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Q&A
Impact of budget cuts on CUNY workforce
1:07:28
ยท
117 sec
Council Member Restler and Senior Vice Chancellor Soliman discuss the impact of budget cuts on CUNY's workforce, particularly focusing on reductions in staff and faculty positions at community colleges.
- Since fiscal year 2021, community colleges have seen a reduction of 496 full-time positions (both pedagogical and non-pedagogical)
- This reduction is net of additional state support for faculty hiring
- The significant workforce reduction is noted as concerning, given the important role of community colleges in providing opportunities for socioeconomic transformation
Lincoln Restler
1:07:28
Headcount has as a result gone down quite significantly.
1:07:31
I saw the controller's report back from '23 said that we had lost 235 faculty positions.
1:07:39
Is that help me on the right.
1:07:42
As a result of these cuts or since the beginning of the mayor's administration, are we able to track the reduction in work staff and faculty positions?
Sherif Soliman
1:07:52
Well what I can tell you is that overall since fiscal year twenty twenty one, we have seen at the community colleges a reduction in full time staff of 496 positions.
1:08:04
Wow.
1:08:05
Full time.
1:08:05
So that's pedagogical and pedagogical.
1:08:07
Now I do want to note in that in terms of the pedagogical that there was allocated a few years ago in the state budget $53,000,000 for a full time hires for faculty positions that help sort of blunt the impact and that was for senior colleges and community colleges.
1:08:24
So we're grateful for that but overall the full time headcount is down four ninety
UNKNOWN
1:08:29
six.
Lincoln Restler
1:08:30
Despite the state stepping up and providing some additional support.
Sherif Soliman
1:08:33
That number is net of the state support.
Lincoln Restler
1:08:36
So despite the state support, and appreciate governor Hochul and the legislative leaders in Albany understanding it, we're seeing nearly 500 reduction 500 person reduction in full time headcount at our community colleges.
1:08:48
It is the city's responsibility to fund the operating budgets of our community colleges.
1:08:52
And they there is there are no single institutions in New York City that do more for socioeconomic transformation than our community colleges.
1:09:03
And when we starve them of resources, we are we are failing to create opportunity for low and moderate income New Yorkers, immigrant New Yorkers, people of all backgrounds to achieve the American dream.
1:09:17
I don't understand it, and I especially don't understand it from somebody with multiple CUNY degrees.
1:09:22
If I may, I just have two very brief things.
1:09:25
I really appreciate it, chair.