The Board of Trustees of The City University of New York ... · Chairperson Thompson, Jr. welcomed...

Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York

October 28, 2019

The Board of Trustees of The City University of New York (CUNY) met on October 28, 2019 at Baruch College Vertical Campus, New York, New York, pursuant to a Notice sent by the Office of the Secretary of the Board on October 11, 2019.

Trustees Present: Chairperson William C. Thompson, Jr., Vice Chairperson Barry F. Schwartz, Michael Arvanites, Henry T. Berger, Lorraine A. Cortés-Vázquez, Fernando Ferrer, Kevin D. Kim, Mayra Linares-Garcia, Ken Sunshine, Una S. T-Clarke, Sandra Wilkin, Timothy Hunter, ex officio, and Martin Burke, ex officio (non- voting)

Trustees Absent: Robert F. Mujica, Jr., Brian D. Obergfell, Jill O’Donnell-Tormey, and Charles A. Shorter

Others present: Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodriguez, EVC&UP José L. Cruz, EVC&COO Hector Batista, SAC and Board Secretary Gayle M. Horwitz, Interim General Counsel and SVC Pamela S. Silverblatt, Senior Vice Chancellor Judy Bergtraum, SVC and Special Counsel Glenda G. Grace, SVC&CFO Matthew Sapienza, Vice Chancellor Brian Cohen, Vice Chancellor Maite Junco, Vice Chancellor Richard R. White, Interim Vice Chancellor Margaret Egan, Interim Vice Chancellor Andrea Shapiro Davis; and President Michelle Anderson, Interim President Paul Arcario, Interim President Berenecea Johnson Eanes, President Scott E. Evenbeck, President William J. Fritz, President David Gómez, President Russell K. Hotzler, President Thomas Isekenegbe, Interim President Timothy G. Lynch, Interim President James Muyskens, President Jennifer J. Raab, President Claudia Schrader, Interim President William Tramontano, President Mitchel Wallerstein, Interim President Karrin E. Wilks, Dean Sarah Bartlett, Dean Mary Lu Bilek, Dean Ayman El-Mohandes, Dean Gregory Mantsios, Dean Mary Pearl, and University Dean John Mogulescu

CONVENING OF PUBLIC MEETING Chairperson William C. Thompson, Jr. called the Public Meeting to order at 4:40 p.m. and announced that the Public Meeting is being transmitted live on cable Channel 75 and webcast live at

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October 28, 2019 Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Trustees

www.cuny.edu/livestream. He also announced that the Public Meeting will be available as a podcast within 24 hours and can be accessed through the CUNY website.

Chairperson Thompson, Jr. moved to go into Executive Session at 4:41 p.m. The motion was seconded by Trustee Fernando Ferrer.

CONVENING OF EXECUTIVE SESSION Chairperson Thompson, Jr. called for an Executive Session pursuant to Section 105, Article 7, of the Public Officers Law, to discuss matters pertaining to collective negotiations, investigations, and proposed, pending or current litigation. The Board met in Executive Session from 4:44 p.m. to 5:38 p.m.

Moved by Chairperson Thompson, Jr. and seconded by Vice Chairperson Barry Schwartz, the public session was reconvened at 5:46 p.m.

CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT

William C. Thompson, Jr.’s Remarks: “On Monday, October 21, 2019, the Board held the Manhattan Borough Hearing and Public Hearing at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College.

Trustee Ken Sunshine, chaired the hearing. Trustees Henry Berger, Fernando Ferrer, Michael Arvanites and Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez joined Trustee Sunshine. University Faculty Senate Chair and Trustee Martin Burke, University Student Senate Chair and Trustee Haris Khan, and members of the chancellery attended the hearing. Manhattan Borough President Gail Brewer, and College Presidents Mitchel Wallerstein, Karrin Wilks, Vincent Boudreau, James Muyskens, Scott Evenbeck, Jennifer Raab, Karol Mason, and College Deans Sarah Bartlett, Ayman El-Mohandes, Gregory Mantsios, John Mogulescu, Mary Pearl also participated in the hearing.

51 speakers signed up to speak and 39 speakers testified.

Students testified in support of CUNY’s ACE Accelerate Complete Engage at John Jay College, the Completion for Upper-division Student Program (CUSP) at John Jay College, and the Immigrant Student Success Center at John Jay College.

Students also spoke about the financial constraints that they face including food insecurity, the price of books and transportation as well as student fees. Many students and faculty objected to tuition hikes, and advocated to make CUNY colleges free again.

http://www.cuny.edu/livestream

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Individuals from John Jay College and Guttman Community College commented on the current RFEI for the North Hall location and encouraged CUNY to consider that building for much needed classroom, communal and office space at both colleges.

Students and professors from various colleges including Stella and Charles Guttman Community College expressed concerns about space constraints, lack of a long-term space master plan, and maintenance issues with CUNY facilities.

A transcript of all proceedings will be available for review in the Office of the Secretary.”

Chairperson Thompson, Jr. welcomed to the Board, the new Chair of the University Student Senate and the Board’s newest Trustee, Timothy Hunter. He further thanked, Haris Khan, the former USS Chair and Trustee for his year of service as an incredible professional, saying “Mr. Khan, the Board expects great things from you in the future.”

CHANCELLOR’S REPORT

Félix V. Matos Rodriguez’ Remarks: “Thank you, Chairperson Thompson, Trustees, Presidents and Vice Chancellors. It’s great to be here with you today.

It’s been just about six months since I assumed the position of chancellor, and in that time not a day has gone by in which this team has not worked to move this great University forward.

We last met on June 24th and since then the start of the school year coincided with a number of breakthroughs that spell meaningful progress for the CUNY community.

Last week, we were happy to announce a historic agreement with the Professional Staff Congress that reflects the University’s unwavering investment in, and commitment to, its full-time and part-time faculty and staff across all 25 colleges.

The five-year contract will provide across-the-board wage gains, and will help adjunct faculty, whose starting pay will increase by 71 percent. The deal will also allow part-time faculty members to devote more time to working individually with students. It will enhance our ability to compete for top-tier faculty to teach our students, and enhance our efforts to increase graduation rates and enrich our academic programs that will allow us to remain a premier university.

Following our completion in September of a contract with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 237, which covers approximately 1,200 represented employees through September 2021, all of CUNY’s collective bargaining agreements are now completed.

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We owe Governor Cuomo a great debt of gratitude for his steadfast leadership and support in getting these deals across the finish line. We are also grateful to Mayor de Blasio.

While the good news of the agreements represents an unquestionable step forward, there are many other positive headlines to report.

As the semester opened, we received further validation of CUNY’s unparalleled ability to elevate students from traditionally underrepresented groups.

The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report and Money magazine all offered high praise for our quality, our affordability and our singular effectiveness as an engine of social mobility.

Additionally, the Chronicle of Higher Education listed five CUNY campuses among the top 10 four-year public institutions with the most diverse managerial ranks, while four were included among the nation’s top 10 two-year public institutions. This is increasingly important, as it demonstrates our desire to strive for excellence at all levels.

We are also finding success in areas where others have struggled, providing further validation of our shared institutional progress.

• First-time undergraduate enrollment rose 2 percent this fall to 40,798, marking a record for the University and bucking a national trend. Since 2010, the number of freshmen enrolling in CUNY’s senior and community colleges has increased by 17 percent, and our graduate enrollment is also on the rise.

I’ll will turn over the floor to Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost (EVC&UP) José Luis Cruz at the end of my remarks to briefly elaborate on these trends and provide a bit of context.

When it comes to tracking the progress of the hard-working students who become CUNY graduates, we are constantly getting good news. Last month, two CUNY alumni won coveted “Genius” fellowships from the MacArthur Foundation, cementing CUNY’s status as one of the country’s most prolific producers of MacArthur fellowships among public and private universities. These two talented CUNY graduates are the University’s 25th and 26th winners, and we again congratulate neuroscientist Vanessa Ruta (Hunter College, Class of 2000), now a professor at Rockefeller University, and poet-novelist Ocean Vuong (Brooklyn College, Class of 2012), who teaches at the UMass-Amherst.

Across the many communities of New York City, CUNY plays an indispensable role in helping the city reach its residents. In the important effort to ensure a complete accounting of the city’s population next year, the City Council and NYC Census 2020 have turned to CUNY to administer and oversee the contracts that will be awarded to more than 150 community-based organizations at the frontlines of the 2020 Census deployment. In addition, we will encourage students and their families to participate through Get Out the Count events in our schools and will be mobilizing a team of 200 students with

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paid internships as part of CUNY Census Corps to help ensure an accurate count.

We continue to work hard to fill senior leadership positions with the most qualified individuals who possess impeccable credentials and a wealth of experience, along with the perspective to appreciate our shared institutional values. Since we last met:

● Richard R. White is up for your consideration today as Vice Chancellor for Risk, Audit and Compliance. This appointment continues to strengthen the new systems of controls and accountability that this Board has implemented over the last two years.

● Andrea Shapiro Davis was named Interim Vice Chancellor for University Advancement, responsible for the University’s efforts in fund-raising from private donors.

● After a national search we have identified a highly qualified candidate with experience leading large systems for Vice Chancellor for Human Resources. Doriane K. Gloria is up for your consideration today.

● A word of gratitude here to Meg Egan, whose selfless and skilled leadership during this time of transition was critical in making this process seamless. Meg is one of those generous utility players who enable the CUNY system to run without a hitch.

● We have searches for presidents in process at Baruch College, Queens College and The Graduate Center, as well as for the General Counsel and Vice Chancellor of Legal Affairs, and we are making good progress on each of those important positions.

● Dr. Berenecea Johnson Eanes was appointed Interim President of York College, marking her return to CUNY after seven years as vice president for the Division of Student Affairs at California State University, Fullerton.

● Dr. Paul Arcario was appointed Interim President of LaGuardia Community College. He most recently served as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at LaGuardia Community College.

● Dr. Daniel Lemons has been appointed Interim President of Lehman College, the latest post in a lengthy and versatile career at CUNY.

As part of our continued efforts to tell CUNY’s story to a broad audience and in the most dynamic way possible, we redesigned the cuny.edu home page for the start of the academic year to make it more mobile-friendly, more accessible and to offer more information to prospective students and give more attention to the great stories from around the 25 colleges.

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I am pleased to report our message is getting out and CUNY’s followers are growing, we surpassed 20,000 followers on Twitter last week, are approaching 50,000 on Facebook and 100,000 on LinkedIn. These platforms help us share the good news generated each day by CUNY students and professors.

Throughout CUNY’s history, we have empowered generations of immigrants. That facet of our mission has never been more important given today’s political discourse. This year, we are extending state tuition assistance to undocumented students under the José Peralta New York State DREAM Act, providing a needed lift to New Yorkers who are striving to reshape their destiny. We thank the Governor for his support and for championing these causes.

At a time when immigrants are increasingly concerned for their future in our great country, we thought it was important to remind our city of immigrants of CUNY’s history as “an educational Ellis Island providing a gateway to high-quality, affordable education and upward economic mobility.” We did that in a Daily News piece, “Honoring NYC’s Immigrant Students.”

Then, at CUNY Citizenship Day on September 21st, we helped a record 617 legal residents to complete their applications to become naturalized citizens.

As I described during an interview on Fox 5 News, the CUNY community doubled down on its commitment to help the people of Puerto Rico rebuild after Hurricane Maria. CUNY this summer sent to Puerto Rico 225 students from 21 different colleges, as part of Governor Cuomo’s New York Stands with Puerto Rico initiative. When I traveled to Puerto Rico in July to spend a little time with one group of those hard-working volunteers, they told me that the experience was as indelible and impactful for them as we know their efforts have been for those whose lives were directly affected by the disaster.

We have made a series of internal policy changes related to hiring that should streamline the process and benefit the University by eliminating unnecessary and potentially cumbersome administrative delays.

● HR is reviewing recruitment processes and hiring transactions to identify opportunities to reduce the bureaucracy while maintaining the appropriate oversight. We have delegated authority to the Presidents on a number of actions in order to facilitate procedures. Those that require Board approval will appear before the Board through the CFSA report at each Faculty, Staff and Administration (FSA) committee meeting. HR has also provided guidance on searches for administrative staff, seeking to allow for more robust recruitment plans, prioritizing diversity and providing CUNY employees with meaningful opportunities for advancement. HR is continuing to review other processes to identify opportunities for efficiencies.

● As of October 24th, full-time, part-time and college assistants covered under the collective bargaining agreement with DC-37 have received their new pay-rates and retroactive payments. The implementation team has also begun developing payroll, data and systems procedures to ensure that future contracts are implemented as quickly as possible.

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● I unveiled the first phase of a comprehensive plan to bolster our engagement with MWBE and SDVOB firms in August at the CUNY and City University Construction Fund’s annual conference on contract opportunities for companies owned by minorities, women and service-disabled veterans at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Earlier this month, I shared this news at the 2019 New York State MWBE Forum in Albany. This is a priority for me and I know it is also for Chairperson Thompson and this Board, since we all agree that it’s critical for the country’s most diverse public higher education institution to increase our engagement with businesses that reflect our values of inclusiveness and of serving underrepresented groups.

As I prepared to embark on my first full academic year as chancellor, I met with all 25 presidents, deans and interims as part of the Performance Management Process (PMP) review.

I have been a frequent visitor to campuses, conversing with students and faculty across the five boroughs and talking with staff at the Central Office.

I was pleased to visit:

● The College of Staten Island for moving day, the Sunday before classes began, to welcome incoming freshmen.

● LaGuardia Community College, for a BBQ and meet and greet with students.

● Lehman College, for the unveiling of its renovated Performing Arts center, which will provide residents of the Bronx and the city with access to affordable and culturally diverse performances.

● Bronx Community College, to unveil a newly reconditioned pool that will provide jobs for students. While I was there, I had the opportunity to meet with student leaders and faculty.

● The Brooklyn Museum, with Macaulay Honors College students, for their “Night at the Museum” event -- the first time many of those promising students ever attended a museum.

● Hunter College’s Center for Puerto Rican Studies, to mark the second anniversary of Hurricane Maria.

● City College to welcome Dr. Juan Manzur, governor of the Argentine province of Tucumán, to discuss ongoing collaborations between the University and the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán.

● John Jay College, for a panel on the future of College in New York State prisons and how we can enhance educational opportunities for individuals who have come into contact with the justice system.

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● Queens College, for a tech panel with Cornell president Martha E. Pollack on ways higher education can enhance digital literacy for students.

● And last Friday, I visited the "The Gravesend Inn," an acclaimed high-tech haunted house run by students that has been a tradition at City Tech for two decades.

This lengthy list illustrates more than my itinerary; what it shows is that CUNY is as vibrant and dynamic as ever, a non-stop hive of activity. Our campuses are the intellectual and cultural centers of New York City.

We are delighted that CUNY remains a priority for the city’s generous philanthropic community, which continues to support our mission to uplift our students and advance this city.

● The NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and the Rockefeller Foundation announced in September new permanent public funding for CUNY’s Cultural Corps, which places students in paid internships with New York City’s non-profit cultural sector. The Department of Cultural Affairs has now baselined $500,000 for the CUNY Cultural Corps in the budget, while the Rockefeller Foundation created an endowment-based fellowship, providing long-term support for the program.

● The Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust has agreed to give CUNY $4 million over four years to support a second cohort of 300 freshmen and transfer students for the nationally-acclaimed ACE program at Lehman College.

● Leonard Riggio, who spoke at Kingsborough Community College’s 54th commencement in June and chairs Barnes & Noble, Inc., donated $1 million to the college to establish the “100 Strong Scholarship Fund,” which will provide scholarships to 100 Kingsborough Community College students in need of full tuition support.

● The College of Staten Island received a cash gift of $7.5 million in June from class of ’65 alumni Lucille and Jay Chazanoff to benefit CSI’s School of Business, which will now bear their name.

CUNY’s mandate has always been to champion and elevate underrepresented groups, so we are looking forward to hosting CUNY’s 15th Annual Women’s Leadership Conference at Hunter College on November 1st, bringing together an impressive array of women leaders in the arena of politics, education and women’s empowerment including 24 students who qualified for CUNY’s prestigious Public Service Internship Program. We are pleased that Trustees Sandra Wilkin and Mayra Linares-Garcia will be with us that day, and thank Dean Mary Pearl for spearheading this great effort.

CUNY has also partnered with the Steve Fund to host a conference promoting mental health and equity for academic success on November 15th at John Jay College.

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I would like to wish Haris Khan, our outgoing CUNY student Trustee and Chairperson of the University Student Senate, the best of luck in his new ventures, and I would like to personally thank him for his service to CUNY. At the same time, we are very excited to welcome the new student Trustee and Chair of the University Student Senate, Timothy Hunter from City Tech. Welcome, Timothy, and best of luck to you.

This brings me to the impending departure of one of our great longtime heroes, Senior Vice Chancellor Judy Bergtraum.

I can’t overstate how invaluable Judy, CUNY’s Senior Vice Chancellor for Facilities Planning, Construction and Management, has been to this University during more than a decade of her service. CUNY’s campuses are the beneficiaries of Judy’s expertise and vision; she has added a host of beautiful facilities to them, and found innovative ways to improve their critical maintenance. We can’t thank her enough for her service.”

Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost José Luis Cruz reported on CUNY’s total fall 2019 enrollment.

***VIDEO PRESENTATION ON THE CUNY ENROLLMENT STRATEGY & MANAGEMENT REPORT***

Y:\Enrollment Strategy & Management Report.pdf

Félix V. Matos Rodriguez’ Remarks, continued: “This brings me to the conclusion of my report. As I have been doing since May 1st, I plan to continue laying a solid, stable foundation for this administration, one that will enable us to chart a course forward in all of our policy priorities. The energy and vitality that infuse each campus I visit are always inspiring to me, a source of confidence and a reminder of all that can be achieved by CUNY’s commitment to opportunity, access and academic excellence. I want to thank Chairperson Thompson and every member of this Board for your leadership and support.”

Trustee Henry Berger inquired about CUNY’s re-enrollment efforts for the 80,000 stopped out students. EVC&UP Cruz stated, “each campus has different campaigns and at the system level the University has also done a re-up campaign to try to drive those numbers up. Additionally, the DREAM Act will help with the particular population of DREAMers and non-documented students who may have stopped out because of financial limitations.”

Chairperson Thompson, Jr. congratulated Chancellor Félix Matos Rodriguez and his team on the PSC contract. It is a historic moment for the institution.

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APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Chairperson Thompson, Jr. called for a motion to approve the minutes of the regular Board meeting and Executive Session of June 24, 2019, which was seconded by Trustee Sandra Wilkin. He asked if there were any amendments. Upon hearing none, the item was unanimously adopted by the Board:

1. Approval of Minutes:

RESOLVED, That the minutes of the regular Board meeting and Executive Session of June 24, 2019 be approved.

2. COMMITTEE ON AUDIT: Trustee Kevin Kim reported that at the October 7, 2019 meeting of the Committee on Audit, the Committee approved the following resolutions, and he recommended their approval by the Board.

Moved by Trustee Kim and seconded by Trustee Berger, the following resolution was presented and opened for discussion:

A. The City University of New York - Approval of the Fiscal Year 2019 External Audit Plan:

WHEREAS, Article IV Section 4.02 of The City University of New York Board of Trustees Audit Committee Charter requires the Audit Committee to oversee the external auditors which includes their proposed Audit Plans; and

WHEREAS, The University’s external auditors Grant Thornton, have prepared an Audit Plan for review by the Audit Committee; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Audit Committee approves the FY 2019 external audit plan, as presented by Grant Thornton.

EXPLANATION: The University is required to have its financial statements and federal programs audited by a qualified independent third party on an annual basis. Each year, the University’s external auditors meet with management to review and discuss the proposed audit plan and approach and presents the draft external audit plan to the Audit Committee for approval prior to commencing the external audit.

Chairperson Thompson, Jr. asked for a vote. Cal. No. 2.A. was unanimously adopted.

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Moved by Trustee Kim and seconded by Trustee Berger, the following resolution was presented and opened for discussion:

B. The City University of New York - Approval of the Fiscal Year 2020 Internal Audit Plan:

WHEREAS, Article IV Section 4.02 of The City University of New York Board of Trustees Audit Committee Charter requires that the Audit Committee approve the annual internal audit plan; and

WHEREAS, The University’s Chief Audit Executive presented to the Audit Committee a proposed Fiscal Year 2020 internal audit plan developed in contemplation of the University’s strategic vision; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Audit Committee approves the Fiscal Year 2020 internal audit plan after due deliberation was had thereon.

EXPLANATION: Pursuant to Article IV Section 4.02 of The City University of New York Board of Trustees Audit Committee Charter, the Audit Committee is responsible for approving the annual internal audit plan and all major changes to the plan. The Chief Audit Executive may make minor changes to the plan, as may be warranted by supervening University or Board priorities.

Chairperson Thompson, Jr. asked for a vote. Cal. No. 2.B. was unanimously adopted.

3. COMMITTEE ON FISCAL AFFAIRS: Trustee Fernando Ferrer reported that at the October 7, 2019 meeting of the Committee on Fiscal Affairs, the Committee approved the following resolutions, and he recommended their approval by the Board.

Moved by Trustee Ferrer and seconded by Trustee Michael Arvanites, the following resolution was presented and opened for discussion:

A. The City College of New York School of Medicine - Authorization of Contracts with St. Barnabas Hospital, Staten Island University Hospital, Northwell Health, and Institute for Family Health:

WHEREAS, The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education (SDSBE) was created 43 years ago to recruit under-represented minorities to practice primary care in underserved areas; and

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WHEREAS, In 2012, as part of an overall strategic plan for SDSBE, the CUNY Board of Trustees approved the school’s plan and application process for achieving medical school accreditation from the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME); and

WHEREAS, In 2016 CUNY/SDSBE was merged into the CUNY School of Medicine at The City College of New York; and

WHEREAS, The LCME accreditation process requires that a medical school have a comprehensive, cohesive structure which integrates both the hospital setting where students can complete their clinical experiences, and clinical faculty who can create, implement and assess students’ clinical competencies; and

WHEREAS, A clinical affiliate which could fulfill both requirements is necessary, since the School of Medicine does not own or oversee a hospital; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York authorize contracts with St. Barnabas Hospital, Staten Island University Hospital, Northwell Health, and the Institute for Family Health, for the purposes of providing administrative services of clerkships to students in various medical specialties to learn relevant aspects of preventative, acute, chronic, continuing, rehabilitative, and end-of-life care; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the term of each contract shall be seven years, and the value of all of the contracts shall not exceed $10,650,562.

EXPLANATION: Pursuant to LCME accreditation requirements, the CUNY School of Medicine at The City College of New York is required to provide its students with clinical experiences and faculty that can create, implement, and assess students’ clinical competencies. There is also an expectation of continuity in the faculty that teach the courses through the four (4) years of medical school in order to make certain that there is an understanding of what has been previously taught as well as the knowledge and skillset of students when they come to the hospital for clinical experiences.

The academic affiliations between the CUNY School of Medicine and St. Barnabas Hospital, Staten Island University Hospital System, Northwell Health, and the Institute for Family Health offer significant value to CUNY as these institutions share a similar philosophy and commitment to provide access to primary healthcare, in the broadest sense, to an ethnically diverse, low-income community. The vendors were selected after a thorough review by the School and after discussions with a number of other hospitals in the region.

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These contracts are being sourced as a single source, a method that was approved by the New York State Comptroller. The contracts are being awarded pursuant to law and University regulations, and shall be subject to approval as to form by the University Office of General Counsel.

Trustee Arvanites praised the collaboration, highlighting the impact to the Staten Island community as it is the only borough without a public hospital.


Moved by Trustee Ferrer and seconded by Trustee Wilkin, the following resolution was presented and opened for discussion:

B. Baruch College – Authorization of Contract with Slade Industries, Inc. for Elevator and Dumbwaiter Maintenance Services:

WHEREAS, Baruch College requires full elevator maintenance services for all of its elevators at various locations on campus; and

WHEREAS, These services include all inspections, adjustments, tests, parts replacement, and repairs necessary to keep the elevators in continuous use at their initial performance ability and as originally specified by the equipment manufacturer or most recent upgrade specifications; and

WHEREAS, Baruch conducted a competitive solicitation for a vendor to provide full elevator maintenance services and received four bids; and

WHEREAS, The Contract is being awarded to the lowest, responsive and responsible bidder; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the University’s Board of Trustees approve a contract with Slade Industries, Inc. to provide full elevator maintenance services for elevators at different locations at Baruch College; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the contract shall be for five (5) years and shall not exceed $4,280,000, and be subject to approval as to form by the Office of General Counsel.

St. Barnabas Hospital $5,897,962 Staten Island University Hospital $3,663,414 Northwell Health $1,089,186 Institute for Family Health $0 Total $10,650,562

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EXPLANATION: Baruch College will use these services to provide ongoing maintenance and repair service to the thirty-nine (39) elevators and dumbwaiters located at various locations of the College. These services are vital to the operation of the College, as well as to the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff.


Moved by Trustee Ferrer and seconded by Trustee Wilkin, the following resolution was presented and opened for discussion:

C. Central Office – Authorization of Tuition and Fee Waivers for the Math Start/ASAP Pilot Program:

WHEREAS, CUNY Start is a nationally recognized, intensive pre-matriculation program for incoming associate degree-seeking students with significant developmental education needs designed to increase skills proficiency in reading, writing, and mathematics prior to enrolling in college credit classes; and

WHEREAS, Math Start, a unique math program of CUNY Start, provides students with significant developmental math needs with a structured intervention that has been found to eliminate or significantly reduce developmental math needs prior to matriculation, and thereby preserve a student’s financial aid eligibility for credit-bearing courses; and

WHEREAS, CUNY Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) is a nationally recognized associate degree completion program for students with little or no developmental education needs that offers a structured degree pathway, personalized advisement, comprehensive support services, and financial resources to remove barriers to full-time study and increase timely graduation; and

WHEREAS, Math Start and ASAP will launch a one-semester pilot program (Math Start/ASAP Pilot Program) at Kingsborough and Bronx Community Colleges in Fall 2019 whereby students with significant developmental math needs will enroll in a semester-long Math Start intervention as pre-matriculated students and be simultaneously served by ASAP with usual program services and resources while taking up to three pre-selected college-credit courses as cohorts of non-degree students with ASAP covering instructional costs for said courses; and

WHEREAS, The ability to take up to three pre-selected college courses will eliminate a Math Start enrollment barrier for the many students who are eager to begin their college careers and reluctant to defer their matriculation; now therefore be it

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RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees authorize the waiver of tuition and fees for the pre-selected college-credit course enrollments of non-degree students participating in the Math Start/ASAP Pilot Program for the Fall 2019 semester.

EXPLANATION: The Math Start/ASAP Pilot Program is a joint endeavor between CUNY Start/Math Start and ASAP to serve students who may not usually participate in one or both programs and who stand to benefit most from such participation. The Math Start/ASAP Pilot Program, which will launch in Fall 2019 at Bronx Community College and Kingsborough Community College with 100 students (50 students per college), removes financial barriers through the careful integration of both programs’ benefits and resources. The Pilot Program allows students to begin their associate degree path within the supported environment of ASAP while addressing their math remedial needs in a Math Start classroom. At the end of the one-semester program, students will be highly likely to have eliminated any developmental math needs through Math Start and earned up to 10 college credits at no cost as a special cohort of non-degree students through ASAP with all usual program supports. ASAP will fully cover the cost of instruction for the selected college credit courses and any student fees and asks that tuition costs be waived. This will ensure that Pilot Program students receive the usual ASAP resource that waives tuition/fees after financial aid is applied. Because students in the Pilot Program will be non-degree students for one semester, they will not draw down financial aid. At the conclusion of the Pilot Program, students will continue with ASAP as matriculated students and begin to access available financial aid with the goal of earning an associate degree within three years.

Estimated waived tuition for the Fall 2019 Pilot Program at Kingsborough and Bronx Community College is $265,000 based on 100 students enrolling in up to 10 college credits as non-degree students at the current CUNY in-city part-time rate of $265/credit.

University Student Senate Chair and Trustee Timothy Hunter inquired about oversight authority of the Math Start/ASAP pilot program. EVC&UP Cruz stated that the Office of Student Success within the Office of Academic Affairs will be following up on the program, ensuring that the students are receiving the support, and also measuring the effectiveness of the program moving forward.

Chairperson Thompson, Jr. asked for a vote. Cal. No. 3.C. was unanimously adopted.

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Moved by Trustee Ferrer and seconded by Trustee Arvanites, the following resolution was presented and opened for discussion:

D. Central Office – Authorization of a Contract with Admissions US, LLC for Customer Relationship Management Software:

WHEREAS, CUNY requires a customer relationship management (“CRM”) tool to manage communications through the student lifecycle to streamline complex processes and ensure continuity of services to students across various service units on campus, from admissions through to graduation; and

WHEREAS, CUNY has been using a subscription based CRM software product since 2009; and

WHEREAS, The contract for the subscription with Admissions US, LLC will expire on October 18, 2019 and CUNY plans to renew the subscription; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York authorize the General Counsel to execute a contract with Admissions US, LLC for customer relationship management software, without competitive bidding and pursuant to law and University regulations; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the contract term shall be two (2) years, and the value shall not exceed an aggregate amount of $3,200,000 during the contract term, and shall be subject to approval as to form by the Office of General Counsel.

EXPLANATION: Products available under the subscription are currently used by twenty-four (24) CUNY campuses to administer the University’s admission and enrollment management systems. The Office of the New York State Comptroller has approved an exemption from advertising for this single source procurement for a period of two (2) years while the University conducts a competitive solicitation process to award a new multi-year contract for customer relationship management subscription software and related services.

Trustee Sandra Wilkin requested that in the future the University review Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) prospects for doing this similar work.

Chairperson Thompson, Jr. asked for a vote. Cal. No. 3.D. was unanimously adopted.

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Moved by Trustee Ferrer and seconded by Trustee Ken Sunshine, the following resolution was presented and opened for discussion:

E. Central Office – Authorization of a Contract with the New York State Technology Enterprise Corporation for Information Technology Services:

WHEREAS, In 2017, the University’s Board of Trustees approved a Non-Tax Levy Policy (Policy 3.04) on the Use and Reporting of Non-Tax Levy funds; and

WHEREAS, Under the System Transparency and Simplification section of this policy, CUNY committed to transitioning the University’s non-tax levy funds to the University’s system of record, CUNYfirst; and

WHEREAS, The University determined to implement the transition to CUNYfirst for these funds in two phases; and

WHEREAS, The first phase included thirty-seven (37) college entities and funds and was completed on July 1, 2019; and

WHEREAS, The second phase includes the remaining forty-five (45) entities and funds including college associations, auxiliary enterprise corporations, performing arts centers and art galleries (except for college Foundations) and is expected to be implemented on July 1, 2020; and

WHEREAS, The benefits of the implementation include enhanced internal controls, automation of manual processes, enhanced transparency and simplified analyses and reporting; and

WHEREAS, The central office implementation team needs to be temporarily supplemented by external technical resources with PeopleSoft Finance experience; and

WHEREAS, The University intends to obtain these external technical resources from a New York State Office of General Services (OGS) contract; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the University’s Board of Trustees approve a contract with New York State Technology Enterprise Corporation (NYSTEC) to provide information technology services for Phase II of the project; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the contract shall be for a maximum of eighteen months and shall not exceed $3,800,000.

EXPLANATION: CUNY’s non-tax levy entities and funds are included in the University’s consolidated financial statements and therefore they are required to report their financial

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activity. This reporting has historically consisted of the colleges summarizing their financial activity from an internal campus system and inputting that summarized data into CUNYfirst. With implementing CUNYfirst for those entities, that process will no longer be necessary, as the financial activity that CUNY needs to produce its consolidated financial statements and other reports will be already available in the University’s official system of record.

Phase I of the project was successfully implemented by the University on July 1, 2019 (on time and within the budget) to thirty-seven (37) college funds and entities. This project included CUNYfirst Budget, Asset Management, General Ledger, Procurement and Accounts Payable Modules which had already existed in CUNYfirst for tax levy entities but were adapted for these new funds and entities. Phase I also included the implementation of the Cash Management Module, a new Vendor Management portal and the development of key custom financial reports.

Phase II will include the implementation of the existing Finance Modules, as noted above, to the next forty-five (45) entities and funds, in addition to the implementation of Billing and Accounts Receivable Modules, additional Cash Management functionality, Travel and Expense Module and Credit Cards to all eighty-two (82) entities.

Chairperson Thompson, Jr. asked for a vote. Cal. No. 3.E. was unanimously adopted.

4. COMMITTEE ON ACADEMIC POLICY, PROGRAMS, AND RESEARCH: Trustee Henry Berger reported that at the October 7, 2019 meeting of the Committee on Academic Policy, Programs, and Research, the Committee approved the following resolutions, and Trustee Charles Shorter recommended their approval by the Board.

Moved by Trustee Berger and seconded by Trustee Arvanites, the following resolution was presented and opened for discussion:

A. Queensborough Community College – AS in Biology:

WHEREAS, National data show that the country’s biology-related workforce of 2.5 million people will steadily grow, with an expected 10% increase over the next decade across the nation; and

WHEREAS, Queensborough Community College conducted a formal program review of the primary existing degree program for STEM students at the college, and a major recommendation of the review was to create degrees in individual disciplines such as Biology in order to focus students’ credit-taking in their first two years; and

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WHEREAS, A formal survey of QBCC students in their first semester of General Biology indicated that over 80% would be interested or potentially interested in an Associate of Science in Biology; and

WHEREAS, Queensborough Community College proposes to launch the Associate of Science degree in Biology in the Department of Biological Sciences and Geology, leveraging thirty-eight full-time faculty, existing classrooms, laboratories, and library resources, as well at the Queensborough STEM Academy, which will provide support and advisement to Biology majors; and

WHEREAS, The Associate of Science degree will enable QBCC students interested in biology-related fields to complete required pre-requisite and gateway courses and make a seamless transition to a senior college without any loss of credit; and

WHEREAS, Queensborough Community College has already signed an articulation agreement with Queens College establishing a formal relationship with QC’s Bachelor of Science degree in Biology; and

WHEREAS, The Associate of Science degree will offer students research and internship opportunities to learn advanced techniques and gain practical experience working in a modern research laboratory; and

WHEREAS, This Associate of Science degree will advance CUNY’s work to increase the numbers of women and other underrepresented students in the growing STEM field; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That that the program in Biology at Queensborough Community College leading to the Associate of Science be approved effective October 29, 2019, subject to financial ability.

EXPLANATION: The Department of Biological Sciences and Geology at Queensborough Community College proposes an Associate of Science degree in Biology. The program will allow students to complete their first two years of higher education at Queensborough Community College and transfer to complete their baccalaureate degree in Biology or a related field at the CUNY senior colleges and other public and private four-year institutions. The Associate of Science degree program offers increased educational opportunities for women and other underrepresented students in a growing STEM discipline.


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Moved by Trustee Berger and seconded by Trustee Una Clarke, the following resolution was presented and opened for discussion:

B. City College - ME in Cybersecurity:

WHEREAS, The nationwide need to strengthen cybersecurity in order to prevent criminal or unauthorized use of data and resources is particularly acute in the New York metropolitan area, home of the largest financial institutions, businesses, media companies, political agencies, and healthcare institutions in the world; and

WHEREAS, Cybersecurity has become a major area of economic growth in the country and is projected to reach $170 billion in global spending by 2020, spurring the creation of more than 10,000 jobs in NYC within the next ten years; and

WHEREAS, The NYC Economic Development Corporation has created a “Cyber Initiative for New York City” to address the fact that cybersecurity jobs offered in New York City take 8% longer to be filled than other tech jobs because applicants often lack the right mix of skills and experience; and

WHEREAS, Cybersecurity companies strongly value diverse teams who can analyze the “human factor” in cyberattacks based on their own individual lived experiences and perspectives; and

WHEREAS, City College was awarded a seed grant of $1.5 million by the NYC Economic Development Corporation to create an interdisciplinary industry-responsive cybersecurity program, including 1-credit modules / stackable credentials, with the goal of preparing students for industry jobs; and

WHEREAS, Building on a cutting-edge educational partnership in Cybersecurity with Facebook and leveraging faculty who are world-class researchers in this area, City College proposes to launch the Master of Engineering in Cybersecurity that would be jointly administered by the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering departments in the Grove School of Engineering, offering courses in Cryptography, Secure Operating Systems, Secure Networking, and the adversarial mindset as well as hands-on, industry-developed electives; and

WHEREAS, The Master of Engineering in Cybersecurity at City College will develop a robust and diverse pipeline of skilled talent to fill the increasing number of cybersecurity jobs in New York City; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the program in Cybersecurity at City College leading to the Master of Engineering be approved effective October 29, 2019, subject to financial ability.

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EXPLANATION: The City of New York, through the NYC Economic Development Corporation, has recognized the need to grow the local cybersecurity industry and has provided $1.5 million in seed funding to City College to develop the Master of Engineering in Cybersecurity. The goal of the program is to give students a solid foundation in the core cybersecurity disciplines together with a set of hands-on learning experiences that will equip its graduates with the skills needed to fill cybersecurity jobs in New York City.


Moved by Trustee Berger and seconded by Trustee Clarke, the following resolution was presented and opened for discussion:

C. Hunter College – MA in Translation and Interpreting:

WHEREAS, The language service industry remains among the fastest-growing job sectors, according to the Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with demand for professionally trained translators and interpreters continuing to grow both in the New York area and across the country because of increasing globalization, shifting geopolitical dynamics, and the growing number of foreign-language speakers; and

WHEREAS, New York City is one of the most diverse cities in the world and has a singularly high demand for the availability of key translation and interpreting services in a range of sectors; and

WHEREAS, Hunter College’s Translation and Interpreting undergraduate program is nationally ranked, producing skilled graduates who have been highly sought after by organizations throughout the city including the Office of Language Access in the New York City Court System, the Department of Transportation, hospitals, research facilities, film production companies, and non-governmental organizations; and

WHEREAS, 50% of Hunter students pursuing degrees in languages have expressed a desire to pursue graduate studies in Translation and Interpreting at Hunter College; and

WHEREAS, Hunter College proposes to launch the Master of Arts Program in Translation and Interpreting, which will be an interdisciplinary collaboration across the Departments of Classical and Oriental Studies and Romance Languages, offering courses such as Translation Theory, Computer-Assisted Translation, Medical Translation, and Legal and Business Translation in Chinese, Russian, and Spanish language tracks; and

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WHEREAS, The Master of Arts Program in Translation and Interpreting would be the first of its kind within The City University of New York and unique in the greater NYC area, focusing on the acquisition and development of practical and professional skills as well as emphasizing translation tools such as translation memory, field-specific research, and purpose-driven translation and interpreting; and

WHEREAS, The Master of Arts Program in Translation and Interpreting would provide real-world professional training in bidirectional interpreting and translation, which is critical to language-support jobs in the government, healthcare, law, nongovernmental organizations, as well as the private sector; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the program in Translation and Interpreting at Hunter College leading to the Master of Arts be approved effective October 29, 2019, subject to financial ability.

EXPLANATION: The proposed Master of Arts in Translation and Interpreting at Hunter College is a program focused on the training of translators and interpreters with emphasis on practical skills in language and translation-related technology. Proposed jointly by the Departments of Classical and Oriental Studies and Romance Languages, the new degree program provides instruction and training for professional employment in bidirectional interpreting and translation in language-support jobs in the government, healthcare, law, non-governmental organizations, as well as the private sector. The program aims to provide practical transferrable skills, including competence in computer-assisted translation technologies, language memory, terminology, and simultaneous and consecutive interpreting.

Chairperson Thompson, Jr. asked for a vote. Cal. No. 4.C. was unanimously adopted.


D. CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy – MS in Health Communication for Social Change:

WHEREAS, Public health in the 21st century requires multisectoral engagement and innovative communication strategies to solve the most pressing local, national, and international issues, and collaboration among stakeholder groups and sectors within the context of emerging technologies is necessary to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities; and

WHEREAS, Government agencies and professional organizations such as the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Association of Schools and Programs of

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Public Health have recognized the critical role of effective health communication in confronting public health challenges; and

WHEREAS, New York City is the home to a world-renowned public health department and many of the world’s leading global brands as well as numerous international nongovernmental organizations, providing an unmatched setting for innovative programming in health communications as well as a growing job market for graduates, according to the New York State Department of Labor; and

WHEREAS, The CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy is internationally recognized for its innovative programming in global health, population health informatics, community design, and social marketing; and

WHEREAS, The CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy has completed a multi-year, multi-step program planning and development process during which a fully online non-credit certificate in Social Marketing for Health as well as a summer institute program in Integrated Marketing Communication for Behavioral Impact in Health and Social Development were successfully piloted; and

WHEREAS, The CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy proposes to launch a uniquely multisectoral Master of Science in Health Communication for Social Change, leveraging the Department of Community Health and Social Sciences and including coursework in quantitative and qualitative research as well as advocacy, media relations, social marketing, and media production; and

WHEREAS, The Master of Science in Health Communication for Social Change will prepare students for a variety of health-related careers in which they can apply entrepreneurial methods to designing and implementing behavior change and health-promoting policies; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the program in Health Communication for Social Change at the CUNY School of Public Health and Health Policy leading to the Master of Science be approved effective October 29, 2019, subject to financial ability.

EXPLANATION: The CUNY Graduate School of Health and Health Policy proposes to launch a Master of Science in Health Communication for Social Change. The proposed degree is rooted in public health competencies and examines how communication, social marketing, and behavior-change science can improve population health, preparing graduates for a variety of health-related careers.

Chairperson Thompson, Jr. asked for a vote. Cal. No. 4.D. was unanimously adopted.

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Moved by Trustee Berger and seconded by Trustee Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, the following resolution was presented and opened for discussion:

E. Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism – Resolution to Award an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at Commencement – Masha Gessen:

WHEREAS, Journalist Masha Gessen is one of the keenest investigative reporters and observers of Russian politics and culture, as well as the present world of political life in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Gessen, a staff writer at the New Yorker, is the author of ten books and countless articles for a variety of top journalistic outlets, including Slate, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Harper’s, The New York Review of Books, U.S. News & World Report, and The New Republic; and

WHEREAS, Their publications have been acknowledged with numerous awards, fellowships and other honors, including the 2017 National Book Award for The Future is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia; and

WHEREAS, The Newmark Graduate School of Journalism is committed to serving the public interest by cultivating the next generation of skilled, ethically minded, and diverse journalists, and Gessen represents the values to which the Newmark J-School holds true, and to which we hope our graduates aspire; and

WHEREAS, In granting this degree, the Newmark J-School will recognize Gessen's extensive contributions to our understanding of Russia and the importance of free expression through insightful and provocative books, essays, and articles; and

WHEREAS, The honorary degree will also recognize their commitment to a robust democratic life, an informed electorate, and an active fourth estate; and

WHEREAS, With the Newmark's J-School's emphasis on investigative reporting and the importance of strong journalism that stands up to tyranny, Gessen is an ideal candidate for the first-ever honorary CUNY degree from the J-School; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY award Masha Gessen the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, at the school’s commencement ceremony on December 13, 2019.

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EXPLANATION: In awarding Masha Gessen the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, the J-School will recognize their rigorous and tenacious reporting, their commitment to holding those in power to account, and their impressive body of work, all of which match the J-School's and CUNY’s highest ideals.

Chairperson Thompson, Jr. asked for a vote. Cal. No. 4.E. was unanimously adopted.


F. The City University of New York (CUNY Office of Academic Affairs) - Approval of the CAPPR Board Committee Report:

WHEREAS, The Trustees of the City University of New York who serve on the Committee of Academic Policy, Programs, and Research approve a range of academic actions presented by the Office of Academic Affairs before these actions go to the full Board of Trustees; and

WHEREAS, Proposed academic actions are submitted to the CAPPR committee for approval either through individual resolutions or in summary form; and

WHEREAS, Individual resolutions are submitted to the CAPPR committee in the case of new academic degree programs, university-wide academic or research policy, transfer of degree-granting authority, the establishment or closing of departments, and the establishment of university-wide institutes; and

WHEREAS, A summary report is submitted to the CAPPR committee in the case of changes to existing academic degree programs that require NYSED approval, the creation of new certificate programs and new degree programs from existing programs, the establishment of campus-based policy, and the inclusion of approved courses in general education; and

WHEREAS, Members of the CAPPR committee have requested that the summary report be presented in a dynamic, interactive dashboard that helps to visualize academic activity from the previous month and over time; and

WHEREAS, The Office of Academic Affairs is introducing its CAPPR Committee Dashboard Report during the CAPPR committee meeting on October 7, 2019; now therefore be it

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RESOLVED, That the actions in the CAPPR Committee Dashboard Report be approved effective October 29, 2019, subject to financial availability.

NOTE: The Academic Board Report for the October 2019 Board meeting is on file in the Office of the Secretary of the Board and at https://www.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/page-assets/about/trustees/meetings-of-the-board/Committee-on-Academic-Policy-Programs-and-Research-Report-October-2019-1.pdf

EXPLANATION: Routine academic matters, local academic policies, and course inclusions in the University’s general education program are presented to the Committee of Academic Policy, Programs, and Research in summary form. The Office of Academic Affairs is pleased to introduce its new CAPPR Committee Dashboard Report, making it possible for Trustees to interact with this summary data. Using the new dashboard format, Trustees will be able to manipulate and explore graphic representations and charts of the academic activity from the previous month and over time using various tools and filters.

Chairperson Thompson, Jr. asked for a vote. Cal. No. 4.F. was unanimously adopted.

5. COMMITTEE ON FACULTY, STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION: Trustee Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez reported that at the October 7, 2019 meeting of the Committee on Faculty, Staff and Administration, the Committee approved the following resolutions, and Trustee Sunshine recommended their approval by the Board.

Moved by Trustee Cortés-Vázquez and seconded by Trustee Sunshine, the following resolution was presented and opened for discussion:

A. The City University of New York – Approval of the Committee on Faculty, Staff and Administration (CFSA) Report:

WHEREAS, The colleges and university central office appoint faculty, executives, and staff to ensure academic and administrative operations continue seamlessly and new initiatives are implemented effectively; and

WHEREAS, Faculty are evaluated and reappointed on a systematic basis, sometimes resulting in the awarding of tenure, in order to retain superior faculty; and

WHEREAS, Faculty are granted fellowship leave in order to conduct research, improve their teaching, or conduct creative work, thereby improving the students’ experience and

https://www.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/page-assets/about/trustees/meetings-of-the-board/Committee-on-Academic-Policy-Programs-and-Research-Report-October-2019-1.pdf




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university’s success; and

WHEREAS, Other personnel actions, including executive level appointments, appointments of named chair, appointments waiving bylaws requirements, and appointments with 211 waivers and 212 notices, are considered as appropriate to guarantee university and campus goals and commitments are achieved; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the CFSA Report prepared by the Office of Human Resources Management and presented, be approved effective October 29, 2019.

NOTE: The CFSA Report for the October 2019 Board meeting is on file in the Office of the Secretary of the Board and at https://www.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/page-assets/about/trustees/meetings-of-the-board/Committee-on-Faculty-Staff-and-Administration-Report-October-2019.pdf


Moved by Trustee Cortés-Vázquez and seconded by Trustee Sunshine, resolutions 5.B. through 5.F. were presented and opened for discussion:

B. LaGuardia Community College – Naming of the Wesley G. McCain Endowed Scholarship:

WHEREAS, Wesley G. McCain has been a committed supporter of LaGuardia Community College since 2016, when he was first introduced to the College by a friend of the LAGCC Foundation; and

WHEREAS, Dr. McCain holds a PhD from Stanford University and has had an extensive career in finance, which includes teaching at Columbia Business School, founding Towneley Capital Management and Eclipse Financial Asset Trust, and several leadership roles with financial and insurance companies; and

WHEREAS, Mr. McCain began his support of LaGuardia Community College by providing mentorship to students and soon established an annual scholarship to provide tuition assistance to those transferring to senior colleges at CUNY; and

WHEREAS, To date Mr. McCain has contributed $50,000 to LaGuardia Community College Foundation; and

WHEREAS, In July 2019 Mr. McCain made a generous pledge of $150,000 to the LaGuardia Community College Foundation to establish an endowed fund to be named

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the “Wesley G. McCain Endowed Scholarship,” for the following purposes:

“a. The Wesley G. McCain Endowed Scholarship will provide direct financial support to initially three high-need LaGCC students who are expected to graduate in that same academic year.

b. Support may include financial assistance for tuition, books, transportation and emergency aid, with the goal of keeping Wesley G. McCain Endowed Scholars on track for graduation and future success.

c. Wesley G. McCain Endowed Scholars may be selected from any major or discipline.

d. Wesley G. McCain Endowed Scholars will be invited to participate in selected College and Foundation events and activities to serve as student ambassadors enhancing their social and professional networking skills.”

WHEREAS, Mr. McCain has committed to fulfill this pledge with a single lumpsum payment of $150,000 before December 31, 2019; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York approves naming of the Wesley G. McCain Endowed Scholarship.

EXPLANATION: Wesley G. McCain is an advocate and a proponent of community colleges and the important role they play for many underprivileged students. He has been an active and generous supporter of LaGuardia Community College for the past three years. In recognition of his contributions, LaGuardia Community College enthusiastically recommends naming of the Wesley G. McCain Endowed Scholarship.

C. LaGuardia Community College – Naming of the James J. and Sarah Jane Lightburn Education Scholarship:

WHEREAS, James J. and Sarah Jane Lightburn have been committed supporters of LaGuardia Community College since 2014; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Lightburn is a former attorney who specialized in mergers and acquisition in the U.S. and Europe and worked with Hughes Hubbard & Reed and Nomos SELARL, having also served on corporate boards of Bel Deutschland GmbH, Bel SA, Fromageries Bel SA, and The China Fund, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Lightburn are active and generous supporters of the College helping to fund scholarships for LaGuardia students in need and have donated a total of

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$13,000 in the first four years of their involvement with LaGuardia; and

WHEREAS, By agreement dated August 15, 2018, Mr. and Mrs. Lightburn made a leadership gift of $100,000 to LaGuardia Community College Foundation to endow the James J. and Sarah Jane Lightburn Education Fund (the “Lightburn Fund”) for the following purposes:

“a. The Lightburn Fund will provide direct financial support to high-need, high-potential LaGuardia Community College students.

b. Support may include financial assistance for tuition, books, transportation and emergency aid, as needed, with the goal of keeping Lightburn Scholars on track for graduation and future success.

c. Lightburn Scholars must have a GPA of at least 3.0 and remain in good academic standing during the course of the semester that they are receiving support.

d. Preference will be given to students who have expressed their intention to continue their academic career immediately following graduation and have sufficient requisite credits that will enable them to graduate by the end of the academic year in which they are Lightburn Scholars.

e. Lightburn Scholars may be selected from any major or discipline.

f. Lightburn Scholars will be invited to participate in selected College and Foundation events and activities to serve as student ambassadors enhancing their social and professional networking skills.

g. Depending upon the Lightburn Fund proceeds derived in any given year, the Foundation will determine the number of students selected as Lightburn Scholars to maximize and fully utilize the available pool of funds to help as many students as possible.”

Now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York approve naming of the James J. and Sarah Jane Lightburn Education Fund.

EXPLANATION: James J. and Sarah Jane Lightburn have been supporting LaGuardia Community College for the last five years, as they are committed advocates of community colleges. They are also committed to encouraging students to continue their academic careers immediately following graduation at LaGuardia Community College. In

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recognition of their continued support and generosity, LaGuardia Community College enthusiastically recommends the naming of the James J. and Sarah Jane Lightburn Education Fund.

D. LaGuardia Community College – Naming of the Intrepid Endowed Scholarship:

WHEREAS, On April 9, 2019 an anonymous donor made a leadership gift of $119,436.50 to LaGuardia Community College Foundation to establish an endowed scholarship, which will support high-need, high-potential students; and

WHEREAS, The donor wishes for the fund to be named “Intrepid” to honor and represent the characteristics of LaGuardia students: determined, intelligent, hardworking and resilient; and

WHEREAS, By agreement dated April 9, 2019, the gift made by the anonymous donor will endow the Intrepid Scholarship for the following purposes:

“a. The Intrepid Scholarship will provide direct financial support to high-need, high-potential LaGuardia Community College students.

b. Support may include financial assistance for tuition, books, transportation and emergency aid, as needed, with the goal of keeping Intrepid Scholars on track for graduation and future success.

c. Intrepid Scholars may be selected from any major or discipline.

d. Intrepid Scholars will be invited to participate in selected College and Foundation events and activities to serve as student ambassadors enhancing their social and professional networking skills.

e. The Foundation will determine the number of students selected as Intrepid Scholars to maximize and fully utilize the available pool of funds to help as many students as possible.”

Now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York approve naming of the Intrepid Scholarship.

EXPLANATION: The donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, is a committed advocate of community colleges, who has served on the LaGuardia Community College Foundation board for several years. The donor’s previous contributions to the Foundation have been focused on providing financial assistance to LaGuardia students

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in need. In recognition of this donor’s generous support, LaGuardia Community College Foundation enthusiastically supports the naming of the Intrepid Scholarship.

E. Queens College – Naming of the Alysse and Helmut Heydegger Endowed Chair in Environmental Geochemistry:

WHEREAS, Dr. H. Roland Heydegger was a Queens College alum, who graduated in 1956 with a BS in Chemistry and went on to earn a PhD from University of Chicago in 1968; and

WHEREAS, In 1970 he joined the faculty of Purdue University Calumet, where he spent his long and distinguished career serving as Professor of Chemistry, Chair of Department of Chemistry and Physics, and Acting Dean of School of Science and Nursing; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Heydegger’s wide-ranging research interests included study of lunar surface material, remote analysis of the composition of the surface of Mars, and development of radioactivity measurement techniques; and

WHEREAS, He spent time at the Los Alamos National Lab, NASA Johnson Space Center and as a Visiting Scholar at the Laboratory for Astrophysics and Space Research at Fermi Institute; and

WHEREAS, One month prior to his death, Dr. Heydegger contacted his alma mater, seeking to establish an Endowed Chair in Environmental Geochemistry at Queens College to honor his parents; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Heydegger passed away in September, 2017 before he was able to complete the creation of the fund; and

WHEREAS, His widow, Carol Bruell, chose to fulfill his wish and pledged $1,500,000 in December, 2017 to the Queens College Foundation to establish the Alysse and Helmut Heydegger Endowed Chair in Environmental Geochemistry Fund; and

WHEREAS, Pursuant to a Pledge/Gift Agreement with the Foundation dated January 8, 2018, Ms. Bruell has to date made payments totaling $450,000 toward her pledge and expects to complete the commitment by January 31, 2023 and must complete the commitment by January 31, 2027; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of the City University of New York approve the naming of the Alysse and Helmut Heydegger Endowed Chair in Environmental Geochemistry at Queens College.

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EXPLANATION: In recognition of Dr. Heydegger’s noteworthy career as a physicist, chemist, educator, researcher, and consultant as well as his achievements in the field of Environmental Geochemistry after graduation from Queens College and in recognition of the generosity of Ms. Bruell and her intent to honor the wishes of her late husband, Queens College requests the approval of the naming of the Alysse and Helmut Heydegger Endowed Chair in Environmental Geochemistry.

F. Queens College – Naming of The Murray & Harris Horowitz Endowed Scholarship:

WHEREAS, Harris Horowitz is a certified public accountant, who graduated from Queens College in 1978 and is currently the Managing Director-Global Head of Tax at BlackRock, Inc., having previously served as a Tax Partner at Ernst & Young LLP; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Horowitz is a committed alum, who is dedicated to helping Queens College students and has participated in the Professionals on Campus career coaching program; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Horowitz is also passionate about the arts and has given over $55,000 to the Queens College Foundation to establish The Norma and Murray Horowitz Concert Series and The Murray Horowitz Scholarship in the Arts; and

WHEREAS, Pursuant to a Gift Agreement with the Foundation dated April 22, 2019, Mr. Horowitz made a pledge of $280,500.00 to the Queens College Foundation to establish a scholarship endowment, to be known as The Murray & Harris Horowitz Endowed Scholarship, to be used to:

“provide scholarship awards to cover educational expenses including tuition, books, supplies, and fees for incoming freshman who intend to graduate in four years. The incoming student should demonstrate good academic standing (high school average of 85 or higher) and demonstrate financial need. Each student will receive the scholarship for four consecutive years if he/she maintains a 3.0 GPA. Preference will be given to students who express an interest in the arts.”

WHEREAS, To date Mr. Horowitz has fulfilled close to 97% of his pledge and is required pursuant to the Gift Agreement to complete the commitment with a payment of $9,617.81 on or before December 31, 2019; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of the City University of New York approves the naming of The Murray & Harris Horowitz Endowed Scholarship.

EXPLANATION: In recognition of Mr. Horowitz’s desire to provide educational opportunities to those less fortunate and, in honor of his father’s passion for the arts, to

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those who participate in the arts programs on campus, Queens College recommends the naming of The Murray & Harris Horowitz Endowed Scholarship.

Chairperson Thompson, Jr. asked for a vote. Cal. Nos. 5.B. through 5.F. were unanimously adopted.

Moved by Trustee Cortés-Vázquez and seconded by Trustee Sunshine, resolutions 5.G. through 5.M. were presented and opened for discussion:

G. The City University of New York – Appointment of Richard White as Vice Chancellor for Compliance and Audit:

WHEREAS, Richard White has been serving at the Office of Governor Andrew W. Cuomo as Deputy Secretary for Public Safety since 2017; and

WHEREAS, Mr. White has a demonstrated track record of more than twenty-five years of progressive executive leadership and corporate compliance experience working collaboratively with senior management teams in complex organizations. He held positions as Deputy Secretary for Public Safety, Deputy Commissioner- Investigations, Trials and Litigation and Senior Trial Attorney in the Governor’s Office, the New York City Department of Corrections and Manhattan District Attorney’s Office; and

WHEREAS, Mr. White created the state’s first proactive investigatory unit consisting of Investigators, Auditors, and Attorneys, tasked to investigate fraud, corruption, and abusive practices affecting over one million rent regulated tenants and worked closely with the executive teams to provide senior level support and leadership for critical projects; and

WHEREAS, Mr. White holds a JD degree from Delaware Law School and a Bachelors in Economics from Franklin and Marshall College; and

WHEREAS, The appointment of Mr. White as Vice Chancellor will provide leadership in planning, development and implementation of University policies and initiatives relevant to all aspects of University compliance and audit programs. Mr. White will serve as the principal contact for compliance activities including government investigations and requests for consultation, and internal and external reporting; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York approve the appointment of Richard White as Vice Chancellor for Compliance and Audit.

EXPLANATION: Richard White will facilitate enterprise risk identification and risk assessment exercises and monitor the capability to manage risk priorities across the

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University. He will oversee and direct internal review and monitoring activities; investigate and act on matters related to compliance to ensure that appropriate data is gathered and analyzed; and insure that risks and obligations are identified, managed and assessed in a timely and effective manner. Where there are allegations of serious or systemic misconduct, the Vice Chancellor will coordinate the University’s internal investigation and assist external investigators as required.

Mr. White’s background, education and experience in compliance and audit make him particularly suited for this leadership role in the Chancellor’s Office. He has demonstrated a successful track record of contributing to the Governor’s mission related to compliance and audit.

The Chancellor strongly recommends this appointment.

H. Lehman College – Appointment of Bridget Barbera as Executive Counsel:

WHEREAS, Bridget Barbera holds a JD from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law and a BA in from Brown University; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Barbera served as Associate General Counsel for the City University of New York (CUNY) where she managed employee grievances and disciplinary proceedings, including investigating matters, drafting disciplinary charges, and representing the constituent colleges at arbitration proceedings. Ms. Barbera oversaw compliance, investigation, and litigation involving Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Jeanne Clery Act, and New York State Education Law Article129-B (“Enough is Enough”) matters; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Barbera served as Assistant District Attorney in the Trial Division for Bronx, NY. Ms. Barbera served as first chair, litigated numerous bench and jury trials, as well as pre-trial hearings and performed long-term investigations of various criminal enterprises; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York approve the appointment of Bridget Barbera as Executive Counsel to the President and Labor Designee at Lehman College.

EXPLANATION: The appointment of Ms. Barbera as Executive Counsel to the President and Labor Designee will ensure that Lehman College has the leadership to advance excellence in legal and labor matters, such as compliance and governance, and achieve greater academic and institutional effectiveness.

The President strongly recommends this appointment.

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I. Lehman College – Appointment of Rene Rotolo as Vice President for Administration and Finance:

WHEREAS, Rene Rotolo has more than twenty years of progressively responsible experience as a higher education administrator having served in such titles as CampusFacilities Officer, Assistant Vice President for Campus Planning and Facilities, and Executive in Charge of the Division of Administration and Finance; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Rotolo currently serves the College as Interim Vice President for Administration and Finance; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Rotolo holds a Master of Public Administration from Baruch College of The City University of New York and a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the Fashion Institute of Technology of The State University of New York; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Rotolo has a demonstrated record of accomplishment working collaboratively with senior leadership and management teams across the University, within the College, and externally to manage multimillion dollar operating budgets; plan, design, bid and oversee capital improvement and new construction projects; achieve operational efficiencies and productivity improvements; and lead high performing work teams; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York approve the appointment of Rene Rotolo as Vice President for Administration and Finance at Lehman College.

EXPLANATION: The appointment of Ms. Rotolo to this position will ensure Lehman College has the leadership to effectively manage the College’s operating and capital budgets; pursue innovative business solutions to enhance the overall effectiveness of the College's financial and administrative operations and collaborate with senior staff, faculty, administrators, and external constituents to achieve sustainable plans that maximize institutional goals. Ms. Rotolo will be the chief advisor to the President of the College and executive staff on fiscal affairs, administrative, and facilities operation. She will also be the principal liaison to The City University’s system administration, government agencies, and other entities regarding fiscal, administrative and operational matters.

The President strongly recommends this appointment with a waiver of the search requirements.

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J. Kingsborough Community College – Appointment of Dr. Johana Rivera as Vice President, Enrollment Management:

WHEREAS, Dr. Rivera has more than twenty-eight years of progressive administrative and leadership experience in higher education having held positions such as Associate Dean for Student Development and Enrollment Management, Executive Director of Enrollment and Registrar, Interim Director of Admissions; and

WHEREAS, In recognition of Dr. Rivera’s leadership and experience in Enrollment Management, it is recommended that she be appointed to the position of Vice President of Enrollment Management at Kingsborough Community College. This appointment will ensure Kingsborough Community College has the leadership to advance excellence in Enrollment Management; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rivera holds a Doctor of Education from Saint John Fisher College, a Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies and a Bachelors of Arts in English from Brooklyn College; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York approve the appointment of Dr. Rivera as Vice President for Enrollment Management at Kingsborough Community College.

EXPLANATION: Dr. Rivera will serve as a member of the President’s senior team and will incorporate innovative practices, plans and strategies needed to transform and elevate our division of enrollment management.

The President strongly recommends this appointment.

K. Kingsborough Community College – Appointment of Dr. Edwisimone Rodriguez-Dorestant as Vice President, Workforce Development & Strategic Partnerships:

WHEREAS, Dr. Rodriguez-Dorestant has more than twenty years of progressive administrative and leadership experience in higher education having held positions such as Associate Dean for Student Success Programs, Dean for School of Professional and Community Development, Interim Associate Provost, Executive Director for Academic Affairs and Planning, Executive Director for Student Development and Student Services; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rodriguez-Dorestant’s leadership and experience both in Academic and Student Affairs, as well as Students Services will ensure that Kingsborough Community College will have the leadership to advance excellence in Workforce Development, Strategic Partnerships and Continuing Education; and

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WHEREAS, Dr. Rodriguez-Dorestant holds a Doctor of Philosophy and a Masters of Arts in Higher Education Administration from Walden University, and a Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy, Politics, and Law from SUNY Binghamton; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York approve the appointment of Dr. Edwisimone Rodriguez-Dorestant as Vice President for Workforce Development, Strategic Partnerships and continuing Education at Kingsborough Community College.

EXPLANATION: Dr. Rodriguez-Dorestant will serve on the President’s senior team. This is a 21st century community college position that will forge relationships and partnerships with community agencies to support the college’s retention and completion agenda.

The President strongly recommends this appointment with a waiver of the search requirements.

L. Queensborough Community College – Appointment of Lois Florman:

WHEREAS, Lois Florman has over thirty years of experience as a practicing attorney, including service at Queensborough Community College and prior service at CUNY’s Office of the General Counsel; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Florman, Executive Counsel/Legal and Labor Designee, has reported to the Dean for Human Resources & Labor Relations for eleven years, and the scope of Ms. Florman’s work extends beyond the Office of Human Resources & Labor Relations to legal matters related to all divisions of the College; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Florman has a Bachelor’s Degree from Northwestern University, holds a Juris Doctor degree from Hofstra University School of Law, and is a member of the New York State Bar Association; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York approve the change in Ms. Lois Florman’s reporting structure from the Dean of Human Resources & Labor Relations to the President of Queensborough Community College as Executive Counsel to the President effective September 3, 2019.

EXPLANATION: Ms. Florman continues to serve as Queensborough Community College’s executive counsel and provides legal expertise on many challenging issues that arise in the higher educational context, including labor and employment, ethics, student issues, litigation, compliance, Title IX, affiliation and contractual agreements, college governance, immigration, and fundraising. Ms. Florman also serves as Legal and

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Labor Designee and provides guidance to executive leadership, supervisors, department chairpersons, faculty and staff and monitors and ensures compliance regarding contractual agreements, University and College policies and procedures, federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The change in reporting structure is in congruence with reporting structures at other CUNY campuses and this change will more appropriately reflect the scope of Ms. Florman’s responsibilities at the College.

The President strongly recommends this change in reporting structure.

M. York College – Appointment of Berenecea Johnson Eanes as Interim President:

WHEREAS, Dr. Eanes received a Ph.D. in Social work from Clark Atlanta University, a Master of Social Work from Boston University and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Dillard University in New Orleans; and

WHEREAS, Berenecea Johnson Eanes, Ph.D. served as Vice President for the Division of Student Affairs at California State University, Fullerton, leading a division of 400+ employees who support the personal, social and academic development of nearly 40,000 students since 2012; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Eanes co-led efforts to create the Student Success Teams Steering Committee, the genesis of CSUF’s college-based Student Success Teams that have become a national model for best practices to increase graduation rates and eliminate achievement gaps. CSUF facilitated a 33% improvement in six-year graduation rates for first-time freshmen, a more than 100% improvement in four-year graduation rates for first-time freshmen; a 19% improvement in two-year graduation rates for transfer students, and a 41% improvement in four-year graduation rates for transfer students — all university records; and

WHEREAS, Under her leadership annual gift commitments for both Student Affairs and Titan Athletics increased almost tenfold (from $400K to $3.5M for Student Affairs and $496K to $3.76M for Titan Athletics); and

WHEREAS, Dr. Eanes has been honored with notable national and state-wide awards; including the Wang Family Excellence Award, garnering the honor for distinguishing herself through exemplary contributions and achievements to Cal State Fullerton; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York approve the appointment of Berenecea Johnson Eanes as Interim President, York College.

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EXPLANATION: As Interim President, Berenecea Johnson Eanes will ensure continuity and consistency as York College conducts a search for a new President. The September 1, 2019 interim appointment date coincides with the departure of the outgoing President, who has retired. Dr. Eanes’s experience as both an educator and a leader ensures a smooth transition into her new responsibilities.

The Chancellor strongly recommends this interim appointment.

Chairperson Thompson, Jr. asked for a vote. Cal. Nos. 5.G. and 5.M. were unanimously adopted.

Moved by Chairperson Thompson, Jr. and seconded by Trustee Berger, the following resolution was presented and opened for discussion:

6. The City University of New York – Appointment of Doriane K. Gloria as Vice Chancellor, Office of Human Resources Management:

WHEREAS, Ms. Doriane K. Gloria is a proven executive leader setting priorities, addressing immediate needs, assessing operations for efficiency, developing best practices and long term strategic plans to foster growth in various Human Resources initiatives throughout her career; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Gloria also has experience in implementing human capital management systems, developing and interpretive statutes and policies, developing training programs, and establishing collective bargaining agreements. With these skill sets, Ms. Gloria will be a great asset to CUNY’s Office of Human Resources Management; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Gloria has been serving as the Vice President of Human Resources at the New York Blood Center; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Gloria has been the Chief Human Resources Officer at Suffolk County Community College, the largest SUNY community college campus, developing college-wide polices and providing leadership on a range of issues from labor and employee relations, talent acquisition, benefits planning, compensation, training and development, process improvement, metrics development and staff and resource allocation; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Gloria executed the merger of two of New York City’s largest hospitals and schools and introduced plans to realize increased efficiencies, economies of scale and improved strategy development; and

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WHEREAS, Ms. Gloria has developed full service Human Resources departments from the ground up with central and localized frameworks and established collective bargaining agreements with Doctors’ Council, 1199 and NYSNA; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York approve the appointment of Doriane K. Gloria as Vice Chancellor for Human Resources at an annual salary of $250,000 effective December 2, 2019.

EXPLANATION: As Vice Chancellor, Doriane Gloria will bring her breadth of human resources experience to the central office of The City University of New York. Ms. Gloria has in depth knowledge of developing human resources services, including recruitment and career development programs with a goal of providing superior customer satisfaction and proactively identifying solutions for workforce issues.

The Chancellor strongly recommends this appointment, which is the result of a national search.

Chairperson Thompson, Jr. asked for a vote. Cal. No. 6 was unanimously adopted.

Moved by Chairperson Thompson, Jr. and seconded by Trustee Clarke, the following resolution was presented and opened for discussion:

7. The City University of New York – Appointment of Tamera R. Schneider as Associate Vice Chancellor and University Vice Provost for Research:

WHEREAS, Dr. Schneider holds a B.S. in Psychology and an M.A. in Applied Behavioral Science, both from Wright State University, earned an M.A. in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Social/Health Psychology from SUNY Stony Brook, and served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale University; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Schneider’s leadership and more than twenty years of research experience will ensure that The City University of New York will have the leadership to advance excellence in Research; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Tamera R. Schneider has served as Deputy Director of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences of the Social, Behavioral, and Economics (SBE) Directoriate, as a Program Director of NSF’s Social Psychology program, and Assistant Vice President of Multicultural Affairs and Community Engagement at Wright State University; and

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WHEREAS, Among her many accomplishments at NSF, Dr. Schneider obtained and curated SBE-funded projects related to opioid use and co-led efforts to develop philanthropic partnerships for learning and enhancing basic science impacts for practitioners and learners; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Schneider co-chaired the Understanding the Brain working group and chaired the SBE Science of Broadening Participation working group, which conducted valuable outreach and developed bias training for program officers and proposal reviewers; and

WHEREAS, In her role of Assistant Vice President of Multicultural Affairs and Community Engagement at Wright State University, Dr. Schenider conducted a campus climate survey that yielded a significant increase in student participation and developed a faculty equity fellows program that provided guidance for policy and practice for leadership and faculty, particularly underrepresented faculty; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Schneider’s research has closely studied biobehavioral assessment and psycho-physiological mechanisms that link stress, emotions, and health; the influence of persuasion and other social-psychological phenomena on effecting positive health outcomes; and facilitating stress resilience and effective, inclusive, and innovative workplaces; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York approve the appointment of Dr. Tamera R. Schneider as Associate Vice Chancellor and University Vice Provost for Research at The City University of New York.

EXPLANATION: Dr. Schneider’s many years of experience as both a leader and a researcher conducting valuable, forward-thinking work will position her well to support and sustain strong performance, innovation, and recognition of the University’s research faculty and programs, which produce more than 20,000 original scholarly products and generate more than $450 million in grant and contract awards annually. Dr. Schneider will be an invaluable member of CUNY’s leadership team, providing oversight, leadership, direction, and accountability to the University’s research and innovation enterprise.

The Chancellor strongly recommends this appointment, which is the result of a national search.


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Moved by Chairperson Thompson, Jr. and seconded by Trustee Berger, the following resolution was presented and opened for discussion:

8. The City University of New York – In-State Tuition for Students from the Bahamas:

WHEREAS, Between September 1 and September 3, 2019 Hurricane Dorian devastated much of Grand Bahama and Abaco islands; and

WHEREAS, The Category 5 hurricane was the strongest the islands have ever seen, killing more than 50 people with more than 1,000 still unaccounted; and

WHEREAS, Students from these areas have had their college educations disrupted by these events; and

WHEREAS, The City University of New York has a long tradition of responding to disasters around the world; and

WHEREAS, With our students coming from as many as 205 different countries, the City University of New York community is impacted by these tragedies no matter where they occur; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees authorizes The City University of New York to provide college students from the Bahamas displaced by Hurricane Dorian to pay residents rates of tuition for the Fall 2019 through the Summer 2020 semesters; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees grants to the CUNY college presidents, or their designees, the authority to determine and provide additional financial assistance to affected students on a case-by-case basis, within the guidelines of the University’s Tuition and Fee Manual.

EXPLANATION: Hurricane Dorian had a devastating impact on the Bahamas. While families are trying to rebuild homes and lives, the Board of Trustees wishes to provide every possible support to college students who have been touched by this disaster.


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Moved by Chairperson Thompson, Jr. and seconded by Trustee Cortés-Vázquez, the following resolution was presented and opened for discussion:

9. Resolution of Appreciation – Judith Bergtraum:

WHEREAS, Judith Bergtraum was appointed by the Board of Trustees as Interim Vice Chancellor for Facilities Planning, Construction and Management in June 2014, appointed Vice Chancellor for Facilities Planning, Construction and Management in June 2015 as and later promoted to Senior Vice Chancellor in 2018; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Bergtraum served as Deputy to the Vice Chancellor for Facilities Planning, Construction and Management for seven years; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Bergtraum has also served as Executive Director of the City University Construction Fund (CUCF) with distinction; and

WHEREAS, For more than a decade, Ms. Bergtraum has worked tirelessly to advance the University’s mission through an aggressive $3 billion capital program, which has enhanced students’ campus experiences; and

WHEREAS, Under Ms. Bergtraum’s leadership, University facilities have expanded, including the addition of the Brooklyn College Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, the Tow Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College and the multipurpose New Academic Complex at New York City College of Technology as well as dormitories for several campuses; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Bergtraum found innovative ways to improve the critical maintenance of University facilities, including campus-wide utility upgrades, infrastructure improvements, renovation of laboratories, the restoration of landmarked buildings, the replacement of facades and the upgrading of electrical systems; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Bergtraum has been instrumental in implementing the expansion of the facilities to support the University’s acclaimed Accelerated Study in Associate Programs at Borough of Manhattan Community College, Hostos Community College, Queensborough Community College, LaGuardia Community College, Bronx Community College, Medgar Evers College and New York City College of Technology; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Bergtraum has been a dedicated champion of Minority and Women Owned Businesses (M/WBE) and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses (SDVOB) for CUNY and CUCF capital projects and initiatives; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Bergtraum has continued her family’s longstanding commitment to public education and public service; now therefore be it

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RESOLVED, That the members of the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York express their sincere thanks and deepest appreciation to Judith Bergtraum for her energy, devotion, and outstanding service to The City University of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees extends its best wishes for her continued success in all of her future endeavors.

Chairperson Thompson stated, “Judy you are CUNY, you are a great professional. I will personally miss you as I have enjoyed working with you since the moment I walked through the door. Thank you for everything.”


Moved by Chairperson Thompson, Jr. and seconded by Trustee Clarke, the following resolution was presented and opened for discussion:

10. Resolution of Appreciation – Haris Khan:

WHEREAS, Haris Khan was elected by his fellow students as Chairperson for the University Student Senate (USS) in October 2018, serving a one year term; and

WHEREAS, As Chairperson for USS, Mr. Khan served as the only student member of the Board of Trustees, representing the interests of more than 500,000 students; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Khan recently graduated from the City College of New York with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Politics, Diplomacy, and Law, in the CUNY Baccalaureate program and participated in the Skadden Arps Honors Program in Legal Studies; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Khan proudly served as the Undergraduate Student Government President at City College, having previously served as Senator and Executive Vice President; and

WHEREAS, City College recognized his leadership skills and awarded him the Colin Powell Fellowship for Leadership and Public Service; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Khan was a fierce advocate for the students he represented, including organizing students to help secure the passage of the important New York Dream Act; and

WHEREAS, Haris Khan was a respected voice on the Board of Trustees; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the members of the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York express their sincere thanks and deepest appreciation to Haris Khan for his energy, devotion,

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and outstanding service to The City University of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees extends its best wishes for his continued success in all of his future endeavors.


Senior Advisor to the Chancellor (SAC) and Secretary of the Board Gayle M. Horwitz presented item No. 11 for the Board’s approval as the resolution was discussed in Executive Session:

Moved by Chairperson Thompson, Jr. and seconded by Trustee Ferrer, the following resolution was presented and opened for discussion:

11. The City University of New York - Memorandum of Understanding among the Offices of The New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. Dinapoli, The State University of New York, The State University of New York Construction Fund, The City University of New York, And The City University Construction Fund:

WHEREAS, The Offices of the New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli agreed to modify requirements of pre-audit review for contracts of The State University of New York, The State University of New York Construction Fund, The City University of New York, The City University Construction Fund, the Office of General Services, and the Research Foundation for the State University of New York through the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) dated August 15, 2019; and

WHEREAS, The MOU would require pre-audit review for contracts valued at $250,000 or more for construction, commodities, computer equipment (including software and hardware), and printing, and non-construction related services; and

WHEREAS, The MOU provides that it is contingent upon CUNY and CUCF’s respective Boards of Trustees to approve the terms of this MOU within 30 days of the MOU’s effective date or the Executive will propose legislation mandating such review; and

WHEREAS, The MOU’s effective date is 30 days following the signing of the MOU and finalization of the mutually agreed upon checklist required by the MOU; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York hereby approve and ratify the terms of the MOU signed by the Chancellor; and be it further

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RESOLVED, That the current CUNY Procurement Policy be revised to incorporate the terms of the MOU.

EXPLANATION: The MOU establishes a package of procurement reforms to ensure State contracts, including CUNY contracts, adhere to the highest ethical and procurement standards while ensuring there are no costly delays or interference with State Operations. OSC’s pre-audit review for contracts must be done within 30 days or the contracts shall become valid and enforceable without OSC’s pre-audit review approval. The MOU outlines parameters for OSC’s review. The MOU’s required checklist is currently being negotiated.


Moved by Chairperson Thompson, Jr. and seconded by Trustee Ferrer, the reconvened public session was adjourned at 6:51 p.m.

The Board of Trustees of The City University of New York ... · Chairperson Thompson, Jr. welcomed...

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