Upcoming Events

First Friday Committee Meeting
June 8, 2012 - 4:00pm

Contact Us

Our Current Mailing
Address is:

Professional Staff Congress
61 Broadway, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10006 (Directions and handicap access)
Telephone: 212-354-1252
FAX: 212 302-7815

Email

PSC Office (General):
psc@pscmail.org

For media inquiries, please contact Francis Clark at:
fclark@pscmail.org (212-354-1252 Ext. 282, Cell: 914-364-8925)

Webmaster:
webmaster@pscmail.org

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

The April Clarion covers a host of controversial issues. We’ve opened for comment articles on Pathways as well as a piece that explores the relationship between a prestigious academic publishing house and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a corporate-funded, politically conservative legislative “bill mill.” Tell us what you think about the issues raised by the Pathways articles and/or the pieces on ALEC. Join the conversation by clicking on the “add new comment" link following any one of these Clarion articles.

Open Access Committee

The Delegate Assembly of the PSC established the Open Access Committee in November of 2000 after the CUNY Board of Trustees implemented a policy that shut down remedial programs at CUNY Senior Colleges and shunted all students in need of remediation into the CUNY Community Colleges. Before that change, CUNY's policy of truly open admissions had given hundreds of thousands of students from all walks of life the opportunity for a first-class college education at a CUNY campus of their own choosing.

At its inception, our committee’s charge was to promote the historic mission of CUNY in providing remediation, open admissions, and quality education to all the residents of New York City at a free, affordable or subsidized level. Eleven year later, we are working as hard as ever to keep CUNY affordable and remove barriers to college access. This is now a committee of the Executive Council.

The Open Access Committee works hard to hold the line against tuition increases and stricter entrance requirements. We testify before the CUNY Trustees whenever a tuition increase is proposed, work in coalition with students to fight the hikes on campus, and travel to Albany to lobby our elected representatives.

Recent Committee Posts

PSC Testifies about CUNY's Accelerated Study in Associate Program
On Tuesday, December 13, 2011, PSC Secretary Arthurine DeSola testified about CUNY's Accelerated Study in Associate Program (ASAP) at an over sight hearing hosted by the Higher Education Committee of the New York City Council. Here is her testimony:
Pell Grants Safe—For Now
The final debt ceiling legislation passed by Congress and signed by the President included $17 billion to help maintain the current maximum Pell grant of $5,550 through 2013. Unfortunately, to pay for Pell, negotiators eliminated subsidies for federally-backed student loans for graduate students.

Pell grants, which have failed to keep pace with the rising cost of college despite recent award increases, are still vulnerable.
Viewpoint: Making CUNY an ‘Engine of Equality’
How can we shape public policy to increase Hispanic access to college and success in completing a college degree?