This Week in the PSC (09/20/2022): Protect Our Health Insurance | Public Service Loan Forgiveness

The City has an obligation to cover retirees’ health insurance costs without premiums or prior authorizations. The NYC Council is expected to vote on a proposed Administrative Code change that breaks the compact with retirees. The code change also opens a door to future changes to the quality or cost of active employee health insurance.

Send a letter now urging your council member to protect our health insurance by voting NO on the change to Administrative Code 12-126.

Governor Signs Bill Making Many Adjuncts Eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness

PSC President James Davis and dozens of PSC members joined Governor Kathy Hochul at BMCC Thursday, September 15 to celebrate the signing of a legislation to expand access to public service loan forgiveness. The legislation, sponsored by Senator Kevin Thomas and Assembly Member Harvey Epstein, will allow many adjunct faculty who were carved out of public service loan forgiveness to qualify. Read more.

A special waiver to expand the types of eligible federal loans and broaden the periods of repayment that may count toward eligibility for public service loan forgiveness will soon expire. Waiver applications must be submitted by October 31, 2022 with documentation from employers and completion of loan consolidation.

Now that Governor Hochul has signed the Thomas/Epstein bill, adjuncts who may qualify for public service loan forgiveness should make sure their federal student loans are consolidated into the Direct Loan Program and they should begin submitting their application forms to CUNY campuses to document public service.

PSC’s PSLF page has been updated with new videos of PSC webinars for full-time CUNY employees and teaching adjuncts and with a webinar and Q&A session presented by CUNY University Benefits Office and the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program.

The PSC is filing a grievance against CUNY’s policy that prohibits faculty members from asking students to wear masks in their classes. We have consistently indicated to the administration that we believe faculty members, like other members of the campus community, retain the right to make this request of others, and they do not relinquish that right because of their institutional role, nor does it jeopardize the University’s mask-optional policy. No such prohibition limits our SUNY counterparts. We advise our members who want to notify students verbally and/or on their syllabi to cite the University’s recommendations about mask-wearing:

You can monitor New York City’s current COVID-19 level by checking the NYC Department of Health’s Alert Level system and the CDC’s Community Level tracking. When levels are high, 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. When levels are high, we urge you to wear a mask in public indoor spaces – for your safety and that of those around you.

Restating this position from the University should clear up any misperception that an instructor is abusing their authority.

The PSC’s lawsuit against CUNY’s arbitrary implementation of a COVID vaccine mandate to only ¾ of its employees is still in court. CUNY’s policy regarding employees who are unvaccinated is to require a weekly negative COVID test at a CUNY campus testing site. We will keep PSC members apprised of further developments about the vaccine policy.

We’re still refining our new website and cannot wait to hear your thoughts on our new look: if you find a bug or a broken link, reach out to us by emailing us at [email protected].