Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 1 p.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 3
Committee: Committee on Higher Education
The Committee on Higher Education, chaired by Council Member Rita Joseph, held an oversight hearing on racial equity at CUNY. In her opening, the chair recognized the Juneteenth holiday and addressed a U.S. Department of Justice civil rights investigation of CUNY, calling the claims baseless and stating she stands with CUNY's initiative programs. CUNY Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost Alicia Albarran and Bronx Community College President Larry Johnson testified on student, faculty, and administrative demographics, hiring and retention practices, mentorship, and SEEK program updates, and took extensive questions from the chair. Public testimony followed from CUNY students, faculty and staff associations, union representatives, and advocates, who urged increased recruitment and retention of Black faculty and staff, updated SEEK guidelines and growth plans, mental health counselor funding, preservation of AANAPISI and affinity programs, free OMNY cards for students, and greater CUNY transparency and accountability on racial equity. No votes were taken.
4:05 Thank you good afternoon
4:05 ladies and gentlemen welcome
4:08 to the New York City Council
4:09 hearing for the committee on
4:11 higher education at this time
4:12 I'd like to remind everyone to
4:15 please silence all devices and
4:16 at no point during the hearing u
4:20 wish to testify at today's
4:21 hearing please see you
4:22 sergeant at the back of the
4:23 room to fill out a testimony
4:25 slip even if you have
4:26 registered previously online
4:28 to begin good afternoon I'm
4:40 councilmember Rita Joseph
4:41 chair of the the committee on
4:43 higher education welcome t
4:45 otoday's oversight hearing on
4:46 racial equity at cuny.
4:48 Before turning to our
4:48 hearing topic let me start by
4:51 noting that friday's
4:52 juneteenth the federal holiday
4:53 since 20 21
4:55 . Juneteenth was first
4:56 commemorated in 18 66 when
4:58 black freedom organized the
5:00 first jubilee day as a day of
5:02 celebration prayer and
5:03 solidarity exactly one year
5:05 after union troops began
5:06 enforcing the emancipation of
5:07 enslaved people in texas last
5:09 Thursday the kansas City
5:11 council passed a resolution
5:12 recognizing the history of
5:15 juneteenth and affirming that
5:16 City of New york's commitment
5:18 to upholding the legacy of
5:19 juneteenth as a day of hope
5:22 and celebration
5:22 . Today's hearing is part of
5:23 committee's.
5:24 Oversight role is to ensure
5:26 that racial equity is at the
5:27 center of our work when it
5:28 comes to advancing and
5:29 progressing higher education
5:30 in our City I'd like t
5:31 ocomment on the justice
5:32 department's announcement it's
5:34 civil rights division has
5:36 initiated an investigation of
5:38 possible racial discrimination
5:39 at cuny.
5:39 In its release the d claims
5:43 to have received reports
5:43 alleging that q and provides
5:47 educational benefit t
5:47 ominority particularly black
5:48 males on the basis of race
5:49 cuny's website states clearly
5:50 that all programs and
5:52 activities of cuny initiative
5:55 programs are open to all
5:57 academically eligible students t
6:01 regard to race gender and
6:02 national origin or
6:04 characteristics these claims
6:05 are baseless and to be clear I
6:06 stand with cuny initiative.
6:08 Cuny mandates embeds in New
6:09 York state law is to maintain
6:13 expand cuny's commitment t
6:14 oacademic excellence in the
6:15 provision of equal access t
6:17 oopportunity and opportunity
6:19 for students faculty and staff
6:20 from all ethnic and racial
6:22 groups and from both sects New
6:24 York state law also states
6:27 that activities on cuny
6:28 campuses must recognize and
6:30 respond to a positive desire
6:32 to have City university
6:34 personnel reflect the diverse
6:36 community communities which
6:37 compromise the people of the
6:39 City and state of New York
6:40 these strong statement make it.
6:41 Clear that ensuring racial
6:43 equity for students faculty
6:45 and staff is explicitly at the
6:47 heart of cuny's mission our
6:49 committee applauds that
6:51 mission.
6:51 Today we'll be hearing
6:52 specifically about the racial
6:53 ethnic breakdown of cuny
6:54 student faculty and
6:57 administration across the
6:58 university and also by campus
6:59 we want to discuss where those
7:01 figures reflect a reasonable
7:03 definition of racial equity
7:04 and where they do not
7:06 . Our job is to ensure
7:07 community keep their promise
7:08 to every student faculty and
7:10 administrator regardless of
7:11 race we are here to follow the
7:13 data asked hard questions and
7:15 demand real answers equity is
7:16 in a box for cuny to check
7:18 each year it's a promise
7:18 renewed at day as the chair of
7:21 that this committee and as a
7:23 heart educator at heart I
7:24 intend on holding all or us t
7:27 oall accounts now I'd like t
7:29 oacknowledge my colleagues on
7:30 the City Council I have joan
7:32 arriola on zoom I have
7:34 Virginia man yoli council
7:36 maloney's here and council
7:38 member Harvey Epstein who is
7:39 currently in
7:39 . A hearing Council Member
7:40 wrestler in the hearing and
7:41 I'll also like to thank myself f
7:44 chief of staff julia julia
7:46 goldman goldsmith pickem
7:49 committees senior legislative
7:50 counsel regina paul the
7:51 committee's legislative policy
7:52 analysis and allie stouffer
7:54 the committee's final
7:55 financial.
7:55 Analysis I would like t
7:57 oremind everyone who wished t
7:57 otestify in person today that
7:59 you must fill out a witness
8:01 slip which is located on the
8:02 desk of the sergeant at arms
8:05 near the entrance of this room m
8:07 even if you're already
8:10 registered in.
8:10 Advance that you'll be
8:11 testifying today
8:12 . To allow as many people as
8:14 possible to testify testimony
8:16 we're limited to three minutes
8:18 per person whether you're
8:19 testifying in person or in
8:19 zoom I'm also going to ask my
8:21 colleagues to limit their
8:23 questions and comments to five
8:24 minutes please note that the
8:26 witnesses who are here in
8:28 person will testify before
8:28 those signed to zoom oh okay
8:30 now in coordinates with the
8:32 rules go ahead hi I'll ask you
8:36 to raise your right hand and
8:38 I'll call on each of you t
8:40 oanswer the oath which is I do
8:42 for him tell the truth and
8:43 answer your questions from
8:45 these council members to the
8:45 thank you.ur ability
8:59 good afternoon chair Joseph
8:59 and members of the committee I
9:02 am alicia albarran executive
9:04 vice chancellor and university
9:05 provost of cuny I am pleased
9:07 to be joined today by larry d
9:09 johnson jr president of bronx
9:11 community college thank you
9:12 for convening today's hearing
9:14 on racial equity at cuny few
9:17 questions are more central to
9:19 our universities purpose or
9:21 more consequential for the
9:22 future of our City as the
9:24 first latina to serve as a
9:26 university's executive vice
9:27 chancellor and university
9:28 provost I'm intimately aware
9:30 of why representation matters
9:33 I'm a first generatio
9:34 namerican a first generatio
9:35 ncollege student and the
9:36 daughter of cuban refugees I
9:38 started as a faculty member at
9:39 queens college in 2003 an
9:41 dhave dedicated my career t
9:43 omaking the university more
9:46 equitable the consequential
9:47 work we are doing together
9:48 sends an important message t
9:50 oour campus community and City
9:52 namely that the principles of
9:55 access and inclusion are
9:56 crucial drivers of success for
9:58 all New York er's discussions
10:00 like the one we are having
10:03 today provide important forums
10:05 to focus attention on racial
10:06 equity and other issues that
10:09 pursue justice for the
10:11 underserved cuny students
10:12 mirror New York city's rich
10:14 diversity 78% of our
10:16 population are students of
10:17 color serving them equitably
10:19 as what our university exists
10:21 to aidoo cuny's mission has
10:23 always been rooted in equity
10:25 access opportunity and
10:27 academic excellence diversity
10:29 is not separate from those
10:31 commitments it is essential t
10:33 othem in fact it is both a
10:35 moral and legal obligation New
10:38 York state education law
10:39 section 62 oh one which
10:42 established cuny as a unified
10:43 system in 19 61 explicitl
10:46 ycalls for university that
10:48 reflects the diverse
10:49 communities that comprise the
10:50 people of the City and state
10:52 the country cuny serves nearly
11:01 247000 students across 2
11:03 6campuses and degree levels in
11:05 fall 20 25 the student body
11:07 was 22.7% asian or pacific
11:12 islander 27.5% black 27.6%
11:17 hispanic and 21.9% white t
11:20 ofulfill our academic mission
11:22 . We strive to ensure that our
11:24 faculty reflects a comparable
11:26 breadth of perspectives in
11:28 identity and lived experience
11:30 and intellectual approach a
11:33 diverse faculty strengthens
11:34 university in specific
11:36 measurable ways it broadens
11:38 the questions we ask and the
11:40 knowledge we produce it
11:40 deepens the student
11:43 educational experience
11:44 allowing students to see
11:45 themselves reflected in the
11:46 curriculum and in their
11:48 mentors it strengthens
11:49 pedagogy and mentorship in a
11:51 system where students bring a
11:52 wide range of perspectives
11:54 into the classroom and it
11:56 ensures that our programs
11:58 evolve alongside the society
12:00 of our students will enter
12:02 diversity in this sense is not
12:04 an initiative it is a core
12:06 component of the university's
12:07 quality and strength the
12:10 question of faculty diversity
12:11 is one of the most persistent
12:14 challenges in american higher
12:15 education a chronicle of
12:17 higher education analysis
12:18 published this month and
12:20 drawing on federal data from
12:22 2024 found that more than
12:25 seven out of 10 faculty
12:28 members nationwide were white
12:29 minority faculty the report
12:32 found represent approximately
12:33 28% of all faculty cuny
12:36 significantly exceeds that
12:37 national average with 45% of
12:40 our nearly 19000 faculty
12:43 members coming from minority
12:44 groups in fall 20 25 this
12:47 includes 15% who were asian
12:50 15% who are black or african
12:51 american and 13% who are
12:54 hispanic while cuny's faculty
12:56 diversity far exceeds the
12:57 national average we know our
12:59 work is ongoing and we are
13:00 committed to broadenin
13:02 gopportunity across the
13:03 university over the past fiv
13:04 eyears a majority of New full
13:07 time faculty hires at our
13:08 senior and community colleges
13:10 have come from minority groups
13:12 reaching 61% in 20 24 25 in
13:16 that year 21% of hires were
13:18 black or african american the
13:20 highest rate in five years
13:21 while 27% were asian and 9
13:25 %were hispanic cuny's non
13:26 teaching workforce is also
13:28 highly diverse more than two
13:30 thirds of our staff are
13:31 members of minority groups 17%
13:33 are asian 24% are black and
13:38 26% are hispanic and the
13:39 diversification of cooney's
13:40 senior leadership has
13:42 accelerated since 20 19 when
13:45 chancellor felix matos
13:46 rodriguez became chancellor
13:48 since then minority group
13:51 representation among our 2
13:52 6presidents and deans has grown
13:56 to 62% including 27% who are
13:59 black and 27% who are hispanic
14:03 at cuny central 50% of the
14:05 chancellery belongs to a
14:05 minority group the numbers
14:07 tell part of the story the
14:09 programs tell the rest and the
14:11 most important thing t
14:13 ounderstand about cooney's
14:14 approach is that we are
14:15 strengthening academic fields
14:17 in ways that expand
14:19 opportunity support excellence
14:20 and better serve our students
14:22 are diverse students and City
14:24 the clearest example is our
14:25 investment in black race and
14:28 ethnic studies in 20 20 cuny
14:31 received a multimillion dollar
14:32 grant from the andrew w mellon
14:36 foundation to develop and
14:37 expand initiatives advancing
14:38 social and racial justice at
14:40 the center of that work is the
14:44 $3 million black race and
14:45 ethnic studies initiative
14:47 breast c which awarded in
14:50 competitive grants for 126
14:52 projects during the 20 22 2
14:55 3academic year in 20 24 th
14:57 emellon foundation extended
14:58 this commitment with a New $
15:01 5million grant through fiscal
15:01 year 20 28 focused on two
15:05 things launching New York
15:07 states first phd and master's
15:09 program in black race and
15:11 ethnic studies at the graduate
15:13 center and a cluster higher
15:15 initiative bringing four New
15:16 faculty positions in this
15:17 field over the next three
15:19 years the cluster hiring model
15:22 across multiple campuses
15:23 allows us to build cuny
15:24 strength in the field foster
15:28 collaborative collaborative
15:29 research and teaching and
15:32 create a sustainable
15:33 foundation for future academic
15:34 growth the breast initiative
15:36 is not a standalone program it
15:37 is a system wide academic
15:39 effort designed to advance
15:41 racial and social justice
15:44 through curriculum research
15:45 and graduate education and t
15:47 osupport faculty lead work in
15:50 curriculum and community
15:51 engagement while building a
15:52 pipeline of scholars working
15:54 on issues central to New York
15:55 City and beyond are commitment
15:58 to equity extends well beyond
16:00 faculty hiring to the many
16:02 long standing proven programs
16:03 that serve hundreds of
16:05 thousands of cuny students
16:06 with a particular focus on our
16:07 commitment to racial equity
16:10 our asap program accelerated
16:12 study and associate program
16:14 serves nearly a third of all
16:15 incoming community college
16:17 freshmen with an even higher
16:19 share among black and hispanic
16:21 students seek and college
16:22 discovery were founded more
16:24 than 60 years ago specifically
16:27 to expand access these
16:28 programs continue to provide
16:30 academic and financial support
16:32 to thousands of students
16:34 facing systemic barriers to
16:35 higher education college now
16:37 and early college programs
16:39 serve more than 30000 students
16:41 in 20 24 25 of whom 35% were
16:45 hispanic and 24% were black
16:48 cuny reconnect our initiative
16:50 for adult learners and
16:50 students returning to complete
16:52 their degrees has served more
16:53 than 71000 students since its
16:56 launch in 20 22 in its first
16:59 two years more than two thirds
17:02 of enrollees identified as
17:03 black or his we are proud of
17:06 our diversity at cuny and
17:07 remain committed to continuin
17:08 gour work with focus clarity
17:12 and purpose building a
17:13 stronger more dynamic academic
17:16 institution that reflects the
17:16 breadth of New York City and
17:19 serves its students with
17:20 excellence I look forward t
17:27 oyour questions
17:28 . Good afternoon chair Joseph
17:30 and members of the committee I
17:32 am larry johnson the seventh
17:34 president of bronx community
17:36 college it is an honor to lead
17:37 this historic educational
17:39 pillar and continue my service
17:41 within cuny as a national
17:42 advocate for community
17:44 colleges and student success
17:45 throughout my career from
17:47 georgia pete my technical
17:48 college to broward college st
17:51 Louis community college
17:52 phoenix college and cuny's
17:54 gutman community college I
17:55 have focused on transforming
17:57 ocommitment guides my
18:01 leadership through the bronx
18:03 renaissance 20 31
18:04 . A New strategic vision
18:06 centered on student success
18:10 workforce preparation
18:11 partnership and inclusive
18:13 opportunity under this vision
18:14 we are building a renaissance
18:16 rooted in access belonging and