Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 1 p.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 3
Committee: Committee on Higher Education
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