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Q&A

Chair Lee on baselining benefits for CUNY planning

New York City Council · Jun 8, 2026 · starts 0:20:07 · 56 sec

Lee asks how baselining the $15 million allows CUNY to expand programs and free up funding. The Chancellor explains baselining provides predictability for personnel investments and procurement contracts beyond one year.

Linda Lee

And then, is this funding and the baseline, how will it allow you to actually expand maybe perhaps on other programs and free up that funding?

Félix Matos Rodríguez

Well, I mean, one of the main things is, and this is a recurring theme you'll hear from us throughout the hearing, baselining allows predictability and to make investments, particularly on the personnel side, that are not just one year off, right?

Félix Matos Rodríguez

Right, so many.

Félix Matos Rodríguez

So for many programs, and we'll be talking about this as you talked about Reconnect and ASAP and all those programs, our capacity to bring in individuals who are going to be able to be there for the long term allows us to plan better and to be more effective in the services.

Félix Matos Rodríguez

Also, if we need to procure contracts, you know, you can now do that just with money that's going to be there for one year.

Félix Matos Rodríguez

So they'd be extremely helpful to us as we move forward.

Linda Lee

Right, so more planning purposes, which hopefully will help you plan better and then also figure out staffing, all of the other operational needs.

Linda Lee

Okay.