Testimony from the CUNY Board of Trustees Hearing – April 6, 2026

Kevin Adams, PSC HEO Chapter Co-Chair and Director of Community Standards, Medgar Evers College: “Our students are already balancing jobs, family responsibilities, and housing insecurity. They should not have to contend with the fear of a ceiling leak, a mold-riddled library, extreme temperatures, or a broken lab vent on top of their coursework. Improved health and safety conditions are not a luxury; they are a prerequisite for academic persistence and student success. We need a dedicated, transparent capital investment plan that prioritizes the structural integrity of our borough’s campuses. We need facilities that reflect the brilliance of the people inside them — campuses that are safe, modern, and, above all, functional.” (Read Kevin Adams’s full testimony and watch their testimony here.)

Arturo H. Enamorado III, Faculty Lecturer, Kingsborough Community College: “Executive Vice-Chancellor and chief Operating Officer, and Acting Senior Vice Chancellor for University Human Resources, Hector Batista reported to City councils higher education communities on March 20th, 2026 that 33% of the systems facilities is in a state of “good repair”, an increase of 10 points from 23% from a few years ago. I am no math professor, but that is a failing grade and a dereliction of duty and responsibility to our students, faculty, and staff.” (Read Arturo Enamorado’s full testimony and watch their testimony here.)

Laura Stephens, PSC Part-time Personnel Officer and Adjunct Assistant Professor, Medgar Evers College: “In Chancellor Matos Rodríguez’s 2025 State of the University Address, he declared CUNY’s commitment to building programs and serving students by ensuring campuses were equipped to serve them. Yet the reality in our classrooms and offices tells a different story. During late fall and winter months, students sit in winter coats during lectures, while others sweat through spring and summer classes without proper ventilation. Faculty and professional staff work in offices exceeding 80 degrees with inadequate HVAC and air circulation (Brooklyn College and Medgar Evers College). Children accompany parents to libraries contaminated with black mold and poor air quality (Medgar Evers College).”  (Read Laura Stephens’s full testimony and watch their testimony here.)

Carole K. Harris, PSC NYC Tech Chapter Chair and Professor, New York City College of Technology: “In an emergency health and safety meeting with City Tech President Santiago, we expressed concern about the dust that shot out from the ceiling at the Town Hall. People reported symptoms after the incident. One attendee reported feeling a “grittiness” in his throat that day; a student reported “coughing up a storm” after his asthma acted up. After returning home, he needed to use his nebulizer machine due to a full-blown asthma attack. I remained congested for several days. We circled back to our major question: what was in that dust? President Santiago confidently replied that it was only cinder block dust (“Nothing to worry about.” “No harm, no foul”). But cinder block dust often contains silica, a dangerous, toxic substance. In fact, there’s no such thing as harmless dust. All dust is bad.”  (Read Carole K. Harris’s full testimony and watch their testimony here.)

Maudry-Beverly Lashley, PSC Medgar Evers Chapter Chair and Professor, Medgar Evers College: “The current conditions in many of our facilities are not only inadequate but pose ongoing risks to the health and safety of both staff and students. Library staff, in particular, have been significantly impacted. This includes individuals with compromised immune systems, severe allergies, neurological conditions, and those who are pregnant. These environments are not conducive to safe or healthy working conditions. Students, who rely on these campuses as study and research spaces, are also affected. Their well-being must be considered equally in any response to these issues.”  (Read Maudry-Beverly Lashley’s full testimony and watch their testimony here.)

Jeff Ballerini, Academic Adviser, Queensborough Community College: “I call upon CUNY to increase funding allocations to capital projects in their municipal and state government budget proposals so we can pay for the repairs and upgrades that are sorely needed. Furthermore, CUNY must negotiate contracts to include more robust provisions that hold DASNY or their subcontractors accountable when they fail to provide adequate service in a timely manner. In addition, CUNY must increase its operational funding requests so that we can hire additional building and grounds staff to reduce the massive backlog of work orders that keep our facilities in good condition.” (Read Jeff Ballerini’s full testimony and watch their testimony here.)

Julie Hegner, Assistant Registrar, Brooklyn College: “Several of Brooklyn College’s buildings are approaching the century mark, with decades of deferred maintenance that make them feel even older. We have leaks, mold, and even occasional waterfalls. There are falling tiles, condemned rooms, and wildlife sharing our spaces. The Brooklyn College I came to in 1999 was a jewel. Now, 27 years later, it has lost its shine… All of us deserve better. We should not have to endure the spaces where we work and learn, and we certainly should not be in environments that pose risks to our health.”  (Read Julie Hegner’s full testimony and watch their testimony here.)

Lynne Turner, PSC Vice President for Part-time Personnel, LaGuardia Community College: “Presently, CUNY’s administration is placing unreasonable impediments to incorporating adjunct faculty assigned to academic programs into our bargained multiyear appointments, including resistance to the basic common and fair practice of recognizing the prior service of the long-serving adjuncts that teach in programs. CUNY management: Implement Our Agreement!”  (Read Lynne Turner’s full testimony and watch their testimony here.)

Tanya Serdiuk, Director Office of Accreditation, Quality Assurance & Institutional Effectiveness, Medgar Evers College: “I am speaking tonight on a health and safety issue that is not as obvious as crumbling infrastructure, rampant mold, or other unsafe working conditions. Rather, I am speaking on the toll that chronic understaffing and consequent work overload takes on the physical, mental, and emotional health of HEOs. I won’t detail the physical and mental harms that arise from these workplace stressors: they have been well documented by OSHA, the NIH, and the American Psychological Association. Note that the top workplace stressors are unrealistic workloads and deadlines, poor communications, and toxic workplaces.”  (Read Tanya Serdiuk’s full testimony and watch their testimony here.)

Elizabeth Hovey, PSC John Jay Chapter Co-Chair and Adjunct Assistant Professor, John Jay College: “Our students are betrayed by you permitting CUNY management to barricade adjuncts from their access to the multi-year job security that the terms of the Memorandum of Agreement clearly promises. The list of John Jay programs you don’t recognize with protections exceeds the time I have.”  (Read Elizabeth Hovey’s full testimony and watch their testimony here.)