A Local Law to establish a task force on affordability, admissions, and graduation rates at the City University of New York

Int. No. 1138-A

By Council Members Barron, Chin, Dickens, Dromm, Rose, Cohen, Williams, Cornegy, Kallos, Rodriguez, Rosenthal, Richards, Palma, Lander, Levin, Vallone, Lancman, Gentile and the Public Advocate (Ms. James)

A Local Law to establish a task force on affordability, admissions, and graduation rates at the City University of New York

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

                     Section one. Task force on affordability, admissions, and graduation rates at the City University of New York. a. There is hereby established a temporary task force to examine ways to increase affordability and admission to the City University of New York, including the feasibility of eliminating tuition at the University and, to the extent appropriate, develop recommendations for addressing such matters.

b. The task force shall be composed of 13 members, who shall include:

1. the public advocate, or their designee;

2. the speaker of the city council or their designee;

3. seven members as appointed by the mayor, including one member who shall represent faculty of the City University of New York, one member who is a non-student member of the board of trustees of the City University of New York, one member with expertise in the finance and management of public institutions of higher education, one member with expertise in improving student performance in higher education, one member with expertise in management and budgetary operations, one member who shall represent advocacy organizations with relevant experience in improving college affordability and admissions, and one additional member; and

4. four members, as appointed by the speaker of the city council, including one member who shall represent students at the City University of New York, one member who shall represent advocacy organizations with relevant experience in improving college affordability and access, one member who has expertise in state and municipal budgeting and finance, and one additional member.

c. All members shall be appointed within 90 days of the enactment of this local law.  Members of the task force shall serve without compensation and shall meet no less than three times before the task force is required to issue a report. Members of the task force shall also meet when deemed necessary by the chair or upon the written request of at least three members of the task force, provided that no meeting of the task force shall be held without at least 30 days’ notice to the members of the task force.  No member of the task force shall be removed except for cause and upon notice and hearing by the appropriate appointing official.

d. Upon appointment of all members, the task force shall elect a chair from its membership by a majority vote at the first meeting of such task force.  The task force shall issue a report to the mayor and the speaker of the council no later than October 15, 2017.  Such report shall take into account the state’s role in substantially funding the City University of New York and shall include, but need not be limited to, an analysis of obstacles affecting the affordability of, admission to, and timely graduation from the City University of New York, examining revenue sources, recommendations on how obstacles could be addressed, and the feasibility of eliminating tuition at the University. After the submission of such report, the task force shall cease to exist.

                     § 2.  This local law takes effect immediately.

LS  7645

JHC/ACK

11/4/2016 3:32pm