CUNY and SUNY students signed 40,000 postcards and nearly 4,000 PSC/CUNY members sent email letters urging Governor Cuomo to sign the maintenance of effort bill. He has until December 11 to sign or veto it. If you haven’t sent a letter yet, please do it now.
The bill would stabilize state funding for SUNY and CUNY by supporting annual projected increases to operating costs such as supplies and equipment, utilities and rent. Without state support for these normal operating expenses, cash-strapped campuses have been forced to use increased tuition to maintain current programming instead of to expand mentorship opportunities, improve counseling, and strengthen advisement—investments proven to improve student outcomes.
Before landing on Governor Cuomo’s desk, the “Maintenance of Effort” (M.O.E.) bill passed by near-unanimous votes in the state Senate and Assembly. The following groups and elected officials also sent letters of support:
Hispanic Taskforce
Assemblymember Deborah Glick, et al.
Assemblyspeaker Carl Heastie, et al.
CUNY Caucus (organized by Assemblymember Walter Mosley)
Brooklyn BP Eric Adams
Bronx BP Ruben Diaz
Queens BP Melinda Katz
NYC Council
Ad Hoc Alliance to Maintain Quality at CUNY
