President’s Monthly Update
September 2025
I hope this update meets you in good health and spirits.
Budget and Finance
As you know, last year York was designated one of nine colleges of high concern and required to adjust hiring practices. For every one person hired, two positions had to be permanently eliminated -- except for roles tied to revenue generation or health and safety. This year, we remain a college of high concern. The directives have shifted slightly but significantly: we must pause hiring, though exemptions remain for revenue-generating and health/safety positions.
Recently, VP Rios and AVP Dervisevic met with CUNY’s Chief Financial Officer and Executive Budget Director to discuss York’s ongoing budget deficit. The meeting -- attended by more than 55 members of the York community, reviewed the current budget and included a seven-year financial overview. We also met separately with CUNY Academic Affairs leadership and Provost Brazill to discuss best practices for improving efficiencies in academic operations. Both meetings were productive and focused on identifying actionable solutions to reduce York’s budget shortfall.
As of the FY 2026 Q1 Financial Update, York’s deficit remains in the double-digit millions, a significant concern. CUNY has implemented a hiring pause across all six financially distressed colleges, including ours. We are collaborating with campus units to develop a comprehensive recovery strategy that may include increasing tuition revenue, expanding non–tax levy income streams, and reducing operational costs.
Our goal is to create a realistic, multi-year financial recovery plan to restore structural balance. Reducing headcount alone will not eliminate the deficit, but we are examining administrative staffing gaps and reallocating personnel where feasible to meet priority needs. We are also developing a plan not only to address the deficit but to strengthen the College’s long-term financial development, in keeping with MSCHE expectations for institutional stability.
Five-Point Financial Recovery Plan
To address our fiscal challenges, we have drafted an outlined a five-point plan, shared with the Resource Committee and presented at the Senate. The plan focuses on:
- Increasing enrollment and retention
- Expanding auxiliary enterprises
- Reestablishing Continuing Education and developing workforce partnerships
- Growing grants and sponsored programs
- Increasing fundraising revenue to support scholarships, programs, and operations
- Continuing to advocate for resources from elected officials
In September we welcomed EVC Hector Batista to campus. In addition to meeting with cabinet, he also met with Public Safety as well as students. He was impressed with the upgrades we have made since his visit last year, but even more impressed and blown away by our incredible York students.
Auxiliary Enterprises
Several key revenue-generating projects—such as the Academic Village and Conference Center and Performing Arts Center—have stalled. Maximizing financial returns from our auxiliary enterprises is essential. Spaces such as HPE, the athletic field, FDR, 3D01, and various classrooms present rental opportunities, as will the Performing Arts Center when it reopens in 2027. We recently updated our rental policies and rate sheet for college spaces.
As we continue to recover and rebuild in the post-pandemic period, York College must manage our resources in ways that best support the mission of the College. All events must account for the operational costs of space usage, staffing, and support services. Consistent application of our policies protects both the college and external clients.
York College will always be a vital institution in Jamaica, Queens, and we value the partnerships and community connections that make York unique. We are committed to maintaining this spirit of collaboration in ways that reflect our current capacity.
We’re also pleased to have Sandra Velez leading efforts to improve operations and generate business in this area. Although event space is limited and demand is high, we appreciate your patience as we continue to conduct a comprehensive review of space across campus so that we can create needed spaces such as a standalone food pantry, game room, and faculty lounge as well as additional event and meeting spaces.
Facilities and Campus Environment
Over the summer and into the fall, we have continued to improve our campus environment --making York a place we can all be proud of. You have seen firsthand the outstanding work by our painters, laborers, tradespeople, and custodians. From refreshed cafeteria and common areas to new lighting, painted ceiling tiles, and updated directional signage -- these changes have enhanced the look and feel of our college.
We’ve added touches of personality, such as the Yodega (a mural project featuring designs by Fine Arts students is forthcoming) and the YEMMY winners wall outside the Faculty Dining Room. We will continue to upgrade and enhance spaces across campus. We’ve also worked to improve the student on-campus experience. The Bathroom Project required relocating the Student Activities suite, which prompted the move of Financial Aid --creating a new student business corridor housing Financial Aid, the Registrar, and the Bursar’s Office in one wing. Soon, Advisement will join them on the first floor, swapping spaces with Admissions, which will move closer to the Welcome Center.
Along with Provost Brazill, we had the opportunity to take a tour of the Food and Drug Administration which sits on the York College campus property. We have placed a number of interns at the FDA in the past and hope to strengthen this relationship.
Colleagues, I ask that are on high alert as you cross Guy R. Brewer Blvd. Despite enhanced crosswalks, vehicles continue to speed through the light. Know that VP Rios and his team are working with the Department of Transportation on enhanced safety precautions.
Continuing Education and Workforce Development
A review of revenue from York’s Continuing Education program over a four-year period showed a decline from $1.4 million in 2016 to $799,000 in 2019, and just $32,000 by mid-2020.
Revitalizing Continuing Education will not only generate revenue but also strengthen our connection to the Southeast Queens community, offering adults opportunities to upskill, advance their careers, and pursue personal interests. Workforce development also allows us to pursue grant-funded training initiatives.
We are pleased to announce that Dina Zagari-LiMandri will join York College on October 20, 2025, as Director of Workforce Development and Continuing Education. Dina brings extensive experience from Mathematica, HRA, and Kingsborough Community College, where she led youth and adult workforce programs and major strategic initiatives.
Institutional Advancement/Fundraising
As I’ve shared before, fundraising and charitable giving are essential to strengthening our financial position and supporting students and academic programs.
This year’s #CUNYTuesday, our annual day of giving, will be held on December 2nd. Last year’s campaign, “Unlock the Gateway to Possibilities” raised $116,839 from 131 donors, short of our $150,000 goal. This year’s theme, “Built by Us, Powered by You,” aims to help us reach and exceed that goal while increasing donations from friends of York, faculty, staff, students, and alumni. We are asking for participation from faculty, staff as students as we raise both funds and fun for our college community through “Game Day” a series of community-building and spirited individual and team competitions leading up to #CUNYTuesday. More information will be forthcoming.
To make things interesting, I have challenged President Lynch and the College of Staten Island to a friendly #CUNYTuesday fundraising competition -- Cardinals vs. Dolphins! I hope you’ll join me in making this our most successful campaign yet.
I want to thank our small Institutional Advancement team: Nyisha, Janine, and Tope -- for their mighty efforts in securing funds for our student emergency fund and programmatic activities. We’ve also welcomed Jessica White, an experienced advancement specialist (formerly of Johns Hopkins, Kingsborough, University of Michigan, University of Dayton, and UNC Chapel Hill), who will provide short-term support for #CUNYTuesday, annual giving, and our 60th anniversary campaign.
Enrollment and Retention
At our last Senate meeting in May, I indicated that the College had a palpable need to increase attention to enrollment and retention, given our five-year history of declining enrollment, retention, and graduation rates. Fast forward to the current Fall 2025 semester—although we did not meet our targets for freshmen, transfers, and readmits, we made a number of notable strides over Fall 2024 (data as of Form A and considered preliminary until Spring 2025):
- Total enrollment: 2% increase
- Continuing degree-seeking students: 3% increase
- New graduate students: 3% increase
- Four-year graduation rate: increase from 9% to 15%
- First-time/full-time freshman retention rate: 10% increase
Sending a special ‘thank you’ to everyone who contributed to improving our enrollment and retention outcomes for the Fall semester. We have made great progress, and this important work now continues under the leadership of Dr. Johana Rivera, who recently joined York as the new Vice President for Enrollment and Retention Management. Her leadership will bring renewed focus -- and a bit more pep in our step—as we advance toward our goals.
Our ability to attract new students and retain current ones will continue to be a challenge. We are competing with community colleges due to the Opportunity Promise Scholarship, a new program that allows adult New Yorkers to receive free community college tuition for degrees in high-demand fields. While this initiative is beneficial for the University and prospective students, it may affect our ability to recruit adult and returning learners. We also face competition from institutions that offer fully online programs, which provide students with greater flexibility. York currently offers many online courses, but only three graduate programs and one undergraduate program are fully online. Finally, we are competing with colleges that are developing new programs aligned with high-demand job opportunities -- an area in which we must continue to innovate.
Governance
Governance committees are expected to provide at least one report to the Senate on their activities. VP Hoeffner and I met last year with nearly all committee chairs to emphasize the importance of annual reporting, goal setting, and continuity of priorities from one cohort to the next. We are enhancing the Senate website and plan to update, not just amend, the College Charter, which needs to include important protocols and procedures.
Institutional Effectiveness
Our assessment and planning efforts are critical to York’s future. Thank you to everyone serving on the MSCHE Self-Study and Strategic Plan Committees. Even if you are not on a specific committee, every member of our community plays a role -- big, medium, or small -- in shaping these efforts. One immediate and big way you can make a difference is in completing college-wide surveys. If you haven’t done so, please share your input for the next Strategic Plan here:
🔗 Strategic Plan Survey
This year, the College will also begin its Academic Master Planning (AMP) process under the leadership of Interim Associate Provost Tim Paglione. This plan will examine our academic programs in light of employment, enrollment, and educational trends -- ensuring they align with workforce needs and guide decision-making over the next five years. The AMP will also strengthen our case to revitalize the Academic Village project. I look forward to a transparent, collaborative, and data-informed process -- marked by the spirited dialogue that defines York College.
Last month we had not one, but two external review visits for the graduate program in Nursing (ACEN) and the Department of Business and Economics (ACBSP). We received initial feedback and look forward to a final determination in the coming months.
On a final note, due to several religious observances, the State of the College has been moved to Thursday, November 13 at 12 noon in 3D01. Please mark your calendars.
Many thanks,
Claudia Schrader, EdD
President
York College
The City University of New York
94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd
Jamaica, NY 11451
(718) 262 2350
cschrader@PROTECTED
IG: Yorkcunyprez