Office of the President Blog

Reaffirmation Letter 2025/26

Vincent Boudreau — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 16:27:50 -0400

T��ɫ��Ƶ (CCNY) is steadfast in its commitment to building a community of students, faculty, and staff that reflects all backgrounds and lived experiences. We believe that welcoming people from all walks of life strengthens our academic community and deepens our mission to lead in public education. This commitment means ensuring access to higher education for talented students from diverse backgrounds, including those who have historically been underrepresented, and fostering a workplace where our faculty and staff bring a rich variety of perspectives and skills to help us achieve that mission.

As such, and as stated in the University’s Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy (Non-Discrimination Policy), CCNY is committed to recruiting, employing, retaining, promoting, and providing benefits to employees regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, partnership status, disability, genetic information, alienage, citizenship, military or veteran status, unemployment status, pregnancy, or status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking, sex offenses, or any other legally prohibited basis in accordance with federal, state, and city laws.

Further, CCNY does not tolerate acts of hate or bigotry of any kind. This includes discrimination or harassment based on national origin or heritage — including, but not limited to, shared Arab, Israeli, Jewish, Muslim, Palestinian, or South Asian ancestry — and/or the association with these national origins and ancestries. CCNY will promptly take all necessary and appropriate actions to address any such discrimination and remedy its effects.

CCNY desires to expand its inclusivity and accessibility to both students and employees with disabilities. As per Governor Hochul’s Executive Order 31, CCNY is developing a Strategic Plan to enhance recruitment, advancement, and support of individuals with disabilities. Any CCNY employee requiring one or more accommodations to perform their job duties should contact Human Resources as per our Policy on Reasonable Accommodations and Academic Adjustments. Students seeking accommodations or academic adjustments should contact Director of Student Disability Services, Joseph Gaines.

The CCNY’s Compliance and Diversity Office, in collaboration with my office and the Office of Human Resources, are important partners in the effort to achieve our mission. I invite you to view the Non-Discrimination Policy, Policy on Sexual Misconduct (PSM), Policy on Reasonable Accommodations and Academic Adjustments, and Policy on Reporting Alleged Misconduct.

We encourage students and employees who believe they have been subjected to discrimination, or who have information about an incident or situation, to report it to the University. Reports of sexual misconduct should be made by completing the Sexual Misconduct Allegation Form and submitting it to the Compliance and Diversity Office at compliancediversity@ccny.cuny.edu . Employees and applicants shall not be subjected to harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion, or discrimination because they engaged in exercising any rights provided for in equal employment opportunity regulations.

CUNY’s executives such as myself and my administrative team are responsible for maintaining a work environment free from discrimination and harassment. Specifically, Sheryl Konigsberg, CCNY’s Chief Compliance Officer and Title IX coordinator, is responsible for investigating allegations of violations of the Non-Discrimination Policy and PSM. She can be contacted at:

Chief Compliance & Diversity Officer, Title IX Coordinator and 504/ADA Coordinator, Sheryl Konigsberg (Shepard Hall, Room 109 A-D, (212) 650- 6310, skonigsberg@ccny.cuny.edu .

Additional relevant administrators include:

Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Ramón De Los Santos (Room A204, Administration Building, (212) 650-5426, rdelossantos1@ccny.cuny.edu )
Student Disability Services Director, Joseph Gaines (NAC, (212) 650-5913), jgaines1@ccny.cuny.edu )
Executive Director of Human Resources, Kisha Shrouder (Shepard Hall, Room 50, (212) 650-7505, kshrouder@ccny.cuny.edu )
Campus Security Assistant Director, Anthony Laperuta, (NAC 4/201, (212) 650-7777, alaperuta@ccny.cuny.edu )

Students, faculty and staff seeking support at CCNY may also contact the ( counseling@ccny.cuny.edu ). For information on additional resources available, please visit the Compliance and Diversity webpage.

At City College, our strength lies in how we treat one another. In times of challenge, it is essential that we lead with empathy, curiosity, kindness, and civility. Our community thrives when we listen carefully to one another — even and especially when perspectives differ — and when we work together to achieve our common goals. Our shared responsibility is to ensure that City College remains a place where learning, discovery, and respect for one another defines who we are. I ask for your continued partnership in sustaining an environment where every member of our community can contribute, feel valued, and succeed.

Vince Boudreau
President

H1B Visa Update

Vincent Boudreau — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 16:58:50 -0400

Dear Campus Community,

With the recent announcement of the new Executive Order related to the H-1B visa status, we know that there is a tremendous amount of concern and uncertainty. I would like to take this time to share some updates from both CUNY Central and The CUNY Research Foundation and the impact to our campus community:

The Proclamation does not apply to:

Individuals who are already in the United States in a valid H-1B status;
Beneficiaries with previously approved petitions or valid H-1B visas issued prior to the effective date; or
Petitions filed before September 21, 2025, as the measure is expressly prospective and will not be applied retroactively.

USCIS has also confirmed that current H-1B visa holders may continue to maintain status, extend their stay, and travel internationally under existing law without being subject to the new payment requirement.

It is further clarified that the EO particularly affects H-1B beneficiaries who are outside the U.S. or seeking to enter or re-enter in H-1B status (for new visas or new petitions). The additional $100,000 fee will not apply if the beneficiary is physically present in the U.S. when filing an H-1B petition, including lottery applications, H-1B transfers, extensions, or amendments.

Currently, the EO doesn’t affect any of CCNY’s H-1B holders. However, it will affect the new faculty hiring from overseas in the future.

In addition, all new petitions (including changes of status from F-1/OPT or individuals abroad with no prior H-1B status) are, as currently written, subject to the new fee—even for cap-exempt organizations such as academic institutions. At this time, we have been advised by the RF team that they will not move forward with new H-1B petitions until further guidance or clarification is issued. Both CUNY and The RF teams will continue to monitor updates closely and provide further information as soon as they know more.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

In Memory of Dr. Brett Silverstein

Vincent Boudreau — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 12:08:47 -0400

Dear Campus Community,

As many of you may now have heard, we lost a true CCNY institution last week. Brett Silverstein passed away in his home after decades of service to the college, to his department and colleagues, to countless students and to the discipline. His passing leaves a tremendous hole in the college, and we mourn his passing.

Brett served for years as the chair of the psychology department and moved from that position to assume the deanship of the division of social science in the early 2000’s. He was ambitious for the departments under his care but tremendously concerned about the education and welfare of his students. As his department expanded both numerically and into the providing more and more graduate level programs, Brett consistently advocated for the maintenance of undergraduate education as a cornerstone of the departmental mission, and he focused his own work in that direction as well—spending years using the opportunity of teaching large intro courses to reach as many young CCNY students as possible.

He also clearly, in his words and actions, understood that he had a mentoring responsibility to junior faculty. On his watch, the department recruited a strong cadre of young professors, distinguished both in their research and their care for students. In the days since Brett’s passing, many of these—and many of his former students, have written with stories of how the benefitted from Brett’s attention, experience, and wisdom. He was generous with all of these gifts.

You will find the announcement and details for the memorial in the attached flier.

Date: This Sunday, September 14th, at 2 pm
Place: Riverside Memorial Chapel, 180 West 76th Street

Brett’s daughter, Alissa Silverstein, has set up a GoFundMe page (https://gofund.me/b209f02f6) to collect funds at the memorial to supplement the sizable donations her family would like to make to Brett’s memory. A QR code to the GoFundMe page appears in the attachment.

Click here for Brett Memorial

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau
President

Temporary Closure of Interfaith & Meditation Space (Reopening Tuesday, September 2)

Division of Student Affairs — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 20:46:00 -0400

Dear City College Community,

Student Affairs was notified of a possible presence of bed bugs in the Interfaith & Meditation Space. We are sorry for the inconvenience this may cause. Out of an abundance of caution, the space has been closed, Our Facilities team has been notified, and in collaboration with a licensed exterminator will be treating and cleaning the impacted areas over the weekend. The room is scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, September 2.

To help minimize incidents like this, we will be reinforcing the guideline that no personal belongings may be left in the Interfaith & Meditation Space. Your cooperation in following this rule is greatly appreciated, as it helps keep the space safe and welcoming for all members of our community.

As climate patterns shift, pest activity can become more common. If you observe anything that raises concern—on campus or in this space after it reopens—please report it immediately to contact the CCNY Office of facilities management at Facilities@ccny.cuny.edu or call 212-650-8675. Timely reporting allows us to respond quickly and keep our community safe.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Regards,

Ramón De Los Santos, Ed.D.
Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs
T��ɫ��Ƶ/CUNY
160 Convent Avenue
New York, NY 10031
Tel. (212) 650-5426
www.ccny.cuny.edu

Important Health Notice: Secondary Case of Measles Associated with the CDI, NAC, and ASRC Buildings

Division of Student Affairs — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 19:11:41 -0400

Dear Campus Community,

We are writing to inform you that a secondary case of measles has been identified in an individual associated with the CDI, NAC, and ASRC Buildings. This case is connected to a previously reported measles exposure. Out of an abundance of caution, we are notifying the community and sharing steps you can take to protect yourself and others.

Who may have been exposed

Individuals who were in the CDI, NAC, and ASRC Buildings during the potential exposure period August 13 to 15 may have been exposed to measles. If you were not in the buildings during that time, your risk is very low.

What to do now

Check your immunity status.
- You are considered immune if you have written documentation of two doses of MMR vaccine, a positive measles IgG titer, or a provider-verified history of measles.
Monitor for symptoms for 21 days after the last possible exposure (the measles incubation period).
- Early symptoms: fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes.
- Rash: typically appears 3–5 days after the fever begins, starting on the face and spreading to the rest of the body.
If symptoms develop:
- Stay home and isolate immediately.
- Do not walk into a clinic or campus health office without calling first.
- Contact your healthcare provider or Student Health Services (Phone 212-650-8222 or email SHS@ccny.cuny.edu ) for guidance on testing and care for guidance on testing and care. We will arrange safe evaluation to prevent further exposure.
If you are not immune or unsure:
- Contact your healthcare provider or Student to discuss MMR vaccination. The MMR vaccine is safe and effective and can help prevent illness after exposure in some circumstances.

For privacy reasons, we cannot share personal details about the individual. The Department of Health assisted by student Health Services team is conducting appropriate contact tracing and outreach. If you receive a direct notification, please follow the instructions provided.

Questions & contact - Student Health Services:
SHS@ccny.cuny.edu .

Student Health Services
T��ɫ��Ƶ/CUNY
Marshak Science Building, Room J-15
160 Convent Avenue
New York, NY 10031
Tel. (212) 650-8222
shs@ccny.cuny.edu
www.ccny.cuny.edu

Notice: Legionella Negative Test Results – Marshak Building Cooling Tower

Facilities Management — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 16:11:34 -0400

Dear Campus Community,

Following up on the previous message issued on Wednesday, August 13^th 2025 (Legionella Test – Marshak Cooling tower), the cooling towers located at 181 convent avenue were tested for the presence of legionella bacteria.

We are pleased to inform that the test results were negative for legionella bacteria. This confirms that the cooling tower system is in compliance with The New York CITY Department of Health and mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) requirements and poses no health risk to building occupants or the community.

We will continue to conduct routine inspections, cleaning, disinfection, and water sampling of all cooling towers to ensure compliance with the NYCDOHMH.

Thank you for your attention and for supporting our efforts to maintain a safe environment for all.

Passing of Greg Williams

Vincent Boudreau — Sun, 17 Aug 2025 11:39:44 -0400

Dear Campus Community,

T��ɫ��Ƶ mourns the passing of Dr. Gregory H. Williams, scholar, award-winning author and 11th President of T��ɫ��Ƶ. Under his leadership, from 2001 to 2009, CCNY gained national recognition. His many accomplishments included opening the first residence hall built for a CUNY campus, and the completion of a new home for the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture. In addition, Dr. Williams led the first capital campaign in CCNY history then, raising more than $310 million during his tenure. Major gifts included $26m from alumnus and Intel Corp. co-founder Andrew Grove for The Grove School of Engineering; and $25m from the Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust for the Spitzer School of Architecture.

The City College is proud and privileged to have known and to have worked with Dr. Williams. Our hearts and condolences go out to his family.

Sincerely,

Vince Boudreau

President

Legionella Test Result – Marshak Building Cooling Tower

Facilities Management — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 18:42:40 -0400

City College is committed to ensuring the health and safety of our campus community. As part of our routine cooling tower maintenance program, a water sample collected on July 26, 2025 from the cooling tower located at the Marshak Building, tested positive for the presence of Legionella bacteria and we were informed of the positive result on August 8, 2025.

Upon receiving the test results, the cooling tower system was cleaned and disinfected on August 9 in accordance with New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) regulations and industry best practices.

Follow-up sampling will be collected 3 to 5 days after disinfection as required by testing protocol and the result of the samples are expected 10 to 12 days after collection. We will share updates once the additional test results are available.

The College will continue to follow all regulatory requirements and preventive maintenance protocols to ensure the ongoing safety of our facilities.

For more information on Legionella and what you should do if you suspect you may be ill, please visit: https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/about/press/pr2025/nyc-health-investigating-legionnaires-disease-in-harlem.page

For more information on Legionella and cooling tower maintenance requirements, please visit the NYC DOHMH Cooling Tower information page: https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/business/permits-and-licenses/cooling-towers-inspect.page

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the CCNY Office of facilities management at Facilities@ccny.cuny.edu

Interim Dean Appointments

Tony Liss — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 10:48:32 -0400

It is my pleasure to announce that at its meeting on Monday, June 30, the CUNY Board of Trustees approved two CCNY interim dean appointments: Kevin Foster for the Colin Powell School and Stephen O’Brien for the Division of Science. I am grateful to both of them for agreeing to serve in these important roles, and for their patience in awaiting Board approval before I could make this announcement.

Dean Foster is serving for the second time as Interim Dean, having bridged the gap between Dean Boudreau and Dean Rich from fall of 2016 to spring 2019, and has served as Associate Dean since spring 2019. Dean Foster came to City College in fall 1998 as an Assistant Professor of Economics, and served as Chair of that department from 2013 to 2016. Dean Foster has published on both macro- and micro-economic themes, examining how investor behavior can lead to unexpected outcomes.Date: July 7, 2025.

Dean O’Brien joined City College in 2009 as an Associate Professor of Chemistry (now Chemistry & Biochemistry) and currently serves as the Louis J. Curtman Chair of Chemistry & Biochemistry. Dean O’Brien’s research interests include material science, energy storage and nanotechnology in life sciences. Dean O’Brien has trained 15 PhD students and more than 20 Masters and undergraduate students.

Both Dean Foster and Dean O’Brien will officially begin their Interim Deanships on July 14th.

Please join me in welcoming Deans Foster and O’Brien to these important positions. In Dean Foster’s case we are happy to have an experienced hand come on board for a return engagement. In Dean O’Brien’s case we welcome him to this new role. I look forward to working closely with both of them.

A search for the permanent dean of the Colin Powell School is well under way, and a search for the Dean of Science will commence at the start of the fall semester.

President's Class of 2025 Message

Vincent Boudreau — Tue, 27 May 2025 17:52:47 -0400

Dear Member of the class of 2025,

Please accept my most heartfelt congratulations on this, your graduation day. For those of us who worked with you through the years, it is unbelievably gratifying to stand at your side at this moment, and watch as you move out from the campus we shared, and into the world.

Most of us will never know the full measures of the challenges you overcame to get here. We may only vaguely grasp the extent to which your years on this campus transformed your ideas, your commitments or your approach to the world. We do know that in graduating from this historic institution, you join generations upon generations of young people who came to CCNY to remake their lives, and left this campus to remake the world. You are full heirs to that legacy, and I am sure that you will bear it well.

On this campus, we have endeavored to build a community where ethics matter, where respect for diverse opinions and experiences governs our interactions, where we constantly and collectively think about what a better world would look like, and how we might call it into being. You have been asked, in class after class, to devote your mind, your ambition, and your creativity toward unknotting the most pressing questions we face as a people.

The world you enter today is fraught with challenges. We have too often been urged to regard what is unfamiliar as dangerous, to greet differences of opinion with suspicion rather than curiosity, to allow force rather than reason to govern our interactions. Your time at CCNY should help inoculate you against the temptation to pull back from a broader and more generous experience of humanity. Our work together has in fact been bounded by a singular assumption about education: that we gather a community, for each of these past 178 years, to develop a cadre of men and women who embrace challenges with bravery, welcome the unfamiliar with curiosity, and greet the hardship of others with warmth and understanding. And, in this spirit we have helped to build New York into the marvelous city it has become, and coax our human community into the light of greater empathy and understanding. This is your legacy.

You are no less equipped to act upon this vision than any generation that came before you— and now, you join them. Be wise and kind. Lean on your education. Nurture the memory of how it feels to approach new questions with an open mind and a clear head. And, in so doing, take your place among the storied and honorable rank of those who walked this path before you. And know, without the faintest specter of doubt, that we have been honored by your presence, enriched by your ideas, and uplifted by the anticipation of what you will accomplish for us all, in the world

With my warmest congratulations,

Vince Boudreau
President