Photograph: NO MORE CUTS: Students and teachers protest CUNY budget cuts. Photo Credit: Ross A. Snel
By Ross A. Snel, Staff Reporter
Borough college students plan to go to Albany today to oppose proposed cuts in state aid for colleges and universities -- the latest in a series of protests throughout the state and city university systems.
Earlier this month, Gov. George Pataki released his budget, which would cut $10.6 million from the city's community colleges alone. Two of the city's six community colleges and one of its senior colleges are in the borough.
Under Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's budget, proposed two weeks ago, the community colleges would lose an additional $28 million.
Last Thursday, hundreds of borough students rallied at the County Courthouse, chanting "No more cuts."
"If there are cuts, or they raise my tuition, it's just going to mess me up because I'm not going to be able to go to school," said Jorge Concepcion, 23, an ex-convict who says that attending Hostos Community College has turned him around. He spent his youth in jail and the state penitentiary, for car theft, weapons possession and an assortment of other crimes.
Ann Reynolds, chancellor of the City University of New York, has estimated that the combined cuts would cause the two-year community colleges -- including Hostos and Bronx Community -- to lay off 286 full-time teachers and cancel thousands of classes. Part-time teachers would lose some or all of their classes.
The chancellor's office has announced that the cuts would bring a $1,000 increase in annual full-time tuition at the city's four-year colleges. Student leaders and college officials said they had heard rumors that the hike at the two-year schools would be the same, but the chancellor's office has not confirmed that. Annual tuition at the two-year schools is $2,100, among the highest in the nation for community colleges.
Students from all the borough's community colleges have reacted strongly to the news from Albany and City Hall, organizing rallies, letter-writing campaigns, petition drives and a lobbying committee.
The rally in Albany is supposed to be the culmination of efforts by protesters at both city and state colleges to urge government leaders to rethink their plans.
Rita Rodin, a spokeswoman for the chancellor, said Reynolds was lobbying the governor to lessen the blow to the city's colleges.
In addition to cutting money for the colleges, the governor's budget would reduce the Tuition Assistance Program, which provides financial aid for full-time students, and completely eliminate assistance for part-time students.
"It's really a double whammy that they're cutting financial aid, at the same time students would be forced to pay higher tuition," said Judy Harvey, a spokeswoman at Hostos.
Students say the loss of financial aid will prevent many of them from finishing their studies.
"For single mothers trying to get our lives together, this is three steps back," said Betsy Rodriguez, a Hostos student who is raising three children -- aged 8, 12, and 16 -- alone. "I tried to get a job, but nobody would hire me without a college education."
Faculty members are also worried. Tomas Galan, who teaches Spanish part-time at Hostos and Bronx Community, said he and his colleagues fear losing their jobs. "I'm very worried about the future," he said. "Now, there is no future."
