Student-Developed ‘Our CUNY’ Campaign Is Part of CUNY Efforts to Promote Climate of Mutual Respect and Keep Campuses Safe
The City University of New York began the 2024-2025 academic yesterday with new efforts to unite our community, redoubling efforts to promote civil discourse and dialogue, tolerance and respect across its 25 campuses. To accomplish these objectives, the University is launching a unity campaign, sending out a campus-climate survey to all students and enhancing initiatives to protect students, faculty and staff and maintain safe access to campus facilities.
“The start of the school year always brings a spirit of renewal to our campuses,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “We’re looking forward to finding new ways to learn and grow together, sustaining a campus culture defined by tolerance, inclusivity, safety and opportunity for all.”
The University welcomes more than 233,000 students – over 60,000 of them freshmen, transfers and new graduate students – with classes beginning on most campuses on Wednesday. Chancellor Matos Rodríguez, who is beginning his sixth full academic year leading the University, celebrated the day with a visit to Hunter College where he greeted students and welcomed their new leader, President Nancy Cantor.
System-Wide Engagement
This week, the University is launching “Our CUNY: Hate Divides Us, Diversity Defines Us,” a student-developed social media campaign to provide information and resources for combating all forms of hate and creating campus environments that embrace the full breadth of CUNY diversity.
“Seeing the evolution of the #OurCUNY campaign, listening to students across all campuses and sharing perspectives with such a talented team has been incredibly valuable in building the CUNY we all want to see,” said Carrie Ebbin, Brooklyn College ’25, a member of the student group that helped develop the campaign. “This campaign is one component of a larger, ongoing movement of activism, positivity and unity within Our CUNY.”
“I was so excited to work on this campaign and show that our differences are something to be celebrated because they can help unite us,” said Milton Gordon, Baruch College ’25, who created the visual images for Our CUNY. “I wanted to show colorful figures connecting with each other in humorous, fun and whimsical ways to illustrate the simplicity of student life, and how we look past our differences when we are connecting and communicating with each other.”
A key part of this effort will be a University-wide campus climate survey to assess students’ perceptions of issues surrounding inclusivity and experiences with discrimination. The results will be used to inform additional initiatives and programs and help CUNY to make measurable progress.
Starting this fall CUNY will be launching professional development opportunities and other trainings for faculty and student-facing employees, particularly on navigating difficult conversations on campuses. This summer the University announced the creation of a Center for Inclusive Excellence and Belonging, which will harness systemwide resources, oversee training, strengthen reporting and bring consistency in its approach across the 25 colleges.
Safety Preparation
In recent months, campus leaders have organized discussions and training sessions to prepare for the upcoming year. These include a meeting earlier this month with a representative from the New York State Executive Chamber with colleges to discuss safety plans for the fall semester, as well as multiple preparation and planning sessions for campus administrators and security chiefs.
Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke to CUNY presidents and deans on Monday about campus preparedness for the coming school year, reinforcing expectations and connecting higher education leadership across the state with necessary resources.
CUNY has invested in recruitment and retention and welcomes 23 new public safety recruits to its training academy. Approximately 50 additional private officers have been deployed to campuses to provide additional support. CUNY peace officers are recertified annually on topics such as crisis intervention and professional communication.
New Leader at Hunter
To mark the start of the new semester, the Chancellor joined President Cantor on a tour of the Hunter College campus, where they welcomed and greeted students and employees. Cantor is an experienced leader who has served as president and chancellor of several universities, including Rutgers-Newark, Syracuse and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. At all three institutions, she was the first woman to serve as chancellor. She is recognized nationally and internationally for her work forging strong and effective partnerships between universities and the communities they serve. Cantor is the 17th permanent leader of a CUNY college or professional school appointed since Chancellor Matos Rodríguez began his tenure in May 2019.
Classes began at 22 CUNY campuses this week. The remaining three campuses, Guttman, Kingsborough and LaGuardia community colleges, start next week on Sept. 5.
Looking Ahead
The University will continue to help its community members become more informed global citizens and grow academically, civically and socially, including initiatives like CUNY Votes, which aims to raise awareness about issues such as voter registration, participation and awareness.
In the leadup to the November election, CUNY campuses will hold debate watch parties and sessions to raise awareness of candidates and issues that will appear on the ballot. As usual, CUNY campuses will serve as early voting and Election Day poll sites.
“I’m full of hope for the year ahead, and I want to congratulate all of our students on their return to school,” said Chancellor Matos Rodríguez. “Let’s use these opportunities to grow, both as individuals and collectively, and never forget that we’re stronger when we come together as a community.”
– Courtesy CUNY Media Relations
