Yenny Rodriguez

The Board meeting included the approval of various institutional policies, including updates to bylaws and external audit plans. Financial and administrative approvals were granted for operating and capital budget allocations, academic excellence fees, and pricing structures for graduate programs. Several contracts were authorized for hazardous waste management, software licensing, and student enrollment systems. Numerous leadership appointments were confirmed across multiple colleges, alongside the establishment of several new academic degree and certificate programs. Changes to standardized testing requirements for admissions were approved, and several faculty members were granted tenure or endowed professorships. Furthermore, the Board accepted various gifts and scholarship funds, authorized construction and facilities upgrades, approved student activity fee changes, retained outside legal counsel, and ratified an amended agreement with the Research Foundation. The meeting concluded with a resolution of appreciation for the outgoing President of Queens College and the appointment of an interim successor.

The board meeting focused on several key items, including a report on the public hearing held at Bronx Community College, remarks on the conclusion of the academic year, and updates on commencement ceremonies and student accomplishments. The board approved bylaw revisions to establish the title of senior lecturer, reviewed the fiscal year 2026 external audit plan, authorized the fiscal year 2027 university operating and capital budget allocations, and approved an academic excellence fee for the Master of Science and Clinical Trial Management Program at York College.

The public hearing focused on various concerns, including indoor air quality and mold contamination at the Charles E. Clark Memorial Library at Morehouse College, declining faculty and staff morale at City Tech regarding shared governance and executive search bylaws, and the need for continued funding for student resources such as library hours, food pantries, snack carts, and student leadership programs.

The committee held an executive session to discuss personnel, investigations, litigation, and collective negotiations. Action items approved for submission to the Board included the fiscal year 2027 university operating and capital budget allocations, an academic excellence fee at York College, and modified pricing structures for executive graduate programs at Baruch College. Additionally, contracts were authorized for hazardous waste management, computer equipment purchasing, materials delivery, software licensing, plagiarism detection services, and a website redesign. A significant number of personnel appointments across various CUNY colleges were also approved. The meeting concluded with information updates regarding the state and city budget, quarterly financial reports, and status reports on one-time state funding.

The committee meeting addressed several academic action items, including the approval of new degree programs such as a Master of Science in Innovation Strategy at Baruch College, a program in Career and Technical Education at Borough of Manhattan Community College, an Associate of Science in Cybersecurity at Hostos Community College, an Associate of Science in Health Studies at LaGuardia Community College, and certificate programs in Aging Studies and Healthcare Compliance and Research at CUNY School of Professional Studies. Additionally, a new Master of Science program in Public Health Data Science was approved for the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy. The committee reviewed a progress report on the deregistration of zero-enrollment programs and discussed a resolution to maintain a test-optional policy for undergraduate admissions.