AY 2025-2026 President’s Report
Reflecting on Our Progress, Looking Ahead and Rising
Dear York College Community,
As we approach the close of the academic year, I would like to take a moment to reflect on our shared journey over the past several months and to express my deepest gratitude to each of you who have contributed to the continued strength and vibrancy of York College.
This academic year our campus has been a place of energy, engagement, and meaningful progress. Across classrooms, offices, and shared spaces, I have witnessed firsthand the dedication, passion and resilience that define our community.
In this year of progress and purpose, we have made important strides in advancing our mission:
Enrollment and Student Success: We have seen encouraging momentum in enrollment, supported by expanded recruitment efforts, early registration initiatives, and enhanced advising and student support systems.
Academic Excellence: Our faculty and students have continued to achieve distinction through scholarship, teaching, research, and national recognition, reinforcing York’s reputation for excellence.
Student Achievement and Engagement: Our students have excelled both inside and outside the classroom, participating in impactful programs, earning recognition, and enriching campus life through their involvement.
Fundraising and Partnerships: We strengthened our culture of giving and expanded engagement with alumni, partners, and external stakeholders, increasing both participation and visibility.
Campus Enhancements and Institutional Advancement: We made meaningful progress in improving our campus environment, advancing facilities projects, and positioning the College for future growth.
Accreditation and Assessment Work: Through collective effort, we advanced critical accreditation processes and deepened our culture of assessment and continuous improvement.
At the same time, we have approached challenges—particularly those related to our fiscal environment and financial sustainability, as well as enrollment gaps—with clarity, collaboration, and determination.
Our ongoing budget constraints and structural deficit continue to require careful stewardship, strategic decision-making, and collective focus. These realities, while significant, have strengthened our resolve and sharpened our priorities for long-term stability and growth.
Gratitude for Our Community
None of this progress would be possible without you. Thank you:
Students, thank you for your engagement, your achievements, and the energy and vibrancy you bring to our campus community. You are the reason we do this work, and your presence animates and inspires us all.
Faculty, thank you for your excellence in teaching, your scholarship, and your unwavering commitment to our students.
- Staff, thank you for your dedication, professionalism, and the care you bring to your work each day—it is the backbone of our institution.
Together, we have created a campus environment that is dynamic, supportive, and deeply rooted in our mission. Equally important, we must continue to intentionally embody and exemplify our shared college values—integrity, diversity, intellectual discovery and creativity, fostering an inclusive campus community, self-reflection and shared responsibility, and civic engagement. These values must guide our daily actions, decision-making, and interactions as we work collectively to advance student success and institutional excellence.
Looking Ahead: Our Priorities for the Coming Year
As we look ahead, we remain focused on building on this progress with clarity and purpose. Our key priorities include:
Strengthening Enrollment and Retention
Continuing to expand recruitment strategies, deepen student support, and improve persistence and completion outcomes.
Improving Our Financial Condition and Ensuring Long-Term Sustainability
Advancing a comprehensive financial recovery strategy focused on responsible resource stewardship, revenue growth, and operational efficiency to strengthen the College’s fiscal health.
Advancing Fundraising and Institutional Support
Building a stronger culture of philanthropy, enhancing alumni engagement, and securing resources to support students, programs, and operations.
Expanding Workforce Development
Relaunching and growing workforce and continuing education programs aligned with industry needs and student opportunity pathways.
Increasing Strategic Partnerships
Strengthening collaborations with community organizations, industry partners, and governmental entities to expand opportunities for our students and institution.
Going Beyond the Classroom
Increasing access to experiential learning opportunities—including internships, research, clinical experiences, service learning, and other forms of engagement that connect learning to real-world impact and civic responsibility.
Enhancing Campus Facilities and Environment
Continuing critical campus upgrades and improvements to ensure a modern, welcoming, and supportive learning environment.
Strengthening Governance Structures
Continuous improvement of shared governance structures and processes to enhancing transparency, communication, and collaboration across faculty, staff, students and administration, ensuring that decision-making processes are inclusive, well-informed, and aligned with our institutional values and priorities.
Deepening Assessment, Planning, and Continuous Improvement
Engaging the entire campus community in the implementation of our Strategic Plan, advancing the development of a comprehensive Academic Master Plan, and sustaining meaningful participation in the MSCHE reaccreditation process. Through these efforts, we reaffirm our commitment to rigorous assessment, thoughtful self-reflection, academic freedom, and continuous institutional improvement.
Together we move forward, together we rise
The year ahead presents both opportunity and responsibility. What gives me great confidence is knowing that we are moving forward together—guided by our values, grounded in our mission, and committed to excellence, equity, and meaningful impact.
Thank you for all that you have done, and all that you will continue to do, to make York College a place of possibility, purpose, and pride.
With gratitude,
Claudia Schrader, EdD
President
York College, CUNY