QUESTION
How does the NYC administration plan to support CUNY students amidst significant budget cuts?
2:47:27
·
7 min
Budget Director Jacques Jiha explains the administration's approach to managing the $189,000,000 budget cut, focusing on minimizing impacts on programs by targeting fringe benefits.
- The administration aims to work closely with the council to address the challenges facing CUNY due to the budget cuts.
- Savings are mostly found in the area of fringe benefits, attempting to avoid impacting programs directly.
- No programs are reported cut, but future reassessments of needs are promised if economic conditions improve.
- Council Member Eric Dinowitz raises concerns about previous cuts to specific programs and the overall logic of cutting revenue-generating programs.
Eric Dinowitz
2:47:27
I'm not.
2:47:28
But you're at 20 the the fiscal 2020 budget is a $189,000,000 less than the fiscal 2024 budget adoption.
2:47:39
$189 is a significant cut just to basic operating expenses.
2:47:44
Not to mention programs that we've discussed at length at these hearings and other hearings, like reconnect, ace, an ASAP.
2:47:52
Student enrollment can be impacted.
2:47:54
All of the operations of CUNY can be impacted.
2:47:58
So how do how does the administration plan to support students currently enrolled at CUNY and future students enrolling in CUNY with cuts as drastic as these.
Jacques Jiha
2:48:11
Listen, I continue to work, as I said, with the tuning and the council.
2:48:17
To address the challenges that CUNY and the city face of the center.
2:48:24
Okay.
2:48:27
We will well, let's reconnect our ace.
2:48:32
Okay?
2:48:33
These were both funded 1 year at a time.
2:48:37
Okay?
2:48:38
And and as I told the speaker last year, We Connect has been a very successful program.
2:48:46
This is something as we proceed, as we move forward.
2:48:51
Will work with the council, okay, and see exactly what we're gonna do going forward with these 2 programs.
2:48:59
But with respect to Kinney in general.
2:49:02
Okay?
2:49:04
The changes we have we have very careful.
2:49:09
In terms of where we found the resources from Kinney's budget.
2:49:14
And if you talk to them, they will tell you the same thing.
2:49:16
Basically, what we did is look mostly in the area of fringe benefits and and do the estimates of some of the assumptions that were made in that area so that we're trying to avoid touching programs as best as we can.
Eric Dinowitz
2:49:33
But But to be clear, for the past 2 budget hearings where we've had these exchanges, those programs have been cut and fewer students were either able to do to engage in those programs.
2:49:43
Or the benefits in those programs were in fact reduced.
2:49:47
And with a $189,000,000 cut is very significant.
2:49:54
In your testimony and throughout this process, you have noted that you didn't cut or didn't wanna cut revenue generating expenses.
2:50:03
Is that that's still accurate.
2:50:04
Right?
Jacques Jiha
2:50:04
Yeah.
Eric Dinowitz
2:50:05
And CUNY has one of the best returns on investment with some studies saying 15 to 1.
2:50:11
For every dollar invested, 15 comes back in an ace an ASAP alone, an additional between $3 $4 per dollar invested.
2:50:19
So I I don't understand how cutting a $189,000,000 from programs that bring money back to New York City and put money in the pockets of New Yorkers aligns with that professed value of not cutting revenue generating things in the budget.
Jacques Jiha
2:50:41
As I indicated to you, you could talk to them and to our knowledge I don't believe any programs were cut or eliminated from acuity.
2:50:55
As I said, most of the funding that the PEG savings that we identify and found were any areas of fringe benefits And so as I said, we will continue to work with Q And A.
2:51:11
To basically assess their needs going forward.
2:51:16
And as we proceed, if they could identify and particularly if we can't remember him and strong and stronger than we'd anticipate.
2:51:27
We'll work with the council, okay, to see if there was an area that they believe was impacted.
2:51:35
To either partially or fully restored if there was an area.
2:51:40
As far as I will know, there was none because we are very careful in term of where we took the PEG savings from Q And A.
2:51:47
Basically, they were focused largely on the areas of fringe benefit and we estimate those financial benefits.
2:51:54
So again, as I said, if from their perspective, they believe their areas, Okay?
2:51:59
We will work with them.
2:51:59
We will do an assessment.
2:52:01
And if the economy is remained strong or stay stronger than we might ship it, we would basically do all the assessment of their needs.
2:52:08
And then work with you to see what can be partially, hopefully.
Eric Dinowitz
2:52:13
Hey, Jay.
2:52:14
It sounds like from your testimony, It sounds like you are saying that CUNY is fine with these cuts and they have found the savings and no services
Jacques Jiha
2:52:27
As far as we know, as far as we know.
2:52:29
Okay.
2:52:29
As far as we know, the area where to be savings from Puneet were mostly in the French benefit category.
2:52:37
We estimate because our estimate of French benefits were much higher than actual costs.
2:52:43
So we we aligned them.
Eric Dinowitz
2:52:44
So as as as far as you know, so that does that mean that if CUNY comes back and says, you know what?
2:52:50
Actually, these cuts are, in fact, devastating to our students, you'll then reverse the cuts.
Jacques Jiha
2:52:55
I said to you, if conditions, economic conditions improve better than anticipated.
2:53:00
Okay?
2:53:01
We will do the assessment if there are programming cuts because as far as we know, we try not to have those We will do a assessment.
2:53:09
And if condition permit, we will work with the council to either partially or fully restored it.
Eric Dinowitz
2:53:16
I I I I think it's important to note that these expenditures so called expenditures on CUNY aren't expenditures their their investments.
2:53:25
And it appears that everyone sees the value in investing in CUNY, in our students The return on investment is high.
2:53:35
Our state sees the value in investing in CUNY.
2:53:39
They just got a $75,000,000 injection of private donation for the for the AI programs.
2:53:45
So everyone sees it, but it seems that the city views this as a way to to save money.
Jacques Jiha
2:53:53
Yes, sir.
Eric Dinowitz
2:53:53
And so I look forward to Quni coming back and saying, you know what?
2:53:57
A 189,000,000 is actually not manageable, it's going to hurt our programs because what you're telling me doesn't seem to align with what everyone else believes and what everyone else is saying.
Jacques Jiha
2:54:08
As an immigrant, you don't have to remind me of our critical tuning is.
2:54:14
I know it.
2:54:15
I have friends, I have family members, been gone to Kini, and I see the impact of Kini on their lives.
2:54:22
So I know exactly.
2:54:24
Okay?
2:54:24
What tuning is, what tuning means, what they accomplish, what they do, okay, for the population.
2:54:30
Okay?
2:54:31
So from my perspective, as I said, which are best not to cut programs acuity.
2:54:38
But if they believe they are some, Okay?
2:54:43
If conditions permit, we will do an assessment, okay, and we'll work with the council till we store partly or fully whatever they think.
2:54:52
That was because from our perspective, we have done ultimate best.
2:54:56
As I said, we basically play in the area of French benefits.
2:55:02
Okay?
2:55:03
We assume we're spending 7.
2:55:05
One thing we are, let's say, we're spending 3.
2:55:08
We we aligned the estimate of assumptions with the reality, and we took the settings.
2:55:14
So again, as I said, If they believe there are some, we will sit down with Domino's assessment.
Eric Dinowitz
2:55:20
Thank you.
2:55:20
Thank you, chair.
2:55:21
Thank you, speaker.