PSC and the CUNY Rising Alliance joined with Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest to lead a masked, in-person rally and march in Brooklyn Saturday, March 6 to demand a New Deal for CUNY. The New Deal for CUNY is a bill rapidly gaining co-sponsors in the NYS Senate and Assembly that would establish minimum staff-to-student ratios for mental health counselors, academic advisors and full-time faculty at CUNY while raising pay for adjunct faculty and enacting free tuition.
Rallying in support of a #NewDeal4CUNY! Investing in students; investing in faculty; investing in campus facilities – CUNY needs a New Deal! #ND4C pic.twitter.com/JGs5TciP2a
— Senator Andrew Gounardes (@Sen_Gounardes) March 6, 2021
More than 150 marchers–students, faculty, staff, alumni and CUNY allies–gathered at Barclay’s Center to call on Brooklyn legislators to co-sponsor the New Deal for CUNY and demand passage of state budget that will dramatically increase CUNY funding. The event started with a press conference and rally in front of Barclays Center featuring statements from NYS
- Phara Souffrant Forrest, Assembly Member
- Juvanie Piquant, Chairperson, CUNY University Student Senate
- Barbara Bowen, President, Professional Staff Congress
- Diana Richardson, NYS Assembly Member
- Jo Ann Simon, NYS Assembly Member
- Andrew Gounardes, NYS Senator
- Scott Stringer, Candidate for NYC Mayor
- Brad Lander, Candidate for NYC Comptroller
The speakers argued that massive investment in CUNY is the way to ensure a just, inclusive recovery from the COVID recession—and a better life for millions of New Yorkers. The rally was followed by a march down Flatbush Avenue to the Adams Street entrance of the Namm building at New York City College of Technology, one of four CUNY campuses in Brooklyn.
