CM Wilson on graduate framework, federal cuts, and Hunter vacant property

Thank you, Chair.

Hi there, Chancellor.

How are you?

A couple questions.

So the first one is regarding, so next year the New York City public schools will be, to graduate, will be evaluated under a new framework, the portrait of a graduate framework.

So, which is great to show that there's other ways to get a diploma other than regents testing, but the standards are a little vague at the moment.

So I'm curious what resources are being applied to ensure New York City public school graduates who enter CUNY, which is a huge number,

that they're going to be fully prepared to meet the demands and reap the rewards of a CUNY education.

Well, thank you for that question.

First, we have a number of members of our faculty, of our administrative team, who are part of the conversations in that redesign, along with our friends in the New York City Public Schools, right?

So we're really part of the conversation to be as ready as possible.

So whenever that is finalized, right, we can then be ready to adapt and face those things.

The other great component that we have is we have such a deep investment in college now.

And early college, right?

So we are, you know, providing those courses and doing those things along with the New York City Public Schools.

So we're getting all that feedback early to be able to be in the best position to be ready for whatever that new portrait that would have probably more options and more flexibility, right?

I think to your point, for us to be able to be ready for them.

Great, so you've been a collaborative partner in building the process.

That's great.

So we know that the Trump administration has made really devastating and arbitrary cuts to humanities and sciences and medicine.

How does this budget reflect steps you're taking to ensure that we

that you're taking in step to save research that's being cut?

Well, thank you for that question and have to commend the provost here when we faced some of the first lines of cuts on some of the federal grants, right?

And later we found ways to fight some of those and get some of that money back, right?

And I can give you the breakdown of what we lost.

But the provost initiated a funding program to be able to support some of the researchers, right?

I mean, we couldn't make the entire amount of the grant, but enough to sort of keep some of the key projects going and moving forward.

And, you know, as I mentioned in answering the question from Councilwoman Lewis,

I'm also very worried about, and those we couldn't restore, the pipeline programs that many of our schools had, the graduate centers, some of the other campus, to bring the next generation of scholars

with, you know, that were decimated, and that's going to affect our human capital in terms of teachers and researchers.

Thank you for the question.

Yeah, it'll be quick.

So just about capital needs.

So we talk a lot about that across the university system.

But at the same time, in my district, the Hunter College owns a vacant building at 450 West 41st Street in Hell's Kitchen.

That's been unused for a decade.

It's a huge source of strain in the community.

So how do you evaluate underutilized properties when determining your capital strategy?

Specifically, how do you balance the generating revenue from assets that could have public benefit, like affordable housing, community facility, or future educational uses?

So you have beautifully addressed our dilemma in terms of that, but I'll let our COO answer that question.

So you're talking about the MFA building?

Oh, yes.

So as you know, we have been in conversations with the community board, with your predecessor, now the senator, around what are the possibilities with that site.

We have always been open to having partnerships and thoughts around that site.

The one thing that I really have been focused on, as you know, we had a situation.

We have squatters in there.

How to go in and really remove those squatters and try to seal up the space.

We try to do things to address some of the concerns the communities have raised.

I'm always open to hear what your concerns are so we can be together addressing.

But, you know, it's a property that we're analyzing to determine what's the best use.

Obviously, my main concern is always to make sure that we're using the property in the best interest for the university first.

And then, obviously, how can we provide what the university needs, the colleges need, and also...

Work on the community, the greater good.

And so we're always open to those discussions.

Well, the first, the current use is in the best interest of no one.

And I would really value us sit down to talk about the future because it's been a real problem for a long time.

Happy to have that conversation.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We've also been joined by Majority Leader Abreu as well as Deputy Speaker Williams, and we have Aviles followed by Deneuiz.

And we've been joined by Ressler.