20th at 12:30 p.m. for a campus-wide Town Hall via Zoom. Given the rapid changes that have confronted our community, I'd like to take this opportunity to discuss what we've been doing and the steps we're taking to address a variety of issues, including the safe return of our students and colleagues who have primarily been remote this past year, updates on the state budget and to hear from you on areas of concern or successes you'd like to share. 

Here are the details for the Zoom access:

When: Apr 20, 2021 12:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Virtual Town Hall for Students, Faculty and Staff

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://ccny.zoom.us/j/82101112317
Or iPhone one-tap : 
    US: +16465588656,,82101112317#  or +13126266799,,82101112317#
Or Telephone:
    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
   US: +1 646 558 8656  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 301 715 8592  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 669 900 6833
Webinar ID: 821 0111 2317
  International numbers available: https://ccny.zoom.us/u/kWpDQQfVB

I hope to see you all there and to answer any questions or concerns you might have.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Campus Community,

Almost a full year ago, as the reality of the pandemic was settling around us, sections of our society lashed out at people of Asian descent.  

These attacks, odious under any circumstances, were particularly so at a time when we so badly needed the understanding, compassion and support of one another.  Today, when hope for a more normal future seems every day closer at hand, it strikes me as all the more baffling that these attacks have resurfaced with more prominence.  

We know, of course, that this never truly went away and that my earlier statement could have been reissued at any time between then and now.  But it now seems particularly important to remind one another of how important it is to be able to trust and rely on one another, to draw strength from the inclusiveness of our community, and to fortify our core inclusive values.  

I am therefore reissuing my statement of March 2020, with a heavy heart that these words are still necessary but an unshakable conviction in their content.  

Statement sent March 23, 2020

To the City College Community,

Last week Diana Cuozzo, our Chief Diversity Officer, issued a statement urging us all to maintain our commitment to diversity and anti-discrimination in the face of this crisis.  Particularly, she asked that we carefully assess our transition to distance learning practices to make sure we don’t slide into discriminatory or inequitable modes of interacting with students.  It was a timely reminder and I thoroughly endorse the message.

Little by little over the past weeks, however, a new ugliness has crept across the land. Despite wise calls to pull together and respond in a unified manner to a challenge we face collectively, some seem incapable of approaching a crisis as anything other than an opportunity to give their very basest instincts free rein: they scapegoat, they stigmatize, insult, and denigrate. They imagine that every hardship must be understood as the product of some culpable other; they wait for some difficulty as an opportunity to dress up prejudice in baseless allegations. Many of them—including the President of the United States, unthinking representations in the media, random people on the street and in the subway—have attempted to craft a narrative that identifies the COVID-19 virus as having a specific Asian identity by misnaming it the “Chinese virus.” The very idea is ignorant, and the climate it seeks to create is absolutely poisonous.

We all share apprehension associated with this virus.  But to saddle our Asian neighbors, our Asian American citizens, and our Asian American friends with the additional burden of wondering, at every encounter, whether they will need to deflect insult or aggression is intolerable. To begin, we know enough about contagions to know that where a disease begins is the most irrelevant element of our understanding.  And we also know enough about humanity to know that framing a health crisis in racial terms will certainly bring undue hardship and suffering upon people already sharing the common weight of the moment. 

I condemn all expressions of anti-Asian racism that try to link this disease to ethnic or national origins.  I condemn the thoughtless words of the American president and the bigots who parrot his prejudice. I mourn the ease with which some members of our society adopt that language, knitting it to the prefabricated structures of their own racism. And I reaffirm, in the very strongest terms, the inclusive values of our college.

No crisis demands a more coordinated and other-directed response than a public health crisis.  No moment in our recent history has demanded more collaboration among all people. We must share, support one another, provide care (sometimes at personal risk), and pay attention to the physical and emotional needs of the people around us.

No place should more strongly demonstrate and proselytize these values than CCNY, founded on the dream of a stronger and more just society built upon an inclusive educational system.  We have worked to build the future of our dreams for over 170 years, moving to more audacious goals all the time. Let us now together to reject hate and bigotry of all kinds, and rise to the defense of every people who suffer categorical discrimination, or who find themselves suddenly vulnerable in the crosswinds of a crisis.  Today, we particularly extend our embrace to Asian and Asian American people.  They are our community, they are our family, they are our neighbors, and they are part of the global community.  Tomorrow, we will rise to the defense of some other group.  But our goal is constant and our vision is clear: when we stand for our community and for others against racism, we stand for justice.

I urge every member of our community to reaffirm the values of our college, and to actively defend them both as a general and principled position and when, in particular encounters, we see them under attack. Please visit https://www.cuny.edu/coronavirus/#wellness for the updated CUNY statement on Equity and Inclusion.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

I write to update you on the work we are doing to prepare for the Fall semester. As you know, there is considerable uncertainty around the pandemic status come September. Vaccinations are accelerating, a third vaccine has just been approved, and the infection rate in New York City is slowly dropping. We are optimistic that we will be in a much better place at the start of the Fall semester than we are now. But this is optimism, optimism amid considerable uncertainty. As we plan for the Fall semester, we are taking into account both our optimism that conditions will allow considerably more classes on campus, in person, and the uncertainty about how much we will be able to do on campus safely.

Working with Deans, Department Chairs, faculty, and student representatives, and other stakeholders, we are working to create schedule flexibility by planning for two scenarios, one in which we are limited by safety considerations to 25% occupancy in classrooms and one where are limited to 50% occupancy. If we cannot safely function at the lower of those two limits, then the Fall semester will look much like this Spring. In both of these scenarios, many classes will remain fully online. Classes are being assigned priority for on-campus classroom space depending on the demands of the pedagogy. With our limited occupancy assumptions, a classroom that nominally seats 40 students can only hold 10 or 20. Only a limited number of classes will be able to find space on campus in these two scenarios, and the remainder will need to be held online or in some kind of hybrid mode (partially on-campus, partially online). We are also planning to make campus space available to students who have back-to-back on-campus and online classes.

The return to campus for staff supporting divisions, departments, and other business functions of the College will be coordinated locally by the supervising unit-head, consistent with the College’s needs and the overall safety plan and occupancy limits.

The safety of the campus community is our top priority. In parallel with this schedule planning, we are working on a safety plan that dovetails with the class scheduling and will address cleaning, ventilation, COVID testing, and other safety protocols. We are sensitive to the fact that some in our campus community have special health concerns, either of their own or of people they live with or care for. We will do everything we can to provide flexibility for those for whom coming to campus creates special risks.

Nobody disagrees that it would be better if we could be more definitive now about the Fall semester. Unfortunately, that is simply not possible if we want to try to move back towards more on-campus, in-person classes, a move that we think is crucial to providing the best possible education for our students. By next month we will complete our planning process, and based on the most up-to-date projections for the fall will choose one of our scenarios for the Fall semester. As we approach the beginning of the semester, we may need to make adjustments as the reality of the pandemic status becomes clear. If it is safe, and non-disruptive to bring more classes back to campus at that time, we will do so. If we need to move more classes online to keep people safe, we will do that.

To view the transcript: Open the video on YouTube, click the three dots, and click "Show Transcript"

Dear Faculty & Staff, 

The Office of Human Resources would like to provide you the following updates regarding COVID-19 priority testing and vaccination.

Priority Testing

Priority testing is available for CUNY faculty, staff and students who:

• Currently reside in a CUNY dorm; or
• Regularly work on a CUNY campus; or
• Attend or teach in-person or hybrid classes including those at clinical sites off-campus.

For a list of participating testing sites, visit the City's Priority Testing for School-Based Staff and Students page.

Faculty and staff who are working on-site can schedule a 45-minute work break twice a month for COVID-19 testing.  Eligible faculty and staff must present a valid campus identification card and a letter from HR at the testing site. Please follow the link below to obtain the "Priority Testing" letter from the HR website:

https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/2020-12/NYCHH%20Testing%20Letter%2012-1-20%20%28002%29.pdf

Please note that employees who are working remotely are NOT eligible for CUNY's COVID-19 priority testing.  However, employee's working remotely can access free testing by calling 311 or visiting a NYC Health + Hospitals testing site. 

Vaccination

As indicated in Vice Chancellor Matos Rodriguez' February 2, 2021 communication, New York State has expanded its Phase 1b COVID-19 vaccination schedule to include the following categories of CUNY employees:

• Individuals age 65 and older
• Instructors teaching in-person courses
• Public Safety personnel including police and peace officers
• Fire Safety directors
• Employees or support staff of licensed or registered childcare providers on CUNY campuses
• P-12 school faculty and staff

Employees who schedule vaccination appointments will be asked to bring proof of eligibility. Proof of eligibility may include the CCNY ID card, a pay stub or other documentation, depending on the specific priority status. In addition, all eligible New Yorkers can find vaccination locations and access more information by visiting the NYC Vaccine Finder website and the NYC Vaccine Hubs website.

All active employees who submit appropriate documentation for vaccination appointments that occur during regularly scheduled work time will be given 2 hours of paid time off for each dose for a total of 4 hours for 2 doses

Timekeeping Procedures

To report the COVID-19 priority testing 45-minute work break and/or the vaccination leave eligible employees must adhere to the following:

• Supervisor's written approval must be obtained prior to the scheduling of testing breaks and/or vaccinations appointments.
• Timekeeping code "CPT" for COVID-19 priority testing and/or code "CVL" for COVID-19 vaccination leave must be selected on employee timesheets, where applicable.
• For timekeeping purposes, proof of testing and/or vaccination must be obtained for every appointment
• Proof testing and/or vaccination must be submitted to  humanresources@ccny.cuny.edu .

Should you have any questions, please contact us at  humanresources@ccny.cuny.edu

Dear Campus Community,

With the new semester underway, and still a fair amount of uncertainty about where we stand, what this semester will hold and what's in the future for City College, I am making time to meet with the campus community for a Town Hall on Tuesday, February 23, 2021, at 12:30 PM.

Here is the ZOOM access information:

To Join Webinar: 
https://ccny.zoom.us/j/86110586290
Webinar ID: 861 1058 6290 

Or iPhone one-tap: 
US: +16465588656,,86110586290# or +13017158592,,86110586290#

Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): 
US: +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 669 900 6833 
or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 

International numbers available: https://ccny.zoom.us/u/kbepU2q2Hh

I look forward to the conversation and I hope to see you there.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau 
President

This follows the NYS Employee Travel Advisory Notice issued on July 29, 2021. As the incidence of COVID-19 continues to increase across the United States and other countries, we would like to remind you about CUNY’s Travel Advisory and some of the measures implemented to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the health and safety of our city and campus communities.  Please see below.

1. Travelers to New York from international destinations and non-contiguous states are required to self-quarantine for 14-days from the date they arrive to New York.
2. The contiguous states are New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Vermont.  
3. Employees who work on-site, must inform their supervisor and Human Resources, as part of their time-off request if they will be voluntarily traveling to an international destination or non-contiguous state.  Supervisors may take the additional 14-day mandatory quarantine into consideration when reviewing time off requests.
4. Employees returning from an international travel destination or non-contiguous state must be cleared by Human Resources before they can return to the campus.
5. In order to be cleared to return to the campus, employees will have to test negative for COVID on a test taken within three days of the expected end date of their quarantine period.  Additionally, the employee will have to be free of COVID symptoms without the use of medications.
6. Employees may be asked for proof of travel documentation.
7. If the employee has COVID-19 related symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19, Human Resources will notify the Department of Health (DOH) and the employee may be directed to see their doctor. 
8. Employees on quarantine, as a result of their international travel or travel to a non-contiguous state, and unable to work remotely, may be required to charge their accruals or take as leave without pay during their period of quarantine.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Human Resources at humanresources@ccny.cuny.edu . 

Thank you for your continued support of our efforts to keep you and the campus safe!

Dear Faculty and Staff,

In the continued effort to fight COVID-19 and move New York Forward, the State is mobilizing operations in support to get the vaccine to New Yorkers. To achieve the mission, it is critical that we assist in providing staffing support from employees with various clinical, emergency response, and administrative experience, including but not limited to the following:

• Paramedics
• EMTs
• Volunteer Firefighters
• Licensed Practical Nurses
• Registered Nurses
• Nurse Practitioners
• Physicians or Physicians Assistants
• POD Managers
• Planning/Logistics leads
• Administration/Finance leads
• Security Staff
• Clerical Workers
• Financial and Procurement Personnel
• Customer Service Specialists
• IT Support Specialists

Staff interested in this opportunity to serve should note the following and, if interested, must discuss their plans to volunteer with their manager and receive approval via writing to move forward:

1. "Volunteers" will be paid regular pay as if they were performing their regular CUNY duties;
2. These assignments may include holiday and weekend schedules. Holiday work will be compensated accordingly.
3. Overtime will be compensated according to Division of the Budget guidance. Additional details about employee compensation will be forthcoming.
4. Assignments will be full time at activity related operation locations; This work CANNOT be done remotely.  PPE and equipment necessary for the assignment will be provided at the operation locations.

Upon receiving manager approval, staff must register at:  
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=6rhs9AB5EE2M64Dowcge5xnp0sBR1-ZNjsEkxUz6mNxUQVJIR0ZFNjNEV1NWMlM3WkVNS1dHWDdRTS4u

Once submitted, survey responses will be reviewed by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). You will receive follow-up communications from NYSDOH with questions, if needed, or reporting instructions to a vaccine operation site. Please do not report to a vaccination site unless directed to do so by NYSDOH.

Please note that staff must forward the manager's written approval, a copy of the completed registration form and the NYSDOH's acceptance confirmation to HR via email to  humanresources@ccny.cuny.edu .

Please be advised that staff who are selected by the NYSDOH, must select the special code "COVID-19 Vaccination Volunteer" on their CCNY timesheet for the date(s) they volunteer.  

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to help with this historic vaccination effort and help millions of New Yorkers.

Should you have any questions, please contact us at  humanresources@ccny.cuny.edu

It's January 6^th, and across the room from me, C-SPAN is describing the attack on the US Capitol building. So, I'm typing in a moment of profound, unprecedented uncertainty. Without a doubt, the specific conflict in the Capitol Building will be short-lived, even if it has shattered norms that have stood the test of decades. But I'm worried— we should all be worried—by the shattering of the civic bonds that hold our nation together.  

I've often thought of City College—and described it—as a foundational institution of democracy. When I say that, I'm usually thinking about social mobility, about the necessity, in a political system where power and voice are disbursed among a population, for economic and social opportunity to also be broadly available. The possibility of social mobility blunts the edge of conflict and makes people more willing to entrust their safekeeping and the resolution of their conflicts to the twin possibilities of making a better future for themselves, and of a government defending their interests. I know that doesn't always happen and we should confront the moments when it does not. But the promise is profoundly important to the fabric holding our society together. 

Today, though, I am thinking of our democratic mission in broader terms, in terms that encompass the national mission of public higher education. Over the past three decades, the institutions of our public colleges and universities have been hollowed out, as societies and governments have turned away from the idea that an educated public, even at the substantial expense of provisioning it, is indispensable for our national security and collective prosperity. There are many reasons why the men and women in Washington stormed the Capitol. They were certainly incited to violence and insurrection by national leaders. They were without a doubt allowed by social media to generate elaborate conspiracy theories that never needed to confront the facts. 

But surely, beneath and beyond those more proximate antecedents, the fact that higher education has become a more endangered commodity has also rendered our people more skeptical of science, more vulnerable to outrageous conspiracy theories, more unable to sift bald untruths from empirical reality. When a system of public education atrophies, it hollows out a place at the heart of a wise and vibrant society, and within that space, all manner of dismal things may grow. And it is in this respect, at this moment, that I view the mission of our college, and of all public colleges and universities striving to make education of the highest quality available to everyone who qualifies, as profoundly and fundamentally democratic. 

We are rounding the corner of a very difficult year into a stretch of time that will, in the challenges it poses to our college, define CCNY for decades to come. There is reason to be hopeful—we are marshaling our strength and pulling together the substantial reserves of character and determination we have on hand, and we will not fail to meet the challenge of our legacy. But we must also be spurred ahead by a clear realization that the deeper and more substantial remedies to the chaos of today must lie in provisioning our society with the capacity for critical thought that is necessary to sustain our democracy.

I urge you all to mark this moment as an opportunity to rededicate yourselves to what is good and strong in our society and to recognize the things we do, every day, to contribute to that strength. May we travel through this new year with wisdom and resolve, and together make the world we desire out of the world that we find.  

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear All,

The City College of New York (CCNY) has a long-standing commitment to diversity and equal opportunity in all aspects of employment practices. The senior management team fully supports the policies and practices we have implemented to foster non-discrimination, affirmative action, and diversity and inclusion in the workplace. CCNY is enriched by the strengths of the people and perspectives represented in our institution. Accordingly, I continue to be committed to the CCNY's compliance with the CUNY Policies and Procedures on Equal Opportunity, Non-Discrimination, and on Sexual Misconduct.

The Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy states CUNY's commitment to recruit, employ, retain, promote, and provide benefits to employees without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, partnership status, disability, genetic information, alienage, citizenship, military or veteran status, unemployment status, status as a victim of domestic violence/stalking/sex offenses, or any other legally prohibited basis in accordance with federal, state and city laws. Additionally, as a federal contractor, CUNY engages in affirmative action for women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans consistent with federal requirements for employees in all title groups. I also remind you that Italian Americans are included among CUNY's protected groups. I invite you to view the Equal Opportunity Policy in its entirety, including the complaint procedures and prohibition against retaliation at:

https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/legal-affairs/policies-procedures/

CCNY’s executive and administrative officers are responsible for maintaining a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment, and for promoting diversity and inclusion in their respective units. I have assigned the responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of our compliance program to the Chief Diversity Officer, Diana Cuozzo, who also serves as the Section 504/ADA Coordinator, responsible for addressing complaints of disability discrimination and related matters. I encourage all managers to contact her to discuss diversity and inclusion strategies that would advance their unit's strategic goals. The Office of Diversity and Compliance is located in Shepard Hall, Room 109A-D and the telephone number is 212-650-7330 or via email at dcuozzo@ccny.cuny.edu . Additionally, any individual who believes that they have experienced discrimination should immediately contact the Office of Diversity and Compliance.

I ask for your continued support to ensure equal opportunity, affirmative action, diversity, and inclusion in all employment practices at CCNY.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President 

Dear City College Community,

"My thanksgiving is perpetual." -Henry David Thoreau

Even today, the City College landscape in my mind’s eye is filled with all of you—students, staff, and faculty working as we have for generations to change society by changing lives. It’s a heartening image, something to buoy the spirit against the reality of buildings that still stand mostly empty, leaves drifting uninterrupted by-passing feet or groups lingering in conversation. This is a moment, each year when the ancestral memory of harvest and the impulse to celebrate before winter’s dark sets fully nudges us to gather and give thanks.  And I know that in this dangerous year, it may be difficult to conjure that season fully to life, but I write to urge you past that. 

In hard times, the wise among us revisit the wellspring of our hope.  We have, without doubt, lost so much over the past year.  Some members of our community will never return to campus, and others find the ties that hold us together strained almost to the breaking point.  Even the most fortunate among us, I know, since their reserves of optimism running at an ebb. But these times also call us to do great things—to serve those in need, to bend our energy to the construction of a better society, and to make sure that when the story of these days is finally written, we will be proud of the part we came to play.

I am thankful for each of you, thankful that together, we are the City College of New York. Speaking personally, the wellspring of my hope is this place and the work we do here together. The people of City College have for generations found themselves on this campus united in the belief that the quest for a just society is undertaken generation by generation, and we play our part on this hill.  The path to a better life, and a more stable and fair post-pandemic society, runs through CCNY and we dare not but rise to the challenge.  I say that with no illusions about the hardships that we have still to face together, but secure in the faith that I have in each one of you, and in our community. 

I hope each of you finds a good way to celebrate thanksgiving; that you keep yourself safe and guard the health of those around you; that you reflect on where we stand and what we must do; that you will hold your loved ones in your heart even if you can’t hold them in your arms.  And, I hope that you will think about the great opportunity we face to do something important at a time of great need, to preserve the things we love and correct the things we cannot abide and set about the construction of a better place. 

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

I write to present a new procedure by which members of our community with exceptional needs can apply for regular, semester-long, access to campus. The procedures for single-day and research-related access as well as access for hybrid or in-person classes remain unchanged. The new procedure is meant only for those with exceptional circumstances that prevent them from working remotely.

Applications for access will be reviewed by a recently convened Reopening Review Board (RRB). To apply for access, prepare a short proposal with a strong justification, describing the location and frequency of access, as well as a plan for following the safety protocols in the College's reopening plan. Proposals should be submitted to the Dean, Vice President, or a similar unit head, such as an Executive Director, whose support is required.  If the Dean, VP, or Executive Director supports the proposal, they will submit it to the RRB for review, and the RRB will subsequently send approved proposals to the Provost. The proposer(s) will be notified of the outcome and, if approved, instructed to make an access request through our online system with a member of the RRB in the “Supervisor” role.

Campus occupancy is currently limited to less than 25% of normal. As colleges and universities around the country have opened, it has become clear that the key to keeping infection at bay is keeping the campus density as low as possible, and so I want to caution you that we will not be adding significantly to the current campus population. I have asked the RRB and the Deans, VPs, and others to be very careful about what they approve. Therefore, I ask you to think very carefully about what you may wish to submit. Everything we do with respect to reopening has the possibility of being rolled back if the virus shows signs of spreading on campus. As a result, we must keep the campus population as low as we can for now.

Thank you for your help and understanding as we move the important work of the College forward.

Stay safe and be well.

We are happy to announce that IT has provided us with software that integrates the Everbridge health screening app with the building access rights database. Effective on Monday October 26, you will be able to enter a building by showing the appropriate "badge" on your phone (or paper or any device), with no cross checking of names on an access list. You will still use the Everbridge screening app, and access privileges are still granted in the same way through the online request system, but after filling out the Everbridge health screen, you will receive an e-mail from CCNY APPS with the subject "YOUR CCNY CAMPUS ACCESS BADGE". Assuming you are allowed to come to campus, this e-mail contains the green badge below, which also lists the building(s) you are allowed to visit. Showing this to guard will allow you to enter the appropriate building(s) on the day indicated on the badge.

A couple of important things to note: The new CCNY access badge e-mail may take up to 20 minutes to arrive after you submit the Everbridge screen. Therefore we suggest you fill out the Everbridge screen well in advance (you can do it up to four hours before coming to campus). We are unable to stop the e-mail generated by Everbridge (from "CUNY Wellness Survey"), so you will still get that and it will probably come first. If you show the Everbridge badge to the guard, they will have to check the list. Building lists will only be occasionally updated, and daily lists will no longer be distributed. If you are new on the building list, or have only one-day access privileges, you will have to show the new CCNY access badge for entry. So plan ahead and do the health screen early.

You will start receiving the new CCNY access badge when you fill out the Everbridge health screen tomorrow, but the guards will not be asked to recognize it until Monday.

Tony Liss
Provost & Senior VP for Academic Affairs

Ken Ihrer
VP of Operations and CIO

Dear Members of the City College Community,

It has been awhile since we've had the chance to gather in a Town Hall format. With the rapid changes confronting our community on an almost daily basis, I thought it was time that we got together.

I am therefore inviting you to participate in a Zoom Town Hall on Thursday, October 29, 2020, at 12:30 PM.

I look forward to seeing you all there and to addressing your questions and concerns.

Here are the details for the Zoom access:

Topic: President Boudreau's Virtual Town Hall
Time: Oct 29, 2020 12:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://ccny.zoom.us/j/98507175682

Meeting ID: 985 0717 5682

One tap mobile
+16465588656,,98507175682# US (New York)

Dial by your location
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the City College Community,

I’ve had some difficulty thinking about what to write as a way of welcoming you to the new academic year.  I’ve spent the last months mostly on campus, struck by the juxtaposition of our college’s stunning beauty and its current virtual emptiness.  It was heartening, over the summer, to see families using our largely vacant lawns for exercise and picnics.  But a college is not a museum: it thrives on the energy of its people, and so in the austerity of our newly wide-open spaces, I strained for the echo of you all, and find myself straining still as I write.

In hard times and good, we faculty, staff, and students are the latest stewards of an extraordinary legacy.  Since our founding in an imperfect society, the idea of extending opportunities to the whole people has been our gift to America and to the world.  We still must push against the imperfections of our world, and so our work remains as vital now as ever it was.  The pandemic has thrown the disparities and injustices in our society in ever greater contrast, emphasizing the places where the disease has most hurt us, where economic activity has shown itself most vulnerable, where the distribution of political power and voice has been most unfair. In view of this landscape, the mission of City College—to change the inequitable distribution of wealth, power, and position in our society—demands ever more of us all. 

And it is hard, I know, to be called so urgently to our work in the face of such hardship. We thrive on one another’s company, companionship, and energy, on the hum of our collective creativity, insight, and activity.  If you teach, I know that you come to campus eager to be with your students, privileged to explore your ideas and theirs.  If you are a member of our staff, I know that your efforts to provide services are both more effective and more rewarding when human interaction enlivens them.  I know that if you are a student, you almost certainly imagined college as people and conversations, interaction and engagement, rather than time in front of a screen.

And yet, our collective and historic project looms so much larger than the burden of these days. When times are tough, a resolute people reach for the sustenance of their core principles, and I know us all to be resolute.   I feel for your loneliness and frustration, but allow a sense of our purpose to be a comfort.  The work you do each day is not an isolated snippet of effort, but integral to the great story of a people becoming more fully themselves. If you work at the college in any capacity, if you have come to the college to study and learn, if you look to CCNY and all it represents as a fundamental institution of our threatened democracy, then be assured and heartened in this: we will not be physically separated forever, and the work we do in these next months will define a generation. I hope that is a comfort to you when you need it.  The very idea has sustained me all these past months.

And so welcome to the new academic year—to the invitation and opportunity of new ideas, fresh challenges, and the vision of a more fair society. Lean on one another when you need it, and be of help to your neighbors when you can. Be careful and vigilant with yourselves and with those around us, and let’s not allow the crosswinds of this season to slow us down. 

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

CUNY's normal annual leave calendar runs from September 1st through August 31st. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University has extended the annual leave year-end from August 31, 2020 to December 31, 2020. This applies to all full-time employees. Please read below for additional information:

ECPs Member (President, Provost, Vice Presidents, Assistant Vice Presidents, Executive Directors) & PSC-CUNY members (HEO series, CLT and Research Associate/Assistants):

• Annual leave above the designated cap as of the close of business 8/31/20 may be carried into the annual leave year that begins 9/1/20.
• Any excess annual leave carried into the leave year that begins 9/1/20 must be used by no later than 12/31/20. 
• The annual leave balance in excess of the cap will be deducted from the employee's accrual balance on 12/31/20 - close of business day.
• For PSC members, the provisions of Article 14.9(b) concerning compensation for an annual leave balance if the employee is separated from service will remain in effect, except that, for the annual leave year ending on 8/31/20 only, the annual leave payment due to the employee upon separation, or to his/her estate, shall be the lesser of: (1) the leave balance to the employee's credit on the date of resignation, retirement or death; or (2) the contractual cap, (45 days or the personal accrual maximum as of August 31, 1987). Nothing here is intended to alter the provisions of Article 14.9(b), except as specifically set forth in this agreement.
• Unscheduled holidays from the annual leave year ending 8/31/20 will not be carried over.

Classified Managerial, White Collar Blue Collar and Skilled Trades staff members:

• Annual leave above the designated cap as of the close of business 8/31/20 may be carried into the annual leave year that begins 9/1/20.
• Any excess annual leave carried into the leave year that begins 9/1/20 must be used by no later than 12/31/20.
• If because of extenuating circumstances an employee, who would otherwise have his/her annual leave convert to sick leave at the end of a leave year, is unable to exhaust his/her leave by 12/31/20, any remaining excess annual leave will convert to sick leave effective close of business 12/31/20. 
• If an employee resigns, retires or dies prior to 12/31/20, any excess annual leave above the annual leave cap will be forfeited, and the annual leave payment due to the employee upon separation, or due to his/her estate, shall be the lesser of: (1) the leave balance to the employee's credit on the date of resignation, retirement or death; or (2), the leave balance credited to the employee as of the close of business on 8/31/20.
• Unscheduled holidays from the annual leave year ending 8/31/20 will not be carried over.

Should you have any questions, please contact Human Resources at  humanresources@ccny.cuny.edu .

Dear CCNY Campus Community,

This message provides some important updates to the message we sent on Friday about the new campus access procedure.

Starting this Wednesday, August 26th, 2020, we will be implementing the CUNY-wide Health Screening app, called Everbridge.  This is mandatory for all persons entering a CUNY building, including all buildings on the CCNY campus and the Center for Workers Education campus at 25 Broadway.  While a Health Screen is mandatory, remember, you may not come to our campus unless you are authorized to do so by following the request procedure described here: https://portal.ccny.cuny.edu/depts/oit/campusaccess/campus-access-request-form-instructions.pdf.

At this time, students will only be granted access to buildings in which they have a hybrid or in-person class. No special access request is needed to visit the Bursar. New CCNY IDs will be mailed, you do not need to go to campus to pick them up.

We are currently in phase one of our reopening plan and the campus population can only be 25% or less of the full population, but we know that a small number of classes will require an in-person presence and there are other occasional needs for faculty, staff and students to come to campus.

In summary, if you need to come to campus you must

1. Take the COVID-19 Response: Return-to-Work Training on Blackboard
2. Follow the instructions to make a request for campus access
3. Fill out the health screen questionnaire each day you plan to visit

Information in our previous memo, New Campus Access Procedure, that address steps one and two can be found on our website here: https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/presidentsoffice/blog/covid-19

The Everbridge Health Screen app is available for your smartphone in the associated app stores.  Download the application now.  If you are receiving this email, you most likely have been pre-registered with Everbridge.  Everyone who has a CUNY First login or is an RF-CUNY employee has been preloaded.

One-Time Setup

1. Navigate to the App store on your phone and search for Everbridge.
2. Download, install, and open the Everbridge app.
3. Click Find an Organization or subscription button on the Everbridge splash page.
4. Search for CUNY. Select the CUNY – Health Screening option. Do not choose NYAlert.
5. You will be taken to the CUNY Web Applications Login page. Log in using your CUNYLogin credentials. (Username:  Firstname.Lastname##@login.cuny.edu )
6. Set your notification preferences and click the Done button.

If you have problems loading the application and signing in, please contact our Service Desk at 212-650-7878.

Daily Symptom Checker

1. Within the Everbridge app, click the Shield icon in the bottom right corner. If you do not see the Shield icon, restart the app.
2. Click the Symptom Checker icon.
3. Go through the questionnaire, answer all five questions, and click Submit.

In order to gain entrance to any of the CCNY buildings you will have to be authorized to come to campus, completed training and passed the daily Health Screen check. If you do not have a smartphone, we will provide paper Health Screen questionnaires by the public safety officer’s desk to each building.  Every person who can use this application is asked that they do.  This is one of many steps that we are taking to provide as safe of a campus environment as possible. 

Thank you in advance for your patience as we introduce new procedures to which all of us will need to adjust. Expect some hiccups. If you are an instructor teaching a hybrid or in-person class, please expect some delays on the first day your class meets on campus.

Tony Liss
Provost & Senior VP for Academic Affairs

Ken Ihrer
VP of Operations and CIO

We hope this letter finds you safe and well. These are difficult times for all of us.

As we approach the start of the Fall 2020 semester, we are implementing a new procedure for getting approval to come to campus. For the time being, we expect the campus population to be only about 25% or less of the full population, but we know that a small number of classes will require an in-person presence and there are other occasional needs for faculty, staff and students to come to campus.

Beginning Monday, a request for access to campus will be made online. Instructions for making the request can be found here: https://portal.ccny.cuny.edu/depts/oit/campusaccess/campus-access-request-form-instructions.pdf. The request will be routed to your supervisor, or your professor if you are a student, and then to the Provost for approval, at which point you will receive an e-mail telling you if your request has been approved or rejected.

Before being granted access to campus, you must complete the COVID-19 Response: Return-to-Work Training. To access the training, log in to BlackBoard (https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/cis/core-functions/cuny-blackboard/) and find the training module under "My Organizations."

Finally, you will soon be receiving information about a health screening app, which is the final piece of the coming-to-campus puzzle. You will be required to fill out the health screen every day before coming to campus. As soon as we receive details from CUNY about accessing the app, we will pass them on to you.

In summary, if you need to come to campus you must

1. Take the COVID-19 Response: Return-to-Work Training on BlackBoard
2. Follow the instructions above to make a request for campus access
3. Fill out the health screen questionnaire each day you plan to visit (details to come)

Researchers who are already on the campus access list for research may skip step 2) above, but you are required to do steps 1) and 3) (yes, even though you already did the CITI training). The new CUNY app will replace the health screening app you have been using to date.

Thank you in advance for your patience as we introduce new procedures to which all of us will need to adjust. Expect some hiccups. If you are an instructor teaching a hybrid or in-person class, please expect some delays on the first day your class meets on campus.

Tony Liss
Provost & Senior VP for Academic Affairs

Ken Ihrer
VP of Operations and CIO

To the City College Community,

I’m pleased to announce the very first "Community Reads" project at CCNY. Our project is an effort to pull the entire CCNY community together around an effort to read, and discuss, a work that carries particular significance to our campus, especially in these difficult times. Conceived initially as a way to welcome new students to the college by engaging them in a joint exploration of a text, we are happy to include anyone on campus who would like to join.

Members of our faculty, staff, and student body worked diligently in committee over the past months to select an appropriate work, and I am happy to say that they have made an inspirational selection. After reviewing 80 different titles, the committee decided to adopt The Warmth of Other Suns, written by bestselling author Isabel Wilkerson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for journalism and the National Humanities Medal. The Warmth of Other Suns details the lives of Ida Mae Brandon Gladney, George Swanson Starling, and Robert Joseph Pershing Foster, three African Americans seeking to flee the South to join the Great Migration. Ta-Nehishi Coates called this stunning piece of work, "absolutely revolutionary," and I think it's a perfect piece for us all to read together.

As part of the project, we are thrilled to announce that Ms. Wilkerson has agreed to serve as the keynote speaker at this year's Freshman Convocation, giving our campus community the opportunity to discuss The Warmth of Other Suns, book, but also to hear her speak on her much-anticipated forthcoming work, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. We will soon announce how you can participate in our community read and secure a copy of the book.

These are difficult times for us all. The pandemic has opened fundamental questions about how hardship deepens and exposes the inequities that exist in our society, and how these inequities, in turn, produce disparate experiences of violence, power, and injustice. But the pandemic has also deprived us all of the daily regeneration, in human contact, of our community. The idea of us all joining together to read and discuss a relevant work is designed both to direct our collective attention to issues of race and injustice, and to help reconstitute our community.

The committee that worked on this selection process put in many hours, sifting through recommendations, weighing the merits of one work against another, and thinking deeply about what kind of a conversation they wish to convene. I would like particularly to thank Professor Renata Kobetts Miller, who led that effort and chaired the committee, as well as those from the faculty, student government, and staff who worked with her to make this selection. All of us at CCNY will benefit from your careful review of these works and each of you has my gratitude for your hard work and wisdom.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Human Resources would like to remind you that the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), an economic stimulus plan aimed at addressing the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on Americans is available until December 31, 2020. 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.  As a reminder, please note following:

1. FFCRA provisions apply to full and part time employees
2. FFCRA is available through December 31, 2020
3. The paid leave is not charged to employees’ time accruals
4. Employees are required to give notice of the need to take leave and provide documentation to support the leave request

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at humanresources@ccny.cuny.edu and include in the subject line FFCRA Question.

Please accept our best wishes to you and your families during these extraordinary times.

Thank you.

Dear Members of the City College Community,

We hope this note finds you well, that you're keeping yourself safe and managing the challenges of this entirely strange and straining time that we're in.

We write to update you on a few matters regarding our posture for the coming year.  Additional updates will come as we approach the fall semester.

Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our campus community, and our planning over the past weeks has centered on an effort to preserve that safety without entirely pausing the vital educational work of the college. With these considerations in mind, we can now say that 94% of our classes will be delivered in a fully online format in the fall semester. Of the remaining 6%, nearly all are hybrid (meaning they are mostly online, with a limited in-person component). Only a small number of laboratory and studio classes will occur in-person, and these, and any in-person component of a hybrid, will include special arrangements to allow appropriate social distancing, cleanliness, and hygiene.  If you have any questions about whether specific courses you are planning to take are online, hybrid of in-person, the published course catalog now has current designations describing the mode of instruction.

We will not jeopardize the safety of the community any more than is absolutely necessary to permit the College to meet its educational goals. As we re-open, that means we will continue to follow State, City, and CUNY guidelines for safety and maintain a significantly reduced density of people on campus, keeping off-campus all College operations that can occur remotely.

A campus re-opening committee is nearing the completion of its work developing a detailed plan for the safe but sharply limited re-opening of campus this fall. This work will inform our planning around who we bring back to campus, what activities we will allow on-campus and which remain at distance, and the myriad ways that we will structure campus life to be as protective as possible.  We look forward to sharing this plan with you when it is completed.

These are anxious days for all of us, and we both hope that each of you maintains vigilance in the face of the pandemic.  Working together, we can figure out the safest way to continue providing a CCNY education to students who are depending on us. To achieve this, we will need the creativity, flexibility, and commitment of everyone, but we're confident that our community is equal to the task. 

With our very best wishes,

Vince Boudreau
President

Tony Liss
Provost

As per the directive issued by New York State, training is required for all employees who will be on-site at The City College of New York or any other City University of New York offices/facilities going forward.  This includes employees returning to work according to approved plans and employees deemed essential already working onsite.

To facilitate this training, employees have been registered for the New York State COVID- 19 Response: Return to Work Training.  This asynchronous training, which takes approximately 20 minutes to complete, is provided via CUNY Blackboard.

This training is mandatory and it must be completed in order to work onsite. To complete the course, please log into CUNY Blackboard using your CUNYfirst credentials. The course is available under My Organizations.  Click here for instructions on how to login to Blackboard.

If you have any questions, please email them to Human Resources at humanresources@ccny.cuny.edu .

Thank you for your support with this matter.

Dear Faculty & Staff,

In response to increased rates of COVID-19 transmission in certain states within the United States, and to protect New York’s successful containment of COVID-19, the State has issued a travel advisory. Specifically, individuals traveling for 24 hours or longer to a restricted state will be required to quarantine for 14 days upon their return. Detailed information about New York's travel advisory is provided in the memorandum dated July 1, 2020, from the Governor’s Office of State Operations and Infrastructure.

Please go to the link below for the up-to-date list of restricted or mandatory quarantine states:

Deemed restricted or mandatory quarantine states

What does this mean for the College's employees?

Employees who work-on-site must inform their supervisor and Human Resources (HR) if they will be traveling to a restricted state.  Supervisors may take the 14-day mandatory quarantine period into consideration when reviewing the employee’s request for time-off. 

Employees returning from a restricted state must contact HR for direction, prior to reporting to duty.  HR may request proof of travel documentation.

If the employee has COVID-19 related symptoms, HR will notify the Department of Health and the employee may be directed to see their doctor.

Should have any questions, please contact HR at 212-650-7226 or via email at humanresources@ccny.cuny.edu .

Dear CCNY Students, Faculty and Staff,

I am very pleased and extremely relieved to report that the Trump Administration’s ill-advised policy that would have had a detrimental impact on our international students has been rescinded. You can read the details here. This is obviously the best possible outcome, but you should know that the University and the College were working hard to find a solution that would have protected the health and education of our international students, and that CUNY had joined the lawsuit against the policy filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

It is gratifying to know that a full-court press against an irrational policy can still prevail. We can all sleep a little better tonight.

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

As many of you already know, the administration and ICE ruled earlier this week that students holding F1 visas at institutions teaching fully online this year cannot remain in the country, and students with such visas can take no more than 1 online class. This essentially disregards the context of our current health crisis and rolls back measures designed to protect our society. Let me say at the outset that the college is fully aware of this new development, we are outraged that such measures would be taken under the persistently dangerous conditions of the COVID19 pandemic, and we are working with the university to devise a way to both preserve the safety or our entire student body and the ability of our F1 visa students to remain in NY while they study at CCNY.

I honestly don’t know precisely what the main objective of the new ICE ruling must be. The ruling may be intended to force colleges to fully open, risking the health of their student population, or sacrifice the tuition revenue that international students bring to colleges. That, at least would serve the administration’s goal of forcing us all to pretend that the danger is past, or that economic recovery should outweigh our efforts to preserve public health. Alternately this could simply be another plank in the administration’s xenophobic and nativist agenda. Creating broadly unsafe conditions on college campuses for international students would surely drive more of them from our country and to their places of origin.

It hardly matters. We will diligently make every effort to prevent our students from being harmed by this ruling. As many of you know, several lawsuits opposing this measure are working their way through the courts. As they do, we will be trying to figure our best options. But we are aware of the danger and are responding to it.

If you hold an F1 visa please make sure to regularly check your CCNY email account, because we may well need to communicate with you directly on measures designed to help maintain your safety and relationship with the college. And, if you hold an F1 visa, hang in there. You’re important to our community and to the college, and we won’t rest until we’ve figured out a better way forward.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Faculty and Staff:

As in previous years, please be advised that some health insurance premiums are changing as of July 1, 2020. Please click on the links below to view the Health Insurance rate chart and the comparison rate chart that compares the current rates with the July 1st rates and a column that highlights the increase or decrease in some cases.

Health Benefits Program Rate Changes Notice and Rates
Health Insurance Premiums 2020 Comparison Chart
(GHI-CBP/EBCBS rates are subject to change)

Please note that there are noteworthy increases in some of the plans such as AETNA EPO, Cigna, Empire EPO and HIP Prime POS.  The new 2020 rates outlined in the link above will take effect on July 1, 2020. The new health insurance premium deduction will be in the July 16, 2020 paycheck. For employees who are paid on a lag basis, premium deductions (if applicable) will be in the July 30, 2020 paycheck. Please review the deductions on your check to ensure that it matches with the July 2020 rate changes.

CONTACT US

We are pleased to announce that pursuant to Governor Cuomo's Executive Order 204 and a CUNY Board of Trustees' resolution, June 19, 2020, will be observed as a CUNY-wide holiday.

June 19th or Juneteenth signifies the date, June 19, 1865, in which slaves in the state of Texas received notice of their freedom – nearly two and half years after Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.  In recognizing this day, it gives us an opportunity to honor the history, perseverance, and contributions by African Americans to our country.

In accordance with the memorandum from the Governor's State Operations Office (please see attached memo Juneteenth Holiday), non-essential full-time employees regularly scheduled to work on Friday, June 19, 2020, will receive the day off with pay.  Full-time employees deemed essential for state operations will be granted one day of compensatory time off (CTO).  Employees whose regular day off falls on June 19, 2020, will be granted one day of CTO.  Additionally, employees will not be required to charge their time and leave balances for absences scheduled on June 19, 2020. Employees should indicate on their timesheet “Holiday” for the Juneteenth date.

However, employees on leave with or without pay not charged to time and leave balances – e.g., leave without pay, workers comp, military leave, sick leave at half-pay, short term disability/long term disability, childcare leave without pay, leave donation (status is LWOP), etc., - will not be returned to pay status or credited with CTO for the holiday.

Should you have any questions, please contact Human Resources at 212-650-7226.

Three days ago I wrote to you about a five-stage research reopening plan. A lot changes in three days and I am writing to update you on a much more rapid plan. On Monday the State included Higher Education Research as part of Phase 1, which began on Monday. The State’s guidelines can be found here. This significantly advances the timeline with which we are working.

We are currently finalizing a draft plan that details how we will satisfy each of the State’s mandatory requirements for opening research labs. These requirements include physical distancing, protective equipment, cleaning and disinfecting, communication and screening. We plan to submit this plan to CUNY by the end of this week, and once it has been approved, we will be ready to open. The opening will still be on a limited basis, but the occupancy limits will be somewhat higher than we had originally planned for the early stages.

The procedure for reopening your lab, are the same as what I sent in the memo on Monday:  All relevant documentation can be found from the Research Reopening link under the Research tab on the College homepage. We are asking researchers who want to restart their laboratory operations to submit a research reopening plan according to the Research Reopening Plan Template. If you have already submitted a plan, you do not need to submit another one. The plan will be reviewed by the Research Reopening Review Board (RRRB) which will be Chaired by Rose Wesson and include the following additional people

• Valerio de Angelis (GSOE)
• Richard Belgrave (EHS)
• Ronnie Ghose (Science)
• Maria Lima (CSOM
• Susan Perkins (Science)
• David Robinson (Facilities)
• Gonzalo Torres (CSOM)

Our primary concern is the safety of students, faculty and staff, and I want to stress that students cannot be required to come to campus, and at this time undergraduates are not yet allowed back on campus.

We are pleased to announce that CCNY will continue its participation in the summer four-day work week schedule starting the week of Monday, June 22, 2020, through Friday, August 7, 2020. 

For the full details of the summer four-day workweek guidelines, please click on the following link:

Summer Four- Day Workweek- 2020

To the City College Community,

We are happy to announce that Professor Alexander Couzis has agreed to step in as Interim Dean of the Grove School of Engineering, effective July 1, 2020.

Alex Couzis came to CCNY in 1994 as an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering. He rose through the ranks to Full Professor in 2004 and served as Department Chair from 2008-2013. In January of 2013, Alex went on leave from the College for five years to assume the role of Chief Technical Officer of Urban Electric Power, a NY-based clean energy company start-up that spun off from CCNY. In 2014 he was appointed CEO of UEP by its Board of Directors. Alex returned to CCNY in January of 2018, but UEP is going strong and recently turned its production to hand sanitizer to help with the coronavirus crisis.

Alex's combination of experience in academia and industry, his strategic thinking and his dedication to CCNY and the students and faculty of the Grove School will serve us well. We are grateful that he has accepted this position under the difficult conditions of the present moment.  We are eager to work with him to move the Grove School forward, and know that we can count on the campus community to do the same.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Dean Gilda Barabino for her thoughtful leadership of the Grove School these past nearly seven years. Dr. Barabino brought a focus on equity and inclusion to the entire campus, while also promoting the success of our students and the research of our faculty. We wish her well as she assumes the presidency of Olin College.

Sincerely, Vince Boudreau President

Sincerely, Tony Liss Provost

With New York City entering Phase 1 of the reopening plan, we are preparing to slowly, and safely, reopen our research facilities. We will begin with the laboratories that support most grant-funded research on campus and move subsequently to a more complete re-opening of research and studio space on campus, consistent with the pace of opening in New York City and CUNY.

All relevant documentation can be found from the Research Reopening link under the Research tab on the College homepage. The document "Phasing-In of On-site Research in Science, Engineering and Medicine at CCNY" provides detailed guidance on our principles for reopening research on campus, including the public health protocols that must be followed to keep everyone safe. The guidance includes five stages of research opening, Stages 0-4. We have been in Stage 0 since March and are beginning Stage 1 as of today. Stage 1 is largely a planning phase to get ready for Stage 2, which we tentatively anticipate beginning in two weeks. Each stage has an occupancy limit in order to safely maintain social distancing in the laboratories and the buildings.

To manage the reopening, we are asking researchers who want to restart their laboratory operations to submit a research reopening plan according to the Research Reopening Plan Template. The plan will be reviewed by the Research Reopening Review Board (RRRB) which will be Chaired by Rose Wesson and include the following additional people:

• Valerio de Angelis (GSOE)
• Richard Belgrave (EHS)
• Ronnie Ghose (Science)
• Maria Lima (CSOM)
• Susan Perkins (Science)
• David Robinson (Facilities)
• Gonzalo Torres (CSOM)

The RRRB will meet frequently in order to not be a limiting factor in the re-start of research, and will submit recommendations on submitted reopening plans to me for final approval. Please note that the College will not go faster than the City, State, and the University allow. Our primary concern is the safety of students, faculty and staff. When research or other campus activities restart, it places a burden on public safety and facilities, which must be taken into account. Under no circumstances are students to be required to come to campus at this point.

Thank you all for your cooperation and patience, I know you are anxious to resume work that was suddenly paused in March and I am anxious to see that happen as well.

As a result of COVID-19, the New York State Department of Labor (DOL) has emphasized adherence to a regulation that directs all employers to provide employer identification information to employees who are separating from service.

All employees who separate from CUNY service will receive from Human Resources (HR) the attached pre-populated “Record of Employment” form (Form IA 12.3) in addition to any other related documents, such as a termination or non-reappointment letter.  The form, which may be delivered by email, represents the extent of the information the College is required to provide employees separating from service who are considering applying for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits.

 For any further questions, current or former employees may refer to the DOL website (www.labor.ny.gov)  and telephone number [(888) 209-8125] both of which are also listed on the form.  Please be advised that in providing this information, the College is not deciding on an individual’s eligibility to receive UI benefits.  The UI benefits claims center will make that determination.

A copy of the form is available on HR’s website at: https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/2020-06/IA12.3%20-%20Record%20of%20Employment.pdf

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Human Resources at humanresources@ccy.cuny.edu .

Thank you.

Dear Members of the City College Community,

Early Tuesday morning, I began receiving emails from students, alumni and concerned citizens about a man, reported to be a CCNY student, who had posted a deeply offensive video of himself and a companion on Instagram, and was later filmed tearing down a "Black Lives Matter" sign on an overpass in the Whitestone neighborhood. We have investigated his status and discovered that he is no longer at CCNY, nor has he graduated from our college.

Still, this act requires a response. The language he used, in part to narrate his actions in tearing down the sign in question, are deeply offensive at any time, and more acidly so in this moment of national heartbreak and turmoil. I recently published my own thoughts on racism and CCNY's duty and position on these matters, and you can find them by following this link:

https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/presidentsoffice/blog/president-boudreaus-memo-racism

The words and actions in the video cannot be more diametrically opposed to those sentiments, convictions, and commitments, and I repudiate and condemn them.

CCNY is, above all, an educational institution, and I'm profoundly concerned that anyone could walk our hallways and study in our classrooms without being educated out of a racist mindset. The embrace and respect for diversity is not merely an obligation on our campus—I would have thought it an irresistible invitation to participate in the full spectrum of human experience. Diversity is not a burden, it is a celebration and a joy. I'm crestfallen that this person seems so entirely to have missed that opportunity, and so deprived himself while on our campus. I hope that in time he learns what he has missed by closing himself off and that he corrects himself.

The words and actions represented on these videos are at clear odds with our campus code of conduct, and I have referred the matter to our chief diversity officer for investigation. That investigation will need to take account of the fact that the student no longer is enrolled at CCNY, and that will certainly affect the kinds of measures we can take. Nevertheless, when I have received the results of that investigation, I will issue instructions for action. I am aware that some who wrote me would like a summary judgment of this matter. I am committed to decisive justice in this case but am also bound by the duty to follow due process in campus proceedings.

On any given day, upwards of 18,000 people come to our campus, study in our classrooms, work in our laboratories, and enjoy the company of one another. I have always been proud of the basic joy that people at CCNY take in that communion. As we take action in this case, let us reinforce what is good and strong in our community. I promise not to neglect my duty to act in this case.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear CCNY Students,

The leadership of the CCNY Counseling Center, Gender Resources, and Black Studies Program are responding to requests from several students to hold an online, check-in session this Thursday, June 4^th, from 1 PM to 2 PM and I'm writing to encourage you to attend.

These are difficult times.  I understand that many of you are angry, confused, or feeling new levels of stress, both because of the recent tragedy in Minnesota, the resulting street protests and the violent escalations of those events.  All this, of course, is layered atop the underlying realities of a pandemic with which we're all still grappling. This session is designed to give you an opportunity to talk about what you're experiencing, derive support from your friends and colleagues, and hear from the leaders of these three important offices.

I'd like to encourage you to take advantage of this moment, and I'd like to commend the leaders of these three offices for pulling this together.

The flyer for the event can be found here.  I hope you'll find time to attend, and that you'll accept my very best wishes for your safety and peace.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the CCNY Community,

I am writing to join my voice, and the voice of the college that I represent, to the chorus of people who decry the murder of George Floyd, and call for a period of national transformation that will at long last provide security and equity for communities of color in our nation.

It is soul-wearying to review the sad, decades-long litany of incidents that should have encouraged us, as a people, along a more just and humane pathway. It is deeply horrifying to reflect on the innumerable occasions during which, but for the presence of a cell phone with a camera, a racist attack would have remained a victim's secret pain or a community's suppressed but routine experience. The clear evidence in video after video of how deep this poison runs is both incontrovertible and a deep scar on our national character: The things we now see on camera have happened off-camera for as long as we've lived together. Anyone listening with sympathy to descriptions of African Americans' lived experience would know that.  Anyone cognizant of systematic repression in our society should have offered themselves up as an ally in the struggle. Anyone who is surprised by the existence, extent, and venom of racism in this country hasn't been paying attention.

As CCNY President, I write now with two specific purposes in mind.  The first is to pledge, as an institution, to better educate, be better educated, and to act on the authority of that education. We must accept that the experience of racism in our world is so pervasive and varied, that our only recourse is to pay close and credulous attention to those around us: to offer support to those feeling pain, to redress grievances when we discover them, and above all to be interested, sympathetic and willing to accept the authority of someone else's experience.

Earlier this semester, when we were all together on campus, CCNY began working with the Sustained Dialogue Institute to develop a program that would encourage such conversations on campus, conversations that began with the premise that an interlocutor's experiences must be acknowledged as valid before any true degree of respect or understanding could emerge.  As soon as we're able, that work must continue and deepen. Our campus security team has made, and will continue to make, progress in transforming their work towards a community policing model that supports wellbeing on campus and guards against excess of any kind, and I commend them in that work. We must embrace the idea that the community CCNY was founded to constitute—the community of the whole people—does not arise from our demographic diversity alone but from the everyday hard work of building understanding among people with diverse origins and experiences.

Second, I write to reposition where the struggle against racism must stand in our mission.  As a public institution, CCNY must serve the public good, making our expertise and resources available as broadly and openly as possible. These resources must now, and with particular emphasis, direct themselves against racism in our society. What we write, where we speak, and how we ally ourselves must establish, wherever possible, where we stand and know on this crucial issue.  Our teaching must, wherever possible, unmask the racialist myths that divide us and confront the racist attacks that enforce that division.  I, therefore, ask faculty to seek out every opportunity to align their teaching with the mission of ending racism and to think long and hard about how we are equipping students to play a role in that effort.  Similarly, our research and public programming must continue more deeply to take account of racist currents and seek to counteract them.  We must also be prepared, and I am prepared, to join with friends and leaders in the community who call on the great institutions of the City to counteract racism.  We will develop modes of work, in partnership with community actors, to translate that stand into productive action.

We have made much of our success in promoting social mobility, with good reason. I have linked that work to the founding aspirations of the Free Academy, and every development that since then has placed City College at the forefront of social change.  Whatever those efforts have accomplished, and they have done so very much, they have not overwritten the basic realities of racial injustice in our society. And so, as we grieve the senseless and brutal murder of Mr. Floyd, we also must take up the lesson and the challenge of this moment, and fully embrace the fact that nothing we seek for our students, our society or ourselves can have a foundation in justice unless we commit to the anti-racist struggle.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Faculty and Staff:

There have been several legislative updates that impact some of the provisions within the various Employee Benefit Programs that we wanted to make you aware of.

1) Flexible Spending Accounts Program:

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ("CARES Act") was passed and it allows an expansion of the types of medical/health care items that participants may claim through their HCFSA accounts effective January 1, 2020. These include (1) menstrual care products and (2) over-the-counter medicines and drugs, without the need for a prescription. However, for over-the-counter medication, a Letter of Medical Necessity from the participant's medical provider is still required.

In addition, the IRS issued Notice 2020-23, extending deadlines for a large number of "time-sensitive acts" due to be performed on or after April 1, 2020 and before July 15, 2020. Therefore, the Claims Run-Out Period for Plan Year 2019 is extended from May 15, 2020 to July 15, 2020.  Visit the Flexible Spending Accounts Program website for information regarding the new Claims Run-Out Period deadline to submit claims for services incurred during the 2019 Plan Year and Grace Period at https://www1.nyc.gov/site/olr/fsa/fsahome.page

Furthermore, IRS Notice 2020-29 allows HCFSA/DeCAP participants to:

1. decrease or increase an existing election regarding a health FSA on a prospective basis;
2. decrease or increase an existing election regarding a dependent care assistance program on a prospective basis.

However, any decreases are limited to amounts no less than amounts already reimbursed (minus the HCFSA administrative fee).

Plan Year 2019 HCFSA Participant: IRS Notice 2020-29 also allows any HCFSA expenses incurred in 2020 to be applied to Plan Year 2019 unused amounts through December 31, 2020.

2) FSA Forms Submission/Inquires:

1. Please submit any inquires and questions via Email FSA:
   https://www1.nyc.gov/site/olr/webforms/send-message-flexible-spending-accounts-long-term-care-program.page)  
2. Please submit forms and documents to the FSA Program via the following link: https://asonet.com/emailFSA.aspx  
3. Forms can also be faxed to: (877) 290-6587
   • Also, please do not send forms or documents via express mail.  The office is closed and the package cannot be accepted.
   • Please check back periodically for updates and how to send forms and claims electronically to the Program.
   • To visit the forms page, please click on the following link: Flexible Spending Accounts Program Forms
4. IMPORTANT - If you are currently receiving your reimbursement via check, please complete a Direct Deposit Form in order to receive reimbursement in a timely fashion.  Do not mail your completed form to the address on the form. Please submit your completed form following the directions in #2 or #3 above.

Message from the Office of Labor Relations – May 2020

We hope you will join us in a celebration to mark the graduation of the Class of 2020 in a virtual event.

Honoring our graduates on their achievements while keeping safe our College communities of students, families, faculty, and friends is a balance that we must undertake during the pandemic.   

The Commencement Committee, made up of a representative cross-section of the College, is planning an engaging virtual event, the details of which will soon be announced.  Both undergraduate and graduate degrees will be celebrated, and the College will offer new opportunities to connect our graduates in a variety of ways that further enhance the virtual event. 

We are working diligently to make the occasion as special as possible for all of our graduates and their loved ones.  We will come together virtually to celebrate an excellent graduating class in extraordinary times.

To: Faculty and Staff
From: The Division of Human Resources
Subject: Benefits & Services Available to Employees & their Families During Periods of Crisis

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to change our way of life and how we conduct business, we would like to remind you of some of the benefits and services available to CUNY employees designed to help us manage and cope with extraordinary circumstances that impact the quality of our lives

Employee Assistance Program

Faculty and Staff who may be experiencing heightened levels of anxiety and/or grieving the loss of loved ones during this time are encouraged to reach out to our Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) provider, Deer Oaks.  The EAP provides free and confidential services including but not limited to grief counseling, crisis intervention and referrals to support groups, health plan and community resources to employees and their families.  Deer Oaks is available by phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (855) 492-3633 or by logging in to the CUNY Employee Assistance Plan website presented by Deer Oaks ttps://members.deeroakseap.com/.  The username and password are "cuny" all lowercase.

University Benefits Office Coronavirus Wellness Resources

The University Benefits Office has compiled Coronavirus Wellness Resources for faculty and staff on their website at https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/hr/benefits/#1586266607483-5c6c7058-6281. In addition to information about our EAP Provider, Deer Oaks, the website includes a chart of telemedicine options that are now available through our different health insurance carriers; resources for mental health and substance abuse assistance and free at-home fitness classes offered through NYC's WorkWell Program.

Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)

Employees may be eligible for paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave under The Families First Coronavirus Response Act.  For more information visit https://www.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/media-assets/FFCRA_Poster_WH1422_Non-Federal.pdf.  Employees interested in applying for FFCRA leave should contact HR at  humanresources@ccny.cuny.edu  to confirm eligibility.

For more information regarding resources available to you please visit https://www.cuny.edu/coronavirus and/or contact Kim Ferguson, Associate Director and Benefits Officer at (212) 650-7226 or  kferguson@ccny.cuny.edu .

To: All Faculty
From: Tony Liss, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Date: May 13, 2020
Re: Reminder of Flexible Grading Policy

Dear Faculty,

As you know, on March 30, the Board of Trustees approved the University's Special COVID-19 Flexible Grading Policy. This policy was enacted per the recommendation of the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) and informed by consultation with campus presidents and deans, the University Faculty Senate, and the University Student Senate. 

The Flexible Grading Policy was enacted to provide students maximum flexibility as they navigate the challenges associated with the University's move to distance learning and the effects of our City's social distancing guidelines on their personal lives. Please understand that all students have the ability to opt in to utilize this policy for any and all of their CUNY courses, including undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral courses, with the exceptions of the CUNY School of Law and the CUNY School of Medicine. It is obligatory that all colleges adhere to this new grading policy.

A faculty member does not award a CR/NC grade to the student. CR/NC is a choice that students will make in CUNYfirst after they have seen the letter grades that they have earned. Please be aware that our students are instructed to partake in a rigorous advisement process regarding the new grading policy; therefore, they will be making an informed decision when choosing whether to opt in or not. 

I strongly suggest you familiarize yourself with the policy and read over the FAQs, which are updated frequently and posted on the CUNY Coronavirus Update site.

As always, I thank you for your perseverance, flexibility, and commitment to your students' academic success during this challenging time.

Sincerely,

Tony Liss

Dear Faculty and Staff:

There have been several legislative updates that impact some of the provisions within the various Employee Benefit Programs that we wanted to make you aware of.

1) Flexible Spending Accounts Program:

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was passed and it allows an expansion of the types of medical/health care items that participants may claim through their HCFSA accounts effective January 1, 2020. These include (1) menstrual care products and (2) over-the-counter medicines and drugs, without the need for a prescription. However, for over-the-counter medication, a Letter of Medical Necessity from the participant's medical provider is still required.

In addition, the IRS issued Notice 2020-23, extending deadlines for a large number of "time-sensitive acts" due to be performed on or after April 1, 2020 and before July 15, 2020. Therefore, the Claims Run-Out Period for Plan Year 2019 is extended from May 15, 2020 to July 15, 2020.  Visit the Flexible Spending Accounts Program website for information regarding the new Claims Run-Out Period deadline to submit claims for services incurred during the 2019 Plan Year and Grace Period at https://www1.nyc.gov/site/olr/fsa/fsahome.page

2) FSA Forms Submission/Inquires:

1. Please submit any inquires and questions via Email FSA: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/olr/webforms/send-message-flexible-spending-accounts-long-term-care-program.page)
2. Please submit forms and documents to the FSA Program via the following link: https://asonet.com/emailFSA.aspx
3. Forms can also be faxed to: (877) 290-6587
   • Also, please do not send forms or documents via express mail.  The office is closed and the package cannot be accepted.
   • Please check back periodically for updates and how to send forms and claims electronically to the Program.
   • To visit the forms page, please click on the link below.
     Flexible Spending Accounts Program Forms

IMPORTANT - If you are currently receiving your reimbursement via check, please complete a Direct Deposit Form in order to receive reimbursement in a timely fashion.  Do not mail your completed form to the address on the form. Please submit your completed form following the directions in #2 or #3 above.

Message from the Office of Labor Relations – May 2020

Dear Campus Community, 

I'm writing with a heavy heart to share the news that we've once more lost several cherished members of our community to this virus.  As a group, they represent years of service to our community--each in his own way dedicated to advancing our mission and building our institution. 

Daniel Padovano was the College's Associate Bursar and began his career with the CUNY Central Office in 2002. His level of expertise was such that he was often asked to help train staff on the intricacies of the various federal loans available to students on campuses across the system. He moved to City in 2012 and served on the Bursar's team working with a dedicated cohort of colleagues to support our students. Daniel is survived by his mother, Victoria and a community of friends and family throughout the city. 

Leonard Trugman was a former lecturer in the Colin Powell School who retired in 2018 after years of service.  Professor Trugman brought his considerable business experience into the classroom and taught hundreds of students in the economics department over the years. He knew both sides of a CCNY classroom, having himself studied and graduated from City College in his youth. Those who worked most closely with Len will remember him as someone who was eternally good-natured, light-hearted, and dedicated to the welfare and advancement of his students. 

Professor Ray Hoobler loved numbers, loved the way the analysis of mathematical patterns could bring order to what seemed at first to be chaotic phenomena. More than that, he relished the way that numbers and statistics can disrupt how we think about ourselves and our impact on others. Ray was a dedicated member of the Math Department and deeply, deeply vested in the CCNY mission of advancing educational opportunity, and via that advancement, pushing our society in evermore progressive and humane directions.  He retired from teaching several years ago, but never stopped thinking about CCNY.  He became a tireless advocate for the college, lobbying public officials to extend greater consideration and budgetary support to our students and the institution he so loved. He was also known, in his family home in Michigan, as a thoughtful and generous steward of the wild places near him, concerned, in his characteristic way, that our common natural heritage be shared broadly among his neighbors and preserved for the benefit of future generations.

We have lost so many people over these past months and in writing this I'm keenly aware that each of you are without doubt wrestling to understand other losses: the holes left by the departure of friends and neighbors and family.  I write to share this news, and tell these stories because in the midst of so much tragedy, we must from time to time pause and reflect, remember, and mourn the loss of people we've worked and laughed alongside.  In this pausing, let us also remain always mindful that every number marking the daily march of this pandemic represents a person who lived and loved and made an impact on this world.  So now and with sadness we mark the passing of our three good friends.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

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 of initial projections.  Since revenue collection is an ongoing process over the year and revenue will be deeply affected by the economic downturn, it's hard to gauge where we'll be by the end of the state's fiscal year. This Friday, we will learn what cuts were made in the first such opportunity.  I have been told unofficially to plan for 10% cuts, but the truth is we're all trying to read the tea leaves. It could be more than that or less.  As a campus, we must prepare for all scenarios, and if we're not entirely sure where things stand we can be sure that the cuts will be deep.

Every unit of the College will be required to present plans for reduction; everything will be on the table.  I have asked the campus to come up with a 10% budget reduction-something we haven't had to contemplate in decades. But we also need to plan for deeper cuts, should they be announced, of 15% and 20%. These cuts will require every corner of the campus to examine its portfolio of activity, evaluate what elements of that portfolio need absolutely to be preserved, and how we can execute those functions in the most efficient way possible.

It is also important that we all understand that all units of the college—academic and non-academic alike—will be asked to make these reductions.  No college unit will be left unscathed and no element of our budget can be considered sacrosanct.  However, it will also be impossible to undertake across the board cuts as an equal percentage of everyone's budget, because the capacity of all units of the college to scale back activities or find efficiencies is not equal.  We're therefore asking all units of the college to follow a protocol that will help them identify the cuts they will make.  With this note, I've attached a planning memo that I distributed to cabinet, to senior leadership, and to the college-wide P & B.  They are using that memo, and the measures proposed therein, to make initial cuts—but also enlist the energies and ideas of everyone in their area of work in that effort.

I'm also attaching slides representing preliminary responses to that memo—developed by the college's senior leadership--showing where and how initial cuts will take place across the college's different units.  These responses include some across the board measures—like a pause on all unsponsored research leave for faculty for the coming year—and more specific measures, like a decision to leave 18 public safety vacancies until the college is fully back in session. These plans and the preliminary figures they generate await the engagement of different units of the college, guided by provost, deans, VPs and AVPs, working within the units that submitted these reports. These measures will require compromise on some of our preferred modes of work, adjustments, and service reductions.

But to retain our viability as an institution we must not merely eliminate and reduce.  Rather, we must imagine new ways of fulfilling our mission—teaching and supporting student needs, developing research and creative work, and engaging with our public missions and responsibility. I hope that throughout the college, your engagement with this process will help us understand not just how to reduce our budget, but how we do so in ways that preserve the most important elements of our mission. We will, at some point, know exactly what cuts we'll need to make—even if it's not until January when the state budget director has his final chance to reduce our budget.  If the cuts we generate in the participatory stage of this process are not sufficient, then the college leadership will need to revisit your responses and balance the budget with additional cuts.

Here, then, is how the process will proceed: 

1. You now have the framework memo and the preliminary list of cuts/strategies developed by leadership. The college-wide P & B and the Cabinet will continue to work in ways guided by this memo both to identify deeper cuts and to explore what revenue-generating activity we can pursue to help close our gap.
2. Starting from the framework document and the preliminary cuts that senior leadership has developed, you will evaluate your own work and make your own cuts and changes in how you operate.   In the case of academic units, you will have a cut target to reach and should have some discussion with the college's academic leadership about how to get there—strategies that involve cutting courses that are under-enrolled, changing class sizes, moving some classes to large or online lecture format supported by discussion sections, mobilizing philanthropic resources if you have them, and perhaps reducing contingent staff.
3. We will then aggregate the impact that these cuts have on our budget.  If they add up to something close to a 10% reduction in our budget, we will await news, later this week and across the year, if these cuts will be sufficient.  If they do not, then college leadership will evaluate each division with an eye to deepening these cuts in order to make our target. In doing so, we will look both at how much a unit has already done, and what further opportunities exist to reduce spending.

These are obviously deeply challenging times, and our budget difficulty will touch every last member of our campus community.  The situation is made more difficult, at the moment, because of the many things we do not know for sure—principle among them, how large the budget shortfall will eventually be. (The third attachment to this memo is a fairly good but short analysis that puts the budget crisis in some context—part of my effort to read the tea leaves.)  As we move forward, I pledge to be as transparent as I possibly can be, communicating what I know when I know it, and convey what I surmise by analyzing the public record, and showing my work when I do so.  I also think it's important that each of you are able to examine the entire campus record, to see how the entire community is rising to this challenge, and so communicating where we are with this work will be paramount.

As you'll see in the attached document, I plan to pursue a solution to our predicament in ways that are guided by values that we share, though these values will be challenged by our budget shortfalls. I ask that we all endeavor to our adjustments with grace, as part of an overall strategy to protect the College's fundamental purpose and values.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

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 proportional cut of roughly 9 million dollars to out college budget)—we are almost certain to face as tight a budget as we have in decades.  At this writing, the governor is already projecting a 13 billion dollar shortfall in our budget (that is, even more than the shortfall that would produce a 7 million dollar cut for us). The truth is, we do not know the depths of the cuts we will need to manage, but we can say with certainty that they will be severe.

We have, in the past, waited too long to make the kinds of cuts necessary to navigate our crises.  We have also perhaps been insufficiently consultative.  I would like to do things differently this year—embarking upon an early effort to develop a strategy for next year and mobilizing the energies and commitments of the campus to achieve our goals. I am therefore launching a budget process that is both timely, clear-eyed, and open to the participation of the whole campus.  We will need to reduce our expenditures over the next year.

It is my hope that by acting early and moving as a campus, we will be able to do the best and fairest job possible. I know that this work has begun in the academic divisions and is under discussion at the Review Committee. Similarly, we've seen preliminary plans from administrative units, and I know that there's not a corner of the college that hasn't begun to grapple with the reality of a difficult budget year.   I hope that this document will provide a strategic framework to help organize these efforts and to allow people from every corner of the college to see how their work fits into a holistic, campus-wide approach to navigating the coming year.

I am not able, at this moment, to present a fully realized budget plan for next year, and would not want to develop that plan without significant input from the campus.  What we do need, however, is a strategic framework for making reductions, a framework that is grounded in our values and mission.  Articulating this framework as a first step will provide guidelines to department and division heads, chairs, deans, and HEOs, as they formulate their own strategies for reducing expenditures.  The elaboration of these strategies on the ground will also send a signal to the central administration about the things you want to preserve and those that you consent to reduce.

Make no mistake: there are hard targets that we need to achieve in the area of budget reductions, even if we do not currently know what those targets will be. Moving early and aggressively will helpfully mean that we reach our goals in ways that allow our core activities to continue, and the college to reposition itself for a renewal after this crisis abates.

How to Proceed

The following document is a college-wide framework setting document.  Every element of the framework offers choices—some choices that the college is advancing, but also opportunities for different units of the college to make their own choices. The document is an invitation to understand where the college's general framework lies, and to orient yourself within that framework—even if that means disagreeing with it to some extent.  We will need to achieve our budget savings, everyone on campus will participate in that effort, and some elements of what we will do will not offer great latitude for you to opt-in or opt-out. But you should make your decisions and choices explicit.  This document is a guide to where these decision points lie, and what latitude you have.

Budgets, Mission and Values

What we devote resources to and where we can cut—should reflect values. We begin, then, with a statement of values.  I advance these values as a provisional list of priorities for the college, with the understanding that particularly as we move down the list, different divisions or offices may want to reorder these priorities.  College-wide values during this crisis will be prioritized, at least preliminarily, in the following ways:

1. Teach every student admitted to the college, and make sure that, insofar as possible, the quality of our teaching is maintained. Do not interrupt progress to graduation.
2. Preserve the employment of employees insofar as possible, and try to ensure the welfare of everyone in our community. Think about the relationship between salaries we can offer and public benefits so that nobody is left without some means of support.
3. Sustain research, writing, and the development of our intellectual life.
4. Remain engaged with students, with public service efforts

Decisions we will make about two things—what functions we continue to pursue, and what staffing patterns allow us to pursue these functions are inter-related, but decisions about what we do in each area will be made against our values hierarchy.  Figure 1 is a photograph of a whiteboard drawing that illustrates these relationships.  The "mission-critical" line in the top left portion of the diagram sets up a continuum of values against which we will evaluate college tasks and functions.  Below that, a staffing diagram will interact with the task presentation.  I'll explain these interactions later in this memo.

Thinking about functions

Directly under the values continuum line, we find a set of four different approaches to functions that we execute.  They range, from left to right, from functions that we are not able to perform at distance to those that we cannot afford to perform, to those that we can do if we redeploy resources or reimagine ways of working, to functions that we absolutely need to perform.  While the far-left position (things we can't do at distance) is a function of operational possibility, everything else is a function of how we evaluate activities against our values and mission.  Part of what you will be doing is evaluating what you cannot afford not to do, what we can do with reimagined modalities, and what we cannot afford to do.

Thinking about the staff and faculty deployment

Below the task and functions grouping, and interacting with it (but perhaps not along the same values/mission continuum) we find the options of how we deploy our labor resources.  There are three basic—but not mutually exclusive—options here. We reduce the number of people in our employ (the far left option) we redeploy people from positions less able to work at a distance (or devoted to functions we cannot afford to continue) into functions that are under-staffed, and we find ways to accomplish more with our existing workforce and labor budget (on the right).  It is difficult to imagine that we will not be drawing on each of these categories of labor-management, but how we do it, and in what proportion, will be a reflection of our values.  We have said that preserving support for our labor force is a campus priority, but perhaps rotating non-permanent employees, for example, on and off-payroll in synch with the expiration of their unemployment benefits would be a way to preserve the livelihood of our employees even as our budget grows more constrained.

Putting these two elements of the table together gives us the broad outlines of a budget reduction framework: we will need to think about preserving the activities of the college that are most essential to our values and missions, working with a labor force that we will deploy in new ways, but endeavor as much as possible, to keep economically sustained through this crisis. The budget reductions we make in this way must allow us to come through this crisis with as small a financial wound as possible. It will not be possible to do everything we have traditionally done.  It will not be possible for us to retain the employment levels (# of people and # of hours) that we have had.  But we will endeavor to strike a balance between these two.

The diagram in the lower right-hand corner of figure 1 illustrates these trade-offs, with the X-axis roughly describing a values-based evaluation of the tasks we must evaluate, and the Y-axis more or less looking at how we deploy our resources (mainly, but not exclusively labor resources) to accomplish these tasks.  We are endeavoring to drive activity towards the upper right-hand corner.  We will probably back away from activity in the lower left-hand corner.  Other dispositions of activity, as well as an indifference curve running from northwest to southeast and illustrating one of any number of possible budgetary conditions, illustrates the depths of cuts we'll likely have to make.

How to use this framework

The goals is to focus as much of our energy on performing the most mission-critical tasks in the most efficient way possible. That means starting with an inventory of tasks and asking which are most mission-critical. Eliminating work that can't be done remotely and that doesn't need to be done as long as we are remote will free up the labor of people who are normally engaged in those tasks.  Of those, people who have permanence can be redeployed.  Those working hourly or who are not permanent can be let go (furloughed) with the promise of bringing them back when unemployment benefits lapse. Vacancies that open up under these conditions (i.e. 18 security team vacancies) can remain vacant until we are back on campus.

Next, in each unit, we may ask what work we cannot afford to do—again, beginning with work that is least mission-critical and then moving into areas that are more important. Some activities may be suspended altogether.  In other areas, such as class schedules, we may ask which classes are absolutely necessary to move the number of enrolled students to graduation, and that will lead to the consolidation of low enrollment classes, and the cancellation of classes less necessary for progress toward the major. In this same area, we find expenditures that are less about deploying labor and more about purchasing equipment or launching projects.  In IT, for instance, we will surely need to postpone replacing equipment that is approaching the end of life because we cannot afford to buy new technology; there are little corresponding labor moves associated with that, but it still falls under the category of monies we save by not performing a task we can't afford.

We then move to tasks that can be performed in a different way.  Thinking again about how we teach, on-line instruction allows the possibility of transitioning courses with multiple sections—particularly in the general education curriculum—into multiple discussion/grading sections led by graduate students or adjunct instructors, all feeding off a smaller number of central lectures (at an extreme, one lecture could service all discussion sections of a particular course).  In other areas of the college, we can ask whether virtual storefronts and document submission portals in our student services offices, for instance, reduces the time and the labor power needed to take care of student needs, or if some functions can be automated to require no interface with college personnel.

In each of these areas so far discussed there is an association between how we accomplish our work, and how we deploy labor. In a final category of savings, we examine whether it's possible to spend less on labor costs in other ways.  Anything that influences contractually mandated compensation levels will be a matter for the board of trustees and the state education department.  What the college can do in this area is to eliminate or tighten the allocation of discretionary course releases, both for unsponsored research and for other functions, like directing programs. Faculty contact hours freed up in this manner can be redirected to teaching, relieving some of the need to employ part-time faculty to meet curricular needs.

Each of these different moves must be grounded in the needs and realities of your different departments or division, and the work you do.  But the goal in each, referring once again to the diagram in the bottom left of figure one, is to move activity towards either the northeast or southwest corners (that is, either eliminating work that is neither efficient nor mission-critical or making work as efficient and mission-critical as possible).

Finally, in terms of depicting the work called for here, action plans for every unit of the college should describe the following:

1. the mission and values of the unit (and these should correspond in at least a general way with the college's);
2. the tasks that will be undertaken and the tasks that will be held in abeyance;
3. how labor will be deployed in new ways to meet tasks judged to be critical enough to persist;
4. how much money is projected to be saved by following the work plan?

For planning that has already taken place and for work that we still must accomplish, use this reporting structure so that we can compare work across the campus.

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 coming to campus. Some will have long subway rides they want to avoid, some will not want to be in a classroom with other students and faculty, some will just feel unsafe leaving their homes after this long period of shelter-in-place orders. Whatever our personal outlook, we will all need to understand that each of us is in our own place, and we will need to make accommodations.

What this means for the fall semester is that we need to prepare for our classes to be accessible remotely, and to have the appropriate administrative supports also available remotely, including academic advising, student affairs, and enrollment services. Whether this means we are fully online again remains to be seen. That is not a decision that City College can make alone, but is one that will be made by the Chancellor in consultation with the Governor. Regardless of whether we are fully online or fully open as a campus, distance learning capabilities will still be needed to accommodate those who can’t or won’t come to campus.

To prepare for this we are doing two things. First, from the technological standpoint, we are planning to use some of the CARES Act funding to prepare as many classrooms on campus for live streaming and recording of lectures as possible. This will allow instructors to make their classes accessible to students who are not on campus, while also serving those who are, should the campus be open. It is also likely that even if the campus is open, we will need to keep the density down by having only a fraction of the students in a given class attend live on a given day. This will also allow us to manage that eventuality.

Second, this means that distance education is not something we are just dealing with this spring and summer, but is likely to be with us for a while in some form or another. This spring, nearly all of our effort was put into the technological challenge of moving online in emergency mode. We are past that now, and while there are still technological challenges to work on, we have to seriously turn our attention to the quality of the learning experience. To this end, the University is making available online education workshops through the School of Professional Studies. These three-week workshops focus on pedagogy and best practices in online education and come with a small stipend to compensate participants for their time. Professor Tom Peele is the campus liaison for the SPS workshops, and you should contact him if you are interested in participating. In addition, CETL is holding workshops and training sessions, which are so far focused on the nuts and bolts and how-to of using Blackboard and other tools, but will be turning more toward pedagogical training and will be pulling in our own faculty who have experience and expertise in online education to share best practices. At the end of August we will be holding a Faculty Development Day (online) during which we will have a number of sessions on techniques of online education, organized by CETL. Finally, ACUE, an organization with which we are already involved that specializes in training for effective pedagogy, is about to roll out a course on Effective Online Teaching Practices that we will be evaluating as another possible training opportunity.

Laboratory and studio classes present unique challenges that are not addressed by any amount of training and which resist technological solutions. In some cases we have been able to address these by purchasing tools and materials for students to take home. In other cases, online simulations have provided a way of moving a lab online. Such solutions can be expensive, but they can also be funded by CARES Act money, and so I invite you to think of possibilities for your laboratory or studio class and send me a proposal. CARES funding is not unlimited, and we don’t yet know all the bureaucratic requirements to use it, but we should know that soon, and the summer months are the time to put these things in place for the fall. Testing in some classes remains the great, unsolved problem on which we need to work intensively over the coming weeks and months.

Finally, the waiver from the U.S. Department of Education that allowed us to move to online education this spring, expires on June 1. The University, the State, and our accrediting body, The Middle States Council on Higher Education, are all lobbying the DOE for an extension. We expect an extension to be in place, but in case it is not, we are working with Middle States, and with the support of CUNY, to be officially approved for online delivery in time for the fall. Many other CUNY campuses are in the same boat and doing the same thing.

In closing, I want to thank all of you for the incredible effort you have each undertaken to continue to deliver on the mission of City College under the most difficult of circumstances. As difficult as it is for us, it is even more difficult for our students. Your dedication to them every day does not go unnoticed and it gives my job meaning. Thank you.

Be safe and be well,

Tony

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.

Flexible Grading Policy – Credit/No Credit, (CR/NC) Grades

On Monday, March 30, the CUNY Board of Trustees approved the, "Special COVID-19 Flexible Grading Policy for the Spring 2020 Semester".¹ This policy applies to all students, (Undergraduate, Graduate, Non-degree) and all courses, whether in the major, minor, core requirement, general education, or elective.² The policy permits students to request that any earned passing grade be converted to "CR," for "Credit," and failing grades to be converted to "NC," for "No Credit." Neither grade is factored into the students' Grade Point Average, (GPA).  A "CR" grade will satisfy all CUNY prerequisite and major requirements.

As a faculty member, you may be asking a few questions like, "How will this work?" "What do I need to do?" "How can I help students with this process?" The good news is that there are no paper or online applications that need to be submitted. The University is working with CUNYIT on a process in CUNYfirst that will allow students to make the declaration within the CUNYfirst system. However, there are at least three things faculty can do to assist students.

1. Submit final grades on time. The deadline date for Spring 2020 final grade submission is May 28, 2020. This is a very important date for several reasons. Students can begin to declare the CR/NC option as early as May 16, 2020 but not until after final grades are posted. In other words, students cannot make the declaration now. They must wait until their grades are reflected in CUNYfirst. Once grades are posted, students will have 20 days from the grade submission deadline to make the declaration. If your grades are late, students lose time they need to consult with advisors if needed, prior to making their decisions. The deadline that the University has established for students to declare the option is June 25, 2020.
2. Help advise students. The attached memo was sent to students explaining how the flexible grading policy applies to them. Nonetheless, students may approach faculty to ask questions regarding the declaration decision. There are a few instances, highlighted in greater depth in the memo, where it may not be in the students' best interest to declare the option.
3. Refer students to advising, financial aid, and registrar when additional questions arise that are confusing or when in doubt.

The policy overrides requirements for minimum grades in pre-requisite courses and instructs all CUNY colleges to accept the grade of "CR" for transfer credit within the system and without restriction.³  As well, CUNY colleges are not permitted to override the policy through councils or executive leadership.⁴ As of now, the policy only applies to the Spring 2020 semester, but the University can extend it to future terms if it deems necessary.

The University has created an "FAQs" document regarding the New Flexible Grading Policy that you can access by clicking here.

Official Withdrawal Period

The last day for students to withdraw from classes with a Grade of "W," has been moved to Thursday, May 14, 2020. This is the published "Last Day of Classes," before final examination week, and also prior to the "End of the Spring Term." It will be very helpful for students to know by this point how they have performed on all work submitted to date in order to inform their decision.

INC Grade

At City College, undergraduate students who receive INC grades in the Spring 2020 term would generally be required to submit any outstanding work assignments, during the first few weeks of the following semester. However, the University will allow students to submit incomplete work to faculty for resolution of INC grades for courses taken in Spring 2020 through the Fall 2020 semester, and the new deadline for faculty to submit Incomplete to Grade forms to the Registrar's Office for resolution will be Wednesday, December 23, 2020. This date coincides with the "Final Grade Submission Deadline," for Fall 2020 courses.

Faculty and staff should be aware that the Registrar's Office is typically required to convert close to 100% of all INC grades assigned in undergraduate courses to "FIN." The grade of FIN is computed into the GPA as a failing grade. For this reason, an "INC" grade should be considered the last resort, and for many students, it may be a better option to convert grades using the CR/ NC option. As a rule of thumb, the INC grade should only be assigned when there is a potential for the student to receive a passing grade once outstanding work is submitted.

The existing policy on INC grades in graduate classes is still in effect, namely that graduate students who receive an incomplete in Spring 2020 must fulfill their academic obligation within one calendar year, or in this case by the end of the Spring 2021 term. INC grades that are not resolved in that time automatically convert to an FIN.

In addition, prior to assigning the INC, the faculty member and the undergraduate or graduate student should discuss and agree on the missing work and a timeline for submission of the INC to Grade Change form – students must be aware that they are getting an INC grade. Faculty should never assign INC grades in lieu of failing grades or WUs.

End-of-Term Processes

As you are aware, once final grades are posted for a given term, the Registrar's Office must run a series of CUNYfirst end-of-term processes to close out the term. This includes the F-Repeat process, GPA Recalculations, Academic Standing, Dean's List, Degree Conferral, Latin Honor's calculations, etc. However, in Spring 2020 the various jobs cannot be run until all students are afforded the opportunity to use the flexible grading policy. This means that much of our standard business processes will be significantly delayed. For this reason, it is extremely important for all faculty to submit final grades by the deadline date of May 28, 2020, or earlier if possible.

In closing, we would like to add that the Registrar's Office, while operating remotely, is available to assist with any questions or concerns you may have. The email address is  registrar@ccny.cuny.edu .

Please feel free to use this to communicate with the Registrar's Office as needed.

To view the transcript: Open the video on YouTube, click the three dots, and click "Show Transcript"

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 others seek.

I'm writing now to invite you to participate in a full campus Town Hall via zoom this Tuesday, April 21st  at 12:30 pm.  Zoom calls are limited to 1,000 participants and so we will be recording this call and also simulcasting it on a YouTube channel.  I'll use the chance to talk a little bit about what we've been doing, how we plan to approach the challenges of the next months and to explain some new policies put in place to navigate this crisis.  We'll be taking questions via a chat line, and I'll get to as many of those as I can. 

Here are the details for YouTube and Zoom access:

To watch via YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rcw5fpVopw

To Join Zoom Meeting:

https://ccny.zoom.us/j/91609503776?pwd=WE5BZzRRYjBOL3RNWGJNbUpkNWswUT09​​​

Meeting ID: 916 09503 776
Password: 543941

One tap mobile:

+16465588656,,91609503776#,,#,543941# US (New York)
+13126266799,,91609503776#,,#,543941# US (Chicago)

Dial by your location:

+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
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Meeting ID: 916 09503 776
Find your local number: https://ccny.zoom.us/u/ad77BoaYNT

Meeting ID: 916 09503 776
Password: 543941

Thank you,

Vince Boudreau
President

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 topic on which you’d wish to speak. Once we have this roster, we will begin to establish a schedule for recording approved segments.

To start the process, I am asking anyone interested in participating to email the following information to Tiffanie Burt at tburt@ccny.cuny.edu :

• Your name and CCNY affiliation
• Your contact information
• Your area of expertise
• The focus of what you’d like to discuss in your segment.

Once we have a roster of presenters, we’ll start reaching back out to you on next steps.

Thank you all,

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

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 require students to join Collaborate sessions through Blackboard so participants can be identified
• Disabling private chat and muting microphones so that students will have to use the raise hand feature to be unmuted by you

Helpful instructions for these Blackboard Collaborate settings can be found in the following links (also available from the CUNY Blackboard Collaborate page):

• Manage Attendees (Blackboard page describing how to mute attendees, manage attendees and remove attendees)  
• Session Best Practices (Blackboard page that includes guidance on participant permissions, guest links, and tips on conducting successful online meetings)

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:

1. The FFCRA provisions apply to full and part time employees
2. The FFCRA provisions will apply from April 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
3. The paid leave is not charged to employees' time accruals
4. Employees are required to give notice of the need to take leave and provide documentation to support the leave request

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at  humanresources@ccny.cuny.edu  and include in the subject line FFCRA Question.

Please accept our best wishes to you and your families during these extraordinary times.

Thank you.

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 distribute grants of $500 each to thousands of CUNY students who are coping with the severe economic fallout of the extraordinary public health emergency. 

CUNY serves 275,000 degree-seeking students whose median household income is about $40,000 a year; 38 percent are from families earning less than $20,000. Nearly half work while in school, and many now find their jobs and incomes eliminated, drastically reduced or threatened — exacerbating financial pressures and challenges including food and housing insecurity and lack of access to health care.

The Dimon Foundation and the Petrie Foundation each announced initial gifts of $1 million to establish the Chancellor's Emergency Relief Fund, the first university-wide student assistance program of its kind at CUNY. The generous gifts build on the Petrie Foundation's history of supporting CUNY with both emergency aid and innovative programming, and on the longstanding relationship between CUNY and HERE to HERE, founded by the Dimon Foundation, to prepare students for future success. 

In addition to the $2 million seed money, the Chancellor's Emergency Relief Fund is launching with an additional $1.25 million in contributions from corporate and philanthropic donors including $500,000 from Robin Hood, and $750,000 from JPMorgan Chase, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, The Jeffrey H. and Shari L. Aronson Family Foundation, The Pinkerton Foundation, The Solon E. Summerfield Foundation and the Harman Family Foundation.

The University seeks additional donors and partners, with the goal of raising $10 million over the next several months to help students with urgent needs as the pandemic and its economic effects continue to unfold. Starting today, the CUNY family, including its vast network of alumni, and all New Yorkers can contribute at cuny.edu/emergencyfund. 

"The coronavirus pandemic is having a devastating economic impact on many of our students, and this unprecedented emergency fund will provide rapid-response financial support to those who need it most," said Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. "We applaud the Petrie and Dimon Foundations, whose generous and swift response to this growing crisis allowed us to quickly establish this critical support for our students. We are deeply grateful to these longstanding CUNY partners and others who have heeded our call. We invite other foundations, organizations and individuals to join them in this time of urgent need. Helping CUNY students means helping New York get through these terribly difficult and uncertain times so we can all start looking ahead with optimism."

Video: Chancellor Matos Rodríguez on the Emergency Relief Fund

Students will begin receiving emergency grants of $500 each the week of April 20. The recipients will be chosen by lottery from a group of about 14,000 students who have been identified as meeting financial-need and academic criteria. With additional funding, the University will seek to deploy emergency grants to more students in the coming months. 

The emergency fund is the latest financial-assistance resource CUNY is providing to its most vulnerable students in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Over the past few weeks, the University, with support from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, quickly purchased 30,000 computers and tablets to distribute to students who need them in order to fully participate in distance learning and keep up with their studies. In addition, about 1,600 CUNY community college students who were issued $400 campus cafeteria food vouchers through a City Council pilot will be getting the money as a payout they can spend anywhere for food. And 117 foster care students in the CUNY Fostering College Success Initiative will receive $425 emergency grants. The assistance comes from a donor wishing to remain anonymous. 

"Recognizing that this is a very challenging time for so many New Yorkers, we are honored to be able to support the Chancellor's Emergency Fund," said Cass Conrad, Executive Director of The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation. "Not only will this fund provide near-term relief to CUNY students and their families, but we believe it will help ensure that they can remain in school, complete their degrees, and ultimately contribute to the revival of the city. Through its work with CUNY and other nonprofit organizations, the Petrie Foundation has a long history of enabling New Yorkers to achieve their college and career goals, even in the most challenging times. We look forward to collaborating with other donors on this incredibly important initiative."

"CUNY and its students are the heart and future of New York City," said Judy Dimon, Founder of the James and Judith K. Dimon Foundation and Founding Chair of HERE to HERE. "We are fortunate to be in a position to support the leadership of Chancellor Matos Rodríguez by committing these funds to meet the emergency needs of students who are especially vulnerable to the fallout of this pandemic. Having met many CUNY students from all 25 campuses, I can attest to their work ethic, persistence, talents and dedication to their families and communities. They deserve our support and we are proud to stand with the Petrie Foundation, and many other funders who are lining up to provide it. Additionally, HERE to HERE continues to work closely with Chancellor Matos Rodríguez, his top-notch team and the exceptional leaders who run CUNY's colleges to ensure that CUNY students are prioritized as an essential part of the city's economic and long-term recovery."   

"Through numerous partnerships over the past several years, Robin Hood and CUNY have been able to make a meaningful and lasting change in the lives of thousands of low-income New Yorkers," said Wes Moore, Chief Executive Officer of Robin Hood. "We are proud to stand with CUNY now during this unprecedented crisis to create a cash-assistance program to support severely financially-impacted students." 

"We are pleased to support CUNY students through the Goldman Sachs COVID-19 Relief Fund," said Asahi Pompey, President of the Goldman Sachs Foundation and global head of corporate engagement. "CUNY students represent the best of New York City, and we are deeply committed to providing them with the financial resources they need to manage through these unprecedented times."

"CUNY is the most powerful engine driving social and economic mobility not only in the city but in the entire nation," said Rick Smith, President and CEO of The Pinkerton Foundation. "The Chancellor's Emergency Relief Fund will help keep thousands of students in school and on track for a better life."

"COVID-19 threatens to further deepen inequities for CUNY students on multiple fronts. Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation has supported research on how non-tuition financial barriers undermine students' long-term success and are a leading cause of drop-out," said Alessandra DiGiusto, Head of CSR Americas and Executive Director of the Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation. "We continue to believe that supporting degree completion at CUNY is a valuable pathway to addressing economic security. With community college students among the hardest hit, we are proud to have the opportunity to also reach their immediate needs through the Chancellor's Emergency Relief Fund."

"Our family has long recognized the CUNY system as a critically important New York City institution," said Shari L. Aronson, Trustee of the Jeffrey H. and Shari L. Aronson Family Foundation. "We are proud to join this collaborative effort to support CUNY students during a time of great need for our community."

To contribute to the Chancellor's Emergency Relief Fund, please visit cuny.edu/emergencyfund.

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. This is important, and we would be grateful if you would take a few minutes to participate in the study. Your participation is voluntary, and your responses are anonymous and in no way tied to your identity.

Thank you. We look forward to continuing to stay in close touch. Please take good care of yourselves.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau President

Andrew Rich Dean, Colin Powell School for Civic And Global Leadership

COVID19 and CUNY Students Research Study

The Colin Powell School at The City College of New York is conducting a brief study about the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on CUNY students.

As an individual currently enrolled in at least one course within a CUNY campus, you are invited to participate in this research study. Please note, only individuals who are 18 years and older can participate in this study.

The purpose of the study is to find out how COVID19 or coronavirus affected communities. Your participation is voluntary, so you don't have to participate if you don't want to, but it would be a big help.

The survey takes about 15-20 minutes. Please try to answer every question, but if there is any question you don't want to answer, that's okay.

If you wish to participate in this study please visit: CUNY COVID Study. 

If you have any questions, feel free to email Dr. Sasha Rudenstine at  covidccny@gmail.com .

Dear CCNY Community,

Welcome to our Virtual Front Desks!

In an effort to continue to provide enhanced services to our community, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management offices have launched Virtual Front Desks.

Staff at the offices listed below are available to you via CCNY's ZOOM account.  Just sign in with your CCNY email login and password to take advantage of our services.  These services will be available Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM and can be accessed online from any device.  You can also contact these services by telephone at the number listed below, then enter the appropriate meeting number when prompted.  

To access the offices through Zoom, simply click on the link listed below for the office you wish to visit. To reach the virtual front desk by phone, dial 646-558-8656, and when prompted enter the meeting ID listed for the appropriate office.

Admissions

Access our virtual front desk by making a Service Appointment through our website:
https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/admissions

Career and Professional Development Institute

Zoom: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/9073173851
Phone: 646 558 8656: meeting ID: 907-317-3851
To schedule an appointment with your career counselor, please visit CCNY Career Connections

Financial Aid Office

Zoom: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/2126506656
Phone: 646 558 8656: meeting ID: 212-650-6656

Gateway Academic Center

Zoom: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/2126506115
Phone: 646 558 8656: meeting ID: 212-650-6115

Registrar

Zoom: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/2126507850
Phone: 646 558 8656: meeting ID: 212-650-7850

Student Affairs

Zoom: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/2126505426
Phone: 646 558 8656: meeting ID: 212-650-5426

Testing Office

Zoom: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/2126506488
Phone: 646 558 8656: meeting ID: 212-650-6488

Sincerely,
Celia P. Lloyd
Vice President

It is important to be mindful of the impact this public health crisis can have on survivors of gender-based violence. Social distancing can bring up unique challenges for survivors of intimate partner violence and those in abusive environments. During distance learning, CCNY continues to provide support to those who have experienced gender-based violence, which includes sexual harassment, assault, stalking, gender-based harassment, and intimate partner violence​.

Please see below for on and off campus resources that are here to support you.

CCNY CONFIDENTIAL RESOURCES*

Sophie English, LCSW
Psychological Counselor/Confidential Advocate
Office of Diversity and Compliance
212-650-8905
senglish@ccny.cuny.edu
(providing services remotely)

Jasmin Salcedo, LCSW
Gender Resources
Health and Wellness Services
212-650-8222
genderresources@ccny.cuny.edu
(providing services remotely)

*Services include safety planning, crisis support, referrals, consultations, and supportive counseling

CCNY REPORTING OPTIONS

Public Safety
NAC Room 4/201
212-650-7777

Diana Cuozzo
Chief Diversity Officer/Title IX Coordinator
212-650-7350
dcuozzo@ccny.cuny.edu
(operating remotely)

Celia Lloyd
Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment
Division of Student Affairs
212-650-5426
(operating remotely)

OFF-CAMPUS RESOURCES

You can find tips from Safe Horizon for domestic violence survivors in quarantine here​.

Click on organizations for updates on their services during a public health crisis

Crime Victims Treatment Center
NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault
Womankind
Safe Horizon
SAFE centers
The National Domestic Violence Hotline
The National Sexual Assault Hotline
NYC Family Justice Centers

Dear Faculty and Staff:

Transit Benefit Program

Commuter Benefits – Temporary Deduction Suspension Option

Employees enrolled in the Commuter Benefits program who are temporarily working from home and don’t anticipate using the funds in their Commuter Account can opt to suspend their payroll deductions.  Commuter Benefits deductions can be suspended for a period of up to one year.

Employees can suspend their Commuter Benefits payroll deductions by completing the attached enrollment form and marking the “Suspend Deduction” option in the “Employee Action Box” at the top.

For employees enrolled in the Park-N-Ride plan, the parking plan must be suspended for the same period. Please note this will only suspend payroll deductions. To also suspend Transit Pass orders, employees must do so directly with Edenred at (833) 584-8109 or online
login.commuterbenefits.com.

All Commuter Benefit program participants can check their Commuter Account balance on the Edenred website.

Edenred Commuter Benefit Forms and Information

• Edenred Commuter Benefits Resource/Transition Guide
• Edenred Transit Benefit Enrollment Form
• Edenred Access-a-Ride Benefit Enrollment Form
• Edenred Park-n-Ride Benefit Enrollment Form

CONTACT US

Dear Faculty and Staff:

Update on TIAA One-on-One Consultations

To protect the health and safety of plan participants and its employees, TIAA has decided to move all scheduled in-person appointments to phone or online appointments through April 13, 2020.

Currently scheduled appointments

If you scheduled an in-person meeting with a TIAA financial consultant at any time through April 13, they will contact you in advance of your scheduled appointment about converting your meeting to a phone or online appointment.

New appointment requests

TIAA is here for you. If you would like to schedule a phone or online appointment, please contact Andrew Morales at 212-916-4498 or andrew.morales@tiaa.org Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. to reserve your appointment.

Also consider using the call center

TIAA is here for you. If you would like to schedule an appointment with a financial consultant, please call 800.732.8353, Weekdays, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. (ET).

For additional information or if you have any questions, please contact the Office of Human Resources at 212-650-7226. Thank you.

Dear members of the City College Community,

I wanted to write to bring you some news about the various things that are happening on campus. Now that we’re back from the instructional recalibration period, classes are back on-line, and teaching has resumed. I know that the move to on-line education was abrupt and jarring, but I’m also hearing some good news from faculty and students who are discovering creative ways to teach and learn in this new format. I urge you all to continue to evaluate what is and is not working, and to continue taping your creative reserves to make this new mode of instruction work for everyone.

On campus, we have not been idle. We have progressively closed buildings and reduced support staff to a bare minimum, trying in the process to limit the extent to which members of our community are exposed to danger. Today, we have less than 50 people on campus per day, with a skeleton staff in Public Safety and Facilities responsible for the bulk of these people. At the moment, no more than 6 of our buildings remain open—but it is impossible to completely shut down every building. In part, this is because services like Financial Aid and the Bursar’s office need periodically to have someone in to make sure checks are processed and student needs are responded to.  Other buildings, especially those with labs, need to have the Physical Plant operate so that gasses can be vented, refrigeration can be maintained, and overall safety is preserved. Some custodians are necessary because maintaining sanitation is one of the main responses to a public health crisis. So, while we have dramatically reduced the number of people on campus, that number is radically reduced from even the early days of work at home efforts.

I want to thank each and every one of the people coming to campus to execute these functions. Many come despite significant fears. They come because they are part of our public response to this crisis, and they are brave beyond anything I have a right to expect from them. We have done, and will continue to do everything we can to make their work conditions as safe as possible. But we live in unsafe times, and each of them takes a risk every time they come in. They have my gratitude and respect, and I urge you to make your own feelings know to them at the nearest opportunity you have.

Others on campus have also pitched in to help in the larger effort. In consultation with Congressman Espaillat’s office, we had been working to establish a drive through/walk up testing center in the NAC parking lot—but in the last few days, the state’s priorities have apparently turned away from establishing more testing facilities and are not concentrating more on medical care.

Members of our community are doing remarkable things. Our first class of medical students will be graduating early this year, and members of that class will have the opportunity to fulfill their remaining clinical credit requirement at area hospitals, remediating the COVID-19 outbreak. Graduating students in the Civil Engineering program have already volunteered to help set up the mobile medical facilities springing up across the city. A team of three faculty members have established a 3-D printing farm to manufacture face-shields for healthcare workers, and are looking to expand that facility. Another member of our engineering faculty is working to perfect a device that will retrofit outdated and manual bag ventilators so they can be brought into service to meet the looming shortfall in the city.

Professor Sasha Rudenstein has developed a survey of students as part of a study that examines stressors, experiences, and mental health in the context of COVID-19. We expect that this survey will be launched this week, and I encourage you to call your students’ attention to it and urge them to fill it out.

Also in the Psychology department, trained students in the mental health counselling program is offering peer counselling group sessions on-line. This is a chance to work with trained graduate students on stress management and self-care. It’s free, confidential, and a great opportunity to get help. You can sign up to participate in peer mentoring here, or you can send an email to peernavigationccny@gmail.com .

We are making the best use that we can of our on-campus radio station, WHCR (90.3 FM). The staff of the station has been producing English and Spanish language PSAs that are aired throughout the day. Beginning next week, we will be producing more programming to help people in the listening area stay informed about health, self-care, public policy, advocacy and other responses to this public health crisis. We would like members of the CCNY community who have relevant expertise to share that expertise on the radio to the general public. Later today, I’ll be sending around a set of instructions for how you can produce short 14-minute segments, but I think this is a good time for the university to think about what we know, and how that knowledge can help the communities around us navigate this crisis with safety.

Finally, I want to reiterate some policy moves that have taken place over the last few days. Commencements across the system are postponed, with no definitive plans set for any in person ceremony at a later, safer date. At CCNY, we are working on plans for a virtual commencement to take place at the end of May, marking the official conferral of degrees. We will make plans for some in person event to take place at a later date, when conditions permit safe assemblies once more.

We are also planning to suspend study abroad and business-related travel through the fall 2020 semester. Clear guidance on this policy will be forthcoming from CUNY on the next day or so, but nobody should expect to travel on university or college business through the remainder of the calendar year.

Please let me, finally, extend my hope that each of you remains safe over the course of this outbreak. We will all, I am afraid, experience great loss over the next few weeks—on this campus, we already have. We will face difficult choices and lead lives newly burdened with anxiety and stress. I hope we can lean on one another, that we each find time to help out in small ways and large. I hope that you can share the pain of these days with people you love, and find ways to lighten someone else’s burden. I hope that you delve into your reserves of creativity, both to fill these isolated moments with joy, and to more effectively shore up the impaired connections that make up our society. We will get through this, I know.  I know, too, that as we navigate these next weeks, you will confirm yourselves to be the leaders and the nurturers that the moment demands. Be well, everyone.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Effective Monday, April 6, 2020, the Bursar Office at the City College of New York will be open every Monday and Wednesday from 10 am to 3 pm.  These days and hours will be in place until further notice.

The Bursar Office continues to encourage students to pay their tuition charges online by using an echeck from your checking or savings account (no charge) or by using a credit/debit card that has a 2.65 % fee of the total amount.

During this time, The Bursar Office will continue to respond to email and phone inquiries. The Bursar Office will do its best to continue to respond to the service needs of our students, faculty and staff.

As a reminder to College faculty and staff who rely on the Bursar Office for the distribution of paychecks, please be advised that all current paychecks are being mailed by the State of New York to the address listed in the payroll records.  The College’s Human Resources Office will contact each employee with further details regarding paychecks and instructions for enrolling in the Direct Deposit Program.

Please refer to the Bursar website for periodic updates and hours of operation.

If you have any questions, please email the Bursar Office at BursarOffice@CCNY.CUNY.edu

Thank you.

The Bursar Office

Dear Faculty and Staff,

We would like your assistance with getting devices into the hands of our students who are in need.  We have an application where a student can request a device for pickup or to be mailed to their current address.  Please have your student access https://portal.ccny.cuny.edu/depts/oit/cuny_loaner/login.php.  For students who cannot access the application, for whatever reason, please have them call (Dial 646-558-8656 and wait for voice prompt to end and Input meeting ID 212 650 5480 and press #) our iMedia Reservation Desk bridge between the hours of 9:00AM and 3:00PM, M-F  or email imedia@ccny.cuny.edu and leave their name and telephone number. We will then contact them at the supplied phone number to assist with the reservation.

We hope all of you are well. 

Ken Ihner
Vice President of Operations and CIO
The City College of New York

Tony Liss
Provost
The City College of New York

Dear Friends,

It's my sad duty to tell you that Professor William Helmreich, distinguished professor and foundational member of the CCNY sociology department, has passed away, falling to the coronavirus.

Willy—as everyone knew him—was an expansive writer and analyst, covering topics as varied as immigration, life inside yeshivas and the formation of stereotypes.  He will, however, almost certainly be most fondly remembered for a joyful series of recent books, chronicling his efforts to walk all the streets of New York, and report on what he saw and heard.

Professor Helmreich loved to talk.  It was his scholarly methodology and personal code of conduct: find a person, get them talking and remember what they said. He was gregarious, optimistic, and unremittingly curious about the lives of those around him. He came to City College before the great changes our institution underwent in the 1970s, served us well for his entire professional career, and carried our stories around with him—alongside the myriad other stories he collected with relish.  It is hard to imagine the campus without him, and I am deeply saddened by his loss.

News of his passing came today with virtually no forewarning—few among us even knew that he was sick—and so serves as an urgent reminder.  This virus is profoundly dangerous.  Do not lower your guard.  Do not confuse recklessness with bravery.  Do not believe that we are, any of us, made safe by anything except vigilance and care. 

I'm not sure if Willy was truly able to walk each and every street in New York City before he left us.  He said he did, but sometimes he exaggerated a little.  You would have been hard pressed to name a street he didn't recall, and he'd tell you about it. I'm glad that he wrote so many of his stories down, and aggrieved that we'll no longer get to hear them from his lips.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the City College Community,

Many of you will have by now heard the heartbreaking news that we lost two members of our faculty yesterday.  Michael Sorkin, the renowned architect was a member of the Spitzer School of Architecture, and succumbed to the coronavirus on March 26th.  He was possessed of an elegant mind and an expansive imagination, and the architectural community lost, in his passing, a true giant.

On the same day, David Nocera, who taught in our Media and Communications Arts Department, passed away.  David was a careful and astute archivist, and had a talent for blending the care of precious documents with the teaching of his craft to a new generation. We will miss his careful and kind presence on campus.

These two sad deaths focus our attention on this new and dangerous moment in which we live. Professor Nocera had not contracted the coronavirus, and his death reminds us that a society struggling to cope with a pandemic is rife with dangers not confined to the disease itself.  People in isolation are still vulnerable to the usual range of threats to their health, even as our system of care grows daily overburdened. 

Professor Sorkin’s passing should bring the specific dangers of the moment more sharply home.  As the days pass, we risk becoming inured to the mundane ways in which we make ourselves vulnerable to COVID-19, because the danger is invisible, because we live more in isolation from one another.  Let us recommit, at this moment, to the myriad, sometimes tedious ways in which we make ourselves and those around us safer during this outbreak.

I want to encourage each you us to think how we can help one another by providing peer support, by devising ways to keep our spirits up, and by extending what material assistance we can to those in need.

All of us have been deeply occupied with our initial response to this crisis—moving classes online, reducing to a bare minimum the number of people on campus, and distributing computers and tablets to those with connectivity issues. There has, in truth, been little time to do anything beyond coping with the leading edge of the crisis. When the recalibration period ends on Wednesday, and before if possible, I believe it will be time for us to expand our focus to include another task: the work of thinking creatively about how our college, and the talents we have here, can serve our society in expanded ways. Some of this work us already underway.  We will graduate our first class of doctors early so they may volunteer to serve in local healthcare facilities.  Our scientists, engineers, and others have made themselves available to serve. But I believe we should now begin more systematically to organize those efforts to expand our impact and draw in as many contributors as can usefully play a role.

I’ll have more to say about this after the weekend.  For now, let’s take a moment to mourn our lost friends and to remember the light they brought into our lives. I’m wishing you all a safe and secure weekend. 

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Campus Community,

In the event that you are notified that a member of your staff, faculty or student community has tested positive for COVID-19, we ask that you adhere to the following procedures:

1. If they have already called the emergency hotline set up by the College, take their name and forward to:

Cornel Clark (Human Resources)
Erica Stephen (Human Resources)
Yahaira Colon (Human Resources)
Richard Belgrave (Environmental Health and Occupational Safety)
cc: Dee Dee Mozeleski (Office of the President and OIAC)

2. If the person has not spoken to anyone via the emergency hotline, please ask for the following information:

• Name
• Confirm if they are a student, staff or faculty member
• EMPLID if they have access to it
• Contact information
• Does the person have symptoms? If yes what are the symptoms?
• Last date on campus or last date they interacted with members of the campus community
• Did the person have symptoms while on campus?
• Have they been tested or are they under the care of a physician
• Did student/staff/faculty/ friend test positive?​
• If the person took/gave a class, what was the setup? (large or small class setting)

Email that information to:

Cornel Clark -  cclarke@ccny.cuny.edu
Erica Stephen -  estephen@ccny.cuny.edu
Yahaira Colon -  ycolon01@ccny.cuny.edu
Richard Belgrave -  rbelgrave@ccny.cuny.edu
cc: Dee Dee Mozeleski –  dmozeleski@ccny.cuny.edu

They will contact the Department of Health (DOH) and the DOH staff will do a risk assessment, followed by the drafting of (if necessary) a notification protocol. If the caller is a student, and the DOH determines that notification is required to other members of the campus, then Human Resources will notify Celia Lloyd and Wendy Thornton to take the lead on that outreach. Immediately upon completion of the risk assessment, Deans and/or Department Heads will be asked to co-sign a letter to their respective communities and templates for the different types of letters required will be shared at that point.

I have attached a copy of the official DOH and New York State notification guidelines and ask that you please read both documents, which outline the full identification and notification process.

In closing, I have included two documents, which outline the notification process at the state and local level, but please feel free to reach out to anyone copied on this memo if you need any further guidance or have concerns that are not addressed in this document.

https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/2020-03/EXEC_COVID19_EmployeeExposureTestingEvaluation_031520.pdf
https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/2020-03/ContactsOfContactsGuidanceDOH.pdf

Sincerely,

Dee Dee Mozeleski
Senior Advisor to the President
& Executive Director, The Foundations for City College
(The 21st Century Foundation & The City College Fund) &
The Office of Institutional Advancement and Communications

Dear Members of the City College Community,

I wanted to write to talk a little bit about the CUNY decision to enter into a recalibration period — you'll also see a new broadcast from the Chancellor explaining the decision in more detail. I know that many of you worked hard to get up to speed on distance learning and that you view this period as an interruption in this momentum. CUNY was not satisfied that every student had sufficient technology to keep up with distance learning classes, and this is a large part of the motivation behind the decision — hence the language around educational equity. That concern is, at any rate, consistent with the language issued by our chief diversity officer around making sure that we do not allow inequity to seep into our distance learning practices.

There are two ways that we can make the most of this second cessation of teaching.

The first is easy. We want to make absolutely sure that no student is unable to access their distance learning courses because they have neither a device that will go online or internet. If you have not filled out the student technology gap survey, please do so immediately. You'll find a link to that survey here:

https://forms.gle/FbXV2LDUa9cci4uV6

If you still need technical assistance, please fill it out as soon as possible, and we'll make sure that you will have access to technology.

The second issue has to do with how we're teaching. In some ways, even though most of us were not used to teaching or learning on line, Zoom and Blackboard Collaborate allow instructors in many cases to sit in front of a screen and teach classes much as they would have done in person. However, the circumstances surrounding the coronavirus suggest that there are more effective ways to proceed, and in particular, that we should start exploring more asynchronous modes of teaching. This means that material — a lecture, exercises, something else — is posted online, and students can access that material at a later period. You may make that period open-ended. You may replicate “attendance” by requiring students to access the material within a set period of time. 

But it would be an important improvement in synchronous education, in the sense that students who are home now, are often living in vastly changed circumstances. Students with children may now have them at home, needing attention during class time. Others may be in cramped and newly-crowded spaces and would want to access lessons in the evening when things are quiet.

Moving to asynchronous instruction would mean recording lectures and posting them, making time at different moments of the day to interact online with students — so that a class may have discussion sections posted at different times. You may need a little bit of time to think about how you might introduce some of these changes, and the recalibration period gives you a chance to think about and introduce these changes. You might even begin producing these new lessons over the next several days. In my reading of the recalibration period, as long as you are not requiring students to attend your sessions, in real-time, during the period, you may even begin posting them — so long as student participation is not required until after we resume sessions on Wednesday.

Other matters: I also wanted to make sure we all understood the latest policy from CUNY regarding credit/no credit grades. The policy was devised to give students, during this period of extreme disruption, the greatest leeway possible — both in deciding that they wanted to take a class on a purely credit basis, or opting to get a letter grade. There is some misinformation floating around concerning this policy, so to be clear:

1. Students have the option of selecting a grade, or a no grade but credit only option;
2. Students do not need the permission of their professor or their department; the option extends to 20 days after you get a final grade, and will be managed by the registrar, rather than your professor;
3. Students will know their letter grade before the make a decision about converting it to CR/NCR (Credit/No Credit);
4. We are using CR/NCR instead of P/F, because an F grade would have pulled down your GPA, while an NCR grade simply does not count toward your credit total.
5. Classes that earn a CR grade this semester will count toward your major even if your major does not allow you to take P/F classes in your major.  This is a university policy overwriting local rules.

In every respect, these measures are designed to give students as much leeway as possible. We do this because we understand that this is an incredibly disruptive semester. We are all worried about people we love and about our own health and safety. We are all concerned that distance learning is a new thing, and we may not perform as well in these unfamiliar circumstances. The pressure to stay on top of classes is now augmented with the pressure of trying to navigate the new normal in our homes and communities. 

We can't alleviate all of those problems, and we can't make the monumental transition of distance learning on a dime. What we can do is work to make sure we're getting better and better at it over the course of this semester. And — and this is where the section on CR/NCR grading comes in — we can also do everything we can to give students options and discretion to influence how the new normal will impact their education. 

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear CUNY Community,

I want to take this opportunity to provide further clarity on the rationale for our decision to implement the Recalibration Period for Educational Equity, which we announced yesterday. Our primary reason for moving up some days from the Spring Recess is to give us time to get laptops and tablets into the hands of students who need them. If we did not pause, we would get too far into the semester, and students who have been without access to technology since March 19 would then have a tough time catching up and likely drop out of the semester.

The first batch of computers we purchased for our students is scheduled to arrive this weekend, and we are finalizing plans with the campuses to distribute them swiftly early next week. Each college will devise a distribution plan that is compliant with New York State on PAUSE. College presidents and deans will be in touch to communicate the procedures and schedules for distribution of this equipment.

Our plan is for a substantial number of laptops and tablets to be in the hands of students before distance learning reconvenes on April 2. The pause is to allow time for the delivery; though I recognize that it may be disruptive to our instructional momentum, it is essential to make sure thousands of our students don’t feel left out of their education. This, to me, is not a small consideration but pivotal to our commitment to equity, and to our mission of supporting all our students and making sure that we continue being an engine of upward mobility, even during these most trying of times for everyone.  

The Recalibration Period can also provide faculty an opportunity to reflect on their experience during the first week of distance learning, with an eye to making adjustments when classes restart. I would hope it also affords faculty added flexibility in their personal lives as they continue to adapt to the additional responsibilities and challenges that the current situation presents in New York City and the metropolitan region.

Here is more information about the Recalibration Period:

• All 16 colleges will be on pause in the Recalibration Period, no classes will be held, and no assignments or tests should be due during this period. These colleges are: Baruch, BMCC, Brooklyn College, Bronx Community College, City College, City Tech, College of Staten Island, Hostos, Hunter, John Jay, Lehman, Macaulay Honors, Medgar Evers, Queens College, Queensborough Community College and York College.   
• All faculty and students at these schools will be off from Friday, March 27 to Wednesday, April 1 and again from Wednesday, April 8 to Friday, April 10, for a condensed Spring Recess. Administrators and staff will continue to work as they normally would from March 27 to April 1 and during Spring Recess, albeit remotely in most cases. All local plans to reduce campus density for faculty, staff and students remain in place.  
• The only schools exempted from the Recalibration Period are professional schools and graduate schools (Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, School of Labor and Urban Studies, School of Law, School of Medicine, School of Professional Studies, School of Public Health and Health Policy, and The Graduate Center) and the community colleges that operate on a different academic calendar (Guttman, Kingsborough and LaGuardia) and just recently started their Spring semester.   
• There are a few other programs exempted including Pre-K to 12 schools in our system and pre-matriculation programs like CUNY Start, Math Start, CLIP and Adult Literacy. Decisions on continuing education and graduate programs are at the discretion of school presidents and deans. 
• In recognition of the difficulty posed by these circumstances, we are enacting a flexible credit/no credit policy, under which students will have 20 days after they receive their grades to decide if they want to convert any or all of the letter grades they earn in their classes to Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) grading. You can find details on the policy here. 

I hope this adds clarity to my communication from yesterday. For the latest information, please visit the University’s coronavirus page, which also includes a video message from me. For student resources, tools and tips, visit our new continuity page. 

I thank you again for your patience, and for understanding that what drives our decisions every day is what is best for our students and their success. 

Felo

Dear City College Community

Please be advised that the Bursar Office at City College will be closed from Wednesday, March 25, 2020 to Friday, March 27, 2020.  This is a precautionary measure to keep students, faculty, and staff safe from potential exposure to COVID19. 

During this time, the Bursar will respond to email and phone inquiries.  The Bursar Office will do its best to continue to respond to the service needs of our students, faculty, and staff during the short recess. 

College faculty and staff who rely on the Bursar Office for the distribution of paychecks, please be advised that all paychecks were mailed by the State of New York to the address listed in the payroll records.  The College’s Human Resources Office will contact each employee with further details regarding paychecks and instructions for enrolling in the Direct Deposit Program.

The Bursar Office will reopen on Monday, March 30, 2020.  Please refer to the Bursar website for periodic updates and hours of operation.

If you have any questions, please email the Bursar Office at bursaroffice@ccny.cuny.edu

Thank you.

March 24, 2020

Dear CUNY Community,

The nationwide move to distance education necessitated by the coronavirus crisis has served to spotlight disparities that stratify the higher education landscape. In the days since CUNY re-opened classes under distance learning instruction, these matters of equity and access have already begun to surface on our campuses.

Motivated by these concerns, and in consultation with CUNY college presidents and deans, we have decided to institute a recalibration period beginning this Friday, March 27, through Wednesday April 1. Distance learning will resume on Thursday, April 2.

This period, which we are calling CUNY’s Recalibration Period for Educational Equity, will allow our colleges to continue their efforts to provide their students with access to the equipment they need to complete their semester requirements under these uncommon and unforeseen circumstances. 

The Recalibration Period will also afford faculty time to consider ways to better support learning through, for example, the asynchronous delivery of classes and other best practices emerging across our University’s virtual classrooms. We are making this move before we get deeper into the semester, to ensure that we are upholding the University’s mission and giving each and every CUNY student an opportunity to thrive. 

When we moved to distance learning, we sought to create safe conditions based on the best social distancing guidelines available at the time for students who needed computer equipment and broadband internet access to do their coursework in their campus computer labs. The fast-evolving nature of this pandemic, however, compelled Governor Cuomo to issue the New York State on PAUSE executive order, necessitating drastic density reduction measures that have effectively brought campus life to a halt.

To make sure that all students are equipped for distance learning, campuses have been purchasing and distributing additional hardware to students who need it in order to continue to fully participate in distance learning, and CUNY Central is in the process of finalizing a large purchase of tablets and laptops to make sure we are able to assist the greatest possible number of students who need them systemwide. 

Now that we have had some time to identify aspects of distance learning methods that could stand to be improved, faculty will be able to use the Recalibration Period to fine-tune their practices, which should serve to improve educational outcomes. We’re also asking teachers to grant extra flexibility to students who might have had limited access to laptops and tablets since the rollout of distance learning on March 19. My most sincere thanks to all the faculty and staff who keep the University going while facing disruption, fatigue and anxiety in their personal lives.

The University’s previously scheduled Spring Recess will now run from Wednesday April 8 through Friday April 10, encompassing the beginning of Passover and Good Friday. For faculty, staff and students whose religious observation extends into the week of April 13, as always you have the right to request a religious exemption to observe the holiday and we will offer maximum flexibility in addressing the requests. CUNY’s guidance for religious exemptions can be found here and we will remind faculty and staff about our guidance as we get closer to that date. 

The Recalibration Period for Educational Equity will be in place throughout CUNY with some important exceptions: Schools that offer programs and courses that were being taught online before the broader move to distance learning can proceed with the authorization of campus presidents and deans.

Guttman, LaGuardia and Kingsborough Community Colleges, which operate under a two-part, 18-week semester, rather than the more-common 15-week semester, will not be impacted, nor will our graduate and professional schools, which are smaller and reported less concerns with their students’ access to computers. These include the  School of Professional Studies, the Graduate Center, the School of Law, the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, the Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy and the School of Labor and Urban Studies. These schools will observe the spring recess as scheduled, from April 8-16.

These extraordinary circumstances have prompted us to enact a flexible credit/no credit policy, under which students will have 20 days after they receive their grades to decide if they want to convert any or all of the letter grades they earn in their classes to Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) grading. The University will support students with pertinent information about the impact of CR/NC on their financial aid and academic progress. 

Pending approval by the CUNY Board of Trustees, the policy will go into effect April 1, 2020 and applies to all CUNY institutions except the School of Law and the School of Medicine, which will implement their own policies. 

I want to close by thanking all of you for your continued perseverance in these uncertain and often troubling times. I’ve said before that CUNY is showing its resilience, and I know that will continue to be the case. As we walk together, it is equally important that we demonstrate our unfailing commitment to the imperative precepts of equity, access and opportunity for all.   

Sincerely,

Felo

To the City College Community,

Last week Diana Cuozzo, our Chief Diversity Officer, issued a statement urging us all to maintain our commitment to diversity and anti-discrimination in the face of this crisis. Particularly, she asked that we carefully assess our transition to distance learning practices to make sure we don't slide into discriminatory or inequitable modes of interacting with students. It was a timely reminder and I thoroughly endorse the message.

Little by little over the past weeks, however, a new ugliness has crept across the land. Despite wise calls to pull together and respond in a unified manner to a challenge we face collectively, some seem incapable of approaching a crisis as anything other than an opportunity to give their very basest instincts free rein: they scapegoat, they stigmatize, insult and denigrate. They imagine that every hardship must be understood as the product of some culpable other; they wait for some difficulty as an opportunity to dress up prejudice in baseless allegations. Many of them — including the President of the United States, unthinking representations in the media, random people on the street and in the subway — have attempted to craft a narrative that identifies the COVID-19 virus as having a specific Asian identity by misnaming it the "Chinese virus." The very idea is ignorant, and the climate it seeks to create is absolutely poisonous.

We all share apprehension associated with this virus. But to saddle our Asian neighbors, our Asian American citizens, and our Asian American friends with the additional burden of wondering, at every encounter, whether they will need to deflect insult or aggression is intolerable. To begin, we know enough about contagions to know that where a disease begins is the most irrelevant element of our understanding. And we also know enough about humanity to know that framing a health crisis in racial terms will certainly bring undue hardship and suffering upon people already sharing the common weight of the moment.

I condemn all expressions of anti-Asian racism that try to link this disease to ethnic or national origins. I condemn the thoughtless words of the American president and the bigots who parrot his prejudice. I mourn the ease with which some members of our society adopt that language, knitting it to the prefabricated structures of their own racism. And I reaffirm, in the very strongest terms, the inclusive values of our college.

No crisis demands a more coordinated and other-directed response than a public health crisis. No moment in our recent history has demanded more collaboration among all people. We must share, support one another, provide care (sometimes at personal risk), and pay attention to the physical and emotional needs of the people around us.

No place should more strongly demonstrate and proselytize these values than CCNY, founded on the dream of a stronger and more just society built upon an inclusive educational system. We have worked to build the future of our dreams for over 170 years, moving to more audacious goals all the time. Let us now together to reject hate and bigotry of all kinds, and rise to the defense of every people who suffer categorical discrimination, or who find themselves suddenly vulnerable in the crosswinds of a crisis. Today, we particularly extend our embrace to Asian and Asian American people. They are our community, they are our family, they are our neighbors, and they are part of the global community. Tomorrow, we will rise to the defense of some other group. But our goal is constant and our vision is clear: when we stand for our community and for others against racism, we stand for justice.

I urge every member of our community to reaffirm the values of our college, and to actively defend them both as a general and principled position and when, in particular encounters, we see them under attack. Please visit https://www.cuny.edu/coronavirus/#wellness for the updated CUNY statement on Equity and Inclusion.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the City College Community,

This is, I'll say at the outset, a longer than usual memo, with several distinct sections.  I hope you'll forgive the length and pay close attention to each distinct section. I wanted, first, to update you all on how the governor's new corona virus memo will change the way we operate at CCNY. I also want to use this memo as an opportunity to address some of the particular questions that we've been seeing with some consistency.

The governor's instructions require several things that we have already begun to do dramatic approaches to social distancing, a strong push to depopulate the campus first by moving instruction to distance learning formats, second by moving as much work as possible to a telecommuting format, and third by beginning to shut down some of the physical spaces of the campus.  We now move further in those directions.

Let me first re-emphasize that there is no in person instruction on campus anymore.  We moved from encouraging distance learning, to requiring it wherever possible, to prohibiting in person instruction.  Those rules remain unchanged — even for laboratory and studio classes. If instructors had at some earlier point allowed students to come to an on-campus lab or studio, I am now strictly prohibiting that practice. Instructors may not immediately known how to teach a lab in a distance learning format — but we'll need to figure out what solutions to that dilemma we can devise.  But nobody should be teaching now in a classroom with students.

Changes in Student Services

With some real regret, I am now curtailing some of the student services that we had been able to provide during this crisis, because we simply cannot insure an acceptable level of safety for students, faculty and staff if we continue to allow any point of campus to be a gathering point. We previously closed libraries, but now must also close the tech center, the Hoffman Lounge and other campus facilities.  The only student services that will be provided in person and on campus will be the food pantry and (for a limited time) the distribution of connectivity technology to students, faculty and staff who have none at the moment and need it. More on that latter point further below.

We will keep the food pantry open for as long as we can.  We are currently awaiting several shipments to restock our shelves and they are not now empty, but we have been encountering supply chain problems of late, for understandable reasons.  For the foreseeable future, we will likely not have volunteers staffing the food pantry to support walk in clients. Rather, someone will be available to open the pantry door for anyone who needs access to it.  To gain access Monday through Friday, call  212-650-8844 and someone will meet you at the pantry (located in the Hoffman Lounge). We are developing partnerships with community food pantries and, if necessary, will shift our operation to partnerships with these external friends.

We will continue to distribute laptops and tablets at the reservation desk inside of the NAC lobby, next to the information counter, to make sure that every student, staff and faculty members can teach, learn and meet remotely. However, we will be implementing measures to protect those handing out and picking up the devices. These measures will include distributing the devices via an RSVP system that controls the flow of people into the area, and arranging well-spaced lines outside of the building.  We'll have more details of precisely how we will implement this program by Monday at the latest.  

Apart from the food pantry in the Hoffman Lounge and the Reservation desk in the NAC Lobby, the NAC will be closed to anyone who doesn't have explicit permission to be there. 

Our dormitories will continue to be open, but we are urging everyone who can leave them to do so.  The dorms should be a last resort accommodation for students who have no place else to go.  I know there are concerns about refunds to students who are leaving the dorms.  I'll address that issue further down in this memo.  

Restricting areas of service will allow us to still further close down areas of the campus, relieving security and facilities crews of the need to clean most campus areas.  Anyone who for some reason is still coming to campus, even periodically (and there should be almost nobody in this category) should not expect their offices to be cleaned.  Move garbage cans that need to be emptied to the hallway, police your own area, and let's relieve our custodial staff of as much risk as possible.

Some faculty and staff engaged in particular research activity will need access to their labs, and that will happen only with explicit approval and the notification of security personnel.  I understand that there have been some miscues on Friday — where some people who should have had authorized access to labs were not permitted to enter buildings.  We'll smooth that out over the weekend, and make sure that every building has a short list of strictly essential personnel that can gain entrance to specific buildings for specific purposes.  In conformity with instructions from Provost Liss, all research that can be shut down will be shut down, and all labs that can be closed will be.

I want to be clear, and forgive the tone: I'm establishing these access restrictions to meet the requirements of a grave public health crisis, and none of us has the right to risk the lives of others by violating them. If you somehow gain unauthorized access to a restricted space on campus, I will view this as a serious violation of campus safety policy, and utilize the disciplinary machinery at my disposal to drive home the point.

Academic Concerns

As announced earlier, we are allowing any student who wishes to opt for the P/F grade this semester, and make the decision up until May 14th.  The same applies to withdrawal without penalty.  Two new points about this policy.  First, rather than a P/F grade, it will probably be registered as CR/NCR — credit or no credit.  Credit will give you credits toward graduation, but NCR will not reduce your GPA, you just wouldn't get the credit. (Note that this is a new provision, and it reverses something I said at several of our on-line town halls). Also, transcripts will have some marker — CUNY is figuring it out and it needs to be done university wide — that will explain CR grades for this semester as having been awarded during a time of massive disruption on campus, so it won't look like students simply didn't want to be graded. Remember, though, if you need to boost your GPA in your major or overall, a CR will not help you, so be careful and make that selection judiciously.  If you have any questions, talk to an advisor.

I also know that many of you are worried that your major classes must not be taken on a pass/fail basis, or only so many P/F grades can be on your transcript.   I address this issue in the next section.

Other Concerns

I know that many of you — especially students--have particular questions about how the corona virus is going to impact your studies at CCNY.  I don't at the moment have specific answers to all of these questions, but I can start to share with you the parameters of how we are approaching solutions — meaning, we don't know yet what the exact design of a policy will be, but we do know what we want to achieve and are putting the pieces together in order to get there.  So, I'll address some of these issues in what follows.  Please regard these answers as place-holders for a more involved and precise policy to follow. I'm listing them not because I think these are final or sufficient answers, but because I want our community to understand that we are aware that these issues exist and are working on a solution.  

Let me start with a statement of college and university principles.

1. No member of our community shall be subjected to undue health risks, and we will do whatever we can to define essential staff as narrowly as possible, and protect them as much as we can.  Nor will we fail to meet our duties as a public institution working during a public health crisis.
2. No students' progress toward graduation should be impeded because of measures we are forced to adopt as part of our response to the coronavirus.
3. We will strive, in our new delivery formats, to continue to deliver an education that prepares students for the workforce.
4. We will endeavor to make sure that students do no suffer any undue financial hardship because of their relationship with CCNY, or institutions linked to CCNY.

With those principles in mind, allow me to raise a few issues that we have not yet fully resolved, but are working on.

Pass Fail grades in the major: Many majors have prohibitions on counting pass/fail grades in the major.  These are local college-based rules, but the university is working on a policy, specific to the current crisis, that would hold them in abeyance for the duration of this crisis.  The measure may well require a vote of the Board of Trustees, and so it's not ready to be announced yet — and we are not sure what precisely it will look like.  I will also ask our faculty deliberative bodies to use their local authority and develop a parallel policy for our campus.

Graduation: I have received several letters from students urging that I not cancel graduation — some that I postpone rather than cancel.  I understand that graduation is a rich and powerful moment in your life as a student; it's about my favorite day of the year, and if necessary, I will mourn its suspension along with members of the class of 2020. We don't know what June will look like — or what august will look like.  Graduation is a massive logistical endeavor, and even if the health crisis has passed by July, we will likely be working full time to restore the campus to normal operations throughout the summer.  Moreover, students who are graduating this spring need some moment to officially mark their passage from student to graduate, when your degree becomes official, and I don't want that postponed past June. Finally, I must careful and gravely weigh the health concerns we all have against the disappointment that some of you will have in missing your day to celebrate.  My duty here seems entirely clear to me: we must protect the health and safety of our community, and of the many friends and relatives who would want to gather at graduation. I'll announce a decision on graduation in the coming days.

Dormitory Refunds: On the face of it, it doesn't seem at all fair the students who have left the dorm because of the virus would have to pay for the duration of the semester.  The dormitory, however, is managed by an independent company, and not subject to the authority of the college.  Nevertheless, at the university level we are working on a policy that would provide financial compensation to students, and we would continue to urge the management company to take a more humane view of the financial burden imposed on students.  You will hear more of this later.

Tuition Refunds: The idea of tuition refunds has been discussed at the university level — although in my opinion, all students should try as much as possible to avoid interrupting their progress toward graduation, and a refund would certainly involve withdrawing for the semester.  With so many other elements of our society currently on hold, this may be a really good time to focus on getting through the semester.  But that's advice, not policy. How and if the university will handle refunds is something that's under discussion, and probably will be decided at the university, not the campus level.  If that changes, I will make sure you know about it.

Advising, Bursar, Registration Services: at this writing, each of these service offices are working to move as much of their service provisions on line as possible.  Some functions still need to be executed in person, but we are developing ways to execute those services on a reduced schedule, to make sure that as few staff are needed to do this.  As I've said earlier, we continue to develop ways to provide these services on line and at distance, and as time goes by, we will accumulate more and more ways to do this. For the moment, check office websites for new modes of obtaining services, and keep an eye out of the development, refinement and extension of these distance service modes.

Please allow me to repeat something you've probably heard many times already — but as we grow frustrated and tired of the constraints imposed by this crisis, it bears repeating.  We have not, in living memory, seen anything like this.  The disruption of our daily routines, stretched along an extensive and open-ended time horizon, is something that is most commonly associated with wars, and the US has thankfully been spared a war on our soil for over 150 years.

We are today called to a mobilization effort that recalls the great disruptions during the first half of the 20th Century — WWI, WWII and the Great Depression. We will be tested, and the balance between protecting ourselves and taking care of one another will be strained.

In these moments, we need to fall back on our core values, using them to guide our activities.  I've been pretty open about how I regard the work we do on our campus: I believe that we are, day in and day out, engaged in an effort to make our society, better, more just and more humane.  I think that the waves of graduates we send into the world, and the broad and diverse community we cultivate within our walls stand as examples of what we can be, as a people, when we stand together in a spirit of generosity, kindness, and a clear-eyed appreciation of the whole people.

I urge you all to take a moment and reflect on these values, and to remember that they are infinitely more essential in moments of crisis than when things are running smoothly.  I am proud of our campus — of its history, of its mission, and of the men and women who, in normal times, walk its halls each day.  I know I will be proud of our responses — individually and collectively — to the challenges we now face.  Thank you, one and all, for keeping these essential ideas in mind over the next days and weeks.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear CUNY community,

As I reported to you yesterday, 95 percent of CUNY’s 50,000 course sections have been converted to distance learning instruction, and 95 percent of CUNY faculty and staff are already working remotely. It’s been inspiring to witness the resilience, fortitude and innovation that have been on display across the university in the face of this unprecedented health emergency.

Our efforts have now positioned us to fully support Governor Cuomo’s New York State on PAUSE executive order. To this end, effective Monday, March 23, all 25 CUNY campuses will expand their social distancing efforts by further reducing or modifying some of the programmatic and support services currently in place. 

• Dorms and food pantries will stay open. Students should check their campus website for pantry hours of operation.
• Child care centers will remain open in anticipation of being activated by the Governor’s program to support the needs of first responders’ families. Child care center staff should contact their supervisors on a daily basis regarding the need to report to work.
• Computer labs and libraries will close, except for limited times in which campuses might need to distribute loaner laptops and tablets.
• Basic business operations will operate remotely, with limited on-campus presence permitted for mail pick-ups and other selected needs. Administrative departments such as Financial Aid, Admissions and Human Resources will continue to maintain telephone and email operations.
• All research projects must ramp down/suspend unless they can be conducted remotely and all colleges shall activate their corresponding emergency protocols related to animal care, laboratory equipment and research materials.

• Earlier today, we announced that all non-essential university-related international and domestic travel is indefinitely suspended at this time. This includes the suspension of all Spring 2020 and Summer 2020 study abroad programs. In terms of travel, the Department of State’s Global Health Advisory issued yesterday warns that a shutdown of international travel options is imminent, and that Americans abroad should arrange to immediately return to the U.S., or risk an indefinite stay abroad. CUNY will continue to offer rebooking support to any CUNY student or employee abroad (regardless of citizenship) who is unable to make these arrangements directly with the airline. For additional details, visit the University’s comprehensive Coronavirus Updates page.

I want to make clear that these changes do not affect the move to distance learning instruction, which started yesterday and will continue for the duration of the semester. 

The very few courses that must hold in-person meetings are going to be suspended effective Monday, March 23, for the duration of the New York State on PAUSE order. This applies to all undergraduate, graduate and continuing education courses that have not yet converted to distance-learning modes. Faculty engaged in these courses are asked to continue to explore, in conversation with their students, ways in which the in-person courses can be converted to distance learning. If the course’s learning outcomes cannot ultimately be achieved via distance learning, the courses could resume once the “pause” is lifted, at which time faculty and students would work to make up for lost time. Given the circumstances, students could also opt to withdraw from the course, or receive a grade of incomplete if appropriate. For in-progress continuing education courses, colleges will communicate options available to students who decide to drop or cannot continue with coursework. The University is currently developing a refund/credit policy for these types of situations related to COVID-19.

To fill the void created by the closure of computer labs, we are in the process of finalizing a large purchase of tablets and laptops for students who need it in order to continue to fully participate in distance learning. We encourage students to take advantage of current offers by cellular carriers and internet service providers to provide free in-home broadband and mobile hotspot services. For information, visit our CUNY Continuity For Students web page.

To minimize the risk to essential staff including ITS personnel, custodians, public safety officers and facilities staff, general access to campuses will be closed to the extent possible. Some colleges may allow staff, faculty and students on campus this weekend to collect any personal or work-related materials they need. Thereafter, access to campuses will be limited except by appointment. You should contact your local campus for specific information.

Health officials have warned us that New York City is now experiencing community transmission, in which individuals who have no known contact with infected individuals are testing positive for the virus. The message to all of us now is the same: Act as if you have been exposed, stay home, and monitor for symptoms. To do our part to protect the most vulnerable members of our community, all of us should stay at home as much as possible.

I want to close by thanking all of our essential staff who have continued to report to work on a daily basis. They are selflessly navigating complicated circumstances to enable the uninterrupted continuation of our campus operations; their dedication has made it possible for CUNY students to get the services they need. We owe a debt of gratitude to each of these individuals.

Sincerely,

Felo

Dear Members of the City College Community,

It is perhaps clearer than ever before, in the midst of our current crisis, that health insurance is essential.  MetroPlus has joined with the City of New York to become the official partner of the Mayor’s GetCoveredNYC healthcare initiative. They have approached me with a series of ways that members of our community can take advantage of their services to obtain health care coverage and an array of services to our community at no or low cost (one program charges around 20 dollars per month).

I would like to announce and endorse an online ZOOM videoconference session with several MetroPlus leaders who can help walk us through these different opportunities.  I will say that what I learned when I sat down with Dr. Schwartz from MetroPlus truly impressed me, and made me think it was important to bring this session to our community.

In this current condition, a number of new developments make these services more available than ever.  MetroPlus is now able to work with our community to enroll people over the phone in some of these services, including Medicaid and the Essential Plan ($0 or $20 monthly).  Also, we just learned that the open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act has been extended into April.  For anyone without healthcare coverage, this is an important opportunity.

There are three particularly interesting kinds of services they can provide.  For people who are Medicaid eligible, MetroPlus can help you telephonically enroll for no-cost health coverage. Students who are not eligible for Medicaid but still have reduced incomes can enroll in the Essential Plan, which provides health coverage for $0 or $20 dollars a month.  There are also programs they can discuss about no cost or very low-cost health insurance for children. 

The video conference will take place via ZOOM on Monday, March 23rd from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm, If you follow this link https://ccny.zoom.us/j/8582779901 you will be entered into the conference.  We’ll be pleased to welcome Dr. Talya Schwartz, President and CEO and Roger Milliner, Chief of Growth from MetroPlus. We’re also going to record the entire session and make it available to anyone who wants to view it after the session ends, and will post a link to that session on our website.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Faculty and Staff:

Update on TIAA One-on-One Consultations

To protect the health and safety of plan participants and its employees, TIAA has decided to move all scheduled in-person appointments to phone or online appointments through April 13, 2020.

Currently scheduled appointments

If you scheduled an in-person meeting with a TIAA financial consultant at any time through April 13, they will contact you in advance of your scheduled appointment about converting your meeting to a phone or online appointment.

New appointment requests

TIAA is here for you. If you would like to schedule a phone or online appointment, please contact Andrew Morales at 212-916-4498 or andrew.morales@tiaa.org Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. to reserve your appointment.

Also consider using the call center:

TIAA is here for you. If you would like to schedule an appointment with a financial consultant, please call 800.732.8353, Weekdays, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. (ET).

For additional information or if you have any questions, please contact the Office of Human Resources at 212-650-7226. Thank you.

Dear Members of the CCNY Community,

Today, we will begin to implement a new plan in relationship to our campus buildings.  To this point, we have kept all buildings open, but that is no longer feasible.  Yesterday, I announced the closing of the library spaces around campus.  Previous to that, I announced that the Spitzer School of Architecture would be closing for deep cleaning.  Each of these closing were to take place in response to specific news about an individual who had (or was suspected to have) contracted the coronavirus and spent time in that space. Today, we undertake something new, something more expansive. 

We are now past the point where it makes sense to attempt to deep clean places on campus that we think have been exposed.  The truth is that we don’t know how long someone can carry the virus without showing symptoms, or if everyone who can spread the virus will ever even display symptoms.  As the number of New York cases grow, we must assume that any crowded space is a dangerous space.

There is also no real evidence of how effective or necessary deep cleaning is.  Can we pinpoint the places and the people someone with the virus has exposed? Does the virus live out of the human body for hours or days? At what point is a patient likely to be contagious (when they are symptomatic only? Before that?) How effective are deep cleaning methods anyway?  We simply don’t know precise answers to these questions.

Instead, as we begin distance learning today and move into more extensive telecommuting, we will begin to identify buildings, and places within buildings, that these steps have depopulated.  We will specifically identify small numbers of individuals who will have access to specific parts of a building, and only allow those people to come in and out—but we would like to reduce this number to a bare minimum, ideally to zero.  Where possible, we will close off portions of buildings to all traffic, and allow them to remain empty. Most buildings will be closed to all traffic.

We will keep a small number of public spaces open to everyone—the food pantry, and Hoffman lounge will remain accessible.  The tech center is currently closed but will reopen on Monday (for the time being, people who wish to use wifi or computer equipment will be directed to the information desk on the ground floor lobby to be set up someplace else). Remaining staff on the ground floor of the administration building, for as long as staff remain there, will be accessible.  Teaching studios in the tech center that allow the production of on-line classes, and are supported by personnel from the tech office, will remain accessible. Apart from that, you will not have access to CCNY buildings and you should stay away from campus, unless coming here is unavoidable.

Where we can, we will physically lock closed buildings and portions of buildings; in all cases, we will post signs to indicate the boundary between closed and open spaces. Importantly, we will no longer service closed buildings or areas.  We will not ask facilities crews to clean them.  We will not deep clean these areas if for some reason we hear that a sick person has entered one of them.  Nobody will be allowed into closed areas and it is incumbent on each of us to abide by those restrictions to maintain the safety of the community. This particularly applies to those of us who may have key cards that permit you to enter a closed space. We will regard entry into a closed space as a fundamental and serious violation of rules designed to protect our entire community.  If you are not one of a small number of designated essential staff, you must stay home.  If you are a student, you should make every effort to avoid the campus, using our resources only if you have no other alternative.

We will fully implement this policy by the end of the day on Friday.  Everyone who is telecommuting and putting distance learning materials together should have used the instructional recess to take whatever materials they need from their offices—but you’ll still have until Friday evening to come get whatever else you need. I urge you to be judicious in deciding, even now, to come to campus.  The less people who come in, the better off we will all be. The same thing applies to everyone who will be telecommuting; you should have used the instructional recess to set yourself up at home, but if you absolutely need anything from your office, you’ll have access until Friday.  On a case by case basis, emergency, escorted visits to a closed space will be possible thereafter, but these will need to be arranged through your supervisor.  We all need to do everything possible to limit traffic on campus.

Special concerns

Research and laboratories

We recently issued guidelines for the ramping down of research activity and the closing of labs.  On a case by case basis, where long running experiments need to be sustained, or special equipment needs to be tended, we will allow limited access to labs—with the view that all on-campus research activity should be winding down, and even those with sensitive equipment should minimize their need to come in and take care of it.  These plans will be lab and experiment specific, and worked out explicitly with chairs, deans and the provost.  I know that many of you have already begun this work.

Teaching Labs and Studios:

Ideally, no on-line instruction should require access to a lab or studio.  Instructors should have spent, and should continue to spend, time and effort discovering alternatives to using their laboratory or studio spaces for teaching.  In the event that there is no alternative to teaching from those spaces, you will be given limited access to your lab space for the specific purpose of teaching.  You should secure that access via your chair and dean.  Nobody should expect to be able to access their labs without specific permission. I want to reiterate that, to the extent possible, we should all be examining alternatives to in-person, in-lab arrangements, and under no circumstances should you ask students to come to campus for in person labs.

Student Services

We are retaining a skeletal staff in student service offices, but will continue to push more and more of our work on-line and off campus. Every student service website will have instructions for moving things like document submissions and appointments to an on-line profile. The development of these services is an ongoing thing, and an office that may need to be open today could well move to a fully electronic presence in a week or so.

Health and Well-Being

Wellness and Counseling have opened up virtual counseling, and the counseling center has begun providing clinical services to students over the phone. The wellness center will also soon be opening up a ZOOM channel so that members of our community can receive on-line medical advice. In addition, counseling has begun to develop workshops to assist students when the campus returns to normal. Accessibility Services is set up for phone sessions and will be opening up a Zoom channel to interact with students.

Food Pantry

The food pantry remains open and accessible.  However, since most of the time the pantry is staffed by students and we are asking students to mainly stay away, access to the pantry will often need to be arranged. If you find the pantry open when you come to campus, use it as you normally would.  If you find it closed during office hours, someone will open it for you.  Under those cases please call Dee Dee Mozeleski at 914.216.9797, or President Boudreau at 212.650.7285.

Building Policies

Starting on Friday afternoon, we expect only the following campus spaces will be open:

1. The ground floor (only!) of the administration building
2. The first two floors (only!) of NAC.

All other buildings will be closed to general traffic, and only specifically permitted essential staff or people with explicit and time bound permission will be allowed to enter these buildings.

Buildings and space that will be entirely closed are the following

1. All libraries on campus;
2. Aaron Davis Hall
3. The Spitzer School of Architecture
4. Baskerville Hall
5. Shepard Hall (except for the office of human resources)

All other campus buildings will be closed to anyone who does not have explicit entrance permission.

These measures represent a fundamental repositioning of our campus, and will be inconvenient for many of us.  I would not take these measures if I did not think they were absolutely necessary. 

They also represent a step in what I think will be an ongoing progression—as we shut down spaces, we will move more and more people to non-essential, telecommuting of off campus positions.

I wish you all the very best, to take care of yourself and your neighbors, and to think, all the time and every day, about how we can work together to make the situation better. 

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the CCNY Community,

Diversity, inclusion, and an environment free from discrimination are central to the mission of City College. During these difficult times, we want to remind you that City College remains a diverse learning community dedicated to promoting a culture of respect. While we move to distance learning alternatives, City College and CUNY Policies remain in effect. Acts of discrimination, harassment or exclusion run counter to our institutional values and contrary to CUNY Policy. As we respond to the uncertain and rapidly changing coronavirus (COVID-19) threat, it is essential that we remain supportive and respectful of all members of our community. While organizations far and wide grapple with increased xenophobia and racism, we ask you to stand against this concerning trend by encouraging a sense of inclusion and belonging in our community. Fear and misinformation do not excuse discriminatory behavior. 

If you have experienced discrimination, we encourage you to contact the Chief Diversity Officer, Diana Cuozzo, at dcuozzo@ccny.cuny.edu or (212) 650-7330. To access CUNY's Policy on Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination, please click here.

If you have experienced or have information regarding sexual misconduct, we encourage you to contact the Title IX Coordinator, Diana Cuozzo, at dcuozzo@ccny.cuny.edu or at (212) 650-7330.  To access CUNY's Policy on Sexual Misconduct and the CUNY Students' Bill of Rights, please click here.

If you have experienced sexual or gender-based violence and would like to speak with someone confidentially please contact the Psychological Counselor/Confidential Advocate, Sophie English, LCSW at senglish@ccny.cuny.edu or (212) 650-8905 to set up a phone consultation. Sophie provides clinical services, consultation on reporting options, and referrals to community organizations. More information on these services can be found here.

If you have an emergency on campus please contact Public Safety at (212) 650-7777 and off campus call 911. 

Our thoughts are with all of those personally impacted by this global health crisis. We hope that you are all staying safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

Diana Cuozzo, JD
Chief Diversity Officer/Title IX Coordinator
Office of Diversity and Compliance

Dear Members of the City College Community,

I am writing to announce some changes to our library operations.

We would like to work to reduce the total amount of people on campus at any given time and therefore, effective March 19, 2020, all CCNY libraries will be closed for in-person visits, however, the library staff will remain available and can be accessed via the following link: https://library.ccny.cuny.edu/.

Via that link you will be able to email, text or chat with a member of the CCNY Libraries team and all online resources will be available 24/7. 

In order to continue to provide on-campus space for students who need to utilize a college computer or access college WiFi, the following spaces will be open between the hours listed after each.

Hoffman Lounge (also the location for Benny's Food Pantry). The Lounge is open 24/7 and Benny's Pantry will be accessible from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Monday through Friday. 

The Technology Center: Open 7:00 am to 10:00 pm Monday through Friday.

Both spaces are available by accessing the first floor of the North Academic Center (NAC) Building via the NAC Plaza entrance on the first floor.  

For up to the date information on what's happening at CCNY, please visit: https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Campus Community:

As I discussed in my last general update memo, the meaning of the words "essential employee" is rapidly shifting. We traditionally designate around 200 employees, mainly in facilities and security, as essential, and ask that they come into to work in order to maintain the safety of our campus during moments like snow storms.  The vast majority of the campus--faculty, most staff and students--stay away from the campus and don't work during those "normal" emergencies.

The COVID-19 virus imposes new conditions on us, and forces us to revise the meaning of that term.  We are now seeking to maintain the functioning of our campus--we are all expected to work, to teach and to learn.  At the same time, we are trying to limit the exposure of our community to the virus by practicing social distancing, working and learning from home, and in some cases, deciding which functions of a normal college campus, such as large-scale public events, can be placed into hiatus.

We are now, that is, redefining essential personnel to mean people whose presence on campus is essential for the college to continue to execute its functions. During a blizzard, we would close the financial aid office; currently we need to figure out who in that office, if anyone, needs to be on campus, and how the remainder of the staff can execute their work responsibilities from home.  Because we are not closed, we must define essential personnelas those whose presence on campus is essential to the continued functioning of an open college.

At the same time, we will work to innovate--to develop new modes of working at distance that will allow more and more of our community to work from home.  We are also putting in place flexible work arrangements so that people who must come to campus can reduce their risk of exposure by reducing their contact with others.

Allow me to emphasize this point: now is not the time to think about who is essential staff and who is not; it is, rather a time to be radically creative in discovering how we can work in new ways, and then think about who must be retained on campus.  But the goal is to move more and more people off campus.  If you are designated as a non-essential employee, you should stay away from the campus.

As you have read, the modes of our telecommuting will be determined by explicit agreements between you and your supervisor, and must make explicit provisions for how your work can be done from home.  These arrangements must be reviewed on a weekly basis, to make sure that we are continuing to deliver on our work responsibilities.  But they also need the creative contributions of our entire community, both in their original design, their subsequent expansion, and their periodic assessment. 

I know that we will all work together to make this happen, and to help in the general social effort by depopulating the campus.

The following is a preliminary list of essential personnel for the current conditions.  We have generated this list by asking supervisors to think about who can work from home, and how, and then aggregating those assessments up through the ranks to the college level.  This is, perforce, an initial and rough assessment. Initially, we are populating this list with job descriptions and numbers, for the most part,  we may move to designate specific individuals by name, if that becomes useful.  Over time, I expect us to refine and expand these lists, always being careful to make sure that the movement of new people to a telecommuting posture is accompanied by a work design that allows the work to get done at distance.

Essential Personnel for the college are as follows:

The College Senior Leadership Team:

Vince Boudreau, President

Tony Liss, Provost

Celia Lloyd, Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management

Felix Lam, Vice President of Finance and Administration

Ken Ihrer, Vice President of Facilities Operations

Dee Dee Mozeleski, Senior Advisor and Executive Director Foundation and Communications (will also support Benny's in collaboration with Public Safety)

Essential Positions in the Office of Institutional Advancement and communication include all members of the writing, digital content, marketing, web design, creative design, finance/data administration and Benny's Food Pantry support, however as of 3/18/2020, all staff are set up to work remotely.

Essential Positions in the Facilities Department

Essential Positions in the Office of Information Technology

Academic Divisions and Departments

CWE (All staff telecommuting)

• Juan Carlos Mercado
• Carlos Aguasaco (Chair)
• Robert Hernandez (IT)
• Javier Arroyo (Security)
• Front Desk staff (Front Desk)
• Tony and Curtis (Facility)
• Ninive Gomez (Study Abroad)

Powell School (All staff telecommuting)

• Ashif Hassan, Finance Assistant, Colin Powell School
• Greysi Peralta, Accounts and Grants Coordinator, CUNY Dominican Studies Institute
• Andrew Rich, Dean, Colin Powell School
• Kendra Wright, Finance Associate, Colin Powell School

H&A (All staff telecommuting)

• Moe Liu-d'Albero
• Nicole Parilla
• Erec R. Koch

Education (All staff telecommuting)

• Yvel Crevecoeur (Interim Associate Dean)
• Stacia Pusey (Assistant Dean of Enrollment and Admissions)
• Henny Wong (IT Specialist)
• Aelicia Yeates (Finances and Operations Director)

Science (8 on campus)

CUNY School of Medicine (8 on campus)

GSOE (2 on campus)

Student Affairs and Enrollment Management

Public Safety: Hours of operation and number of security personnel:

(no remote but reduced shifts)

7:00 am to 3PM:  31 

3:00 to 11:00 PM:  25

11:00 PM to 7:00 AM : 8

The City College of New York
Office of the VP and CFO
Business, Finance and Human Services Functions COVID19 Staffing Plan

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the City College Community,

We are now on the verge of relaunching instructional activity on a fully online basis.  At the same time, your offices should have completed the task of designating as many people as possible for working off-campus and telecommuting.  As you’ll see from a memo that will come out today, we are making specific designations for essential and non-essential staff, with the goal of moving everyone who can execute their work functions to a telecommute format as possible.

As we cross into this new territory, I wanted to make a few announcements and reiterate some things that I’ve already put into circulation.

1. Students are under no circumstances to be asked to come to campus. Even an invitation from a faculty or staff member can be viewed as a requirement. ;Even if you have not figured out how to conduct your lab or studio on-line, you cannot ask students to come to campus. Students, you should feel no obligation to comply with a request to come to campus.
2. The campus remains open to students who want to use select facilities such as the food pantry.
3. We are opening the library, but shutting down reference and circulation services, so students may use the spaces but should not expect to interact with any librarians.
4. It is incumbent on all of us to make telecommuting possible for as many people as possible, and that means creatively thinking about how you can use technology to execute essential tasks like student advising, registration and the like.
5. Anyone who is working from home should make arrangements to have their office phone transferred to a home or cell line during business hours, and we must all be truly focused on checking email and answering voice mail messages frequently. 
6. If supervisors have not already worked out explicit telecommuting work arrangements with employees, you must have these in place by tomorrow. We want to make sure that we understand how services are being delivered, and we want to continue to develop innovative ways to move more and more of our activity to a distance profile.
7. If you are designated as essential staff and wish to drive in, we are making arrangements to provide you with parking spaces. Guidance on this matter will be forthcoming soon.

A more general note: we are now pretty clearly moving to a new stage in this epidemic. It will soon not be possible to keep track of every person in our orbit—on campus or off—who has been exposed to the virus. We now need to assume that a general policy of maintaining distance from everyone, rather than attempting to pinpoint specific areas of danger, is the only way to flatten the curve of this contagion.

I will use every bit of latitude I am afforded to make this possible, but we also have obligations to our students and to our community. I am depending on all of you to both recognize the gravity of this crisis and to figure out how we can continue to serve our students and our mission.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

As the information related to our current COVID-19 health crisis continues to evolve, Human Resources is working in tandem with the College's leadership and CUNY to keep the campus informed of the measures being implemented to ensure operational continuity.

During this time, college employees should know that CCNY and CUNY are working to provide working conditions that are as safe as possible, while at the same time understanding that we need to be extremely flexible and creative as the situation evolves. Part of that means closely following guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the New York State Department of Health (DOH). Additionally, we are especially sensitive to the ways that coming to work and spending time on campus may heighten the risk for employees. We are therefore implementing policies designed to help insulate you from contagion as we work together to support the needs of the College.

The campus remains open for business, and we want to make sure that our essential functions (e.g. teaching, advising, helping students secure financial aid, operational matters such as but not limited to payroll and the maintenance of campus facilities) take place as normally as possible.  However, we want to create as many opportunities as possible for employees to work remotely. In this context, the definition of an "essential staff member" takes on a slightly different meaning.  It is someone whose physical presence on campus is necessary to discharge a function. This is unlike a snow day in which only designated staff in the Public Safety and Facilities Departments are required to work.  In our current situation, everyone is expected to work. However, those who are designated "essential" must work all or part of their time on campus. The designation of essential and non-essential staff members will be worked out explicitly in agreements between staff members, supervisors and their division heads.  Telecommuting arrangements will be designed in as much as possible for employees who are deemed non-essential. Staff members who are deemed to be essential can work out flexible schedule arrangements, with the approval of their supervisors and division heads, designed to limit their potential exposure to others and create more social distance on campus. Such arrangements include modified or flexible work schedules and a condensed work week so that employees can commute to and from work during non-peak hours.  To be clear, formal agreements laying out these arrangements must be executed, in consultation with a supervisor and the approval of the applicable Dean or Vice President, no later than Wednesday, March 18, 2020. 

When preparing these arrangements, supervisors should communicate clear expectations around both options to their employees. Additionally, supervisors must provide HR with a list of employees in their department who will be telecommuting and/or adopting a flexible work schedule.  Employees and supervisors are required to complete a Telecommuting/Flexible Work Schedule Request Form, which is available on the HR website at https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/2020-03/Telecommuting%20Flexible%20Schedule%20Request%20Form.docx.

Many of the College's Research Foundation (RF) employees report to supervisors who are College staff or faculty.  RF employees who work for City College are expected to follow the College's telecommuting and flexible work hours process outlined here, unless it can be demonstrated that the College's policy is in direct conflict with a specific provision of a RF employment rule related to their position and job duty.

For your guidance, the following are some important points to keep in mind:

Flexible Scheduling

Flexible hours involve modifying starting and ending time of regular daily hours, while a condensed work week involves working the same number of hours per workweek or per pay period as required but in fewer days, similar to what is implemented during the summer.

Telecommuting

The College can permit an employee to work at home or at an alternate CUNY location for all or part of their regular workweek, and in the current circumstances we are encouraging everyone to be as creative as possible in moving as many of us as we can into these kinds of arrangements. This type of alternative work arrangement is known as "telecommuting" or "teleworking" and may not be appropriate for all positions or employees. The supervisor will determine if the individual's essential functions can be effectively performed remotely or could be temporarily modified for the duration of the recess. Access to necessary hardware and systems is also a factor in determining if a remote arrangement can be granted, and supervisors should consult with IT and as applicable with HR.

Expectations for Managing Alternative Work Arrangements

Requests for flexible scheduling and/or telecommuting will only be approved for one-week intervals and subject to review and renewal on a weekly basis should CUNY extend the timeframe that the College can offer these alternative work arrangements.  Additional documentation may be required.

Those granted a telecommuting arrangement will be subject to the same performance standards for their position that were in place prior to telecommuting. Supervisors should clearly communicate expectations for work assignments, check-ins and any other parameters relevant to supporting a remote arrangement. Common items for discussion include:

• Frequency of communication with supervisor
• Frequency of checking email / voicemail
• Other communication expectations (i.e., team members, external contacts)
• Hours of availability
• Areas of focus during remote work (i.e., projects, milestones, etc.)

Possible Alternative Work Arrangement Scenarios

• Combination of remote and on-premise work days (i.e., 2 days remote and 3 days on site)
• Combination of remote and on-premise work weeks (every other)
• Condensed work week (in line with current guidelines for "Summer Fridays" where employees work 35 hours over Monday-Thursday with Friday off)
• Full time remote

Framework for Flexible Work Arrangements

• Schedule start times must be between 7am-10am
• Schedule end times must be between 3pm-7pm
• Condensed work week (35-hour week over a minimum of 4 days, with varying day off)
• Establishment of minimum on premise staffing requirement by department/area

Employees who seek additional arrangements based on CDC or DOH guidelines should contact HR. Please be advised that other options may be subject to applicable time and leave guidelines.

Additionally, employees always have the option, as applicable and as per CUNY Policy (https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/legal-affairs/policies-procedures/reasonable-accommodations-and-academic-adjustments/i-policy-statement/), to apply for a reasonable accommodation for a permanent or temporary disability*.  A reasonable accommodation for a disability is a modification to the workplace or how a job is performed that allows an employee with a disability to perform their essential duties.  For more information about CUNY's Reasonable Accommodation Policy, please go to the link provided above.  The process starts with HR.  As part of the application process, an employee and their healthcare provider will need to complete the (1) Request for Reasonable Accommodation Form and the (2) Reasonable Accommodation – Health Care Provider Assessment Form.  These forms can be found on the College's HR website at https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/hr/forms.
(* Reasonable accommodations may also be requested for religious practices and status as a victim of domestic violence, sex offense or stalking.)

Payroll Direct Deposit

New York State payroll will run uninterrupted according to the usual payroll process and schedule. However, given the uncertainty of the virus' progression and the potential for a prolonged campus closure, we urge employees without direct deposit to consider establishing a direct deposit account to avoid any delay in obtaining their pay checks.  Direct deposit request forms can be found on the HR website at the following:

For Tax Levy Payroll – https://www.osc.state.ny.us/payroll/files/ac2772.pdf

For Non-Tax Levy Payroll – https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/hr/upload/DirectDepositFormForNon-TaxLevyPayroll.pdf

Employees who are paid via Tax levy and Non-Tax Levy sources must complete both direct deposit request forms.  Completed forms should be submitted to Shepard Hall, Room 92. 

Anti-Discrimination

Employees may exhibit fear for reasons that are unrelated to coronavirus and are based solely on national origin and/or race.  With this in mind, when we are communicating with colleagues about coronavirus, its symptoms, and the proper workplace precautions, we should be aware that national origin discrimination and/or harassment is inappropriate and has no place at the City College of New York.

Finally, we reiterate that we receive new information and guidance throughout the day. We will continue to provide you with information and guidance as it becomes available and ready for sharing.

Your HR representatives remain poised to assist you always.

Human Resources Representatives

Yahaira Colon, HR Associate Director, Non-Teaching Instructional & Classified Staff Services
Email:   Ycolon01@ccny.cuny.edu
Phone: (212) 650-8438

Erica Stephen, HR Associate Director, Teaching Instructional, Research & CLT Staff Services
Email:   Estephen@ccny.cuny.edu
Phone: (212) 650-7506

Cornel Clarke, HR Associate Director, Employee Relations
Email:  Cclarke@ccny.cuny.edu
Phone: (212) 650-7548

Kim Ferguson, HR Associate Director & Benefits Officer
Email:  Kferguson@ccny.cuny.edu
Phone: (212) 650-7963

Dear Valued Member of the CCNY Community,

I am writing to let you know that there has been a very small risk of exposure to COVID-19 within The Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture. A faculty member, whose name we are not at liberty to disclose, has reported feeling flu-like symptoms and has immediately self-quarantined. He/she is otherwise fit and healthy and has no underlying health conditions that would put him/her at greater risk. However, we take the risk of exposure, however small, very seriously indeed. The faculty member has been tested for the Corona Virus, but results of that test will not be available for a week. For that reason, we are taking precautions.

A number of our students and faculty were in contact with this person over the past two weeks, and each has received personal emails informing them of this. Moreover, out of an abundance of caution, we have closed the Spitzer building and it will be subjected to a deep and thorough cleaning before it opens again. All Spitzer students, faculty and staff have been notified and asked to follow social distancing and self-observation guidelines with extra care and attention. Other members of our community should be advised that the faculty member in question has not ventured into any CCNY building apart from the school of architecture over the past few weeks, and so we think the risk of exposure is concentrated there. The faculty member was also only in a very limited number of rooms for the 2 days when he/she was on campus over the last several weeks.

We would like to reassure our entire CCNY community that the risks of infection remain fairly low, but we need to keep it that way. Apart from closing and thoroughly cleaning the Spitzer building, we are redoubling our calls to students and faculty to conduct your classes on line, preferably from your homes. We will continue the process of designating as many staff as possible for telecommuting work, and moving staff that cannot perform their duties from home to more flexible assignments. Staff and supervisors have also been asked to exercise great creativity in figuring out how to move more and more tasks traditionally performed on campus to a telecommuting format. As well as being in remote instruction mode, we are now moving to remote administration, for which we are fully prepared. We will monitor those exposed to this faculty member, and let the campus know if any of them develop symptoms. However, I should stress that, at the time of writing, we know of no other person who has developed symptoms.  

From our community to yours, please stay safe, hydrated and follow your health care provider’s advice, should you feel in any way unwell. Without diminishing the potential seriousness of this illness, we also know that in the great majority of cases, patients recover fully with little difficulty. We look forward to welcoming our colleagues and students back at Spitzer and to the college once we have this threat under control. We wish you all health and security until we do.

Professor Lesley Lokko
Dean 
The Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture

Vince Boudreau
President
The City College of New York

I am writing to you with guidelines for your laboratory research operations in the face of the coronavirus crisis. I understand that you may have an inclination to forge ahead, but these are not normal times. I am asking you at this time to follow the guidelines below:

• You should begin to ramp down your research operation to a state that requires the absolute minimum number of people to be present in your lab. Ideally, that number should be zero if possible. You should aim to reach this ramped-down state by Friday, March 20th. To efficiently ramp down, you should prioritize those things that are not replaceable or repeatable. 
• All non-essential personnel should work remotely. Essential personnel are those who are involved in maintaining long-term experiments, animal care personnel or those involved in performing critical tasks such as filling cryogens in NMR magnets.
• Your essential personnel should not be graduate students unless they are the only ones with the necessary skills. In that case, they must be supervised by a senior person when they are in the lab. Undergraduates may not be designated as essential personnel.
• At this stage, you should not begin any new experiments, and you should not be placing any orders unless they involve supplies needed for critical functions such as animal care or cryogenics.
• Make sure that your laboratory has an emergency contact list with off-campus phone numbers posted on the door. At a minimum, the list should have a primary and a back-up person listed.

 
I understand the anxiety this crisis is causing everyone. And I understand that you cannot ramp down your operations instantly. That is why it is important to start now and be ready to have your lab in hibernation as soon as you can. The situation is changing hour-to-hour and we need to be ready. At any time these guidelines may be superseded by more stringent guidelines from the University, the City or the State.

Thank you for your help and support in these challenging times.

Dear Members of the City College Community,

We just learned that starting tomorrow, only essential personnel should report to college. That term, "essential personnel" is a phrase we usually use during snowstorms or other natural disasters, and it normally refers to the men and women who keep the campus infrastructure running—mainly security and facilities. In this context, I believe we need to interpret it as people whose on campus presence (as opposed to work from home posture) is essential for us to get ready to run classes and to maintain laboratories. For research labs, only personnel needed to maintain safety of critical functions and animal care should report to campus.

This may change.  Should the governor or chancellor decide that we need to close the college outright, we will define "essential personnel" differently.

For now, we will begin tomorrow with what I'll call a "snow day+plus" posture.  As with a snow day, we won't have libraries, the Tech Center or food services open, although some people in procurement, finance, communications and a few other offices may be hearing from their supervisors tonight that they need to report in. The food pantry will be accessible on an emergency basis tomorrow. Everyone else should stay away from the campus if you normally would stay away on a snow day.

It will be mandatory, however, that you remain in contact with, and available to your supervisor tomorrow.  Over the course of the day, I will be asking supervisors, in consultation with deans, VPs and AVPs to think about the work that we still need to do on campus, and designate members of your team as essential to those tasks.  That will mean that the list of essential personnel will change, as our sense of what functions we need to preserve changes.  As the week progresses and we explore, together, all the options for off-site work, as we develop new modes of working from home, I expect some people to be re-designated as non-essential.

In making your designations, I am asking supervisors to adhere to the standard I laid out earlier today: we need to be as flexible as possible and think with enough flexibility to make sure as many staff as possible are allowed to work from home. 

As always, even staff designated as "essential" can appeal because some pre-existing condition or other complication makes the duty to report to campus too onerous, and our reasonable accommodation process is also still available.

I would like to thank, in advance, everyone who will be coming to work tomorrow, and in the days and weeks that will follow.  You are shouldering a heavy burden of service in extremely trying times, and I do not lightly ask you to do this.  You have my great respect and thanks for your service. I'll look forward, with the college's senior leadership, to welcoming you personally to campus tomorrow.

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the City College Community,

At the faculty and staff virtual Town Halls on Friday we received several questions about the chances that the academic calendar, and specific dates for withdrawal, pass/fail decisions or incompletes might be revised. We now have guidance on these matters. The important news is that both pass/fail declaration deadlines and W grade deadlines have been extended until the last day of classes on the calendar (May 14th). The deadline for finalizing incompletes has been extended to the last day of classes in the Fall 2020 semester.

Here is the relevant language from a guidance memo we received from CUNY, elaborating on these measures:

Student Grades

Acknowledging that many of our students may feel uneasy about a move to distance learning and how that could affect their academic performance, the University has authorized the University Registrar to make the following changes to CUNY’s academic calendar, effective immediately.

1. Last Day to File for Pass/No Credit/Fail Option - For eligible students that meet the requirements of our "Pass/Fail/No Credit Option" policy.(https://www.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/page-assets/about/administration/offices/registrar/resources/CUNY-Uniform-Grade-Glossary-and-Guidelines-08012018-1.pdf - Page 5), the University will move the deadline to Thursday, May 14, 2020. This is the published "Last Day of Classes," and before final examination week (05/16-05/22), and also prior to the "End of the Spring Term,"(05/22/2020). See note below on possible financial aid impact on students.
2. Course Withdrawal Period - Last Day to Drop with a Grade of "W." The current deadline date listed on the calendar is Wednesday, April 1, 2020. We will move that date to Thursday, May 14, 2020. This is the published "Last Day of Classes," and before final examination week (05/16-05/22) and also prior to the "End of the Spring Term." (05/22/2020).
3. Incomplete Grades- Students who receive an INC grades in the Spring 2020 term would generally be required to submit outstanding work, "according to a deadline established by individual colleges of the University but no later than the last day of the following semester." (https://www.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/page-assets/about/administration/offices/registrar/resources/CUNY-Uniform-Grade-Glossary-and-Guidelines-08012018-1.pdf - Page 4). The University will allow students to submit incomplete work to faculty for resolution of INC grades for courses taken in Spring 2020 through the Fall 2020 semester, and the new deadline for faculty to submit Incomplete to Grade forms to the Registrar's Office for resolution will be Wednesday, December 23, 2020. This date coincides with the "Final Grade Submission Deadline" for Fall 2020 courses.

[Note on Pass/No Credit/Fail Option: Students should consult with their academic and financial aid advisor to confirm if such election will still allow them to count the course towards their major/degree requirements, if credit is earned with a grade of P. In order to receive this grade, a student needs to continue participating in academically related activities, complete all assignments, and take the final exam/culminating experience. If a passing letter grade is earned, the student will receive a grade of 'P' and credit for the course with no impact on GPA. If a failing grade is earned (F), the student will receive a grade of NC/NP which does not affect the GPA. Students must remain in compliance with Federal and State Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines.]

I'd like to remind everyone that you can find the latest information about CCNY's preparations for the COVID19 virus by checking in on the college’s home page and following links embedded on the banner at the top. I also want to remind everyone that, between now and March 19th, we should all be practicing the delivery of distance learning instructions, and that may mean some communication between instructors and students to make sure everything is working.

Also, students should look out for a very short technology access survey that you'll receive in the next day or so. We need to accurately assess your ability to access college material online so that we can plan steps to help bridge those gaps.

Finally, let me say that the work we are doing on campus to establish social distance will be worthless if we spend time congregating in restaurants, on public transportation or in other large and close assemblies. It's up to every one of us to try to disrupt the chain of person to person transmission by maintaining whatever distance we can between us.

I hope you all remain safe and healthy, and that we find ways - even at distance - to take care of one another.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Things are changing rapidly and some of what I’ll be reporting in this memo will revise information in previous memos. As late as yesterday, March 12th, we wrote that staff would be required to come to the office unless they had a specific reason to feel they had been in contact with someone who was sick. Today we have new guidance.

We should figure out which staff members have the capacity to work from home, and move any of them who want to telecommute to work from home posture. This changes earlier guidance, in which we said that everyone who has not been exposed to the virus, with case by case exceptions, should report to work. Depending on work responsibilities, all staff will not be eligible to work remotely. Staff who are designated as essential personnel and either have responsibilities that do not allow them to telecommute, or who are in positions designated as emergency response team members, can be moved to some other flexible employment arrangement that allows us to thin out the workforce present on campus at any moment, and so reduce their risk of exposure.

Staff who are telecommuting will still be responsible for fulfilling their job responsibilities, and before they begin, they will develop formal telecommuting agreements with their supervisors, subject to review by deans, VPs and other divisional heads, and human resources. A guide for the elements of these arrangements can be found here. Arrangements will be for a one-week duration, renewable weekly for the duration of the crisis. At the end of each week, supervisors and employees should assess the arrangement, make sure that the work of the campus is still getting done and employees are adhering to the arrangement. Alterations in the arrangement will, if necessary, be made based on those assessments, and supervisors will be responsible for the continued functioning of their office.

Please use today, the weekend, and as many of our instructional recess days as you need to develop and formalize these telecommuting arrangements. Importantly, telephones that ring in your office will need to be shifted to cell or home phones, and these lines, as well as emails and other forms of communication, must be answered. I will ask supervisors to check to make sure that members of our campus community who contact your office—even while staff are telecommuting—receive the service they deserve.

You will find more detailed instructions from CUNY on the university’s approach to flexible work arrangements here.

A second note: I want to reinforce something I wrote in yesterday’s memo: while we have suspended classes and will move to an online profile starting on March 19th, the campus remains open. This means two things. First, we cannot require that students come to campus—and remember that an authority figure’s suggestion that a student come and meet him or her will likely be received by students as a requirement. By the same token, the campus remains open to students. They can use the library, stay in the dorms, take advantage of open facilities like the food pantry or computer labs.

Additionally, we have received many questions about labs, studios, and exams. There are ways in which many of us can navigate around in-person requirements for these activities, and a big part of what some of you will be doing on your instructional recess will be to figure out how to do this. Some labs can be replicated online—though that’s not true of all. In cases where an in-person activity cannot be replicated in a distance learning format, we will need to develop a workaround—such as allowing students to complete the labs when the situation grows safer. But we need to find solutions that do not require students to come to campus.

Finally, let me renew my call for creativity and commitment. These are not normal times and we are being asked, each of us, to respond to a crisis as if every individual effort we make contributes to a collective outcome that saves lives and speeds us toward a return to normalcy. In the next few days, we will all be asked to do things that we’ve never done before, often things we never thought we’d want to do. We need to rise to the occasion of this moment with compassion for the people around us, for a clear sense that our actions are consequential, and an understanding that, while we cannot now know the dimensions of the danger before us, we must proceed with a calm resolve not to underestimate the situation. We will not panic, but neither will we fail to prepare.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Campus Community,

Please note that even though classes will be moving to a distance learning model as of March 19, 2020, Benny's Food Pantry will remain operational for anyone in our community who needs to visit. 

We will be closed tomorrow while we assess inventory, and will place a larger order than usual of non-perishable items to allow as many visitors to have access to pantry goods as possible.

We will post new signage specific to temporary hours of operation and who to contact if you need emergency access. 

In the meantime, if you would like to support the pantry by donating non-perishable goods, or wish to volunteer to help staff the pantry, please feel free to email: bennysfoodpantry@ccny.cuny.edu

Staff Contacts:

• Charles Ramirez or Michelle Ortega x 6557
• Tiffanie Burt x 5043
• Ana King-Garcia x 5426
• Dee Dee Mozeleski x 8208

Sincerely, 

Dee Dee Mozeleski
 

Dear Members of the City College Community,

As we figure out the contours of the COVID19 crisis and develop our response to it, it will be important to sift reliable information from rumor, mistaken assertions, and outright misinformation. From now on, any official news from the campus will be distributed under the banner that you see at the top of this page.

While you will certainly receive authoritative emails from department chairs, deans, and your immediate supervisors, any college-wide announcement from the administration will be easily identifiable. Other emails may or may not contain reliable information, but they will not speak on behalf of the college, nor represent official college policy pronouncements, and should be evaluated in that light.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear CCNY Faculty and Staff, 

Please be advised that there will be an all faculty/all staff virtual Town Hall meeting tomorrow afternoon to discuss the CUNY-wide move to distance learning for the remainder of the current semester. 

We will host two sessions via Zoom, one at 12:00 pm (Eastern) and 1:00 pm (Eastern).

Here are instructions to join the sessions:

Join by Computer:

• Visit https://zoom.us/j/283161323 on your web browser and follow the instructions

Join by Smartphone or Tablet:

1. Downloaded the Zoom mobile app 
2. Select “Join a Meeting”
3. Input meeting ID 283 161 323 and click “Join"

Join by Telephone:

1. Dial 646-558-8656 and wait for voice prompt to end
2. Input meeting ID 283 161 323 and press #
3. Wait for voice prompt to end and press # again to join the town hall

We will host a separate town hall for students and will ask them to let the College know of any issues they may have with accessing technology so we are prepared to address those concerns before March 19th.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau, President
Tony Liss, Provost

Click here for Blackboard Basics

Click here for Blackboard Student manual

Click here for Blackboard Instructor user guide

Click here for teaching remotely

Dear Colleagues,

We will all, over the next several days, be working very hard to move to a distance learning posture in our classes, and that will entail training, planning and no small amount of coordination. We'll have plans for that in the days to come.

In keeping with a request I made in my memo earlier today, Carlos Aguasaco, who has considerable experience in distance learning, will be hosting two webinars about how to move your teaching to Blackboard Collaborate. His email, which I'm forwarding under this note, also has links to instruction manuals and other resources. His two sessions will run from 2-4 PM and 5-7 PM today.

This is exactly the kind of thing we need to undertake as a campus community. I'm deeply grateful to Carlos for taking this initiative and urge all of you who would like to get up to speed on Blackboard to do so.

A final quick note—the reviews on blackboard collaborate are almost entirely bimodal: people love it or hate it, and that makes me think that the number of haters may well diminish with some clear instruction. If you wrote off blackboard years ago because you had a frustrating initial experience with it, maybe give it another shot.

This will not be the only online platform we make available to you, but it's the one most readily at hand and one that we know our students all have access to. So it might be a good idea to tune in and see what Carlos has to say.

Thank you,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear All,​​

PLEASE READ THIS EMAIL IN ITS ENTIRETY AS NEW AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION HAS BEEN ADDED.

As you already know, we have been instructed to suspend classes between March 12 and 18 (I am copying the Chancellor's email after my signature to make sure we are all informed, the highlights are mine). These days are for us to get ready and transition our courses to online-based instruction. I am proud to say that our proactive approach at CWE has worked. Yet, we can always do more to help and assist our faculty and students. Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns regarding this process.

Today we held our 4th CWE training sessions on how to teach your classes and provide services to your students using our CUNY Blackboard videoconference software.

Special kudos to John, Warren, Barbara, Vincent, Danielle, Fernando, Nayanda, Virginia, Judy, Marlene, Mary, Nina, Debbie, Trisha, Pat, Susana S, Dorina, Robert, Michelle, Joan, Gay, Monica, Dean Mercado, David, and all other colleagues who have kindly attended our training sessions.

Personally, I'd to thank Robert Hernandez for his technical support.

Tomorrow, I will hold two videoconferences to show any interested City College Faculty and staff how to use Blackboard Collaborate Ultra to set up Video Conferences with their students.

Thursday, March 12

Session 1. 2 PM to 4:00 PM
Session 2. 5 PM to 7:00 PM

Late arrivals are welcome! Just join us at your earliest convenience.
What to invite a colleague? No problem, just share the link below and they are all welcome.
Can't make it tomorrow? Don't worry, we'll have more training sessions in the following days.

This is a practical hands-on training video conference aimed at facilitating your success using this tool.

To join, just click on this link:

https://us.bbcollab.com/guest/79d4ca52d56e4057b21f4982ac4dd685

Can't join using the link? Call this number +1-571-392-7650 and enter this PIN: 730 340 0849

Participation in these training sessions is voluntary.

Notes: You can join these training sessions from any device connected to the internet including cellphones, tablets, laptops, desktops, smart-podiums, etc.
You can join as many sessions as you want.

Please contact all your students via email (blackboard, CUNYfirst or your CCNY email) and inform them that we will suspend classes between March 12 and 18. All our face to face (AKA On Campus) classes shall continue on March using Distance-Learning technology.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Please watch this video to refresh your memory: > https://youtu.be/1W4sGpVmJaY

Need more help? Please visit this website: https://help.blackboard.com/Collaborate/Ultra

Should you need any additional help with Blackboard in general, please visit this website https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/cetl/blackboard-help​
Additional resources: https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor​

Our Colleagues at John Jay created a webinar on Translating On-Campus to Distance-Learning. Use this link to watch it.

https://johnjayonline.wistia.com/medias/jdr4qvxje0

Finally, if you read this email, please reply to it letting me know if you have any questions regarding the transition from On-Campus to Distance-Learning or the training sessions. Those who have no questions or concerns could just reply to acknowledge this communication. Feel free to share these resources with colleagues

Sincerely,

​Carlos Aguasaco ​​

Dear Members of the CCNY Community,

We just received word from the Governor’s office and CUNY that we will be making the transition to distance learning for the remainder of the semester. Starting tomorrow, March 12th and running through March 18th, we will be in an instructional recess. During that period, faculty, staff, and students will all prepare to begin distance learning—that means developing your material for delivery online, making sure that students understand the platforms and can access your class course material. For students, that means you should pay attention to emails from your instructors that may ask you to undertake certain tasks to make sure you’re able to use the technology. For faculty, chairs and deans, that means working to make sure that everyone is able to do some form of distance learning, from full-on on-line, video conferenced instruction to more technologically simple delivery modes, like recording a lecture and emailing it to students.

It’s important to note, however, that this is not an option that you may or may not adopt. We are all mandated to move to distance learning for the rest of the semester. It will be necessary to figure out how we move forward for lab classes and studios, and that’s what we will work on, together, over the instructional recess.

During the instructional recess, campus services, like the dorms, the library and perhaps food services will remain open, and the college will remain open. Everyone on staff and faculty, barring illness or some other leave, should be available to work together so that we’re able to resume teaching on the 19th with as little disruption as possible. Researchers will also have access to their labs and studios because the instructional recess should be compatible with the continuity of our business operations. I’ll clarify what this means as time goes on—but at the moment, we are suspending classroom instruction, but maintaining other activities (consistent, of course, with the suspension of non-essential gatherings of more than 50 people, announced yesterday)

I’ll also ask, during this recess, for those of you with experience and expertise in the different modalities of distance learning identify yourself to your colleagues, your chair or to deans, and help your colleagues gear up for when we resume teaching on the 19th.

This is all new information and I anticipate having more extensive guidance for the campus soon. Things are moving very fast, and I ask for everyone to be as flexible and nimble as possible. These are not normal times, and we are not making ordinary adjustments. I’m asking our whole community to face these challenges with the bigger picture in mind: that we are a public institution, playing its role in a public health crisis, while, at the same time, delivering on our core mission. Let’s make sure that when we think back on these days, and the challenges they presented to us, we’ll be proud of how we responded. I know that we will be.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear CUNY Community,

As your Chancellor, my highest priorities in charting a response to the fast-evolving coronavirus threat are to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff while maintaining academic continuity and safeguarding students’ ability to finish their semester and protect their financial aid. I know that you are concerned for your own health, the health of your loved ones, and that of our communities. I also share these concerns and know they weigh heavily on all of us.

As you are probably aware, per Governor Cuomo’s comments earlier today, CUNY is implementing a comprehensive transition to distance education for the remainder of the semester, following a five-day instructional recess for pedagogical retooling that will begin tomorrow, March 12. 

Our 25 campuses will remain open during and after the recess. These measures allow CUNY to continue serving its students while alleviating pressure on our area during this public health threat.

Here are the immediate implications for our campuses:

• CUNY will begin an instructional recess tomorrow, Thursday, March 12, that will conclude on Wednesday, March 18. No scheduled courses will run on these days, except those of fully online programs and courses otherwise authorized by campus presidents and deans. This will allow CUNY to prepare faculty, students and staff to operate in full distance education mode.
• Starting on Thursday, March 19, all instruction will resume in distance-learning mode, and will remain so through the end of the spring semester.
• Colleges will remain open during the spring semester. This will include dormitories, libraries, research facilities and mission-critical venues that support our students. 

By transitioning to distance learning, CUNY will be upholding its responsibility as the largest urban public university in the country and meeting our goal of minimizing exposure to those on our campus communities to coronavirus transmission.

Last night, we learned of the novel coronavirus infection of a John Jay College of Criminal Justice student who tested positive earlier in the day but had not been back to the campus since becoming symptomatic over the weekend. Our thoughts are with the student and I know you join me in wishing her a full recovery. Health officials said the infection posed no threat to the school community, but out of an abundance of caution the school was closed today.

Please know that these kinds of operational and academic challenges are a key focus of my team’s attention through this crisis. Earlier this month, I convened a Coronavirus Task Force led by Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer Hector Batista and including the Dean of the CUNY School of Public Health, Dr. Ayman El-Mohandes, to serve as a command center and work hand in hand with our 25 campuses to provide systematic guidance to our community, based on the latest information from the federal, state and city health officials. 

This week, we urged campuses to reconsider holding non-essential gatherings and community events of more than 50 people during the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester.  

These steps are bound to pose challenges and disrupt many of our ordinary routines. I urge everyone to be patient as we make our way through these extraordinary times.

We understand there are many who are feeling heightened levels of anxiety, but as we all go about our daily lives, I suggest that you continue taking precautions to ensure the safety and wellbeing of yourself and your family and stay informed by regularly visiting CUNY.edu/coronavirus.

As much as possible, we cannot allow fears to overwhelm facts. This includes the unsubstantiated rumors that have circulated via social media alleging the spread of coronavirus on several CUNY campuses. I urge you to resist the temptation to be persuaded by information that does not come from health and government officials or the University.

I want to thank our faculty, staff and students for all of your cooperation during this challenging time. We will continue to share as much information as we can, as soon as we can, to keep you updated and apprised of any developments.

Sincerely,

Felo

Dear Members of the City College Community,

I am writing with some updates to our response to the COVID-19 outbreak. In this memo I'll talk about travel restrictions that we're putting in place, as well as restrictions on large, non-essential gatherings.

First, however, I'd like to address on-line instruction. The hotline that we've put in place is up and running, and many of the calls are from students who, for one reason or another, feel particularly vulnerable in the face of the virus. Some have pre-existing health conditions, or compromised immune systems. Others live with older relatives or someone who is otherwise at greater risk, and many are interested in taking advantage of on-line learning options.

I've asked for everyone to test out and select a platform that works—including, I should say, the technologically simple option of recording a lecture into a power point deck and then leading an on-line discussion forum. Faculty should now all be prepared to respond favorably to students who are asking for the on-line option. There are challenges in moving to this approach, including how we give tests and figuring out what happens in lab or studio classes—and I hope that you will work with and learn from one another to address and develop what may be discipline-specific responses. But students will be asking for this accommodation and I want to make it clear that we are committed to making it available to them.

Last night, CUNY issued guidance canceling all University-sponsored international student travel for the rest of the semester. Beyond those measures, we are putting the following restrictions in place:

• Travel to CDC Level-3 countries is prohibited.
• All College-related (i.e. funded by the College, CUNY or The Foundation) international travel is prohibited. Grant-related non-essential international travel is strongly discouraged.
• All personal international travel is strongly discouraged.
• The Provost Office must be notified on any international travel by e-mail to provost@ccny.cuny.edu
• All College-related non-essential domestic air travel is prohibited. Grant-related non-essential air travel is strongly discouraged.
• Personal domestic air travel is discouraged.

As you make your travel decisions, we are asking that you carefully weigh your private plans against the need to protect yourself, and those around you, from this virus. If you have questions about whether or not a trip you've planned should be regarded as essential, please consult your chair, the dean or the provost.

A second element of CUNY guidance last night urged that we consider limiting or eliminating non-essential gatherings of more than 50 people. At the moment, we are considering any gathering other than classes to be non-essential, and so we're asking that you cancel events that are not classes but will produce gatherings of 50 or more people. This means that most lectures, conferences, workshops and performances should be canceled. I know that this will come as a huge disappointment to those of you who have been working hard to put one or another event together. Still, these are not usual times, and we need to make adjustments that will be painful, but are necessary. I'm asking for office heads, chairs, and deans to reinforce this message, and make sure that no event of this nature goes forward.

At the moment, we are asking that these cancellations take place up through the end of spring break. At the start of April, we will assess this restriction and see if evolving conditions allow us to lift it for the rest of the academic year.

I want to remind you, finally, that the best place to find updates about our campus response to the virus will be the webpage set up for this purpose. There is a banner at the top of the college's home page that will bring you to our documents about the virus.

We'll continue to keep you apprised of our latest measures we're taking on campus, and the latest steps the university is taking. Our next guidance memo, which you can expect in the next day, will address workplace guidelines for CCNY employees.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the City College Community,

I am forwarding, with this note, instructions for classes and offices to begin setting up on-line communication protocols.  You’ll see a range of tools that you have access to, and we’re repeating the call for faculty members and students, as well as office staff, to identify the platform they will use, and then practice.

Faculty will need affirmative permission from a department chair and deans to move an entire course on-line, but students can request on-line access to classes still being taught in person.  Faculty should acquiesce to these requests, and that means all of us need to learn at least one of these delivery platforms. There will be a need, of course, to take into consideration courses, like labs and studios, which we recognize are not easily adapted to an online platform. 

The instructions are appended here, and are pretty comprehensive.  Please try to follow these instructions before seeking help from the service desk at 212-650-7878, if you need it. Here is the link, and the instructions will also go to the campus as an eblast: https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/presidentsoffice/blog/instruction-and-learning-during-potential-covid-19-campus-closing.  Remember, it is essential that you pick a platform and practice as soon as possible.

Over the weekend, we posted a hotline number for anyone on campus to use if and when they come in contact with someone in self-quarantine, or who has become sick.  We need this information so that we can monitor who and how many of our community are at risk, and adjust our measures accordingly.  This hotline is not a general information line—the college website, the documents you’ll find posted there, are still the best on-campus source for general information.

We are currently considering what measures we need to put in place, if any, to restrict travel, and will have information on that later in this day. 

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau

President
 

In an effort to more effectively assist and keep track of members of our community who have elected to self-quarantine due to COVID-19, we have implemented use of a community hotline.

If you have made the decision to self-quarantine, please let us know by calling: 212-650-7682 or 212-650-8801.  

Once we know about your decision, we can work with you to ensure you have the latest information on campus measures and check-in with you from time to time to make sure you're doing well.

This will also allow us to provide you with access to any campus contacts you may need. Thank you for your cooperation.

Dear Members of the City College Community,

I wanted to write with a few updates about the coronavirus (COVID-19) and how we are handling things that may impact campus operations. I’m sending this memo to the campus, but we’ll immediately post it onto the web (there will be a prominent link on the homepage). In this memo, I’ll discuss what we know about keeping the campus safe and secure, talk about travel in general (mainly referring you to a memo the Chancellor distributed yesterday) and finally discussing what we need to do today to prepare for contingencies in the future. 

First, let’s talk about hygiene and safety. The single most important thing that you can do to keep yourself safe is to wash your hands carefully and refrain from touching your face. Spending time yesterday with our University Dean of the CUNY School of Public Health, I heard a few things repeatedly: hand sanitizers have virtually no effect in keeping you safe. Cleaning surface areas may give us a sense of security, but is also largely ineffective in ridding an area of germs (although CUNY is exploring entering into a contract with a firm that could come in and do deep cleaning and sanitization if we need it). We will try to limit exposure to the virus by curtailing non-essential travel for staff, faculty and students, identifying people who may have been exposed to the virus or contracted the illness, and following testing and quarantine protocols outlined by City and State Health Departments. The clearest statement of University policy on these matters—policies that we will follow on campus—can be found here: https://www.cuny.edu/coronavirus/

Second, the places where you can and cannot go will vary with the spread of the virus. In general, we are limiting travel to places under CDC level 2 and 3 warnings—and you should check those warning levels by following this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices

The University and New York State Governor’s Office have already cancelled a range of study abroad programs. While we are still taking applications for summer programs, students should put in back-up applications, in case the country you’re planning to visit comes under a heightened CDC warning. We should all remember, however, that when you travel by plane to a country, you are likely to spend time in close proximity with people who have spent time in a variety of places, and so my advice is to carefully consider the balance between the need to travel and the need to protect yourself. A copy of the University’s guidelines for travel can be found here:

http://www1.cuny.edu/sites/studyabroad/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/media-assets/CUNY-International-Travel-Guidelines.pdf

Staff and faculty are also advised to take every precaution and limit travel to affected areas.  Specific guidelines for what happens if you happen to travel to a place that comes under a raised CDC warning can be found here: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices

Finally, as a campus we need to begin preparations for what we’d do if the situation worsens. I want to be really careful about saying this: there is no reason to think that we will need to close campus. We will make that decision only on the measured and informed advice of healthcare professionals. We will be transparent about what we hear and why we are doing what we’re doing—but we won’t be driven by panic into a rash decision. Nor will we delay taking the steps we are advised to take in order to meet this challenge. 

Still, faculty, staff and students should begin preparing themselves to engage with one another over the internet instead of in the classroom, in the event that a need for such distance engagement arises. Everyone on blackboard will have access to the program’s video conferencing capacity (Blackboard Collaborate). We should all learn how to use it, and faculty members should test their classes’ capacities to connect up. Staff in offices should also begin to learn about what resources we have for video and teleconferencing, cloud file sharing and remote access to voicemail in case offices need to close. We should all make sure that we know who does and does not have access to the internet—either on phones or computers. I don’t at the moment know what we can do to provision people without that capacity, but the question was placed before CUNY, and we need to know the scope of the gap in order to think about what, if anything, we can do to fill it. I have asked our IT department to produce a list of resources we have that enable distance learning and meeting video conferencing, along with instructions to help you get up to speed on these. We will disseminate these resources as soon as we have them, but in the meantime, practice what you know and get ready to do a test run.  

Teaching faculty and staff should know that moving a class on line requires permission of your chair and dean, and should be a matter for explicit approval; students who signed up for an in-person class should be able to expect a classroom experience unless a specific reason to move on line presents itself. I’ll also reiterate here my call to faculty and staff to be as flexible as possible with absences and the need to accommodate illness in other ways. It’s hard to anticipate what that will look like, and we should expect that different cases will require different kinds of adjustments. But we should all be flexible and empathetic to people who require flexibility and empathy of us.

Finally, I’ll ask all of you, but particularly faculty and staff, to learn and understand the various memos of instruction that you’ll find on our web pages. Students, and your colleagues, will likely come to you with questions and it will be important both to give accurate advice, and to direct them to sources of authoritative information.

In the case that you come down with what you believe could be COVID-19, we ask that you use precaution before coming to work. Notify your supervisor immediately via phone or email, and they will guide you on the next steps to take. CUNY is working on an HR document to address the issue of absences due to illness, and until that document is disseminated, we ask that all of our colleagues across campus take extra care to stay at home if you’re feeling ill and believe it to be serious. 

The New York State Department of Health Hotline number regarding the coronavirus is: 1-888-364-3065 https://www.health.ny.gov/

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the City College Community,

CUNY and CCNY are closely monitoring the latest updates and developments regarding COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, a respiratory illness causing flu-like symptoms. As a campus, we are following CDC and New York (City and State) Health Department guidelines. There are currently no changes to our normal routines and activities, and we hope not to make such changes.  Any update to that situation will be posted on the college’s website, and we’ll update that as soon as any need arises. Your first stop on campus, if you need information about CCNY conditions or activities regarding the virus, should be the college homepage.

The virus has now spread outside of its apparent origin site in China, with a (currently) small number of people in the US sick with the illness.  The illness is highly communicable and while at this writing there are no known cases in New York State or in neighboring states, we need to begin preparations.  A contagious disease in an open society will spread, and so information about how many people have contracted the illness or where they are can change very quickly. Without inducing panic, we should begin to take sensible steps to protect our health and safety. This is a rapidly changing situation and we are continually assessing it.

In this memo, I’ll lay out where you can find information on the virus, what measures you should take as an individual, and what preparations the college is making. I’ll also talk briefly about how we’re thinking about international travel, absences, and whatever adjustments we may need to make in the standard operation of the college.

The first step is to make sure we know as much as we can about the illness, how to avoid areas of higher risk, and what to do if we, or someone we know begin to exhibit symptoms. Being informed will also help temper whatever anxiety you may be feeling.  We are monitoring authoritative sources for information about the spread of this virus, and you can do the same by checking into the following websites, which contain good, solid information:

New York State Department of Health 

CUNY’s Health and Wellness Services

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

World Health Organization 

Perhaps most immediately, I want to urge you all to take whatever important steps are available to safeguard your health, and the health of those around you.

Most important, if you feel sick, do not come to school.  We need to overcome the urge to show how tough or committed we are by showing up despite a hacking cough or a persistent sneeze. You’re not doing anyone any favors if you fight through illness and show up on campus.

Other steps include washing your hands frequently with soap and water, covering your mouth when you sneeze with either a tissue or the inside of your elbow, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs, and avoiding contact with livestock.  The New York City Department of Health website also recommends that you get a flu shot; it won’t prevent the virus, but you are more vulnerable when your health is compromised by other illnesses like the flu. On campus, we will make sure that soap dispensers and paper towels are stocked in all of our bathrooms, including those normally equipped with just blow dryers (it might be a good idea to avoid using those dryers while this virus is in circulation).  I’ve also asked our facilities crew to explore installing hand sanitizer dispensers on campus, but you might consider bringing your own supply with you as well.

As I mentioned earlier, to date the only changes to our normal activities have to do with travel to the affected areas. At the end of this memo, in italics, you’ll find CUNY’s guidance regarding study abroad programs, and my thoughts on others of us who may travel.  

Should the need arise for the college to make more systematic or drastic adjustments to our educational processes, we will do so with the twin goals in mind of helping us continue to deliver on our educational mission while keeping our community safe. I have asked our IT department to explore how we would manage a situation in which instruction moves from classroom engagement to on-line, either to accommodate individual students who cannot come to school for some reason, or on a broader scale. We’re not, of course, talking about a rapid transition to full-fledged on-line education, but rather about establishing ways that allow students to continue to make progress and faculty to continue to teach. I hope to have more to say about this in the coming days.

Finally, I ask everyone in the CCNY community to be as flexible as we can be in dealing with this situation, most particularly in our need to adjust program requirements, excuse absences, provide make up examinations, and even—should the need arise—develop ways of delivering the curriculum in ways that allow students to participate from home, handle assignments remotely, and the like. 

As I sat down to write this memo, I was deeply conscious of the need to strike a balance between panic and complacency. The time to prepare for a crisis is before it comes, when relative calm conditions allow us to take sensible preventive measures. The more you learn about this virus, the better positioned you will be to effectively protect yourself.  But I also want to emphasize that virtually every element that I’ve recommended here represents good, common-sense health and hygiene.   As the situation evolves, we will make whatever adjustments we need to make, and I trust we will do so with the full support of our community, in the light of our shared interest in our collective wellbeing. 

Regarding Travel:

1. Under CUNY’s International Travel Guidelines, travel to countries under a CDC travel warning is not allowed.  The CDC’s travel notices are the most pertinent and should be the primary point of reference in this situation, even when corresponding State Department travel advisories are significantly lower, so make sure you use the link posted above to access their site.
2. If a student has not yet traveled to a location that has been escalated to a CDC level 3 warning (or a level 3 or 4 Department of State advisory), the student should not travel to that program, even if the partner or provider has not canceled the program.  The option of placement in a program in a third country can be offered to students who have not left the U.S. CUNY is working on solutions to minimize impact on their academic progress and financial aid eligibility.  
3. For students who are already abroad in a location that has been escalated to a CDC level 3 warning (or a level 3 or 4 Department of State advisory): CUNY is working on solutions to minimize impact on your academic progress and financial aid eligibility.    Importantly, though, you should prioritize your personal health and safety.  We will consult with such students (and, where applicable, their families) and arrive at a decision for them to remain on site or attempt to return home.  In reaching these decisions, we will consider transportation options, whether the local health care system is prepared for an outbreak, whether the program is offering remote options for students to complete coursework until classes can resume on campus, and student preferences.  Students’ options are limited to staying on-site or returning to the U.S.; they should not be placed in programs in third countries.  
4. All students planning to return should confirm immediately once they have been readmitted to the U.S., and their progress should be carefully monitored.  This applies in particular to students without U.S. citizenship.  Returnees’ status should be reported to  incidentabroad@cuny.edu . 
5. Students whose destinations are not yet classified as level 3 by the CDC, but whose concerns about traveling or remaining abroad should also be offered support to return and to minimize disruptions to their academic progress and eligibility for financial aid.  

These regulations specifically apply to students on study abroad programs, but they establish a good set of rules for anyone in our community who is traveling: do not go to places under a CDC level 2 or 3 warning.  If you are in a place that comes under threat, prioritize your health, but you may also liaise with the college to see what assistance we might provide in helping you navigate the trip home, or weigh the pros and cons of staying on-site. If you have returned from an area and fear you might have been exposed to the virus, have yourself checked out before you come to campus, and if you start to exhibit symptoms, get treatment. The NYC Health Department link, above, also has some protocols for home self-diagnosis, to give you a better sense of whether you should see your care provider. Remember, though, that self-diagnosis is provisional rather than authoritative. I urge anyone who has reason to think they are at risk of having been exposed to take every precaution to ensure their own health ad that of the community. 

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

Before I moved into the president’s office, I served as faculty advisor to the CCNY Outdoor Club, a student-run club, built around the efforts of a few deeply committed undergraduates.  Under the auspices of that club, we built an internship program with the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) established a summer leadership program for students at their Harriman Outdoor Center facility, and planned a series of outings. At the core of the project, though, was a vision that I think is entirely consonant with the larger mission of CCNY—that the use and stewardship of the outdoors needs to be democratized, in the same ways that our educational missions seek to democratize opportunity.

The thing with student clubs, though, is that they wax and wane as students enter and graduate, and the outdoor club activity has declined over the past year or so—even as our opportunities to partner with external groups like AMC have expanded.  For this reason, and because I value the mission of the outdoors club, I’m moving the activity of the club (which currently has no student club constituency) into the president’s office.

The renamed CCNY Outdoor Program will leverage our partnerships with external groups like The Appalachian Mountain Club and share the resources of those partnerships to provide opportunities to faculty, students and staff who are interested in conservation and recreational outdoor activities

The Program will continue to sponsor a range of outdoor activities aimed at broadening access and understanding of the natural environment, promoting the skills and knowledge that underpin outdoor recreation, and in both ways develop a broader cohort of stewards for the wild and natural spaces around us, including those in our immediate community.

Moreover, one of the recommendations of the Working Group on Diversity & Inclusion was that I develop opportunities, outside the classroom and across the divisions of department and job classification, for the CCNY community to socialize together.  I think the opportunity, several times a year, to hike or kayak or camp together fits the bill nicely.

To start off this activity, we will hold an organizational meeting to set an agenda for the spring semester on March 12, 2020 at 12:30pm – 1:30pm in the President's Conference Room (Administration Building Room 310).  All are welcome, and we’ll soon be posting a slate of activities for those who are not able to attend. I look forward to seeing some of you at the meeting, and others of you on one of our springtime excursions.  If you have any questions please email outdoorsccny@ccny.cuny.edu

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

It's has been a while since we convened a town hall meeting and I think it’s time we get together. I'd like to convene on the 27th of February at 12:30 PM in the Aronow Theater.  Unlike past town hall meetings, I'd like this one to include each of our three main campus constituencies; students, faculty and staff.

When we meet, I'd be pleased to answer questions that you may have about campus direction, our financial situation and budget, and other matters of concern. I'll also use the opportunity to present news of our progress against our strategic plan, management program and Middle States accreditation benchmarks.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear colleagues,

On February 3rd at 9:00 am in the morning, the college will be calling a press conference to present the results of an economic modeling study, describing the impact that CCNY has in the local state economy (10 contiguous counties nearest to NY).  The study, conducted by a group called EMSI, presents CCNY’s annual economic impact on those 10 counties, and also the “for dollar” return on investment to students, to the state, and to society.  The study is rigorous and transparent: the 50 report pages are accompanied by an almost equal number of methodological appendices. While the results of the study are embargoed until the press conference, I can tell you that the numbers are very good. 

The press conference will kick off a two-year period, leading up to our commemoration of the 175th anniversary of CCNY’s founding, during which the results of our study (like our earlier social mobility achievements) will be at the center of our public messaging.  This is a document that we will use, especially as part of our goal (college-wide OKR) to reposition the college publicly.

At the press conference, I’ll be joined by the authors of the study, elected officials from the City, the state and our congressional delegation, and civic and business leaders.  I’m writing to invite you to attend as well, but to invite you, as well, to learn about the study’s findings and integrate them into how you talk about your work at the college. 

As soon as the report is made public, I’ll be sending around a condensed fact sheet, to make the information more easily accessible.

Thank you,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Campus Community,

I am writing to announce that Diana Cuozzo, who had recently served the college as its Interim Chief Diversity Officer, has agreed to remain in the position on a full-time and permanent basis.

Last year, after an intensive search staffed by a group of committed faculty and staff, I reviewed a short list of two candidates, but was not able to hire either into the position, but I remain grateful to the effort and thought that the committee devoted to the search.  All that time, Ms. Cuozzo was diligently, and with tremendous professionalism, executing the duties of the Chief Diversity Officer in ways that have brought clear and timely resolutions to cases brought before her.  Over the months, my respect for the work she was doing, and for her fidelity to the ideas of a fair and bias-free working and learning environment grew. 

After obtaining the necessary permissions from CUNY, I recently offered Ms. Cuozzo the position going forward, and was deeply pleased when she agreed.  She comes to CCNY following a career as an Assistant District Attorney, but more important for my thinking, an established track record on this campus of executing the responsibilities of the position in exemplary fashion.
Please join me in welcoming Diana Cuozzo to the position of CCNY’s new Chief Diversity Officer.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear friends,

As many of you know, last year a study was released that indicated that up to 40% of CUNY students suffer from food insecurity at some point in the year. On our campus, we know that these difficulties may also extend to other members of our community, including staff and faculty.

In 2016, a partnership between NYPIRG and the Colin Powell School established a small food pantry with limited facilities in a 6th floor NAC office. Because that space had limited capacity to protect and secure food, it represented a good start - but only that.

Welcome to phase 2!

I'm thrilled to announce that on Tuesday, October 15th at 12:30 pm, we will be cutting the ribbon on a new and improved food pantry space within the Hoffman Lounge, renamed Benny's Pantry.

These new facilities have the capacity to store fresh foods, expand our canned food and boxed food options and even host cooking demonstrations and potentially, a CSA for the campus.

While we will be stocking the pantry with food items already ordered thanks in large part to the support of the Milton and Carrol Petrie Foundation, alumni support, and the Office of Institutional Advancement and Communications, the food pantry also represents an opportunity for each of us, to the extent that we are capable, to contribute to the well-being of the campus community.

We also look forward to bringing fresh produce from our various campus gardens to the food pantry during harvest time.

This new space represents the culmination of efforts by a number of deeply committed individuals on campus. The space itself was identified and developed by Jason Wallace, David Robinson, Khadesha Maxim and their colleagues. Members of the Office of Institutional Advancement, Student Affairs, Public Safety and the Colin Powell School embraced this as a top priority, as they have prioritized food insecurity more generally, during moments like #GivingTuesday and #WorldFoodDay in order to make this project an ongoing initiative. I'd like particularly to acknowledge Charles Ramirez, Sarai Perez, Annika Luedke, Namrata Kupte, Tiffanie Burt and Ana King-Garcia, with the leadership of Dee Dee Mozeleski who helped found the original pantry in the NAC. Our NYPIRG partnership began even before the original food pantry doors opened, and we could not do this work without their support and the many student interns they recruit all year.

I know there are so many other members of our community who have made this initiative a priority and I thank everyone for prioritizing efforts to meet the food security needs of every member of our community.

A food pantry should be a site for joyful exchange, where we can both give to, and take from, members of our community with an equal measure of mutual respect and trust. I invite all of you, in whatever way you need or want, to participate in this exchange. ​And, in particular, to join us on Tuesday, October 15th, to inaugurate this wonderful new part of our social and physical landscape.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Click below for additional information

Benny’s Food Pantry General Information

Benny’s Food Pantry Volunteers Needed

Dear Members of the City College Community,

Starting in the spring of last year, a working group of faculty and staff have been planning a year of activity around how environmental pressure and climate change are threatening our populations, and questions of what we can do about it. Faculty from across the college are planning speaking events-I attended a truly interesting presentation in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department last week concerning how the industrial palm oil plantations and rampant forest burning are destroying Kalimantan. We will soon have a roster of events covering the spring semester, but until then, keep an eye out for lectures and presentations branded with our year of climate justice tag.

The idea, in this year of programming, is to put CCNY’s cross-disciplinary expertise on display, and to position the college to contribute its environmental, sustainability and climate change expertise to efforts to resolve these problems. We’re hoping, underneath this year of public events programming, to begin developing a set of programs and connections that can help us more effectively mobilize campus expertise into the struggle for the more sustainable future. I’ll periodically send out notices of events in this series that merit attention, and look for the longer roster of events to be published later in the semester.

At the moment, I’d like to draw your attention to something taking place this semester, starting tomorrow. The Colin Powell School is launching its Climate Fellows Program, under the direction of CCNY and Colin Powell School alum, Trevor Hauser. The project is designed to bring to CCNY something that Trevor has been working on as partner at The Rhodium group, and the head of its energy and climate group: the integration of climate change data with the tools of economic analysis. Students drawn from a diversity of CCNY disciplines will, via a series of workshops, learn to integrate approaches from these two disciplines. The first session takes place tomorrow and is entitled: The State of the Climate: Science, Economics and Policy, taking place at Shepard Hall, room 350 at 4:30 PM. 
 
Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President
 

Please join us to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our Colleagues

Dr. Gilda Barabino, Dean of the Grove School of Engineering
&
Dr. Myriam Sarachik, Distinguished Professor in the Division of Science
 
Monday, October 7th, 2019
4 – 6 p.m. in
Shepard Hall, Room 250
 

Gilda A. Barabino, dean of The City College of New York's Grove School of Engineering, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering. She is now one of only six African-American women to hold the distinction.

Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer.  Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature" and to "the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education."

Myriam Sarachik, distinguished professor in the Division of Science, is the recipient of the 2020 American Physical Society Medal for Exceptional Achievement in Research. The medal is the society's largest prize, recognizing the achievements of researchers from across all fields of physics.

The honor is in recognition of Sarachik's "fundamental contributions to the physics of electronic transport in solids and molecular magnetism," and it will be received along with a $50,000 prize at a ceremony on January 30, 2020 in Washington, D.C.

We hope you will join the celebration!

Click here for New Year Campus Wide OKR's Sept.2019 PDF

Click here for PMP Report and Goals for 2019 PDF

Dear Members of the City College Community.

I'm sending two documents as attachments to this email.

The first is the PMP report that I submitted to the Chancellor. Each CUNY college President writes a PMP letter that reports on accomplishments against the previous year's goals, and then sets new goals for the coming year. While these have not previously been distributed widely on campus, I think it's a good idea for you to see what goals I've set for the campus, and for myself, and what my assessment of progress against last year's goals has been.

Second, I am sending around the campus-wide OKRs for this coming year.  I want you both to know what goals I’m pursuing for the campus, and to be able to set your own goals with some understanding for their relationship to campus-wide efforts.  By the end of this month - September- I’ll be distributing the second quarter goals for the college, which are mainly elements of what we set out to accomplish for the year itself. 

I'm having a large whiteboard affixed to the hallway outside my office, on the 3rd floor of the administration building. On that wall, I, and the people working on the 3rd floor, will post their OKRs and their accomplishment reports. The board is set up as an invitation to any of you to come and check out the goals we've set, and the progress we've made against those goals.

I'm also asking all of you to find a space in your office, on your door, somewhere in public view, to post your own OKRs. The idea is that anyone walking into any office should be able to see the priority goals that you've set for yourself, and see where things that they're working on align with your priorities. As most of you know, we have on-line software to track OKRs and progress-but I am beginning to think that these software applications, while useful, cannot substitute for being able to walk into a room and see the unit's goals posted and on public view.

That said, if you wish to access the on-line system to view and create OKRs, the process is very simple. You use a web browser and go to URL https://okrs.ccny.cuny.edu and login with the same CCNY User ID and Password. It will list all of the OKRs that have been entered into the system. You then click on the one you wish to see.

Sincerely,

 
Vince Boudreau
President

The City University of New York (CUNY) has a long-standing commitment to diversity and equal opportunity in all aspects of employment practices and educational programs. At City College, I fully support the policies and practices that we have implemented to foster non-discrimination, affirmative action, and diversity and inclusion in our workplace and campus community. It is my personal belief that CUNY is enriched by the strengths of the people and perspectives represented here.

Accordingly, I am committed to oversee City College’s compliance with the CUNY policies and procedures on Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination, and on Sexual Misconduct.

The Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy states CUNY's commitment to recruit, employ, retain, promote, and provide benefits to employees and to admit and provide services for students regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, partnership status, disability, genetic information, alienage, citizenship, military or veteran status, unemployment status, pregnancy, or status as a victim of domestic violence/stalking/sex offenses, or any other legally prohibited basis in accordance with federal, state and city laws. I remind you that Italian Americans are included among CUNY's protected groups. Additionally, as a federal contractor, CUNY engages in affirmative action consistent with federal requirements. I invite you to view the Equal Opportunity Policy in its entirety, including the complaint procedures and prohibition against retaliation at: http://www2.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/legal-affairs/policies-procedures/

I have assigned the responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of our compliance program to the Interim Chief Diversity Officer, Diana Cuozzo, who also serves as the Section 504/ADA Coordinator, responsible for addressing complaints of disability discrimination and related matters. The vice presidents, deans, directors, managers and supervisors share responsibility for ensuring our compliance with these policies and laws. The Affirmative Action/Diversity Office is located in Shepard Hall, Room 109A-D and the telephone number is 212-650-7330 or via email at dcuozzo@ccny.cuny.edu. Additionally, any individual who believes that he or she has experienced discrimination should immediately contact the Office of Diversity and Compliance. I ask for your continued support to ensure equal opportunity, affirmative action, and diversity and inclusion in all employment practices and educational programs at City College.

Dear Members of the City College Community,

It is my great pleasure to welcome all of you back to the college. I hope you've taken the time, in these last several months, to recharge somehow—to travel, to conduct research, to sleep, to spend time with your families, or—maybe you found that the summer quiet of the campus was just what you needed to accomplish some cherished project here. However you spent these past few months, I'm excited about the new school year and I hope you are, too.

To start things up, and before you shake off the vestiges of summer, I'd like to invite you all to stop by the final concert of the Harlem Jazz and Music Festival, which will be staged on our south campus lawn (the graduation staging area) on August 31st from 3 to 6 PM. It's the first large scale outdoor concert we've held in years, and I'm excited to see how it works.

If you're a student, new to the campus, I urge you to explore all that CCNY has to offer: student clubs, study abroad opportunities, leadership, research and service programs, and our vast array of exciting majors. If you're a returning student, know that as a campus community, we're deeply invested in your success and committed to helping you complete your journey to graduation and career success.

To my good colleagues on faculty and staff, I'd like to extend my warm personal thanks. Together, we accomplished a great deal last year, in the face of some very trying circumstances. We have a new strategic plan, and with it, news in July that Middle States granted us fully accredited status. We're in the final stages of putting a staff council together, something that I think will go a long way to insuring a more democratic campus climate for everyone who works here. There is a new urban garden on the northern face of the Spitzer School building—if you have a moment, take a walk down and see how the crops are doing--and we're developing an expanded food pantry on the ground floor of NAC. The Chronicle of Higher Education just listed us as the public college with the 4th highest campus administration diversity score nationally, and, of course, we continue to be the single most successful campus in the country in producing overall social mobility for our graduates.

All of these developments, and so much more, are a testimony to your dedication. I know that you come to work every day focused on making our institution better, on building a stronger and safer community for us all, and insuring that our remarkable CCNY students leave this institution better prepared. A college moves forward on the commitment and imagination of its community members, and I feel lucky to be facing this year alongside all of you.

I'd also like to start the new year by reaffirming some of the basic principles that are central to our mission, and form the strongest and most fundamental connections in our community. We are deeply committed to the security of each member of our community. At a time when gun violence and acts of domestic terrorism have become all too commonplace, we stand against violence and hate of all kinds, and have actively developed relationships with community groups, such as Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E. dedicated to protecting our communities and healing wounds opened by gun violence. Our public safety office routinely provides training to members of the campus community on how to react to an active shooter situation, and I urge you to watch for and take advantage of those announcements, as well as notices for first aid and CPR training. Mainly, I ask that we all find ways to take care of one another, because the stress of violence, the toll that the awareness of hatred takes on us all, is not limited to the immediate victim of a terror incident.

We are, further, a college built on a pledge that in this immigrant nation, residing in our immigrant city, we will be a place that educates the whole people, regardless of where they came from, or how they got here. As we prepare for a new academic year, let's remind ourselves of our responsibility to safeguard everyone among us. Specifically, we will not share any information about our students or employees, except as may be required by law. All offices and employees of the College are hereby reminded that if you receive any request for documentation or information from any governmental agency concerning the immigration status of our current or former students or employees, you shall please NOT respond to such inquiry, but rather you shall promptly forward the inquiry to Paul Occhiogrosso, Executive Counsel to the President (pocchiogrosso@ccny.cuny.edu).

We are, finally, a campus that embraces an anti-discrimination, anti-harassment policy in relation to interactions across gender, race, religion or other lines. Last year, I convened a working group on diversity and respect, under the leadership of Professor Jorge Gonzales and Johanna Urena. That effort produced a campus statement on discrimination and respect and a series of recommendations. While the working group continues to meet, I have begun to review their preliminary recommendations, and to implement some of them directly. I will also soon circulate the annual campus anti-discrimination policy. Please read and familiarize yourself with this document; the development of a safe and respectful campus climate depends on the vigilance of an informed and engaged community.

I think that CCNY is one of the most remarkable places in the world, a front line democratic institution doing unparalleled work in the construction of a more fair, just and equitable future for our students and our society. You are, each and every one of you, a vital component of our community, and an integral player in the struggle to enact our mission. I've brimmed with pride at my association, for 28 years now, with CCNY. But nothing makes me more proud than the chance to work with all of you, and to work for our student community.

Welcome, everyone, to the new academic year.

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the City College Community,

It is my truly heavy responsibility to relate the news that Don Jordan, who for so many years led the City College Alumni Association, has passed away. For thirty-two years, Don served as the Association’s Executive Vice President, a position that put him in charge of a vast array of planning and day to day operations for the Association. Don truly lived for CCNY and the CCNY Alumni Association, and for over three decades, it thrived under his stewardship.

Don retired from the City College Alumni Association this past December, amid a valiant struggle with the illness that recently claimed his life, but it is beyond question that, had he been able, he would have worked in Shepard Hall until his very last day. As an institution, we owe Don a great debt of gratitude. He was--in the words of the song he sang so often--a sturdy son of City College, and we will surely miss him.

Visitation will take place today, Monday the 12th of August from 4:00 to 8:00 PM at the Holmdel Funeral Home, 26 South Holmdel Road, Holmdel NJ. On Tuesday the 13th, there will be a funeral mass at St. Catherine’s Church, 108 Middletown Rd., Holmdel NJ.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

Over the past year or so, as we’ve undertaken a fairly large number of searches to fill vacancies on the campus leadership team, we also asked members of our community to step in and provide for the college’s needs on an interim basis. One of these interim appointments ended recently, when I asked Celia Lloyd to assume the position of Vice President for Students and Enrollment.

Wendy Thornton has served for over a year as CCNY’s Interim Vice President for Student Affairs. In that capacity, she brought stability and leadership to a truly important division of the college. On her watch, we transferred the organizational responsibility for graduation to the division of student affairs, and they produced a spring commencement season that went off without a hitch, and produced a great many lasting memories for our graduates, their family, and the many of us who were able to attend one of the ceremonies. Wendy also deftly administered some of the core student services functions: athletics, student government, the wellness and counseling centers, to name a few. On her watch, these offices performed with effectiveness and continuity, something at is a tribute to her work and leadership.

Wendy now returns to her deanship in the division of student affairs, but I did not want the moment to pass without expressing my personal gratitude to her, and my admiration at the way she led what is a vast set of departments under a challenging transition.

On behalf of the campus, I’m pleased to offer her our sincere and deep gratitude.

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the City College Community,

I'm writing to say that after a long search conducted by some very hard working members of the search committee to find a new Vice President of Student Affairs, I've declared that search failed. We had a finalist in the search, but were ultimately unable to come to terms with her, and I was not prepared to go deeper into the pool.

I write, however, with what I consider exceptionally good news. Celia Lloyd, who has served City College with great capacity and absolute dedication, has agreed to expand her portfolio, incorporating the responsibilities of the VP of Student Affairs into her current position as AVP for Student Momentum. It is my great pleasure to now promote her to the position of VP for Student Affairs and Enrollment, and to offer her my congratulations and gratitude.

I'm thrilled that Celia has agreed to make this move. When we began the VP for Student Affairs search, we explicitly wanted to define the position as working more closely with the academic and enrollment elements of student success, and combining those positions is a great way to do it. Celia brings deep experience of the college to her new responsibilities, but also a real capacity to visualize the student experience across their interactions with our different offices and bureaucracies. I'm confident that she'll bring great energy and vision to her new work, and I wish her the very best. I'd also like to thank the search committee, and its chair, Dean Mary Erina Driscoll, for their hard work on this search. While we did not, ultimately, hire a VP from the pool, committee members evaluated applicant files with great care and attention, and I was deeply grateful to hear their thoughtful and considered opinions about the finalists.

With my thanks,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the City College Community,

For some time now, and in connection to a number of different initiatives, several of you have asked about the possibility of building something like a campus garden, where interested people could participate and where produce could conceivably be sent to our food pantry. Some time ago we asked David Robinson to look into this, and he's spent a fair amount of time scouring the campus to find a location that would work—both logistically and in terms of providing what the plants themselves need.

I'm pleased to announce that David has identified some land on the northern edge of the Spitzer school, an area with mixed shaded and sunny spaces, where a built-in sprinkler system can be put to use. Some of the lands may be cultivated at ground level, but we have also ordered materials to build raised planters and ordered topsoil to fill them. We'll call the space "The Urban Gardens at City College," and I'm looking forward to having it become a cherished part of our campus neighborhood.

It will take a little while to get all this set up, and I realize that we're getting a late start, but I'm setting a planting date for Tuesday, June 19th at noon. We'll need to monitor the construction of the garden and the raised beds, and make sure that this date still makes sense when the dust settles after graduation—so if you sign up to participate, make sure you double check for a follow up email in case we need to postpone to allow site development to be complete. I'll also be asking David Robinson to map out a garden plan, so that we're putting the correct plants in the appropriate spots. But I'm looking forward to getting this set up, both for this year and for future planting seasons. I know that some of you have service projects or teaching activities that you'd like to develop in association with a campus garden. If you have such a plan, planting day would be a good time to make sure that we're on the same page.

If you're interested in participating in this project, please send a brief email with the subject line "Planting Day participant" to Teresa Flemming at tflemming@ccny.cuny.edu. If you have a program for which you'd like access to the garden, please let us know briefly in that email. And if you have seedlings or seeds that you'd like to start in advance of planting day, please make note of that, too—and go ahead and get things started under your grow lights.

Several people have worked really hard to get this off the ground. David Robinson scoped out the site and will direct the construction of the planting boxes and the development of the garden. Dee Dee Mozeleski pushed to make sure that this kept moving and ordered all the supplies that we'll be using. Khadesha Maxim, George Varian and others in facilities will be managing the development of the site.

I know a lot of you have been waiting a long time for something like this. Please take a moment, on planting day or before, to acknowledge the work of people who made sure it would happen.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

To the CCNY Community,

This Thursday, at 4:30 PM, I am pleased to host the first of what will be a series of periodic social hours for college faculty and staff. I think it's a good idea for us to set aside a little bit of time to spend with one another on a more social footing, but I'm also scheduling this hour more specifically at the request of the college Ombudsperson, Professor William Crain - who believes, rightly I think, that the fabric of our community would be strengthened if we spent a little more time together.

We'll meet this Thursday afternoon, at 4:30, in the President's Conference room, which has an adjoining rooftop area (it's supposed to be 66 degrees and sunny, and so a good time to bask in the great view of Shepard hall from the roof).

I hope you'll have time to stop by, have a drink, and talk for a little while.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Colleagues,

As you'll know, we had our Middle States monitoring visit this past Wednesday and Thursday. Here's how this works: at the end of the visit, the monitoring team reads a preliminary assessment of what they found, and we then receive a more formal written report in two weeks. Ours will come on May 2nd, and I'll share it with the campus immediately. Over the next several months, that report will work its way through the commission and we'll have a final determination following the 4th of July holiday.

So, with all those caveats, let me say that I don't think the monitoring visit could have gone any better than it did. Our report was extremely well received, and there was an understanding and appreciation of our planning process. I will say that in the team's preliminary report, they imposed no requirements on the college, and that's a very good sign. I have every expectation, from their report, that we will be in very good shape at the end of this process.

I am grateful to everyone who met with the monitoring team. From what I heard and saw, you were forthright and clear in what you said, and the team specifically noted the enthusiasm and commitment to mission that they encountered on this campus--something that was also part of the original report a year ago.

I would also like particularly to thank everyone who was more deeply involved in writing the monitoring report itself. Tony Liss managed the effort out of the Provost's office, and Doris Cintron, assisted by Gareth Williams, chaired the committee. The committee itself consisted of Mary Driscoll, Felix Lam, Eva Medina, Kevin Foster, Dee Dee Mozeleski, Renata Kobetts-Miller and David Jeruzalmi (both in his individual capacity and representing the faculty senate). Each put long and thoughtful hours into the effort of drafting this report, and I'll repeat what I said in advance of the team visit: I was extremely proud of the report and eager to present it, because it represented, at least in my mind, far more than an academic or bureaucratic exercise. It was, rather, a genuine representation of our very best thinking on how to move the college forward. I am deeply grateful to each of you. CCNY owes you each a significant debt, and I share that debt with the institution.

So, now we wait for the report. Speaking at least for myself, however, I'm waiting with an air of relief and optimism, and I wanted to go into the weekend sharing the news.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear College Community:

The Provost and I are pleased to announce the nomination process for the 2019 Faculty Awards. These annual awards are one of the most important ways that we honor the accomplishments and contributions of faculty to students and to our campus life. This year, we are pleased to inaugurate the President's Award for Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Service in recognition of outstanding contributions of the College's adjunct faculty.

Please review the detailed descriptions of the award nomination guidelines available here and posted on the Academic Affairs website.

• President's Award for Excellence
• President's Award for Outstanding Faculty Service
• President's Award for Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Service
• Provost's Outstanding Teaching Award
• Provost's Award for Pedagogical and Curricular Innovation

The due date for nominations for the awards is April 18, 2019.

The awards recipients will be honored at a reception at the end of the semester.
Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Tony M. Liss
Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs

To the Campus Community,

I am sorry to bear the sad news that a member of our campus community, Ms. Stephanie McGuire, passed away suddenly yesterday.

For the last 22 years, Stephanie worked at CCNY, in our medical education programs (Sophie Davis and the CUNY School of Medicine). As Erica Friedman, the Interim Dean of the school wrote to her faculty, staff and students: “Her passion was working with our students and helping them mature into committed professionals. Her personal touch in the Learning Resource Center provided a welcoming environment. She always had a warm smile and sense of humor. Her laughter will be missed in Harris Hall.”

I am personally grateful for her long years of dedicated service, and gladdened by what I’ve heard, in the short hours since she passed, of all she’s done for others on this campus.

The CUNY School of Medicine will hold a memorial service for Ms. McGuire on Thursday, March 28 at 12:15 pm in the student lounge. Anyone who wishes to share their thoughts or memories and feelings about Stephanie may do so at the memorial service. As part of the service, the school is also compiling a collection of thoughts and memories, and they invite the participation of everyone. If you’re moved to share your reflections, please use this URL to do so: https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/memory-stephanie-mcguire.

In this memorial and beyond, I hope we will keep the spirit of Stephanie’s life and service alive in our minds and hearts. May she rest in peace.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear City College Community,

I know that some of you carry the weight of the Christchurch attacks around with you. You may wonder if there will ever be a time when you can take for granted your acceptance into any community that is distant from the land of your ancestors. You may be searching the eyes of the people you meet with new questions who does this person think I am? What do I need to fear from this person's prejudice?

By now, you doubtless are weary of the feeling a feeling you know is simply not fair that you must personally (in your lives, with your words, with the expression you carry into the world) correct the misapprehensions of the ill-informed and bigoted. You may have used up the reserve of careful explanation you have for your younger siblings or your children, or your parents, when they ask why this could happen. For yourself.

It seems that we are daily confronted with fresh evidence of the human capacity to do harm to one another. It is wearying, and discouraging, and relentless, and threatens daily to corrode the opposite and more powerful capacity we all have to encourage, to comfort and to extend a spirit of generosity to one another. We must do what we can to protect this campus from violence and danger, working as a community to make sure that the rifts that rend society outside our campus are mended within it. We must, each one of us, also pay attention to the quiet burdens and secret fears that many of our companions must now carry around. Make an extra effort to reassure, to welcome, to find solidarities in the dreams and visions that we share for one another.

Our college is a place of becoming. People have arrived here for 171 years filled with hopes for what the time we spend together will mean for their futures, and the futures of their children. For the power of this sacred place to work at all, it must work for all--and every one of us has the power to shake the confidence of those around us, or to fortify it. Be alert: seek out the hidden hurts of those near you, and salve them.

Understand that the college now sets, and will forever set itself against prejudice and violence. We are irrevocably committed to the idea of the welfare, security and promise of the whole people. These commitments must find expression in the great institutional promises we have made and in the small gestures of hospitality and kindness with which we forge our community. I urge you, in large acts and small, to be part of that community, and so join our efforts to chart a better way.

Today, members of our community are holding a vigil to mourn and honor the fallen of Christchurch. It will take place from noon - 1:15 pm at the NAC front entrance (the Time Capsule). I'd like to thank the City College Muslim Students Organization & Women in Islam and the Students for Justice in Palestine at City College, who thoughtfully organized this gathering. I'm grateful for your efforts and heartily endorse the gathering. I'll be there, and it would be wonderful if as many of you stop by as well.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear College Community,

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Erica Friedman has accepted my request that she take on the position of Interim Dean of the CUNY School of Medicine at City College, following the resignation of Dean Trevisan. Dr. Friedman joined the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education in 2013 as Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs, and Professor in the Department of Community Health and Social Medicine. She currently serves as the Deputy Dean and Chair of the Department of Medical Education. Prior to her arrival at City College, she had a long medical school career at Downstate, NYU, New York Medical College and Mount Sinai, as well as clinical appointments at area hospitals.

In her nearly six years at CCNY Dr. Friedman has devoted tremendous energy and skill to the administration of the Sophie Davis School and to the establishment of the CUNY School of Medicine and its forthcoming accreditation. I have great confidence in Dr. Friedman’s ability to lead the school through this crucial transition period.

A search for a permanent Dean for the medical school will begin as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear College Community,

On behalf of The City College of New York, I would like to express great enthusiasm for the selection of Felix V. Matos Rodriguez as CUNY's 8th Chancellor.

Having worked with Chancellor Rodriguez as a colleague and friend, I am convinced that he has the vision and the commitment to bring our university into an era of unrivaled success.

I look forward to working with him and serving under his leadership.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Frank Sobrino (646) 664-9300

QUEENS COLLEGE PRESIDENT FÉLIX V. MATOS RODRÍGUEZ TO BE NAMED CHANCELLOR OF CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK

Champion of Inclusion and Innovation in Higher Education Will Be CUNY's First Latino Chancellor

The Board of Trustees of The City University of New York will vote today to appoint Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, an accomplished scholar, teacher, administrator and public servant who has been president of Queens College since 2014, as the eighth Chancellor of CUNY. He will be both the first Latino and minority educator to head the University. He will assume the post May 1.

An innovative leader, Chancellor-designate Matos Rodríguez, 56, has drawn national recognition as a trailblazer in higher education. He enhanced Queens College's reputation for excellence and propelled the school to the highest echelon in college social-mobility rankings. As president of CUNY's Eugenio María de Hostos Community College, the post he held immediately prior to his appointment at Queens College, he gained acclaim for engineering a double-digit increase in the school's retention rate, leading Hostos to become a finalist for the prestigious Aspen Best Community College prize in 2015. He is one of a select few U.S. educators who has served as president of both a baccalaureate and community college.

"The appointment of Felix Matos Rodríguez as Chancellor marks the onset of a historic chapter in the narrative of this vital institution, one in which every member of the CUNY community should rejoice," said William C. Thompson Jr., Chair of the CUNY Board of Trustees and leader of the Chancellor Search Committee. "In word and deed, Chancellor-designate Matos Rodríguez embodies CUNY's mission-driven spirit. Felo's deep roots in CUNY, combined with his rich experience as a scholar and as leader of both senior and community colleges, make him uniquely suited to lead the University forward, keeping it positioned as the standard-bearer for quality and access in public higher education. Over the course of our thorough search for a Chancellor, we came to consider several serious candidates among a stellar field of accomplished leaders, but we kept coming back to Felo. His sterling credentials, his unparalleled depth of perspective and his demonstrated commitment to CUNY made him the inarguable standout and the obvious choice. It fills me with great pride to have been a part of this pivotal decision and to be able to announce that the nation's greatest urban university is making history with one of its own."

"This would be an extraordinary opportunity for anyone who is passionate about the role CUNY plays in the lifeblood of the world's greatest and most important city," said Matos Rodríguez. "For me, this appointment is particularly special because CUNY is home. I am immensely proud to have risen through the University's ranks and am deeply honored to now have the opportunity to lead an institution I love and treasure. I will strive every day that I am Chancellor to fulfill the promise of our noble mission to afford academic excellence and economic opportunity to all. And I will endeavor to elevate to new heights CUNY's legacy as the paradigm of a people's University."

As a college president, Matos Rodríguez has compiled a distinguished record of success, thriving in a field that has been slow to diversify. According to the American Council on Education, the portion of Hispanic college presidents barely changed between 2011 and 2016, inching up to 3.9 percent from 3.8 percent. The overall portion of minority college presidents increased only slightly over the same period, to 16.8 percent from 12.6 percent.

Matos Rodríguez holds a B.A. from Yale University, where he was a cum laude graduate, and a doctorate in history from Columbia University. A scholar and authority on the history of women in the Caribbean, he is a recipient of the Albert J. Beveridge Award of the American Historical Association and the author of Women and Urban Life in Nineteenth-Century San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1820–1862; and editor of several books, including A Nation of Women: An Early Feminist Speaks Out.

Currently the board chair of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), Matos Rodríguez has used his extensive regional and national networks and board memberships to advance Queens College's visibility and recognition. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow. He currently serves on the boards of Phipps Houses, the United Way of New York City, the TIAA Hispanic Advisory Council and the Research Alliance for New York City Schools.

Since Matos Rodríguez took office as the 10th president of Queens College, in August 2014, the school has been recognized for its success at propelling students into the middle class. A 2016 study by the Equality of Opportunity Project ranked Queens College in the top 1 percent of all colleges in moving students from the bottom fifth to the top fifth of the country's income distribution, and The Chronicle of Higher Education in August 2018 ranked the school 11th of all U.S. colleges for upward social and economic mobility.

Matos Rodríguez has been an aggressive fundraiser; during his tenure, the Queens College Foundation has nearly doubled in value. He spurred the college's first systematic review of all graduate programs, and the development of an accelerated B.A./M.A. program to encourage more undergraduates to pursue graduate studies.

As he led Queens College, Matos Rodríguez also pushed to increase diversity college-wide. Nearly half of the current members of the college's Cabinet are people of color, a marked change from its composition when he was appointed. Under his Presidential Hiring Initiative, 48 percent of faculty hires have been from underrepresented groups.

At Hostos, where he served as president from 2009 to 2014, Matos Rodríguez achieved dramatic improvements in student performance, and doubled the college's fundraising intake. The fall-to-fall retention rate increased to 68 percent from 57 percent during his tenure, the first time in the college's history that it recorded five consecutive years of increased retention, and the school's graduation rate increased to 28 percent from 22 percent. His efforts made Hostos a finalist for the prestigious Aspen Best Community College prize in 2015.

Matos Rodríguez left CUNY for several years in 2005, returning to his native Puerto Rico where he worked one year as head adviser on Health and Social Welfare to the governor of Puerto Rico. In 2006, he was named Secretary of the Department of Family Services, a post he held for nearly two years in which he managed an annual budget of $2.3 billion and oversaw nearly 11,000 employees across 104 regional offices.

From 2000 to 2005, Matos Rodríguez was director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (El Centro), and he was also a tenured professor of Black and Puerto Rican/Latino Studies. He previously taught at Northeastern University, Boston College and the Universidad Interamericana-Recinto Metropolitano, Puerto Rico.

The appointment follows the recommendation of a 14-member search committee of CUNY trustees, college presidents, faculty, students and civic leaders led by Chairman Thompson. The committee was assisted in its search by Isaacson Miller, a leading executive search firm.

The City University of New York is the nation's leading urban public university. Founded in 1847, CUNY counts 13 Nobel Prize and 24 MacArthur ("Genius") grant winners among its alumni. CUNY students, alumni and faculty have garnered scores of other prestigious honors over the years in recognition of historic contributions to the advancement of the sciences, business, the arts and myriad other fields. The University comprises 25 institutions: 11 senior colleges, seven community colleges, William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, CUNY Graduate Center, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, CUNY School of Law, CUNY School of Professional Studies and CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy. The University serves more than 275,000 degree-seeking students. CUNY offers online baccalaureate and master's degrees through the School of Professional Studies.

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Additional Quote:

From Ted Mitchell, president, the American Council on Education:‎ "I can't think of anyone better equipped than Félix V. Matos Rodríguez to head The City University of New York. Félix is one of the few higher-education leaders who has been a president of both a community college and a four-year university. He is a true American success story: a leader whose talents and achievements have taken him from his native Puerto Rico to the Ivy League to becoming the Chancellor of one of America's greatest universities. CUNY excels at boosting its students into the middle class, and Felix has seen first-hand what a marvelous engine of economic opportunity it is. This appointment is good news for CUNY, its students, the city and state of New York, and the nation."

Dear City College Community,

On Friday, February 1st, I accepted, with regret, the resignation letter of Dr. Maurizio Trevisan. Dr. Trevisan is the founding dean of the CUNY School of Medicine, and before that, the dean of the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education. For years, while dean of our medical programs, he also served as CCNY's provost. The evolution of the Sophie Davis School to the CUNY School of Medicine was in large part due to the efforts of Dr. Trevisan, and I am deeply grateful for his time and attention.

In the very near future, I will be announcing an interim dean for the CSOM. The Provost and I have already communicated with the CSOM student body—and I now take the opportunity to say more broadly to the campus community—that we are fully committed to the success of the medical school and all who work and study within it. In the past weeks, the school has received growing recognition for its groundbreaking work in medical education—recognition that reflects the concerted effort of all who work there, but also a focused effort on behalf of both the college and the university to tell a story of which we are all powerfully proud. We are working, on our own and with the CUNY, to ensure stable and fully accredited futures for both the CSOM and the City College of New York, and expect nothing less than the success of both efforts.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dean Trevisan for his years of service and wish him the very best as he returns to the faculty.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear College Community,

I'm pleased to announce that Andrew Rich will become the second dean of the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, starting on February 25th. I'm excited at the prospect of having new permanent leadership at the school, and eager to see what Professor Rich will bring to his new assignment.

The Colin Powell School has a distinctive mission--to promote and support leadership development and a service ethic among the students working towards degrees in the social sciences. Andy Rich spent his entire career thinking about service promotion among young people. He came to CCNY as an assistant professor and immediately grasped the importance and distinctiveness of our campus mission. As the Deputy Director of the Colin Powell Center, he introduced and championed our service learning program. After he left CCNY to lead the Roosevelt Institute, he built service programs into its programming and then assumed the leadership of America's premier national service fellowship, the Truman Fellowship Program. Given this background and these commitments, I'm confident that Dr. Rich is the right person to guide the Colin Powell School into its new era.

Even after he left CCNY for Roosevelt and the Truman Fellowships, Dr. Rich retained a role and an interest in CCNY. He served as executive director of our Skadden Arps Honors Program in Legal Studies and also directed our semester in Washington program--again, two programs that link service and engagement to educational programs. These are the kinds of programs that lend the Colin Powell School--and CCNY more generally--its distinctive flavor. I'm pleased to welcome Andy back to campus on a permanent basis, in a leadership capacity.

I'd also like to thank the members of the search committee, and of the Colin Powell School, who participated in the search. It's tough work, sifting through resumes, conducting interviews and narrowing a candidate pool down to finalists. I think this group did an exceptional job. I'd also like particularly to thank Kevin Foster for his over two years as interim dean of the school. He won't mind me saying, I think, that this was not work that he loved or aspired to. But he was tireless and dedicated in preserving the momentum of the school, and I am deeply grateful that he took it on with resolve and clarity of purpose.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the City College Community,

It gives me great pleasure to announce that Dr. Vanessa Valdes will be assuming the directorship of the CCNY Black Studies Program effective spring 2019. I make this move on the recommendation of the program's executive committee Profs. Michael Gillespie, Linda Villarosa, Boukary Sawadogo and Asha A. Samad-Matias and Black Studies major Christopher Henry. Dr. Valdes comes to this position after years of teaching in and working with the program, and I am powerfully confident that her vision and commitment to education in this area will stand the program in good stead for years to come.

Dr. Valdes has an accomplished record of scholarship. She is the author of three university press published books, all dealing with the cultural life of the African diaspora in the Americas. Most recently, she published the acclaimed Diasporic Blackness: The Life and Times of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg. Her earlier works trace the cultural lives of women in the diaspora, and investigate the continuities between the African Diaspora in the Caribbean and in the United States

I am excited that Dr. Valdes has agreed to assume the directorship of the Black Studies Program, and I know that our students and the program generally will benefit from her wise leadership. Please join me in congratulating Professor Valdes for this new position. She has my deep gratitude and full support as she takes on this new responsibility.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

I am pleased to announce that Dee Dee Mozeleski, who has served as the Interim Executive Director of the 21st Century Foundation will be continuing in the capacity of Executive Director of the Combined CCNY Foundations (the name we're calling the two foundations pending final approval by the AG's office and the IRS). I thought it appropriate to reserve this move until the merger documents for the foundations had been signed, but that moment is upon us, and so, after consulting with the respective chairs of the two foundations, I think that the time is now ripe to make this move.

As anyone who's watched the progress of our development operation knows, Dee Dee has worked tirelessly to make sure that our philanthropic activities rise to the great heights of our potential and our need. She spent countless hours rebuilding the apparatus of a development office that was badly in need of attention, merging the operation of the communication office with development so we can more effectively tell our story to those who wish to support us, and merging the two foundations into one cohesive and powerful unit. During this time, she shouldered the ongoing task of fundraising on campus, hitting last year the highest receipts since 2013.

Throughout this run of truly exceptional accomplishments, Dee Dee deepened her understanding of the college, and mobilized that understanding into a development strategy in which we can all have great confidence. Speaking for myself, I have absolute faith in her ability and commitment to our college, and I am thrilled that she has agreed to shed the term "interim" in her title, and take on the responsibilities of running the foundation as executive director on a permanent basis. I offer her, with this announcement, my enthusiastic congratulations, and my sincere and abiding gratitude.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Colleagues,

As I write this, the campus is all but empty, with so many of you having already left to begin your holiday break.  Some of you will be on campus over the next days--securing our facilities, grading papers, keeping things running and safe.  But for most of us, these next few days will be spent away from campus, with another semester safely tucked away.

I hope that each of you finds joy and peace in these coming holidays, that you're able to share good food with friends, and surround yourselves with people you love, and who love you.  

As you celebrate the season, I hope also that you'll take some moments to reflect on the work that we do together at CCNY, and that you will take pride in that work.  We remain the single most successful campus in the country in producing overall social mobility in our student body. The fact that we do that, that we continue to execute on our founding mission with such unfailing success, is a tribute to the work that each of you do.  We know that our resources do not meet our needs--and yet, through this year, you have persevered, in service to our students and with fidelity to our goals and missions.

We will not, I promise you, always be in such hardship.  We are already putting in place the pieces of our next rising.  But for now, the fact that we do what we do, in the face of our difficulties, is a testament to your hard work, your vision, and your steadfast refusal to let the dream of equity and opportunity for our students wither.  

I want to thank you from the very bottom of my heart, and to wish you all every comfort and joy of the season.

Sincerely,

Vincent Boudreau
President

Dear Campus Community.

I write to announce that I've asked Tony Liss, currently serving as the interim provost, to continue in that job on a permanent basis. I've had the opportunity to work with Tony in this capacity for some time now, and have watched him take leadership in a number of crucial areas of campus life, among others: our strategic planning process, the Middle States accreditation work, and the development of a new approach to our budget. I anticipated that Tony would be a good partner when I asked him to serve as interim, and have deepened my confidence in his leadership and vision over the course of these past months.

The search committee that met to review candidate files worked long and hard, and they have my deep gratitude. This is tough work and they approached it with seriousness of purpose and a commitment to the good of our college.

I hope you will join me in congratulating Tony and welcoming him as CCNY's new provost.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Colleagues,

I'm writing to announce some changes in our administrative structure. As many of you know, Len Zinnanti will be retiring at the end of next week. Len came to CCNY at a time of some significant turbulence, and exercised a calming and ordered sense of management over our non-academic operation. As the person with oversight on our facilities and financial apparatus, Len was given authority over some of the most crucial areas of the campus, and he's served us all very well. I wish him the very best in his future endeavors, and I know that you join me in that.

I have decided not to replace Mr. Zinnanti in the position of Chief Operating Officer. Rather, I plan to assign elements of what was the COO's portfolio to Felix Lam and to Ken Ihrer. My thinking in making this change is that at the college's highest levels, the administration of non-academic functions has two aspects—one is the financial and the other is more the management of a case load/customer service/communications interface. Felix and Ken have, respectively, demonstrated capacity in financial management, supervisory expertise and customer service, and I'll be building on those capacities in the reallocation of tasks.

In addition to his current responsibilities, Felix will now take reports from the Office of Human Resources and from the Auxiliary Enterprise Corporation. Both positions require a close coordination of budget requirements and management. In HR, Felix will coordinate closely with Ken in managing the communications and customer service elements of our HR operation.

In addition to managing IT, I've asked Ken to take over the upper management of our facilities operation, and to work to develop a single service line for the college—to try to make sure that we have one place that people can go to address whatever issues they might be having. I think that Ken would bring to that work the same customer service, communications and case management skills that he's used to upgrade the way our IT systems work. I also think that as we work on becoming a more efficient and effective institution, digital solutions will be a big part of the equation. He will work closely with David Robinson to bring this project online in the coming semester.

Please join me in wishing Len well as he leaves CCNY and in doing the same for Felix and Ken, as they take on new responsibilities.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Colleagues,

As you know, the College is facing a daunting budget deficit this year. Over the past weeks, we have been in negotiations with CUNY over our FY19 financial plan, and have also been working through the development of a plan to present to Middle States that makes progress against our financial difficulties. During this time it became clear that CUNY does not have the resources to help us entirely fill a hole of this magnitude, and the university instructed us to take measures that would significantly redress these issues.

Under the circumstances, we have come to the difficult decision to cancel our ongoing searches and impose a hiring freeze going forward. We do not come to this decision easily, but it is the only responsible course of action we can take in the face of our current financial situation. Allowing searches to continue would risk being forced to cancel them at a later, more advanced stage, when such cancellations are much more damaging to the College’s reputation. There will be exceptions to this, but they will be few and carefully made.

We thank you for all you do for City College and for your continued support as we work through this very difficult time.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Tony Liss
Interim Provost & Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

The City University of New York (CUNY) has a long-standing commitment to diversity and equal opportunity in all aspects of employment practices. At City College, I fully support the policies and practices that we have implemented to foster non-discrimination, affirmative action, and diversity and inclusion in the workplace. It is my personal belief that City College is enriched by the strengths of the people and perspectives represented here.

Accordingly, I am committed to ensuring City College's compliance with CUNY's Policies and Procedures on Equal Opportunity, Non-Discrimination, and on Sexual Misconduct.

The Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy states CUNY's commitment to recruit, employ, retain, promote, and provide benefits to employees regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, partnership status, disability, genetic information, alienage, citizenship, military or veteran status, unemployment status, pregnancy, or status as a victim of domestic violence/stalking/sex offenses, or any other legally prohibited basis in accordance with federal, state and city laws. Additionally, as a federal contractor, CUNY engages in affirmative action consistent with federal requirements. I invite you to visit our website, and to view the Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy and the Sexual Misconduct Policy in their entirety, including the complaint procedures and prohibition against retaliation.

I have assigned the responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of our compliance program to the Interim Chief Diversity Officer, Diana Cuozzo who will also serve as the 504/ADA Coordinator. The vice presidents, deans, directors, managers and supervisors share responsibility for ensuring our compliance with these policies and laws. The Office of Diversity and Compliance is located in Shepard Hall, Room 109A-D and the telephone number is 212-650-7331. Additionally, any individual who believes that he or she has experienced employment discrimination should immediately contact the Office of Diversity and Compliance.

I ask for your continued support to ensure equal opportunity, affirmative action, and diversity and inclusion in all employment practices at City College.

Dear Members of the CCNY Community,

In a few moments, I'll be sending around my statement reaffirming the campus's commitment to diversity, equal opportunity and affirmative action. In it, you'll see the interim Chief Diversity Officer identified as Diana Cuozzo. Last week, Diana began working in this capacity at CCNY, replacing Jen Light, who had done the job since last spring.

I write now both to announce that change and to thank Ms. Light for her service to the campus. Ms. Cuozzo comes to the job after doing excellent work as the Title IX investigator working with Jen over the past few months. She brings additional experience as an assistant district attorney to the job, and I'm really pleased that she's agreed to serve in this capacity.

I want also to acknowledge the work that Jen Light accomplished over the past few months. She agreed to serve as the Interim Chief Diversity Officer. Ms. Light took on this work in addition to her main, full-time job as the Associate Director of the Skadden Arps Program on this campus. She was able to devote something like 75% of her work time to the CDO position during the summer, but with the resumption of the semester, she's returning to her work with the students in Skadden full time. I can't emphasize how important and impactful the work that she, working in close collaboration with Diana Cuozzo, was able to accomplish during her tenure as Interim Chief Diversity Officer. I am deeply grateful to Jen's hard work and effort, and know that she moves back to her regular work having positioned the office to meet the campus's needs in some particularly challenging times.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Over the past 10 days, America has been visited by some of the varied manifestations of hatred. Murderous attacks on Jewish people in Pittsburgh. White supremacist murders in Kentucky. Alarmist lies about immigrant bands of criminals and terrorists at our doorstep. Politically motivated pipe bombs, mailed to some of the most prominent critics of the Trump administration--or, in some cases, targets of President Trump's ire.

There is a horrible clarity in the simultaneity of these attacks. Taken individually, they call attention to one or another strain of virulence in our current political climate. Taken together, however, they underscore the inescapable contagion of hatred: where grievance and fear are coaxed into existence for the mere sake of exciting division, they will not be contained. The anti-semite will also be a white supremacist, will also turn from reasoned political debate to the criminalization of disagreement, and will surely weave a dangerous "other" in every new person they encounter.

Speaking as a political scientist for a moment, I will say that we have seen this before. Political and social leaders seeking authority that is unfettered by custom or the rule of law move with a kind of ponderous predictability to a mobilization strategy clustered around hatred. Foreign threats, the enemy within, political subversives, racial or religious enemies, global conspirators: all have historically been scapegoats for social ills, real or imagined, stirred to life to cultivate political or social support. There is an undeniable intent to the dark turn in our political rhetoric, and those chickens are coming home to roost.

Our only response can be solidarity. If this poisonous rhetoric and the violence it begets is inherently contagious, our response must be the broadest possible embrace of the whole people, a solidarity with every last person who has been "othered," indeed, the denial of the very concept that a diverse community, the community of which we so proudly talk, contains anything like an "other." The true values of our nation are the values of our college, and these values demand the broadest and most energetic expressions of solidarity that we can muster. We stand with any Jewish person who's ever been threatened by the shadow of white nationalist paranoia. We stand with anyone who has been the victim of a racist attack, or felt the chill of a racist insinuation. We stand with people who worship in mosques, or synagogues, or churches, or not at all. We stand with you, no matter where you came from or how you got here. The whole people is not a divided people, and our embrace must be as wide as our wildest imaginings.

Find a moment, over these next few days, and throughout your life, to stand with someone, and express sympathy and solidarity. These times will test us all, and we are surrounded by people who need your support and understanding. Find them, and give them your assurance, as I now give you mine, that only together can we be the whole people, and only as the whole people can we heal the sickness creeping across our land.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear staff members of the City College community,

As many of you have heard, some of your colleagues have been hard at work putting together the foundational documents for a staff council that will eventually be integrated into the CCNY governance plan. I was presented with the plans for the Council, and I'm really excited that this is underway, and fully supportive of it.

In the meantime, there are some pretty important elements of news on campus—some bad news related to our budget, but also some news about how we will plan and manage the campus going forward (specifically, centering on our OKR management model). I've had ample opportunity to discuss these matters with faculty at the Faculty Senate, but less time to talk with you about them.

For this reason, I'm holding a staff town hall on Thursday, November 1st, from 12:30 – 1:30 pm in the Aronow Theater. I'll bring my own agenda to brief you on, but I hope you'll also bring whatever questions you may have to that meeting. I hope to see you there.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Colleagues,

I wanted to write to try to help clarify where we are in our various planning processes, and to describe where they are headed. I realize that we now have three separate planning initiatives taking place simultaneously on campus, and I understand that this can be daunting for any organization.  I think that they all fit together and mutually reinforce one another, but wanted to take a moment and describe what I think that looks like.

The three major planning initiatives are 1) The Task Force on the Future of City College; 2) our Middle States accreditation process, which in turn has required a strategic planning process, and 3) the development of a new management process, which you might have heard referred to as OKRs. As I said, I think these all hang together, and here's how:

The Task Force was designed to provide an empirical foundation for assessing risk and value against our budgetary realities.  I initiated the task force on the understanding that we would, as a campus, likely have some tough decisions to make, and I wanted the basis for those decisions to be a matter of public record. At this writing, some of the reports are more or less finished, others are not.  In this latter group, I've asked some to take on new questions, or address follow up inquiries.  Others are now working on issues that cross committee lines, and still others finding their areas of inquiry to simply require more time and deeper examination.

These reports, even those still in progress, are available online for your examination at: https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/presidentsoffice/sub-committee-draft-reports. 

These have produced (and will continue to produce) interesting results, both in terms of data and recommendations for action.  The Task Force's main role in the complex of planning initiatives is to provide the foundation or activity, and even where the Task Force recommends that we take certain measures (such as, for instance, moving student services in the direction of a One-Stop arrangement) the larger context of the Strategic Plan will give the recommendation a broader situational logic.

Members of the Task Force, and those who have agreed to serve on sub-committees have put in long hours of work trying to develop a picture of the campus that will help us more nimbly navigate the challenges that we face as a college community.  I'm deeply grateful for the work they put in, and will continue to contribute, to our efforts to make CCNY everything is should be.

The Strategic Plan (a necessary component of our Middle States Review) establishes a sequence of goals and priorities, and presents a framework for reaching college-wide, 5-year goals.  The strategic plan is strategic in how it prioritizes work, and establishes the proper sequence for the college to address one goal before others, or another.  It is a plan in the sense that it requires that we think clearly about how we accomplish a goal, working with the resources that we have, and mapping out what steps we think will lead to a goal that we establish for ourselves.  That will mean some real thinking about the reasons we're currently not reaching one of our goals. 

We have some foundation for the strategic plan in the Vision 2022 document, but I've never been fully satisfied that the document presents a strategy or lays out clear plans for how to reach our objective.  Also, I think we need a clearer approach to prioritizing our actions against budgetary realities. I'll be working with a small team to establish the basis for the strategic plan--using data from the Task Force and work already accomplished as a starting point, and then we'll open the process up for comments and bring it through the governance process.

The final planning process centers around a management system that we're adopting on campus, something you maybe heard about in reference to OKRs (meaning Objectives and Key Results). Ideally, the management system would work as a way of implementing the strategic plan.  Annually and quarterly, the college as a whole, and units of the college would set objectives for themselves, and map out the key results (the signposts for progress toward those goals) that we need to make progress towards our goals.  Breaking long term goals into shorter term plans should help us be more strategic, and also undertake whatever course correction we need along the way. We'll have (and I suspect that some of you are already having) some deeper discussion about this; my current purpose is to put it in relationship with the other planning exercises on campus.

Ultimately, OKRs will be the implementing and management methodology for our strategic plan.  In the current absence of a strategic plan, OKRs will serve as our short-term planning device.  In fact, the college wide OKRs for this next year will be written into the strategic plan as the initial steps in our longer-term strategy.  Over the course of the summer, I developed, in consultation with the Cabinet, 5 OKRs that I will use to guide my activity.  They reflect my priorities for the college and the areas where I think early work can produce substantial gains; you will in all likelihood be involved in setting your own such goals, aligning many of them with the college priorities but also developing some that are specific to your area of work.  You can see these OKRs at this link: https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/presidentsoffice.

(As I said, this isn't the place to map out the whole OKR/management strategy that we'll be adopting, and I know that many of you have already been talking through how this will work with your departments and divisions.  I made a fairly crude couple of videos that lays out how we will be using them, and they're up on the CCNY YouTube channel.  You can view them here:

1. Introducing OKRs -https://youtu.be/BdNF8d3xnks
2. How to Create an OKR -https://youtu.be/9rumG1qp7IU

So, to summarize:  The Task Force is producing an empirical record, and some recommendations, about where the college stands, including both a clear financial picture that we can all agree on, and information about where we're doing well, where we need and merit further investment, and where we do not. The strategic planning process will lay out a medium-term program for college activity, with some clear priorities and a strategy describing what we need to do in early, middle and later phases of the plan.  Our OKR management system will be a short term stand in for that strategic plan, and will eventually become the implementing, assessment and adjustment vehicle for our plans.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear City College Community,

If you were on campus today, you almost certainly experienced the lockdown we had between 12 and 2:00 pm. This happened because one of our students reported what they thought was an individual with a gun walking through the park behind CCNY. Moments later, there was a report of a possible suspect (or suspects) with a weapon in A. Philip Randolph High School. The NYPD and our campus Public Safety team responded immediately to the possible threat and will continue to work in coordination, as necessary.

As I write this, details are still coming clear, so we’ll all be learning more about what actually happened over the next few hours. But I wanted to immediately thank our public safety team for their swift action in initiating the campus wide lockdown, and in making sure that all of us were steered away from any potential danger. I also want to thank the members of our facilities and professional staff team who helped with keeping the areas along Convent Avenue free from student, staff and faculty traffic. All of you acted with courage and with a deep desire to protect everyone at CCNY, and I’m proud to be a part of your community.

We did not cancel classes today, but I’m asking faculty that teach between 12 and 3 to exercise the utmost leniency towards students who did not make it to class. There is every possibility that they were inside a locked down building, unable to leave or enter your building, or went home on the misinformation that classes were cancelled.

I’m gratified that today’s events seem to have ended with no violence, but I think we need to continue preparations to make our campus as safe as possible - without sacrificing our openness. One way to assist is to join one of the many active shooter or first aid trainings that our campus security hold each year. I’m heartened by the fact that cameras that we recently installed on St. Nicholas Terrace provided real time information that aided the investigation as the incident was still in progress.

I sincerely regret that the calm of or campus was disrupted today, but happy that things are coming back to normal. Thank you, again, to everyone who saw a moment when their help was needed, and answered the call.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear CCNY Community,

I don't know about you, but the first days of a new semester—the ones that take place before Labor Day—always seem like they were stolen from summer vacation. The campus has a kind of pre-business air to it: the weather's still warm, many of us are more or less still dressed for summer, and our first vacation day is coming at the end of the week.

It's a nice moment to welcome you back, and it is my great pleasure to do so.

I wish all of you a productive and happy return to the day to day work of our college. If you're a student, I urge you to take every opportunity to build a future for yourself. The campus is rife with programs designed to make you the most successful person possible—study abroad programs, scholarship and leadership activities, chances to work alongside renowned researchers as assistants. Too many students graduate without undertaking, or even knowing about, these opportunities. Take a moment—take a whole day—and study the range of opportunities this college presents to you. Talk to faculty and staff about what you want to do with your life, and how we can help.

There's a lot to look forward to on this campus in the coming semester. We are launching our new Moxie Initiative program, underwritten by a grant from the Moxie Foundation, designed to help faculty design and produce classes geared toward helping students make the changes that they think are necessary in our world. Classes that emerge in this program will help students be entrepreneurs in the very broadest sense of the word: people who identify a need, develop a commitment to meeting that need, and figure out how to get it done. I think the program has the potential to change what it means to work or study at City College, and I'm truly excited to see where it will take us.

This year, no less than in the past, I want to call on each of you to take care of one another—to keep an eye out for students, colleagues, classmates or friends who might find themselves in particularly stressful circumstances. We live in a world that, for many of us, has become unpredictable and uncertain. Almost every day, some of the core values of this institution are challenged in the most public of ways, and at the very highest levels. For countless CCNY students, but also for staff and faculty, these challenges have deeply personal and utterly direct implications for their place in our world.

We cannot, we will not, allow these challenges any play on our campus. We need, each of us, to be a reservoir of resilience and support for one another. As a campus, our values are clear and unwavering: whoever you are, wherever you came from, and however you came to City College, this place is your home. We must defend the idea that the relationships among us, whatever our differences, should be marked with a mutual embrace of our humanity and dignity, and a joyful celebration of the fact that we are, together on this campus, united in an effort to make the world better by making ourselves better.

I want, finally, to caution against the danger of allowing the truly abhorrent elements of these challenges to in any way normalize. The culture and promise of the City College community at its best - our diversity, our mobility, our enthusiasm for the achievements of our neighbors and friends - must be the way forward for humanity rather than a mere echo of some unrealized promise. We need to be relentless in the assertion of our values, undaunted by the ugly contradictions that we might encounter, and hopeful that past patterns will be repeated, and the world that we build today on our campus becomes the world of tomorrow for everyone else.

My friends, welcome to a new school year. May you be successful and happy on our campus throughout the year and beyond.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear CCNY Community,

I write today to let you know about some construction that you’ll be seeing on the campus, and how it fits into a larger plan for things at CCNY. Within a few years, the various projects I’m about to describe will, together, create a campus in which:

1. Wingate Hall becomes the center for student clubs, workout facilities and other activity; and will become ADA compliant. This will mean that we'll have the gym, the dance studios, and student club and meeting spaces all in one building.
2. Establishing the student space in Wingate will allow us to convert the current Student Organization Club Space (SOCS) in the basement of Shepard Hall, as well as some unused storage areas there, into much needed classroom space.
3. The old swimming pool (sub-basement) space in Wingate Hall that's currently used for storage will be converted into new classroom space;
4. Our finance operation, currently housed in Wingate Hall will be moved to portions of Baskerville or Shepard Hall not being used by our high school;
5. The "Green Room" bordering the Aronow Theater will be available, once more, for dressing room purposes, (and a renovated Aronow will be both a large scale class room, and a fully functional performance space).
6. The basement of Wingate Hall will be converted to security department locker rooms (once they have been moved out of the “green room” space referenced in #5.)

I describe these five elements because it makes sense to think of them as a group—people moving out of one space will make room for that space to be renovated and repurposed. There are other construction projects coming on line—the Marshak pool is slated for renovation in 2019-2020--, we will soon start construction in the 141st Street firehouse to make MFA studio and gallery space, and the Marshak Plinth will be renovated into a rooftop green space with stairs leading directly down to the Convent Avenue sidewalk.

A complete list of projects, their funding source, their costs, and their timetable is currently available at https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/facilities/capital-projects-list. It's important to remember for those of us thinking about budget issues that the funding for these projects are typically in a capital budget, often with specifically designated project targets, and so not fungible with other needs (i.e. we can't take money allocated to fix the pool and use it to hire faculty). But if you scan that list, which we'll update periodically, you'll get a sense of the scope of work that is in various stages of planning or execution.

But I wanted to talk about these projects first, and address how they fit together, because it is here where construction will first begin.

But an important element of this building plan also needs special note. We will soon be removing temporary occupants of the Wingate basement floor space—currently being used as prayer rooms—to begin construction for the security staff locker rooms. Construction is planned to commence in October 2018. Our policy, unenforced for some time, (but policy nonetheless) is that as a state institution, we provide ecumenical spaces for prayer, but not dedicated space for any one religious group. We have renovated space in Shepard 51 to serve as that ecumenical space. When construction begins in Wingate, all religious activity previously taking place in the basement of Wingate will be scheduled in that ecumenical space.

Following the Wingate basement renovations, we will begin renovating the rest of the building, turning it over to student actiity and club space, clustered around the current gym and dance spaces, but including room for club meetings, activities, and offices.

Until these student spaces are renovated, students will continue to have access to the student club spaces in Shepard 51. As soon as student activities are ready to be located in Wingate, Shepard 51 will be turned into classroom space.

We anticipate that initial construction on the Wingate basement will commence in October 2018.

Construction projects always require that a community like CCNY's be a little flexible and patient. Some of the most exciting projects (a rehabilitated pool or new studio space for our artists) can take time. But these project plans foretell some exciting developments on our campus, and I'm pleased to share them with you.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Colleagues,

I've always believed that achieving goals of mutual respect and inclusion requires a constant and regularly renewed effort, rather than some set of targets that we hit and then assume to endure. This past week, the "Check Your Blindspots" trailer was parked on Convent Ave., urging us to examine the ways that each one of us may have blind spots in how we see others. I believe that we do—and that the work of identifying and working through those blind spots is something we all need to undertake, in a spirit of good will. However good we are, we cannot pretend that we cannot do better.

In recognition of this, I spent the March cabinet meeting developing a plan for a campus working group on Diversity and Respect that would tackle issues of bias across religious, racial and gender lines. This group will build upon and extend previous efforts on campus, such as the Committee on Inclusive Excellence, and more ad hoc efforts such as those mounted in the School of Medicine and the School of Education, as well as those of a task force I established last Spring to look into the events surrounding a lecture by Israeli Ambassador Dani Dayan.
I'm writing now both to discuss some more immediate campus issues that require that we all think carefully about the values of free speech and mutual respect, and to announce that we're ready to populate that working group. Let me begin with the first issue.

Over the course of any academic year, events on this campus have stirred protests from various constituencies on and off campus. As a college committed to upholding the value of free speech, we should not and cannot shy away from controversy. Nevertheless, I will not allow conflict over such events to drag the campus into turmoil, nor allow the threat of turmoil to push us away from our First Amendment rights and open intellectual exchange. My job, and the college's job, is to allow an authentic exchange of ideas among those who disagree with each other, often passionately, to take place, while at the same time respecting each others' civil rights.

While the working group I described earlier has yet to truly begin its work, preliminary discussion in cabinet, as well as the deliberations of similar bodies on campus suggest some steps we can take immediately to preserve the peace on campus as well as our free speech rights.

• First and most important, events that pose a reasonable chance of triggering controversy must be moderated by a faculty or staff moderator, including one or more added at the administration's discretion, to serve as an impartial representative as it relates to the topic at hand.
• It will be the responsibility of the(se) moderator(s) to direct the discussion so as to maintain decorum at events.
• Those who violate others' rights or disrupt events will be warned; should they persist in disrupting an event, they may then be escorted from the site. Anyone who is required to leave will have had ample warning that their behavior is unacceptable, but we will not allow that behavior to persist.
• Where required as part of our existing event review process, security will be assigned to events, and event sponsors will be responsible for paying the expenses associated with these security details.
• Finally, events may be video recorded, both by participants and by the administration. Those attending such events will be notified that their presence in the room indicates consent to be recorded. These recordings will be useful should it be necessary to review conduct at any such event—but will also help the college in refining our efforts to insure free speech and civility at these events.

I fondly hope that these measures can provide a foundation for a forward-looking policy that defends the best elements of our institution—its value for mutual respect and the free exchange of ideas.

Regarding the Working Group on Diversity and Respect: I am attaching a set of notes from the initial cabinet meeting. As you will see, we have broken the work of this group into three areas of endeavor, each relating to the way we treat one another across lines of race, religion, gender, age and all manner of other differences. We have divided the work into three issue categories as follows: 1) HR related issues (how we hire, retain, promote, or evaluate people who work on this campus); 2) Cultural issues (how we cultivate an atmosphere of understanding on campus so that incidents of discrimination or harassment are minimized); 3) The campus response in cases where something has happened that violates campus norms or individual or group rights in these areas.

We are currently in the process of populating this working group and will move working group members into one or another of these sub-committees. If you feel a calling to serve on one of these working group sections, or would like to nominate someone to serve, please contact Teresa Flemming (tflemming@ccny.cuny.edu) in my office. I expect the work of these groups to be an on-going activity of the college—that is, I'm not asking for anything like a final report at a given deadline.

I also think that for us to make progress in this work, we must undertake some real investigation into best practices and appropriate research. We stand at a moment in the life of our campus, and our nation, when the complexity of these issues is becoming more and more apparent—where the resilience of practices detrimental to a climate of genuine mutual respect cannot be underestimated. Places like CCNY that have claimed to play leading roles in promoting diversity and respect have an obligation to think more deeply about what we've been missing, and how we can do better. I hope this working group will help us move along that pathway; I know I can count on the support of this campus.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

This Thursday, April 26, the college campus will host the Check Your Blind Spots Mobile Tour, a series of events in partnership with CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™, which aims to reveal the nuances of unconscious bias, or blind spots, that can narrow a person's vision and potentially influence behaviors.

As you know, City College was founded on a vision of social mobility and education for all. Today, that means our commitment to diversity must be second to none. By cultivating a campus community that encompasses a wide range of cultural backgrounds, experiences, thoughts, and perspectives, CCNY fosters a campus that reflects and embraces the diversity of our society and the world beyond our campus.

CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ is the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion within the workplace in the U.S. By signing on, 400 CEOs and university presidents have pledged to rally the business community to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace by working collectively across organizations and sectors. City College is proud to be one of the first university and college signatories among those leading the way toward true inclusion.

I am committing myself and City College to continue to foster an environment where diverse points of view and experiences are welcomed and respected and where faculty, staff and students feel encouraged to discuss diversity and inclusion.

The CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion "Check Your Blind Spots" Mobile Tour will visit the NAC on Thursday. Be sure to stop by between 12:00 noon and 4:00 p.m.—we may learn something about our own unconscious biases, and attendees will be provided information about companies and future employers who are stepping up and speaking out on diversity topics as part of this pledge.

Thank you for contributing to the success of this important campus initiative and partnership. I look forward to seeing you at the NAC on Thursday.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Colleagues,

We just finished receiving our preliminary oral report from the Middle States team. To put that report in context, we will receive, 10 days from now, a written and edited version of that report. It will also be sent to Middle States Central (if they use that nomenclature) and we will have a formal set of findings by June. So this is a very preliminary report, but I didn't want to keep you in the dark.

I think we could not have hoped for a better report. Of the 7 standards, we are fully compliant in 6. The one area in which we were out of compliance is the governance and planning area, in which the question was whether or not we had a strategic plan in place to guide our activity—we currently do not, and they have a full understanding of where we stand on this matter, and why we are there.

To review that issue: We have two remnants of an incomplete strategic planning process: a framework document and Vantage Point 2022. One way to conceive of the task force that I convened is that it is designed to inject strategy into the list of goals laid out in the Vantage Point 2022 document: where do we prioritize, what goals are most necessary, which are less important—and how do we approach the entire enterprise against our budget realities?

The Middle States team said, and will write into their report, that they find the task force process to be a positive one, and that had their visit taken place a little further along in our process, they might well have been able to give us passing marks on this standard as well. For us, this means that the task force and an application of its results to our planning efforts is crucial to our future, and to our compliance with this accreditation process.

However—and this is the big news from today: In all other respects we were in compliance and to the extent that they made recommendations to us, they typically cite our ongoing efforts, asking that we continue as we have started. This could not have gone better.

I'd like to thank everyone who was involved in this process, particularly Doris Cintron, who led the effort and everyone who worked over the past several years to develop the self-study, and to think deeply about where the campus currently stands. The entire campus, and I, owe you each a debt of gratitude.

I also want to share with you what was, for me (and I think, for the visiting team) the most striking impression that they took from CCNY. This was an incredibly experienced Middle States team, with two of them having double digit accreditation visits under their belt. They said they have never seen a campus that is so fiercely proud of its legacy, and so deeply committed to its mission. They understand that we are still in a transitional mode, and that we labor under a series of head shakenly difficult constraints. But they were so impressed by the commitment to our mission, and future that they found on campus. It was palpable in the room; they are pulling for our success, they understand and will convey the odds we are up against, and they are hopeful for us—in large part because of your faith and pride.

I anticipate that we will come out of this process in very good shape, that we will have—as you all know—work to do, and that CCNY will be the better for our efforts.

Thank you, one and all,

Vince Boudreau
President

To The City College Community:

The Provost and I are pleased to announce the nomination process for the 2018 faculty awards:

These annual awards are one of the most important ways that we honor the accomplishments and contribution to student and to our campus life.

Please review the detailed descriptions of the award nomination guidelines available here and posted on the Academic Affairs website.

The due date for nominations for the awards has been extended to April 27, 2018.

The awards recipients will be honored at a reception at the end of the semester.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Tony M. Liss, PhD
Interim Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs

Dear City College Staff,

Some of you may have been present at last week’s Task Force Town Hall where the college community were invited to come and share their thoughts and have their questions answered. Many of you have heard about the Task Force on the Future of City College that I have convened.

I would like to make myself available to the staff, to hear exclusively from you, your thoughts and to answer any questions and concerns you may have. Please join me on Wednesday, March 14th from 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm in Shepard Hall, room 250 for a Staff Town Hall.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

To the Campus Community

I am writing to let you know of a staffing change I'm making in the area of student support services.

In order to enhance our capacity to coordinate and trouble shoot problems in the area of student services, I have asked Celia Lloyd to work more closely with and coordinate the functions of the student support services areas (admissions, financial aid, registrar, evaluation and testing and scheduling). These offices will now report directly to Celia, and she will carry the title of AVP for Academic Momentum and Student Success.

I have also asked that she manage the work of the Gateway Advising Center and the New Student Experience Center, which will likewise report directly to her. I have finally asked that she work to coordinate and provide liaison work for campus-wide advising initiatives and activity. Advisors based in the schools and divisions will continue to report to their respective academic units, but will work with Celia to help coordinate messaging, to trouble shoot on a campus-wide scale more effectively, and to enhance cooperation across advising units of the college.

Mary Ruth Strzeszewski, who has managed many of these responsibilities up until this point, will be taking on a new set of tasks, broken down over two areas. She will, first, be responsible for providing support and coordination for the graduate programs on campus, from recruitment and admissions through orientation, and on to the management of conditions that affect their progress through the degree. She will, second, work in the provost's office as the person most responsible for coordinating support for faculty review and advancement processes, such as annual reappointments, and tenure and promotion reviews.

Given that I am restructuring these positions, I thought it wise to include, with this announcement, a job description for each of these two positions, and they follow the text of this announcement.

I have great confidence in the abilities of both Celia and Mary Ruth to identify and remedy problems, and to think creatively about how the college can best meet the needs of our students. I wish them both well in these new positions.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Colleagues,

I write you today to announce several administrative staffing changes at the college. Coming into this position on a permanent basis, I felt it time to evaluate the strengths of our different offices, think about how they are running and the larger needs of the campus, and begin to make some adjustments. I anticipate that the Task Force currently examining our operation will yield more information that will inform whatever other moves may become necessary. Nevertheless, there were some areas that I wanted to address in the short term, and I'm writing now to announce them.

When Mary Erina Driscoll was named Interim Provost almost two years ago, it was her understanding that she'd be in the position for a fairly short period of time, pending a national search for a permanent provost. Administrative changes at the college delayed that search (which is now live, by the way) and kept her from her permanent responsibilities in the school of education for longer than she'd anticipated. Gretchen Johnson has done an admirable job running the school in the meantime, but I think this is an appropriate moment to allow Mary to return to her permanent position, on a time table that she is working out with Gretchen. Mary has, over almost two years, served as our Interim Provost during some immensely trying months. I am grateful for the time and hard work she put in over that span, and am deeply thankful to have had her as a colleague when I came into this office.

I have asked Tony Liss, Dean of Science, to assume the position of Interim Provost beginning on March 12th. Tony brings a wealth of academic and administrative experience into the position, and has served the college well as an exemplary Dean of Science. I am very much looking forward to working with him in this new capacity, particularly at this critical moment in the forging of our college's future.

I have accepted Dr. Liss's recommendation to name Professor V. Parameswaran Nair as the Acting Dean of Science during the period when Tony will be serving as Interim Provost. Dr. Nair is a Distinguished Professor of Physics with a sterling academic and professional reputation, and I am confident that the Division of Science will be in good hands under his leadership.

I have decided to restructure our research administration on campus, following a series of conversations with various governance bodies, including the faculty senate, the deans, and the cabinet. The new research administration will consist of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, more or less as currently constituted, and a college-wide Research Committee consisting of faculty elected by the Senate, all the Deans, the Provost, the Executive Director of our Foundations (also in her capacity as the person leading the communications operation) the head of the Office of Research and sponsored programs (in a non-voting capacity) and a Research Liaison, chosen from the ranks of the faculty and chairing the committee. I am in the process, in collaboration with the Faculty Senate, of constituting these bodies, and will announce their membership as the matter becomes settled.

I have asked Professor Ashiwel Undieh to return to his underlying academic position as a faculty member in the medical school. While we select the members of the research committee and the campus director of research, Dr. Undieh has agreed to maintain his position in a transitional capacity. We anticipate that he will be fully re-integrated into the medical faculty by the start of the summer, with a new research apparatus in place by then. Dr. Undieh has worked as the Associate Provost for Research for years at CCNY, and achieved many good things during his administration, including the introduction and management of several key systems for tracking and reporting on research. I thank him for his years of service to the college.

Finally, as most of you know or have probably heard, we are in the process of merging our two foundations into one entity, tentatively to be called the Foundation for the City College. As part of that merger process, I am naming Dee Dee Mozeleski Interim Executive Director of the new Foundation. This position will replace, on a permanent basis, the currently vacated positions of Vice President for Development and the Vice President for Communications (responsibilities that Dee Dee has shouldered since November 2016). Following the full realization of the foundation consolidation process, we will fill the position on a permanent basis.

I am also making changes in the area of student support services. I will convey those changes to the campus community today, under separate cover.

Everyone named in this memo have served or will serve the college in an extraordinary capacity, and I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of them for their work and commitment to the school.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Colleagues,

I had originally scheduled a town hall to discuss the task force for this Thursday, the 22nd, at 12:30, not knowing that the union has a meeting set for that same day. Because the union is an important stakeholder on this campus and we want the task force conversation to be as inclusive as possible, I am moving the task force town hall meeting to Thursday, March 1st at 12:30 pm.

I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at that meeting.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Members of the City College Community,

As many of you know, I was out of town this past week, when the faculty senate took up the matter of the Task Force that I’ve convened on the future of the college.I understand that there are many questions about the work of this body, and I’d like to make myself available to answer them. I'll therefore convene a meeting for all interested members of the college community to take place in Aronow theater on February 22nd, from 12:30 to 1:45. I hope you’ll come with your questions and concerns, and that we’ll have a chance to talk about them.

Thank you,

Vince Boudreau
President

I'm writing to discuss the task force that I've convened. Under normal circumstances, a new president would convene a strategic planning process, designed to outline her or his vision of the college and to set priorities for the new administration. We have just passed through a lengthy strategic planning process that set some goals for our work, many of which are worthy. What we have not done—what that planning process did not accomplish—is to take on the long-term, structural difficulties that the college faces.

For some time, CCNY has existed in a deeply structural budget deficit, surviving at first by spending down financial reserves, but with fewer and fewer resources to do so as time wore on. We have, through these years, managed annual budget shortfalls by across the board cuts, efforts to grow enrollment, and other ad hoc or insufficient measures. What we have not done, even in our strategic planning efforts, is to evaluate the relationship between our mission, our successes, our vulnerabilities, and a set of budgetary priorities. We cannot simply trim our way out of our current difficulties, and we have exhausted the reserves we once had to bridge budgetary shortfalls. We need, instead, to undertake an effort to shape the college in ways that capitalize on what we do best, conserve where we can and should, and set a plan that works within the resources that we have (while always trying to expand those resources).

Here's where we start: We have a unique identity and mission: to provide a high-quality education to the children of New York City, new immigrants, members of under-represented groups, and those without economic means. We also have been, and should continue to be, an institution known for its research and intellectual contributions to humanity, research that has consistently addressed issues affecting the lives of people living in our proximate neighborhoods and populating our classrooms. However, as we have attempted to provision the campus in ways that leave departments insufficiently staffed, that produce lapses in maintenance for physical and research facilities, that denude student services, and leave other gaps, the College's ability to meet its mission has been undercut.

The unique composition of City College - professional schools (Architecture, Education, Medicine, and Engineering) coupled with a College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS) - enriches the academic lives of students but also requires additional investments on multiple fronts. Recent budgetary pressures force us to confront the fact that teaching and research costs vary widely across its divisions. City College can only sustain its mission and increase its national standing if its financial health is restored and a clear strategy devised for increasing financial resources for future growth. One major focus of the task force will be the relationship between the arts and sciences departments and the professional schools and how it can be reimagined so as to tap the strength of existing programs and to create new ones. Another will be the improvement of student services and support, administration, and the management and maintenance of the College's physical plant.

To guide the college through these next few years, I'll need a foundation of data and analysis—data that is open for our entire community to view, and analysis that helps make the basis for decisions and necessary trade-offs among our goals explicit and public. To help provide this information, I have organized the Task Force to identify the decisions that brought the College to its current state and to recommend short and long-term steps to restore the health of the College. The Task Force's findings will be shared with College governance bodies, and with the entire college community, for comment and consideration before the process is formally closed and finally submitted to me. The Task Force will begin its work on February 16 with the view of completing it within three months.

Membership of the Task Force

The task force will consist of a steering committee and four sub-committees. I will convene the steering committee, but for much of the Task Force's operation, will not participate in its meetings. I have asked David Jeruzalmi to co-convene the Task Force with me, and to play a more directly involved leadership role in its meetings, and he has graciously accepted that request. The steering committee consists of the eight academic deans, eight faculty members (one from each academic unit) and four staff members selected for their particular expertise. The sub-committees will include five members of the steering committee (two deans, two faculty, and one staff member) augmented by members of the College community with expertise germane to the committee's areas of responsibility.

Members of the Task Force Steering Committee are as follows:

• Deans: Gilda Barabino, Gretchen Johnson, Gordon Gebert, Maurizio Trevisan, Erec Koch, Kevin Foster, Tony Liss and Juan Carlos Mercado
• Faculty: Mitchell Scheffler (engineering), Hazel Carter (Education), Marta Guttman (architecture), Jack Martin (Medical School), Ellen Handy (H&A), Rajan Menon (Colin Powell School) and Anuradha Janakiraman (Science), and Justin Martin (CWE)
• Staff: Doris Cintron, Celia Lloyd, Felix Lam and Ken Ihrer

I am grateful to each of the men and women who have agreed to serve on this Task Force.

I have decided not to rely on any consultants to assist in this process. These are expensive outfits and typically, I find, make their living by producing boilerplate and feeding your own ideas back to you as if they were their own. Rather, I asked CCNY's Johanna Urena to serve the Task Force as its project manager. It will be her responsibility to keep the Task Force on schedule, and to help resolve issues that arise, for example, in the provision of data to the Task Force from various offices of the college. Her work as Task Force project manager, and liaison between the Task Force and the college, has my full confidence and the backing of my office.

Focus of the Task Force

The following are among the questions that the committee will consider: What are the College's major successes, and what opportunities lie ahead, and how are we to define and measure these successes and opportunities? What costs and other obstacles must the College contend with in trying to improve upon what it currently does well, and to seize new opportunities? What synergies exist among the College's different units, what are the attendant tradeoffs, and how can innovative cross-divisional research and teaching initiatives be formulated and realized? In order to find answers to such questions, the task force will identify areas for future growth, areas in which growth may no longer be justifiable, and the costs and benefits (both financial and otherwise) of trade-offs among these areas.

At the first meeting of the task force, I will workshop, with the steering committee, a list of more specific questions to guide their work, questions designed to produce precise empirical foundations for our work on campus. Based on those questions, I will ask any and all personnel and agencies of the college to provide, on a continuing basis, whatever data and sources of data are deemed necessary to complete this work, and will work to insure this cooperation.

The task force's sub-committees will be organized as follows:

• Finances: This sub-committee will construct a fiscal history of the College from 2005 to the present. The goal of this exercise will be to examine how changes in the College's budget, enrollment, revenue, spending choices, and external circumstances have created the current crisis.
• Academics: This sub-committee will consider the size, costs, and successes of the College's departments as well as the opportunities for innovation and growth in various disciplines.
• Student Services: This sub-committee will examine the effectiveness of the offices of financial aid, the bursar, and the registrar. This review will encompass the management of student scholarships, the collection of student support, and internship services.
• Facilities and Information Technology: This sub-committee will adequacy of funding, staffing, and plans related to the College's physical plant.

I said early in their letter that I hope the work of the Task Force will be completed within 3 months. I set that goal because I'll need to results of the Task Force analysis to set our course for next year. Working on this accelerated schedule will be demanding for all of us. It also means that we will not have the opportunity for as lengthy a set of consultations or town halls as some might like before a preliminary set of analysis comes out. That said, I want to emphasize that this is in no way a closed or confidential process. The documents and data produced by the Task Force will be available for public review, and we will soon lay out the mechanism by which you will have access to them. The working groups will have occasion to consult with stakeholders across the college. Further, sub-committee membership will include at least as many non-steering committee members as representatives from that committee. In all of these ways, I am hoping to thread a line between the efficiency of working in a small group and the democracy of an open process. The final document, before it becomes a foundation for action, will be subject to open and public review.

Finally, I want to emphasize that the analysis and recommendations that the Task Force makes will be advisory to me. In the end, the document will inform decisions that I'll need to make, and allow the college community access to the data and analysis that provided the foundation for these decisions.

I thank everyone who has agreed to work with me on this process. I have great hopes that the work we do together in these difficult times will help us secure the future of our great institution.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Colleagues,

I'm writing to wish each of you a joyful holiday season, a restful break from the work we do together, and a prosperous and rewarding new year.

These last few weeks have been a whirlwind for me—even more than the normal whirlwind that accompanies the weeks leading to a semester's break. In all that activity, I haven't yet had the chance to write to everyone on our campus about the leadership change at CCNY. So with your indulgence, I'd like to take the opportunity of this message to correct that lapse.

I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to lead CCNY as its 13th president, but also profoundly cognizant of the responsibility I now shoulder. The dream of an egalitarian public higher education system that we all inherited—the fond vision of a society that provides a way forward for everyone with talent, no matter their circumstances—germinated with the Free Academy, and lives today in our work and in our hopes. There's not a second that I don't think of how precious those ideas are, or how jeopardized they now seem.

They are in jeopardy, it seems to me, for a host of reasons. Our political and social climates, in some quarters at least, have turned against the positions of generosity and optimism embodied by CCNY. The national approach to public higher education has soured, at least for the moment, on the idea of public education as a public good. And, as a campus, we have a great deal of work to do to prepare ourselves to prosper under the current conditions.

We can't afford to fall short in that work, and that requires that we allow a critical and constructive spirit to inhabit our days, thinking long and hard about what our college can be, and single-mindedly pursuing success, even when success demands hard decisions. It means tackling stubborn problems head on: problems of budget, problems of governance, management and transparency, and problems of how we relate to and protect one another—particularly where these problems have been allowed to fester. I will endeavor to do this, and to do it in a spirit of collaboration and respect without which I can have no hope of progress.

I know that CCNY is hungry for such an effort. We must all understand, in our hearts, that the institution simply cannot keep spinning along well-worn tracks, using up our diminishing stock of resources, energy, and patience.

I know that you expect much of me. I understand that the job I take on is not a vanity project, but the most sacred of public trusts. I will work every day to be respectful of your thoughts and feelings, to appreciate the conditions of your work, to value your talent and success, and to understand the place of every one of you in our grand community. I will surely call on you, individually and as a campus, for help, for advice, and for understanding. I am looking forward to this work, daunting as it may be, largely because I've grown into it in your company, and know the great things that we can expect from one another.

So enjoy your break. I wish you all a pleasant holiday, safe travels, and the comforts of home and family. May the joys of this season be with each of you until we meet again, and when we meet, let's take on this great work together.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

During the past year, The City University of New York has conducted a thorough search for a new president of The City College of New York. I am very grateful to Chairperson Schwartz and the members of the search committee, who devoted considerable time and effort to the recruitment and review of candidates. After conducting interviews and reviewing the many comments from those involved in the process, I continued to consult with the search committee as well as with the additional faculty and academic administrators involved before reaching a decision on my recommendation to the Board of Trustees. I am deeply appreciative of the thoughtful contributions from the committee, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and members of the community, which have helped lead to this decision—one that I am convinced is clearly in the best interests of the College.

At today's meeting of the Board of Trustees, I recommended that the Board appoint Dr. Vincent Boudreau, a respected member of the City College community for 26 years, as the next president of The City College of New York, and the Board approved that recommendation. My work with Dr. Boudreau over the last year, and the support he received from faculty, students, staff, alumni, and the community provide compelling evidence that he is the right leader to preside at this important time in City College's history, with a vigorous commitment to its mission, a deep knowledge of its academic and social traditions and a spirit of unwavering integrity.

Since November 2, 2016, Dr. Boudreau has been serving as interim president of City College, and he has done an outstanding job of bringing transparency and integrity to the leadership of CCNY. Dr. Boudreau held open discussions on the budget and fiscal challenges facing CCNY with candor, honesty and a necessary sense of urgency, he made critical changes in processes and personnel, and he led the campus in important conversations about its future priorities and direction. As Interim President, Dr. Boudreau restored a sense of stability while soliciting and respecting the interests of the College's stakeholders.

Dr. Boudreau has embraced fully the University efforts to increase fiscal oversight and improve transparency and accountability. Despite the obvious limitations on the authority of any interim leader to make permanent changes and to implement a vision for the future, Dr. Boudreau aggressively advocated for City College and has taken many important steps to advance its fundamental interests. He is an accomplished scholar in the field of democratic movements in Southeast Asia, and he has been a creative and vigorous leader in guiding the College's outstanding Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership. He is passionate about City College, the success of its students and supporting the professional aspirations of its faculty.

It became clear to me that Dr. Boudreau not only has the experience, academic capabilities and leadership skills to be a highly successful president, he has demonstrated this to many of the stakeholders of the College, including the college's proud and committed alumni, donors and community leaders. In the process, he has won their trust and confidence. I am delighted and encouraged that our search has brought us back home to a candidate who has established over decades his commitment to CCNY.

Dr. Boudreau started his career at CCNY in 1991 as an assistant professor, two years before receiving his PhD from Cornell University in Comparative Politics and International Relations. Recognition of his role as a mentor and leader came swiftly. He was named Director of the College's Master's Program in International Relations in 1992. In 1999, he was appointed the Director of the International Studies Program and, just a year later, was made Deputy Dean of the Division of Social Sciences, when he was also made an Associate Professor.

A year after that he became Chair of the College's Department of Political Science, and then in March, 2002, was appointed Director of what was then known as the Colin Powell Center for Policy Studies. A full professorship followed, in 2007, and then Dr. Boudreau was appointed the Dean of the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, a highly respected school named for an outstanding CCNY alumnus, former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Finally, he has served the last year as Interim President with energy, passion and grace.

It gives me great pleasure to see Dr. Vincent Boudreau named president of The City College of New York. I look forward to his leadership with great enthusiasm, expectation and confidence.

Sincerely,
James B. Milliken
Chancellor
The City University of New York

Dr. Vincent Boudreau is the next president of The City College of New York, CUNY Chancellor James B. Milliken announced today.

Boudreau has served as Interim President of CCNY since November of 2016. Prior to that appointment, Boudreau was inaugural dean of the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at City College since 2013. He was previously director of the Colin L. Powell Center for Leadership and Service from 2002 through 2013.

"In some ways, the idea of a truly inclusive public education system as an engine of our democracy began on this campus 170 years ago," said Boudreau. "Shepherding that legacy into the future brings significant challenges that will require the mobilization of the talents and affections of people on our campus and in our communities. I'm confident that the founding mission of CCNY is alive on campus today and I am both honored and awed at the prospect of stewarding that mission."

In his announcement, Milliken said, "It has become evident to me that Dr. Boudreau not only has the experience, academic capabilities and leadership skills to be a highly successful president, he also has demonstrated this to many of the stakeholders of the College, including the college's proud and committed alumni, donors and community leaders. In the process, he has won their trust and confidence. I am delighted and encouraged that our search has brought us back home to a candidate who has established over decades his commitment to CCNY."

CUNY Board Chairperson William C. Thompson, Jr. said in a release, "The Board of Trustees is thrilled to have found a home-grown candidate who so ably meets the central charge stated in our search for a new president of The City College of New York: 'a leader who will chart the college's course – and steward its core commitments to access and excellence – into the future.' Vincent Boudreau, who already has done so much to shape today's City College, is well equipped for the challenge. I want to thank Vice Chairperson Barry F. Schwartz, who led the national search, and the other Board members who gave so much of their time and energy."

General Colin L. Powell (USA, Ret.), Board of Visitors Chairman at the Colin Powell School, commented: "I am delighted to learn Vince Boudreau will be the next president of CCNY. I have worked with him for the past twelve years as, under his leadership, a modest Colin Powell Center has grown into the Colin Powell School, with one-third of the CCNY student body graduating from our departments each year. He is an academic, a manager and a leader. Above all, he is totally committed to our students, making sure they get a quality education and that they graduate."

Other administrative positions Boudreau has held at CCNY include director of the M.A. Program in International Relations, chair of the Department of Political Science, director of the International Studies Program and deputy dean of the Division of Social Science.

He is a professor of political science at CCNY and a member of the City University of New York graduate faculty.

A specialist in the politics of social movements, particularly in Southeast Asia, his latest book is Resisting Dictatorship: Repression and Protest in Southeast Asia (Cambridge University Press).

Boudreau is a graduate of Cornell University, where he earned his Ph.D. in 1991.

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

I write to share with you the news that I plan to step down as Chancellor of The City University of New York at the end of this academic year, after four years at the helm of this most remarkable institution.

CUNY is an extraordinary university, and my time here has been rewarding beyond measure. The world now knows, from groundbreaking research on an unprecedented scale, that CUNY is the greatest engine of social and economic mobility in the country. I have been enormously fortunate to be part of expanding opportunity and success to students on a scale no other university can match, and I will always be grateful for that. Our students, over 500,000 of them, are smart, ambitious, hard-working and wonderfully diverse. Our 45,000 outstanding faculty and staff work very hard under sometimes difficult conditions, with inspiring results. I love our students and I have tremendous respect for our faculty and staff. I have been inspired by them every day.

We have accomplished much over the last few years. Our community colleges are on track to double their graduation rates, making them national leaders. We have launched a new school of medicine, almost certainly the most diverse in the country, and a successful independent school of public health. We put in place exciting new initiatives to diversify the arts institutions in New York, provide groundbreaking comprehensive support for foster youth, increase women and minorities in tech, and much more. I had the opportunity to select 12 talented, new campus heads – one half of the total CUNY campus leadership – eight of whom are women and people of color. We have launched a comprehensive administrative excellence initiative and multiyear budgeting to improve performance and invest more resources in our classrooms. Most important was the development of our strategic plan, "Connected CUNY," which will continue to chart the essential course for CUNY because its logic, conceptual pillars and specific strategies are key to advancing CUNY's mission in this century, although of course it will no doubt be improved upon.

So why leave now?

On a personal level, the last year has been extraordinarily challenging. Days after my 60th birthday I was diagnosed with throat cancer and I underwent months of radiation and chemotherapy. Some additional health challenges have followed and will require my attention in the months ahead, but thankfully my prognosis remains very good. My health problems – the first serious ones of my life – have been sobering, but today I feel healthy and much relieved because of the quality of the care I am receiving at Memorial Sloan Kettering. I expect to be active and working for many more years, but there is no denying that the last nine months have been draining physically and emotionally. The business about learning more about yourself and gaining new perspective when faced with such challenges has certainly proved to be the case with me. The experience has given me an even deeper commitment to enjoying fully my work, my family and friends, and my life.

The head of a major university like CUNY works closely with a board of trustees in developing and implementing a vision. Of the 17 trustees on the board that recruited and appointed me in January 2014, two remain today. The governor has appointed nine new members and the mayor four. These new trustees will have their own ideas about CUNY, and they should have the opportunity to help shape the leadership and agenda for the future. I have very much enjoyed working with the talented people who have served and who currently serve as CUNY trustees and I will always be grateful for the opportunity and support they have given me. During the last nine months, the trustees have been incredibly supportive of me personally, always demanding that I put my health and family first. They could not have been more gracious, and I could not be more thankful.

I am announcing my plans now so the board will have time to conduct a thorough search and have a new chancellor in place before the next academic year begins. In the meantime, I plan to spend the months ahead continuing to work closely with the board and campus leaders to implement the University's strategic plans and complete the work we've had underway to reform many of CUNY's long-standing policies and practices to improve financial oversight, internal controls, transparency and best practices.

I look forward to finishing my term with a few commencements, and I will leave the chancellorship with fresh memories of so many first-generation college-goers, immigrants, low-income and underrepresented students receiving their degrees in the presence of euphoric friends and family.

I have been given one of life's great gifts – the chance to do something I love that has a positive impact on many. I will always be grateful for that opportunity and for the relationships I have had with the students, faculty and staff of The City University of New York.

Sincerely,
James B. Milliken

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I'd like to offer each of you my fondest wishes for a joyful holiday season, and a happy Thanksgiving. If you're traveling to be with loved ones, please take every care on your journey. If you're gathering with family and friends closer to home, I hope that you'll enjoy your time together and take the opportunity to rest from the work we do together. And wherever you are, if you're cooking, I hope you'll remember that nobody likes a dry turkey.

I'm grateful, every single day, for the opportunities that this institution offers—none more precious than the chance to work alongside all of you on a mission that we embrace. It's good work, made better by the knowledge that we all put our shoulders to the wheel together, every day. Thank you all for that.

I'd also like to remind you all that as you begin to clear away the traditional post-Thanksgiving haze, we will commemorate Giving Tuesday on November 28th. It's a date set aside each year—abutting our annual celebratory expression of gratitude--to inspire acts of philanthropic generously to others. Many of you donate your time and effort to causes you believe in throughout the year, and I've been inspired by your example. On Giving Tuesday I ask that you turn your philanthropic generosity on the work that we share at CCNY. This year, donations you make will support the campus Food Pantry and our Counselling Center—both concrete expressions of the ways in which we endeavor to care for one another.

Over the next few days, you'll have the opportunity to contribute something to various fundraising exercises on campus—and our Giving Tuesday event will take place at 12:00 on November 28th in the NAC Rotunda. Please consider giving to these efforts when and how you can.

Stop by to learn more about the Food Pantry and the Counselling Center, to commemorate generosity in all its forms, and to participate in that generosity.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
Interim President

Dear City College Campus Community,

A few weeks ago, as part of a town hall addressing concerns related to presidential orders affecting our students protected under DACA regulations I promised that we would establish a phone bank that we could all use to connect with their local, state and federal representatives.

My idea was that we would put these phones in a public place so that anyone on campus, if she or he had a few moments between classes or meetings, could come and lobby an elected official. I also think that it’s a good thing for the phones to be public, so that people passing by can see students, staff, and faculty working to persuade elected officials of the need to fix this problem.

The phones are now in place, and we would like to formally launch this initiative on Thursday, November 16th, at 1 PM. From that moment and for the foreseeable future, you’ll find a dedicated phone bank on the ground floor of the NAC, on the same counter that serves as the information center. We will provide a list of local, state and federal representatives and where they stand specifically on the issue of DACA protections in place now.

We are also fortunate that over the coming weeks, members of NYPIRG and the Manhattan Young Democrats have volunteered to provide support for the phone bank and to provide information on key policies that may affect our community.

The effort to mobilize the interests and experiences of this campus is vital at this moment, and an important part of what I believe our charge to be, as a public university. I urge each of you, when you have a moment, to stop by the phone banks, dial an elected official, and let them know what you think about the current approach to immigration, and how we can make it more just for our entire community.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau,
Interim President

Students from hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands will pay in-state tuition for the 2017-18 academic year, the CUNY Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Monday. Affected full-time students will pay $6,350 in tuition for the year, rather than the $17,400 that students from outside the state pay.

The aid follows a call by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo for both CUNY and SUNY to extend in-state tuition to students from the U.S. territories displaced by the September hurricanes Maria and Irma. The Board's resolution also authorizes CUNY's 24 college presidents to provide additional financial assistance to affected students on a case-by-case basis.

"Hurricanes Irma and Maria had a devastating impact on Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” said Board Chairperson William C. Thompson Jr. "While families are trying to rebuild homes and lives, CUNY will make every effort to support college students who were displaced by these disasters. Today's vote represents an important step in enabling students affected by the devastating hurricanes to continue their college education.”

Chancellor James B. Milliken said, "I applaud the Board and the Governor for supporting tuition relief that will help our students from the affected territories get through this difficult period for them and their families.”

In a report to the Board of Trustees during Monday's meeting, Chancellor Milliken said an effort has been launched to raise private funds to help displaced students defray the cost of attending CUNY and that all CUNY colleges are actively involved in University-wide relief efforts. In addition, CUNY is making laboratory and other space available to University of Puerto Rico faculty and setting up a grant process for collaborative work on recovery issues.

CUNY and New York City have close associations with the Caribbean islands, the Board noted. The Puerto Rican community has long been one of the most vibrant in New York, and no city in the country has more native-born citizens whose families came from the Virgin Islands. CUNY has about 16,000 current undergraduates who identify as Puerto Rican.

The City University of New York is the nation's leading urban public university. Founded in 1847, the University comprises 24 institutions: 11 senior colleges, seven community colleges, the William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, the CUNY Graduate School Center, the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, the CUNY School of Law, the CUNY School of Professional Studies and the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy. The University serves more than 272,000 degree-seeking students. College Now, the University's academic enrichment program, is offered at CUNY campuses and more than 400 high schools throughout the five boroughs. The University offers online baccalaureate and master's degrees through the CUNY School of Professional Studies.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
Interim President

Dear Campus Community,

City College is on its own, and in collaboration with CUNY, coordinating relief efforts in support of our friends, family and colleagues affected by the recent natural disasters in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Texas and Florida.

I thought it was also important for us to gather as a community and talk about the anxiety and concern that many members of our community are experiencing because of these events.

Please join us on Thursday, October 12, 2017 at noon in NAC 1/103 (the old bookstore space).

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau,
Interim President CCNY

The devastation visited upon the people and property on, or near, our southern border is almost beyond comprehension. Earthquakes and hurricanes have come in such rapid succession that one gropes around to find some point of comparison. Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and other places in the Caribbean and Mexico all experienced natural disasters that, individually, would have constituted utter calamities. Taken together, the successive blows represent an unprecedented season of tragedy.

We are a little over a week out from the day that Hurricane Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico and Governor Rosselló now warns of an impending humanitarian crisis; predictions for the restoration of power and communication lines calibrate the wait in weeks and months, rather than days. Across the Caribbean, other islands are slowly pulling themselves along the road to recovery, as are people in Texas and Florida. And, as I write this, the rescue phase of the response to the Mexico City earthquake is sadly moving into its recovery phase.

At a place like CCNY, where virtually everyone is from someplace else, we understand that tragedy anywhere in the world strikes home with particular strength. Scattered around almost every office or classroom, we have friends and colleagues with family and loved ones living somewhere in these disaster-struck places. In some cases, lines of communication are still not established enough to offer reassurances that everyone is safe. We are a community that will feel these losses in sharp and particular ways, and to this community, in this exceptionally difficult time, I want to extend my most heartfelt sympathy and support.

I’d like also to ask that each of us pay attention to the people around us—to recognize signs of sleeplessness and worry in our colleagues and classmates, and to take the time to offer support and empathy. In time, we may need to open our classrooms to students and even to faculty displaced by these storms, so that their progress toward a better future is disrupted but not derailed by these tragedies. Efforts to gather relief goods, and provide other modes of support are underway on this college. I am in conversation with one community group that would like to partner with us in hosting a relief concert, and you’ll hear more about that if it seems like the best way to provide assistance.

Once again, we are reminded that we are indeed one CCNY. As a beginning, I’m pleased to direct you to the page on WE ARE ONE CCNY that provides a list of reputable sites for donations, should you be in position to help. 

https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/we-are-one-ccny/disaster-relief

In the near future, we’ll also provide regular updates about disaster assistance activities taking place on our campus or in our network. Please send information about campus-based disaster relief activities that you have finalized to edmondson@ccny.cuny.edu so that we can keep the college community up to date. We will, with the help of each of you, do whatever we can to provide comfort and support to those people, near at hand and on the sites of these tragedies, most affected by these events.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
Interim President

Others May Qualify for Grant; All Eligible for Interest-free Loan

CUNY student Dreamers facing the strict Oct. 5 deadline to apply for renewal of their DACA immigration status will have the $495 application fee covered on the spot at CUNY Citizenship Now! DACA renewal events, thanks to a partnership with a New York nonprofit that raised funds to pay the fees. Non-CUNY students who meet income guidelines will also have the fee waived; others can secure an interest-free loan, regardless of income.

The New Economy Project contacted CUNY Citizenship Now! to attend the events and cut the $495 application checks for Dreamers - people brought into the United States as children without documentation - meeting income eligibility requirements. The checks will be made out to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and as grants do not have to be paid back.

"CUNY has provided a bridge to the middle class and beyond to generations of immigrant New Yorkers," said Chancellor James B. Milliken. "Given the current political climate, and the fear and uncertainty it has created in immigrant communities, we are doing all we can to support the thousands of CUNY DACA students. CUNY, in fact, is doing more to support Dreamers than any college or university system in the country. For that, we are grateful to the New Economy Project and other organizations throughout the city that have joined CUNY in providing a strong support network for our Dreamers, who want nothing more than to continue living, learning and contributing in the United States."

The Trump administration announced earlier this month that it was ending DACA and barring new applications, and that anyone whose Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals work authorization was to expire between Sept. 5, 2017, and March 5, 2018, will have to renew by Oct. 5 to keep their status. Since then, donors, organizations and others in New York City and around the country have stepped in to provide funds to help Dreamers with the renewal fee.

At the CUNY Citizenship Now! Renewal and Screening Clinics, the New Economy Project will provide the $495 fee grants to eligible New York City Dreamers whose household incomes range from no more than $30,150 for one person to a $71,950 cap for a five-person household. Those exceeding the income thresholds will be assisted at the clinic events in applying online for grants which can also be delivered quickly. Interest-free loans to cover the cost of the application fee are available to anyone, regardless of income.

A CUNY Citizenship Now! DACA Renewal and Screening Clinic - staffed by pro bono attorneys and others, and offering DACA renewal assistance and screening for eligibility for other immigration benefits - was held at CUNY School of Professional Studies on Sept. 20, and five more will be held at the following colleges on these dates:

• Saturday, Sept. 23, John Jay College, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Tuesday, Sept. 26, City College, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Tuesday, Sept. 26, Hostos Community College, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Wednesday, Sept. 27, CUNY School of Professional Studies, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 28, Medgar Evers College, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Students and others attending the events will be screened for DACA renewal eligibility, and for other more permanent immigration benefits. These include Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) for minors who have entered the country and not living with their parents, are wards of the state or in foster care; U visas, for people who have been victims of crimes here; asylum; and family-based petitions, for example, for those married to a U.S. citizen or green card holder.

The City University of New York is the nation's leading urban public university. Founded in 1847, the University comprises 24 institutions: 11 senior colleges, seven community colleges, the William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, the CUNY 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 Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy. The University serves more than 272,000 degree-seeking students. College Now, the University's academic enrichment program, is offered at CUNY campuses and more than 400 high schools throughout the five boroughs. The University offers online baccalaureate and master's degrees through the CUNY School of Professional Studies.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau,
Interim President

In my statement to the campus community dated September 6, 2017, I mentioned there would be a series of meetings, some small, some large and public, to develop a plan of action to defend our Dreamers and ways in which we can respond to the repeal of DACA.

The first will be a general meeting for all members of our campus community on Tuesday, September 12th from 12:30pm - 1:30pm in the Aronow Theater. This will be an occasion to share ideas on how we can protect, encourage and support our Dreamers.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
Interim President

Dear CCNY Community,

We have 6 months. Let's not waste a single day merely bemoaning the stubborn and cruel decision to end DACA and throw the lives and families of nearly 800,000 Americans into chaos and insecurity. We have 6 months to develop a plan of action to defend our Dreamers, and that means we must get busy from day one.

DACA recipients came to this country as children – over 50% before they were 10 years old. Most have no real memory of, or connection to, any country besides the US. To receive DACA status, they passed tests of lawfulness, courage and industriousness that native born Americans need never face. They have paid taxes, bought homes, served their society. They are among our best neighbors and brightest hopes. They belong in this country and we should be proud to have them here.

CCNY and CUNY stand resolutely in opposition to the repeal of DACA, and to any measure, taken by government or individuals to curtail the liberty, dim the prospects, or undermine the integrity of the new Americans that work, learn and live among us. Our college is utterly unconcerned about where you came from or how you got here. We care about the future of our society, as embodied in the dreams and potentials of every student on our campus. We are not neutral on this question, and so I do not write in the spirit of neutrality. On this issue, our campus is a partisan campus. Period.

The question we now face is what are we willing to do in the face of this terrible decision? The DACA repeal came with a caveat: that the legislature has 6 months to work out a humane and forward-looking alternative to DACA. (Never mind that DACA was a safety net to protect people precisely because congress repeatedly failed in that task.) So, how will we spend the next 6 months?

We have three avenues for action, and at CCNY, I suggest we advance down each of them.

First, we speak out in protest. We have marched on this campus and spoken our good intentions into microphones, and will do so again. But we need now to join our voices to those of people around the country, in our writing, with spoken words, and in the assemblies we choose to join. We need to keep one another abreast of protest actions in support of Dreamers, and be willing, as CCNY bodies, to join those assemblies.

Second, we must apply pressure. As individuals and as a campus, we must exert as much pressure on our elected officials as we possibly can. In the very recent past, we have seen how massive public resistance and pressure on government turned the tide against the Affordable Care Act repeal by making the electoral stakes of the decision crystal clear. Five years of DACA has strengthened the interests in our society for finding a way to provide security to our Dreamers—because even immigration skeptics have grown accustomed to the benefits that followed from bringing Dreamers into the light of legal standing. Those interests, and the costs of violating them, need to be made explicit, to encourage those who carry our fight forward, to give pause to those who stand in opposition to Dreamer security, and to convince those who may waver on the issue.

Third, we must safeguard our Dreamers. On this campus and in our city, we must offer protection, encouragement and support. We must all learn the rules of engagement with immigration officials, the first and most important of which is this: if at any time an immigration officials enters our buildings, calls one of our phone lines —inquires in any way after any of our students- every single one of us must respond only by referring the inquiry to Executive Counsel to the President, Paul Occhiogrosso (pocchiogrosso@ccny.cuny.edu; 212-650-8276). And, when a Dreamer needs help, we must be prepared to offer it, via the City College Immigration Center, in our capacities as CCNY employees or students, and as a personal commitment. We must think carefully and plan well what we shall do when the security of any member of our community is threatened by the repeal of DACA.

So now it is time to plan. In the days and weeks ahead, I will convene a series of meetings, some small, some large and public, to plan the concrete ways in which we can advance this agenda. I ask each of you to think hard and pay attention. I firmly believe that in the years ahead, we will each be asked what we did when our neighbors came under this heart wrenching threat. Let's make sure we can answer with pride.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
Interim President

Dear CCNY Community,

Welcome back! I hope that each of you found time over the summer to unwind a bit, explore something new, and recharge from the past academic year. If you are coming to our campus for the first time—as an incoming student or a new member of our faculty or staff—please accept my hearty welcome to our campus community. It promises to be an exciting and consequential year.

City College is a unique place, a fact that has been a source of great pride to many of us over the years. Every day, we embark together upon a mission to educate the whole people. For a hundred and seventy years, this mission has evolved, centering first on the opportunity that free tuition gave the sons and daughters of working families, expanding to embrace those excluded from other campuses because of their gender, or their race, or what they believed. Today—as in years past—we also reaffirm our utter indifference to questions of immigration status: however you came to join us at CCNY, once you are here, you belong--in every respect, and with every right in our capacity to honor—to our beloved campus community.

Today, the values we have so strongly cherished face great challenges outside our campus, challenges that grew more overtly ugly over the weeks of this past summer. The catalogue is heartbreakingly long: racism, religious discrimination, white supremacist demonstrations, a seemingly easier resort to violence, and a dark mood that ceaselessly seeks to exclude members of this community and our neighbors, from the rights, the security and the prosperity of this nation. How so many came to relish their role in inflicting this brutal season upon one another, I do not know, but it has no place at CCNY. I know that we stand together on this point, and I ask each and every one of you to commit yourself, not just to a personal pledge of good and honorable conduct, but to the conscious construction of a better community from which we can all draw strength and pride.

It would be a mistake, moreover, to assume that the diversity we so often celebrate inoculates us from this brutal season. It does not. Every day, students, faculty and staff carry the burden of our broader social environment around with them. Even on this campus, anxiety, fear and conflict seemed more in evidence over recent months than in years past. We cannot simply believe that our history and our demographics shield us from the need to stem this tide. In my office, reports of hate speech, or hateful conduct, have risen. The experience of diversity has more than a few times soured into something more distrusting and bitter. Differences in power and position, inevitable parts of any hierarchical organization, now seem more frequently to have opened the way for disparities in respect or lapses in civility, especially when those differences overlap with race or gender differences.

We have always been an activist campus. The foundational values and the dreams upon which our institution was built require daily defense, especially when they are so publically and broadly under attack. Together and individually, let's use the occasion of this new academic year to examine the ground upon which we stand, and recommit ourselves to its defense. In our teaching and learning, in our interactions with one another, in our research and in our programming, let's make sure that we continue to represent the best and most noble aspirations of our people and our college. Let's take care of one another, and pay attention to the needs of those around us, and make our place in this world more beautiful, just and kind.

It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to a new academic year.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
Interim President

Dear Campus Community,

Last week I sent out an announcement informing the campus of the passing of one of our students, Jaime Morban, Jr. I have just learned that funeral services will be held on Sunday, June 4, 2017 from 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm at the Ortiz Funeral Home, located at 4425 Broadway, New York, NY 10040.

I'm sure that members of his family would be comforted by any of you who are able to attend and moved to do so.

Sincerely,
Vince Boudreau
Interim President

To the CCNY Community,

I have now had the opportunity to review the video tapes of a lecture given by Ambassador Dani Dayan, Consul General from the State of Israel, at the City College of New York. In viewing these tapes, I believe that the campus community, and I as its representative, owe the Consul General an apology. He was an invited guest of the college and the representative of his nation and merits respect on both counts. He was not treated respectfully last week by our campus community, and I apologize for that.

I have established a committee to investigate the events of last week, and will take their recommendation on what course of action to pursue, including disciplinary actions, very seriously. We also began a series of discussions on this campus among the student groups most closely involved in those events, with an eye to repairing whatever damage has been done to our community.

I will insist that no invited guest or speaker of the college be prevented from making their presentation. I will insist on civility in the back and forth between audience and speaker, and in the discussions that take place among audience members.

I will also work, with so many of you, to insure that spirit of free exchange among a diverse community with natural differences of opinion a spirit that stands at the very heart of what it means to be a university, and at the very core of what we have for so long celebrated at CCNY, be defended and preserved.

Sincerely,
Vince Boudreau
Interim President

Dear Members of the City College Community,

I am deeply sorry to bring sad news, but Professor Judith Stein, a beloved member of our CCNY community, passed away Monday night. Dr. Stein was a distinguished professor in our history department, specializing in American history, particularly in areas of labor and civil rights history. She was a true CCNY intellectual in the very best sense of the word: her writing and research focused on issues of economic transformation, class struggle, and the search for justice in our society. In her embrace of these topics, she was as much a passionate advocate as academic analyst: her most recent public presentation on this campus addressed issues of what an academic institution should do when our values are under assault. As I listened to her speak, I remember feeling that I was hearing a truly authentic CCNY voice.

Professor Stein taught at CCNY for 50 years, and retired only last semester. Over the course of her work here, she wrote about the forces that shaped the conservative turn in American politics, drew a deeply engaging portrait of the global context in which Marcus Garvey lived and worked, and described the way political decisions undercut the American steel industry. In bringing these projects into her classroom, she treated decades and decades of City College students to a front row view of the pivotal issues of their time. We will all miss her voice and her sparking mind, and are vastly the better for the time she spent among us.

We will make details of her funeral or memorial arrangements available as we learn of them. We do know that a scholarship fund is being established in her honor.

Vince Boudreau
Interim President

Dear City College Student Community,

As we are nearing the end of the spring semester, I am certain you may have questions or concerns about various issues you have encountered during this semester. I'd like to provide an opportunity for us to meet and talk, and I'll start things off by addressing issues pertaining to student space, student elections and registration.

I would like to address these important topics with you, so I have scheduled a student town hall on Thursday, May 4th from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm in the NAC Aronow Theater.

Please bring your questions and concerns and tell as many of your friends as possible to join me and representatives from the Enrollment Services Center for an open discussion.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
Interim President

Dear CCNY Community,

We have over the last several decades, accumulated a fair number of scholarships to assist our students, often designed to commemorate someone who held a special place in a donor's heart. I'm writing today to ask you to consider making a donation to a new and very special scholarship fund, in the memory of Aaron Raines.

Aaron was a student in our English department, one semester removed from graduating, when she was killed in a heart-wrenching murder-suicide at the end of last year. Anyone who read the initial story of her death could not help but be moved at the great tragedy of a life lost just as Aaron was nearing graduation, just as she approached her chance to throw herself into the world.

Those who knew Aaron personally could tell you so much more. Aaron was a person so brimming with joy and wisdom that she easily personified the very best things that City College stands for. The first in her family to go to college, Aaron wrote constantly: poetry, prose, essays and fiction, mostly dedicated to topics like hope and possibility. She sang, she danced, she inspired. She specialized in aphorisms designed to uplift and motivate young people, particularly young women. She was one of 6 founding members of an organizations called Think Pink, which set out to provide support and leadership training to young women with ambition and talent. She was a CCNY honors student, and was beloved by those who met her.

Aaron was taken from us on the brink of graduation, but left so much of herself behind, on this campus and off it. We seek to commemorate the person she was, and the dreams she sought to inspire in others, with the Aaron Raines Scholarship. We are launching this scholarship via a crowdfunding campaign, asking members of the CCNY community who were touched by Aaron's life, or inspired by her story, to contribute and sustain this scholarship. I will begin the campaign with an initial $1,000 donation.

This spring, we will honor Aaron at graduation with a posthumous degree. We would also like then to publically announce the Aaron Raines Scholarship.

The City College Fund has set up a special online fundraising site on crowdrise. Please click this link to make your gift. https://www.crowdrise.com/the-aaron-raines-scholarship.

All gifts to the Aaron Raines Scholarship are tax-deductible.

You may also donate by personal check.

Please make your check made payable to: The City College Fund
Mail to:
The City College Fund
Shepard Hall, Room 166
New York, NY 10031

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
Interim President CCNY

Dear City College Staff,

The first round table I scheduled when I became Interim President was for staff, but on that occasion, I expressed my desire to have a bigger town hall with outreach to as many staff as possible.

I have been in the position for several months now and feel it's time to hold that bigger meeting. Please join me for a staff town hall on Thursday, March 16th from 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm in the NAC Aronow Theater.

Bring your questions and your insights and be prepared for a wide-ranging discussion on the state of campus life at CCNY.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
Interim President

Regardless of changes in federal regulations requiring educational institutions to allow transgender students to use the restrooms corresponding with their gender identities, CCNY will continue to make that choice available to anyone on our campus. It is our duty, in every way we can, to make each person at CCNY feel supported and accepted—and for transgender students, this partly means respecting their choice of which restroom to use.

Anyone who sees this as merely a matter of bathroom policy is missing the point. Every day, we face choices about whether to include the whole people in our embrace, or find reasons to exclude some of them. As those decisions pile up, they define who we are and what society we wish to inhabit. We can be divided by fear, and prejudice and mistrust, or we can rise above division into the light of a deeper and broader understanding of the human experience, and enjoy the strength that this understanding affords.

Interim President Vince Boudreau

(You will find information on health and safety resources available at CCNY, as well as our statements of college policy on sex, gender and gender violence issues at https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/health-and-safety-services.)

Dear Colleagues,

I wanted to resume the tradition of holding periodic faculty round tables. We had a good discussion at the inaugural town hall last December, but I wanted to provide for continuing dialogue on perhaps a smaller scale.

Please join me on Thursday, February 23rd from 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm in the NAC Aronow Theater for the first faculty round table of the spring semester.

I'll look forward to your input and questions.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
Interim President

Dear City College Student Community,

I know that in these rapidly changing, and often uncertain times that you may have questions or concerns to bring to my attention.

I met a number of you at my first student town hall in December, but want to provide as many opportunities to meet with as many of you as possible and discuss your concerns.

I have therefore scheduled a second town hall with students on Tuesday, February 21st from 12:30 pm–1:45 pm in the NAC Aronow Theater.

Please bring your questions and concerns and tell as many of your friends as possible to join me for an open discussion of campus life.

Sincerely,

Vincent Boudreau
Interim President

I'd like first and foremost to welcome you back to campus. It is my fondest hope that for the most part, the spring 2017 semester will be a time when the most important work on our campus takes place in the classrooms, and that our most important accomplishments will be the education of all students enrolled at our college.

Nevertheless, we are now doubtlessly in a very different moment than we were a few short weeks ago. The new presidential administration has already dramatically changed the national approach to immigrants, particularly immigrants from the 7 countries listed in the so called "Muslim ban" executive order. The anger and resistance that this order sparked has been deeply gratifying for me, because it speaks to the generosity of spirit that I trust still lies in the heart of this nation, and I know is second nature to the people I work with, and the people who come to learn on this campus.

That said, we need to approach the needs of this moment in a clear headed manner, equipping ourselves with good information and a sense of what we can do together to make sure we cherish and protect our core values.

Accordingly, you'll notice some new things on campus. Soon, you'll begin to see stickers identifying classrooms and offices as private spaces, and other spaces - like the cafeteria and plaza - as public spaces. These stickers have a QR code that will take you to a webpage containing a fuller description of why this distinction matters in the enforcement of immigration law.

That explanation will live on a new site, called "We Are One CCNY" on our website, which will go up very soon. That website will contain the best information we have on what's happening to erode the rights and status of our immigrant brothers and sisters and to venues being set up to resist that erosion. The page is still being shaped, but we want it to be as dynamic and flexible as the times demand. One of the resources you will find there is a link to the Immigrants' Center at CCNY and the CUNY Citizenship Now! Office. If you, or someone you know, fear difficulties because of immigration status, this office, and the staff who work there, can help you navigate a wide range of services. You will, importantly, receive attorney-client privilege, and that means that any record of what you say is strictly confidential. If staff or faculty have questions concerning request from off-campus authorities, please direct them to Paul Occhiogrosso, Executive Counsel to the President. For questions related to public safety issues, please contact Pat Morena, Executive Director of Public Safety.

We'll also frequently be reminding everyone about the laws governing the confidentiality of student records, and urging you all to be very mindful of how we handle student information. Anything that is emailed, mailed, written down, or stored in records of any kind on this campus is discoverable, and so we need to make sure that none of us are keeping sensitive information about any student who might be at risk. I am urging you to take this matter as utterly serious. I know none of you would endanger anyone in our community intentionally; let's promise ourselves not to do so unintentionally, either.

I've not been - before this - much of a twitter user, but I'm now using my account more actively to disseminate information and coordinate our activities on these issues. (You'll also see other campus news there as well). The account is Interim President Boudreau on Twitter (vgbcc1).

I've been getting emails from some of you, asking about whether we should be moving in the direction of setting up meetings, teach-ins, and the like. I think this is a terrific idea. These are extraordinary times, and we need to think about our capacity and our obligation (as a public institution) to serve our students and to act as a source of information and level headed thinking for the general community. Accordingly, I urge all of you to write, to speak, share your own stories and make yourself available to people who may need you knowledge, your understanding and your conviction on these issues.

Mainly, what I want to say to you on the first day of classes, is this: the work and life of this campus must go on, and I hope that there will be days this semester that will feel, to all of us, like utterly normal CCNY days. But I don't want to pretend that the things we stand for - the legacy we've so proudly claimed for so long - doesn't put us squarely in opposition to the direction our national leadership has chosen to pursue. We will not surrender our values. We will seek to protect everyone on this campus with reason to fear the new national direction in our politics. We will work in ways that are not routine to plan our way forward, mobilizing the energy and expertise of our campus to make sure that the vision of America long forged within our walls continues to prosper here, and continues to inspire imitation in our society.

Sincerely,

Vincent Boudreau
Interim President

Paul Occhiogrosso, Esq.
Executive Counsel to the President
Wille Administration Building
Room 200
160 Convent Ave.
212.650.8276
e: pocchiogrosso@ccny.cuny.edu

Pat Morena
Executive Director of Public Safety
NAC Building 4/201
160 Convent Avenue
212.650.7997
e: pmorena@ccny.cuny.edu

Why does the distinction between a public and a private campus space matter?

It matters because, as things currently stand, immigration officials use administrative warrants when they are looking to enforce immigration law. Processes outlined in an existing Homeland Security memo established that in so-called sensitive areas, like schools and churches, administrative warrants can only be enforced in public areas. A court order—another kind of warrant—can be used anywhere, but has historically not been the instrument of first resort for immigration officials. We may resist the enforcement of court orders on this campus—but that would constitute civil disobedience—a political act—rather than a reliable protection of students in danger.

I will not grant permission for immigration officials to conduct their work on campus—so that means they would need a court order to enter private areas, such as classrooms and offices. For this reason, we have posted signs designating public and private spaces on campus as a reminder of this distinction.

We should all bear in mind, however, that the Trump administration can easily change homeland security policy and seek more regularly to enforce administrative warrants in private areas in places like schools and churches. It may also elect more frequently to use court orders. It is also clear from the 7-country ban in late January that this administration is enacting sweeping changes in policy without often considering the legality or feasibility of those changes.

Knowing the distinction between public and private spaces could be useful in case of ICE enforcement actions on this campus—but we need also to all be aware of shifts in the way immigration law is practiced.

I will try to keep the campus up to date on any significant changes in this practice. But I also urge you to use the resources of the City College Immigration Center, and the CUNY-wide Citizenship Now! project.

It’s never been more important that we all be fully and accurately informed about these public policies and practices.

Vince Boudreau
Interim President
January 29, 2017

Dear CCNY Community,

I've been asked on several occasions and by several CCNY entities to make a public declaration of CCNY as a sanctuary campus. This issue is complicated, and deserves more than a simple declaration.

In what follows, I would like to unpack those issues and lay out a clear understanding for what the campus can do to protect our students, and what lies beyond our power.

First and foremost, the offices of this college—administrative, academic, security or otherwise—will not be used as an instrument for the enforcement of immigration law. We are a state office in a sanctuary city in a sanctuary state. That means that we are instructed not to inquire into the immigration status of students in the performance of our duties, unless that inquiry is absolutely necessary in the performance of those duties. At the moment the one exception is a form for students without documentation who want to apply for in-state tuition, and even in this case, student must affirmatively choose to provide such documentation.

The Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) actively prevents us from sharing student information, except such information as is required for a directory (and students can opt out of that by filling out a form) and in response to a court order. To reiterate: we are prevented from sharing this information except when we are required to do so. We will continue vigilantly to abide by FERPA laws, and to follow the sanctuary instructions of our governing entities.

Students with reason to be concerned about immigration enforcement will be most protected from those officials in private spaces on campus; CCNY will not give permission for the enforcement of administrative warrants in the campus's private spaces—and we all need to become conversant in the language of public and private spaces here. In the next few weeks, signs will go up on campus describing spaces as public spaces or private spaces. This is an important distinction in the enforcement of immigration law. Immigration officials with a court ordered search warrant can go anywhere in the country. I cannot instruct members of the college community to commit civil disobedience and defy or obstruct such an order (that remains a personal choice). More commonly however, immigration officials use administrative warrants, but can only use them in public spaces.

We will also be issuing cards to all faculty and staff with language they can read off to any external official asking that we participate in the enforcement of immigration law or policy, including by turning over documents. The statement will be a simple affirmation of the strict limits of our compliance, based on FERPA law, campus policy, and the city and state's sanctuary policies.

We know that our concern about these issues is shared by our broader CCNY community of alumni and friends. I have issued a call to CCNY alumni with experience in immigration law, asking that they work with our Immigration Center to set up a network of pro bono assistance for students with immigration concerns. Students with immigration issues should also understand that engaging with our Immigration Center's lawyer grants them the benefit of attorney client privilege---the strongest guarantee of security that we can offer on this campus.

I will not explicitly declare CCNY a sanctuary campus for several reasons. In the current political environment, it is possible that such an overt designation may leave the campus vulnerable to the revocation of eligibility for financial aid, or other federal aid—and that could be devastating for our students. More importantly, however, the declaration of a sanctuary campus is a political statement underscoring a set of commitments and solidarities, rather than a legal designation that offers genuine protection. Our only protection lies in acting with wisdom, forethought and solidarity. Moreover, because we cannot turn immigration officials with court orders away, and because all students may not read the details of what a sanctuary campus truly means, I worry that students may misunderstand themselves to be safe from any warrant when they come on campus. That's a promise we cannot be certain to keep, and the cost of failure in that promise are intolerably high. We should, rather, undertake an effort to take every reasonable step necessary to protect every member of our campus community. But students must understand that despite the declarations of sanctuary wherever it occurs, there is no actual sanctuary in this case.

This is the beginning of a process we will undergo to make sure that our entire community is protected on campus and welcomed into our society. In the New Year, I'll be inviting participation in a working group tasked with making sure we're prepared to meet whatever challenges lie ahead. Efforts to protect our students, no matter where they come from and whatever their status are utterly consistent with the legacy of our campus, and it is a privilege to take up that legacy under whatever conditions we will face. As needs evolve, so will our efforts to protect the whole people represented on this campus.

And, it goes without saying that our efforts to protect new Americans on our campus will be replicated in our defense of students from every faith, every socio economic group, and any ethnic or national background. There is a place for everyone on the CCNY campus, and that means we must all be willing to defend that space against any who seek to diminish it, or demean those who occupy it.

Vincent Boudreau

Interim President, City College of New York

Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Students,

I don't know about you, but by this time of the academic year, I'm more or less running on fumes. There's so much to do, every day, to keep our college running, to make sure our students are well educated and cared for. If you're a student, I know that the last weeks of the semester were probably exhausting for you—replete with the rush to finish papers, tie up experiments and lab projects, and prepare for final exams. Our holiday break is upon us, and we have all earned the respite.

Over the next few weeks, we'll all be enjoying some much deserved rest.I hope that each of you find comfort and sustenance in the time you'll spend with your family. I hope that the holidays, and the New Year, bring joy and energy to your lives. I hope that the time you spend with people you love will rejuvenate you, and provide a serene coda to 2016.

As you leave campus for the year, know that the work we do on this campus is a collective effort, and the contributions that each one of you make, every day, matter profoundly to our community. Thank you, each of you, for your dedication and work. May the joys of the season be upon you, and the blessings of prosperity, security and love be close at hand over the holidays and all the year through.

Warmly,

Vincent Boudreau

Interim President

Dear CCNY Colleagues,

The impact of the recent presidential election on immigrants, including those on our campus, is very much on everyone’s mind.  As part of our response, I have asked that a microphone be set up on the plaza in front of NAC at 3:30 this Thursday to give us an opportunity to stage a demonstration in support of our students, particularly those with reason to fear a shift in immigration policy or practice. I hope that students, faculty, administrators and staff will use the open mic to signify our resolve to protect our entire student body and our belief in a wise and humane immigration policy.

The demonstration should cap a day of serious discussion around these issues. At 12:15, the PSC union is meeting to discuss our strategy to help our students in light of these developments.  I’ll be attending that meeting, and I hope that many of you will as well. Directly following the union gathering, the faculty senate meets, and the issue of CCNY becoming a sanctuary campus is on the agenda there.

It will be cold on Thursday—perhaps as cold as 25 degrees—so bundle up. But as one of my colleagues said in a recent meeting, the image of the CCNY campus, huddled against the cold, but standing up for a humane and wise immigration policy could provide a very nice message to our students and to the city. Please come out and join us.  We’ll endeavor to get as many people to the microphone as possible, but it’s important to show the city where we stand together on these issues. 

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau

Interim President

Last night, we discovered anti-Semitic graffiti on the CCNY campus. The New York City Police department is investigating this graffiti as a hate crime, and I fully support that approach.

But I also wanted to say how heart sick this kind of thing makes me, and should make us all. There’s not a person on this campus who would not now, or in the recent past, have been vulnerable to something like an attack of this kind. Today it happens that someone wrote something hateful and nasty about Jewish people. Tomorrow it may be African Americans or people who follow the Muslim faith. But on this campus, in this city, nothing should be more obvious than the fact that we are largely and magnificently composed of people who share a history of this kind of vulnerability, and that a huge part of what makes us special, and can make us extraordinary, is the wisdom that comes from understanding and celebrating that history. I know that the vast majority of CCNY students, faculty and staff are as fully committed to this ideal.

Whoever you are, and for whatever reason you decided to write those words: know that you are corroding something precious and irreplaceable. Once this kind of language enters our public spaces or private conversation, it destroys trust, it displaces kindness, and it decimates hope. Everyone belongs on this campus, and in this world—and to suggest otherwise in any way is an act of violence against us all.

At City College, we emphatically condemn hate speech of any kind, directed against any population. In this specific instance, we condemn the anti-Semitic language used in the campus graffiti, and ask each of you to protect and cherish the community we build, each day, on this campus.
 

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
Interim President

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish each of you a happy and safe thanksgiving. I hope that this Thursday, and over the course of the holidays to come, you have the opportunity to spend time with people you love and who love you, enjoy the bounty of the season, and reflect on all that is good in your life. When I take that pause myself, I'll spend time thinking about all of you, and the work we do together on this campus. I'm so grateful to call CCNY my home institution, and to number each of you among the members of my community.

I also hope that as we move into the holiday season, you'll take note that Tuesday is Giving Tuesday. So many of you donate your time and effort to causes you believe in all year long, and I've been inspired at your example. Giving Tuesday is one day a year when we're all called to contribute what we can to CUNY—to help support the noble endeavor of public education for all. Over the next few days, you'll have the opportunity to contribute something to various fundraising exercises on campus—and our big Giving Tuesday event will take place at 12:00 in the Great Hall. There will be games, free food and prizes on hand—but it's also a chance to commemorate generosity in all its forms, and to participate in that generosity. Please come join us in the Great Hall to help celebrate City College.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau, Interim President

At City College, our values demand that whatever the rhetoric in the larger society, our campus will be a place where all people are welcome, protected, and celebrated. Wherever you were born, whatever you believe, and however you came here: if you have the requisite talent, City College is a place where your experiences, perspectives and identity will be respected.  We embrace our differences as virtues rather than threats.  We have worked, for over 160 years, to nurture an academic community dedicated to the idea that a democratic and stable society needs the talents of each person, and the educational institutions of that society should develop those talents wherever they are found.

More than half the students at CCNY were born abroad; our community contains members of all religions, ethnicities, national origins, and gender identities. As an institution and as individuals, we will vigorously defend our embrace of the whole people. We exclude no one.  We protect and value everyone.

We are a campus of immigrants, and the advocacy for justice in the field of immigration will continue to be central to our educational efforts.  We are a community proud of its diversity, and work each day to be a refuge and a source of wisdom on questions of racial, religious and gender fairness. We proudly affirm foundational commitments to accessible education—and by implication to robust social and economic mobility— as the best and truest road to a better world.  Whenever and for whatever reason the climate shifts against these values outside our campus, we rededicate ourselves to their affirmation within it. 

The City College of New York was founded as a revolutionary experiment that broadened access to an excellent education, and we cherish that mission to this day. It has been our privilege and obligation to model, for the rest of the world, what a better and more ennobled society should be, to educate young people in a belief in that society, and send them out to help make it. That is our legacy, and we celebrate it with pride.

If you are currently a member of our community, join us in protecting these commitments, and trust that you will be protected by them.  If you are considering becoming a member of our community, know that whoever you are, we have a place for people exactly like you.

Vince Boudreau, Interim President

To many of you, the world today must feel a colder and more lonely place. Over the past months, we have watched the parameters of what is acceptable in our political and social life, and in the speech acts associated with that life, shift radically away from established norms of racial justice, gender fairness and basic equality before the law.

I write these lines not as a partisan in our political process, but as someone who has been asked to steward, for the time being, an institution that is not neutral on these questions, and that cannot remain neutral.

Our values demand, whatever the rhetoric outside our campus, that we embrace the possibility that there is a place for all of us, on this campus and in this society: wherever you were born, and however you came here. They demand that we embrace our differences as virtues rather than threats, and recognize and nurture the promise represented by each person moving across this earth. At the most fundamental level, they demand that we commit our private and public selves to the responsibility of taking care of one another: of recognizing pain, and want, and isolation when we see it in those around us, and offering such comfort as we can.

We are a campus of immigrants, and the advocacy for justice in the field of immigration will continue to be central to our educational efforts. We are a campus community that proclaims its diversity, and so we must be a refuge and a source of wisdom on questions of racial, religious and gender fairness. We are, as an institution, built on foundational beliefs about the necessary place of accessible education—and by implication the need for robust social and economic mobility—in any stable and democratic society. And all of this means that whenever and for whatever reason the climate shifts against these values outside our campus, we are obliged to reaffirm them within it.

I have always thought that CCNY has been, throughout its history, a step ahead of the country—that it has been our privilege and obligation to model, for the rest of the world, what a better and more perfect union should look like, to educate young people in a belief in that world, and send them out to help make it. That is our legacy, and I fervently hope that you feel its weight and honor, now more than ever.

Let's be that place. Let's look one another in the eye today. Let's stick together, and in that basic act of community, continue the work we came to this campus to do.

Vincent Bordreau