Over $100 Million in
New State Operating Funds for CUNY
“By rejecting tuition hikes for in-state undergraduates, increasing the operating budget allocation by more than $100 million, including more than a billion dollars in new capital funding and explicitly committing to funding increases for CUNY for two years, the state has made a long-awaited reinvestment in our great public university,” said PSC President James Davis.
“These gains couldn’t have come at a better time, as CUNY management has proposed deep ‘savings target’ cuts to academic programs and student services because of state budget uncertainty, cuts from Mayor Eric Adams, and enrollment declines. With these significant increases in state funding, Chancellor Matos Rodríguez must reverse the planned cuts and commit to protecting the jobs of PSC members, appropriate class sizes, and the quality of a CUNY education. The chancellor must now fight to increase funding for CUNY from the city.” Read the full statement here.
Help us win a strong New York City budget as well! Sign up here to let us know you’ll be at the City Hall Rally Thursday, May 11, 12:30 PM.
Another strong state budget should be enough to stop management’s $128 million in “savings targets” cuts. But City cuts have been threatened and enrollments are down. So, we cannot let up. Our colleges and departments, the jobs of our adjunct colleagues and the quality of a CUNY education are still at stake. Read on for a series of events you can attend to help stop the cuts.
♦♦♦Cross Campus Grade-In Against Layoffs and Course Reductions—Thurs, May 4♦♦♦
Vice Chancellor Batista put a target on adjuncts’ backs when he directed colleges to reduce their adjunct budgets as part of their “savings targets.” RSVP here to join us this Thursday at an all-day in-person Grade-In Against Layoffs and Course Reductions at John Jay College (10:00am-3:00pm) or at satellite in-person events at City College (1:00-3:00pm) and Lehman College (1:30-3:00pm). You can also participate on Zoom or watch a live stream of the program broadcast from the PSC’s YouTube channel between 1:30-3:00pm.
RSVP: GRADE-IN
♦♦♦Art Build in Preparation for the Trustees Hearing—Fri, May 5♦♦♦
RSVP here and join us Friday, May 5 from 4-7 PM in the PSC office (25 Broadway, 9th floor, proof of COVID vaccination required) to make 100 “Missing Persons” posters. The posters will be a powerful visual for next Monday’s Board of Trustees hearing to represent the staff, faculty and students that CUNY has already lost and those who will be missing if management’s “savings target” cuts are enacted.
RSVP: ART BUILD
♦♦♦Board of Trustees Hearing at LaGuardia Community College—Mon, May 8♦♦♦
Tell CUNY to Stop the Cuts and Come to the Table
Let us know before our Thursday noon deadline that you can testify about understaffing and program constraints, the threat of adjunct layoffs, or the importance of better pay and benefits. Testify for up to three minutes in-person or online, or come in person to show support for your colleagues. The hearing starts Monday, May 8, at 4:30 PM, LaGuardia Community College, Long Island City. The PSC chapter at LaGuardia is organizing a picket line at 3:30 PM. Come early to participate. RSVP here to attend or testify and find resources to help you prepare your testimony.
RSVP: TRUSTEES HEARING
♦♦♦New York City Budget Rally-Thurs, May 11♦♦♦
Students, faculty, staff and CUNY allies will rally to stop NYC budget cuts and demand increased community college funding next Thursday, May 11 at 12:30pm, City Hall Park. RSVP to let us know you’ll be there. The City Council meets right after the rally, so we need a strong turnout!
Mayor Eric Adams has eliminated hundreds of unfilled faculty and staff positions at CUNY community colleges through his “Program to Eliminate the Gap” cuts. CUNY has been cut by more than $60 million in Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024. But the City Council has been standing up to the mayor, demanding budget restorations and a $35 million increase to hire a new corps of full-time academic advisors.
RSVP: CITY HALL RALLY
♦♦♦Faculty and Staff Town Hall about CUNY Online♦♦♦
Register here for a Zoom Town Hall meeting May 15th, 7:00-8:30 PM, to hear about and discuss CUNY Online, CUNY Central’s new initiative to quickly and massively expand fully asynchronous degree programs across CUNY. The latest issue of Clarion includes an article that raises concerns from the union’s perspective. What are your thoughts and reactions to this plan? Join colleagues, governance and union leaders to consider what CUNY Online may mean for our work, academic freedoms, and student success at CUNY. If you can’t make it, or would like to share information, questions, comments or concerns, please send them to [email protected].
RSVP: CUNY ONLINE TOWN HALL
Writers Guild On Strike!
Thousands of TV and film writers are striking to bring their contract into the 21st century–wages are falling behind, while production companies have been raking in profits generated in good part by the writers’ work. PSC members might consider joining our union siblings at one of their picket lines in the coming weeks: information about times and locations can be found at the Guild’s Airtable – Picket Location Addresses.
Published: May 3, 2023 | Last Modified: June 22, 2023
