Capital District Times

Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and Congress Members, Provide Support for Capital Projects, Academic Programs, Vocational Training and other Critical Initiatives

The City University of New York received more than $12 million as part of the U.S. Congressional Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations, funding that will support 14 projects and programs across nine campuses. These include workforce development programs, internships, vocational training, mentoring and academic programs.

The allocations, part of the $1.7 trillion bill signed into law by President Biden in December, were made by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congress Members Yvette Clarke, Adriano Espaillat, Gregory Meeks, Grace Meng, Ritchie Torres and Nydia Velázquez, and former member Carolyn Maloney.

These funds will enhance workforce training programs at The City College of New York that equip more New Yorkers to enter the building trades; create paid research opportunities for geology students at York College; allow Lehman College to create a literacy and language skills program at its Mexican Studies Institute; provide opportunities for students at Queens College’s business school to work as interns with local small businesses; and allow students at Hostos Community College to pursue joint baccalaureate degrees with other colleges like Columbia University in a range of fields.

“We are grateful to Senate Majority Leader Schumer, Senator Gillibrand and our representatives in Congress for this critical funding,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “We thank our legislative leaders for their commitment to CUNY’s future and for recognizing the University’s role as an engine of social and economic mobility that benefits all New Yorkers.”

“I’m proud to deliver these federal funds to enhance programs, services and initiatives across City University of New York campuses,” said Senator Schumer. “From bolstering workforce training programs, to creating a learning hub for Puerto Rican studies and supporting students in joint degree programs, this funding provides vital support for CUNY’s academic programs, its students and invests in our modern workforce.”

“These funds will not only enhance the learning experience at institutions such as Hostos Community College and Hunter College, but will also strengthen vocational training programs at LaGuardia Community College and make crucial investments in the infrastructure workforce of tomorrow at the Charles B. Rangel Center,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I’m proud to have brought CUNY the funds to provide our leaders of tomorrow with a world-class education and the tools they need to succeed in their future careers.”

“We are all aware of the transformative history behind Medgar Evers College, along with the vital role the dedicated individuals who define it have long played in the growth and betterment of Brooklyn,” said Congress Member Clarke. “I was honored to fight for this funding to support these profoundly innovative programs, which are certain to build on that storied legacy. Moreover, it will ensure our community’s brightest young minds receive a truly revolutionary education.”

“I am proud to help lead the efforts to deliver this much needed federal funding to projects in our community,” said Congress Member Espaillat. “These investments will benefit and provide critical support to educational programs, students and administrators in my district for years to come.”

“The more than $2.1 million in federal funding allocated to York College for the geology, environmental science and pharmaceutical science workforce training programs provide students with the resources they need to excel in their academic careers,” said Congress Member Meeks. “I am elated that part of the federal funding will also go toward student stipends. It’s critical that students who are seeking a post-secondary education are focused on their coursework and not on how they will pay for their books or the next meal. I look forward to continuing to support this esteemed institution.”

“I’m proud to deliver another win for Queens College, this one for more than $2.2 million for building partnerships with local small businesses and renovating Colden Auditorium,” said Congress Member Meng, New York’s senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. “Queens College does an exceptional job serving our borough and preparing students for their futures. These crucial funds will help local small businesses grow while providing students with opportunities for hands-on experience in the business world. This money will also ensure that Colden Auditorium has the tools it needs to better serve Queens residents. I’m thrilled to fight for Queens College, and I look forward to these projects benefiting the College and borough residents for years to come.”

“I’m so proud to have secured this funding to help Bronx Community College fully subsidize workforce development and continuing education opportunities in allied health for 100 predominantly low-income minority students,” said Congress Member Torres. “Healthcare is a leading industry and major employer in the Bronx, and this investment will strengthen that standing by preparing tomorrow’s healthcare workers for success in future careers in the important fields of phlebotomy, emergency medicine and cardiovascular science.”

“Institutions like LaGuardia Community College are vital to providing students with the education and skills they need to succeed in the modern economy,” said Congress Member Velázquez. I was proud to fight for this funding, which will help New Yorkers advance their careers. The workforce training enabled by these funds will help unemployed and underemployed individuals earn the knowledge necessary to obtain good paying jobs across a variety of in-demand fields.”

Over $12 million in federal funding includes the following services and initiatives throughout CUNY: 

The City College of New York received over $3 million: 

• $2.2 million from Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and Congress Member Espaillat, for the Charles B. Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Initiative, to enhance workforce training programs that address the lack of modern infrastructure jobs. The programs will equip historically underserved communities with analytical and operational skills for those jobs through innovative curricula, simulation-based training and experiential learning. 
• They also secured $809,000 for CUNY Dominican Studies Institute at City College to create the CUNY Cultural/Historical Legacy Initiative (CUNY CHLI), which  will generate culturally and historically rich curricula and enrichment programs for K-12 students in partnership with New York City Public Schools.

Queens College received over $2.2 million:

• $1.46 million from Congress Member Meng for its Small Business Development Initiative to strengthen partnerships between its recently established business school and local companies by providing internship opportunities to students, expanding the College’s curriculum as part of the small business management certificate program and encouraging employees of local small businesses to enhance their career growth by pursuing a Queens College degree.
• $750,000 also from Congress Member Meng for improvements to the College’s Colden Auditorium. The funding will be used for the installation of equipment to enable high-quality audiovisual production and live streaming capability. The funds will also support the upgrade of technical production systems, making them compatible with theatrical industry standards to ensure technical and safety compliance.

York College received over $2.1 million: 

• $1.27 million from Congress Member Meeks for geology and environmental science programs, including student stipends and equipment. This will include computational tools to analyze geophysical data and will pilot a mentoring program for new geology majors, the majority of whom come from Southeast Queens and are often first-generation Americans. 
• $850,000 also from Congress Member Meeks for the development of a pharmaceutical sciences workforce training program. This funding will support the establishment of a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical analytical laboratory, which will enable students to be trained on emerging trends in drug identification, analysis and discovery.

Lehman College received $1.75 million:

• $1.25 million from Congress Member Espaillat for a literacy and language skills program for the Mexican Studies Institute. The project will focus on accessing the power of multiple literacies to drive academic success while collaborating with community-based organizations and public institutions to support and empower the local community in the Bronx. 
• $500,000 from Congress Member Torres for a digital equity initiative that includes computer technology and equipment.

Hostos Community College received $1 million from Senators Schumer, Gillibrand and Congress Member Torres to support students in joint degree programs with Columbia University (NextGen Health Scholars Program), Queens College (Arts Administration) and City College (Engineering Program). Students in these programs will automatically move onto the senior college once they complete coursework at Hostos.

Medgar Evers College received $726,000:

• $191,000 from Congress Member Clarke for the Re-Envisioning Our Lives through Literature (ROLL) Program at the Center for Black Literature. The ROLL Program partners with elementary, middle and high schools to help students use texts written by writers of the African Diaspora as a basis for re-seeing and re-imagining their lives while improving critical reading, writing and communication skills. 
• $535,000 from Congress Member Clarke for the Center for Law and Social Justice’s Esmeralda Simmons Pre-Law Program, which works closely with 10 juniors seeking to enter the legal field. Students will receive mentorship and guidance, access to LSAT preparation and hands-on experience applying the law to meet the needs of the community.

Hunter College received $792,000 from Senators Schumer, Gillibrand and Congress Member Espaillat to develop an accessible learning and creative hub for the Center for Puerto Rican Studies (Centro) to include educational workshops for local school districts and public libraries. It will provide the community with direct access to Centro’s library, archives, historical and scholarly resources, and educational programs.

LaGuardia Community College received $405,000, secured by Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, Congress Member Velázquez and former Congress Member Maloney, to expand vocational education for the underemployed and unemployed. The new funding will allow LaGuardia’s Division of Adult Continuing Education and Workforce Development to provide workforce training in electrical, plumbing, HVAC and other construction fields on campus.

Bronx Community College received $150,000 from Congress Member Torres to develop the College’s Allied Health Workforce training programs, which will fully subsidize workforce development and continuing education for 100 residents of the South Bronx.

The City University of New York is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs, serving over 243,000 undergraduate and graduate students and awarding 55,000 degrees each year. CUNY’s mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University’s graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city’s economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city’s workforce in every sector. CUNY’s graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur “Genius” Grants. The University’s historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background.

Original source can be found here.