Jay's BCC ad A:Layout 1 3/30/09 3:10 PM Page 1
“How BCC’s Vision for the
North Instructional Building is
Being Realized:
It Took More than a Village”
by Jay Hershenson
Senior Vice Chancellor for University Relations and Secretary, Board of Trustees
Bronx Community College’s (BCC) home, originally New York University’s University Heights campus,
has a rich architectural history — and a rich architectural future.
BCC is equally enriched by a talented and ambitious student body funding for the private colleges too, so we were not alone in suffering a
B
that is growing by leaps and bounds, assisted by a world-class setback. In the fall, we pushed for negotiations, and eventually, by the
faculty. Since 1990 alone, BCC enrollments have grown from less spring, the legislature and the governor agreed to restore the full amount
than 6,500 students to 9,300 degree credit students, an increase for CUNY. We now had state funding for BCC and the other CUNY
of 40%. Over 13,400 adult and continuing education students attend community colleges, as well as the support of the governor and the
annually. There simply is an increasing demand for a quality community legislature. We needed the City to match the funding, consistent with
college education, a demand that only grows greater during tough economic State law governing the financing of New York's community colleges.
times. It is inspiring that so many students are finding the education they Chancellor Goldstein spoke directly with Mayor Michael Bloomberg
need at BCC. But we all know the pressure this puts on the college’s space. and Deputy Mayor and CUNY Trustee Marc Shaw. Deputy Mayor and
During most of the 1990’s there was virtually no capital support CUNY Trustee Carol Robles-Roman expressed her support for the capital
provided by New York City for major projects at CUNY community budget request. CUNY Board of Trustees Vice Chair Philip Berry and I
colleges. When Mayor Michael Bloomberg was elected, President Carolyn went to see Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott to obtain his support for city
Williams met with Chancellor Goldstein and the Vice Chancellors and matching funds. Dennis responded positively and helped advance the
she explained BCC’s space situation. The President asked if we would cause. CUNY’s Director of City Relations John Kotowski and I met with
get involved in developing a program to address space needs, much as we Kevin Sheekey, the deputy mayor for government affairs, and he promised
had successfully done with other CUNY colleges. I talked with to help. The City Council Higher Education Committee chaired by
Chancellor Goldstein, who enthusiastically gave us the go-ahead. Councilmember Charles Barron, held a hearing on CUNY's community
We asked City Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera in 2004 to visit the college capital needs. We all worked together with the college presidents,
campus. He toured the campus facilities and saw the president’s vision of students, faculty, alumni and friends of the community colleges to advocate
where the new building needed to be situated on the northern edge of for the University's capital program. In April 2005, the Chancellor and I
the Quad near the Hall of Fame. Councilmember Rivera said the council were visiting the CUNY/Daily News Citizenship Now! Call-In. The
had been involved in helping other Bronx institutions, and the time had mayor arrived and quietly informed the chancellor (while we were in the
come to help BCC in a big way. I advised Joel that we needed Daily News elevator) that he would provide CUNY with the capital
approximately $8 million to get this $100 million project started, and he money for the community colleges (at the time, the elevator was on the
asked us to work with the Bronx delegation and borough president. Thanks way up!). When the City Executive Budget came out later that month,
to the efforts of President Williams, Senior Vice President Mary Coleman, CUNY received the largest community college capital program in its
Special Assistant for Community and Public Relations Carol White, and history, with everyone’s support assured, including the New York City
others at the college, a series of visits to the campus by City Council Council. Today, Vice Chancellor for Facilities Planning, Construction, and
members were scheduled and implemented. Management Iris Weinshall and her dedicated and expert staff and the
We sought and received support from former Borough President Dormitory Authority of the State of New York are continuing to do the
Adolfo Carrion, who was also a founding member of the City Council’s great work needed to move the BCC project forward. Creative strategies
Higher Education Committee. are being put in place to expand college facilities as enrollments grow by
At the conclusion of the City’s Budget approval process, the college President Williams, with leadership from Executive Vice Chancellor and
received $7.7 million from the Council over two years. In 2005, we Chief Operating Officer Allan Dobrin - including the re-location of the
brought together all of CUNY’s six community college presidents. They campus high school in order to provide additional college space.
were all still suffering from the dry spell in capital funding during the This story is about the three secrets to success: persistence, persistence,
1990’s. With BCC in the lead as the largest project, the Chancellor, with persistence. CUNY benefited from the dedication of a college president
the support of the Board of Trustees, put together a capital program of with a vision for her campus, and the Chancellor's commitment to a great
over $240 million for all of the six community colleges. college doing vitally important work to lift students to greater heights—to
Chancellor Goldstein and I visited with State Assembly Speaker University Heights. We thank the mayor, the governor, the borough
Sheldon Silver, and he agreed to support the program—an enduring president, the City Council, state legislators and officials and all members
commitment. He asked us to work closely with the Bronx Assembly of the college community who joined
delegation. The delegation members said they would get it done. together in a unified effort that succeeded.
Members of the State Senate delegation indicated the same. This is a story of the comeback of the Bronx
We obtained approval of the community college capital program with and about investing in futures. It’s the Bronx
the exemplary help of the legislature. Then Governor George Pataki story, the BCC story, the CUNY story. And
vetoed all of the additions. He also vetoed SUNY’s program and capital the elevator is still on the way up!
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