A Message from President Lynch – October 4, 2024

Colleagues:

As we enter a new month, I write with updates and information that you may find of interest.

Since my last communication, I have been engaged on a number of fronts. Unfortunately, my first bout with COVID prevented my attendance at a Washington DC-based “Presidents Summit on Campus Antisemitism” organized by the American Jewish Committee (AJC), Hillel International, and the American Council on Education and attended by 80+ college presidents from across the United States. (If only this week’s Campus Employee Benefits and Wellness Fair had happened a few weeks earlier!) The timing of the conference was propitious in that it coincided with the release of the long-awaited “Lippman Report” that chronicled CUNY’s engagement with anti-hate initiatives. The report made many recommendations which will be implemented, and I am confident that the rights of free expression and of the safety of all members of our community will continue to be respected as the guiding principles of our institution. This was a message shared by the Chancellor and other senior leaders in a pair of meetings we had to discuss the report, its implications, and our plans for implementation.

Last week I had the pleasure of informing the College Council Budget Committee of our standing as it relates to both Fiscal Year 2024 and our plans for this and subsequent fiscal years. As it relates to the former, we met our savings target of $2.1M and finished the year with a deficit of roughly $4.6M, significantly better than expected. This was the result of increased enrollment, improved collection rates, operational efficiencies, and other cost-savings and revenue-generating activities. Our plans for this and coming years are predicated upon the same principals, and while we may be in a vastly improved situation, we are not yet out of the woods, and prudence will continue to dictate our actions as they relate to hiring. Although our projections are considerably rosier than at any time in the recent past, we must continue to be cautious.

I also had the opportunity to host the NYC CEO Jobs Council for a visit to campus, where we discussed ways to better amplify their efforts to provide real-world experiences for our students. Provost Steiper and VP Hodge spoke to the ways in which we could better align our curricula with workforce needs, and elevate the role of the Center for Career and Professional Development to link CSI students with internships, service learning, and other applied learning experiences. We also discussed the creation and expansion of “C-suite” guest lectures who would share their expertise and insight with our faculty, students, and staff. I am excited by this partnership and what it holds.

Speaking of partnerships, this week I attended the first HEO Steering Committee meeting of the semester. The executive board of that body planned an ambitious agenda requesting updates on facilities improvements (which I witnessed firsthand during an extensive tour of recently renovated spaces), transportation concerns (and we are actively engaged on multiple fronts to address these), and the role and expectations of professional staff. It was a frank and fruitful discussion and I look forward to more of the same in the coming months.

This week also marks the start of the Jewish Holidays (L’Shana Tovah to all who celebrate!) and the anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel (10/01/24 – A sobering milestone – The City University of New York (cuny.edu)). May we take the time to commemorate the lives lost on that day and in the resulting conflict, which has affected so many of our Arab, Jewish, Muslim, and Palestinian students and colleagues.

With another set of Holidays next weekend (Yom Kippur and Columbus Day—and a Happy Italian American Heritage month, too!) my usual weekly message will be on hiatus, but I will not be! Next week brings the monthly Council of President’s meeting at CUNY Central, as well as my first meeting as Presidential Liaison to the BOT Finance and Administration Committee. I will also serve as Master of Ceremonies for an exciting book talk at the CUNY Graduate Center featuring the work of our own emeritus president, Bill Fritz! It will be good to see and catch up with Bill and Bonnie and I look forward to hearing about his work since retirement, and to learn about his fascinating personal and professional career. I will also be speaking with the Executive Committee of the College Council to set the agenda for October’s meeting, and share with them the recent Forbes (Top 20 in value added) and US News and World Report rankings. I am pleased and proud to be a part of this work, and I thank you all for making it rewarding and, especially, impactful for our students.

Until next time,