Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York May 24, 2021 The Board of Trustees of The City University of New York (CUNY) met on May 24, 2021 via Zoom videoconference, pursuant to a Notice sent by the Office of the Secretary of the Board on May 10, 2021. Trustees Present: Chairperson William C. Thompson, Jr., Michael Arvanites, Henry T. Berger, Lorraine A. Cortés-Vázquez, Fernando Ferrer, Kevin D. Kim, Mayra Linares-Garcia, Robert F. Mujica, Jr., Brian D. Obergfell, Jill O’Donnell-Tormey, Charles A. Shorter, Ken Sunshine, Sandra Wilkin, and Martin Burke, ex officio (non- voting) Others present: Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodriguez, EVC&UP José L. Cruz, EVC&COO Hector Batista, SAC and Board Secretary Gayle M. Horwitz, General Counsel and SVC Derek Davis, SVC and Special Counsel Glenda G. Grace, SVC&CFO Matthew Sapienza, SVC Pamela S. Silverblatt, VC&CIO Brian Cohen, Vice Chancellor Doriane K. Gloria, Vice Chancellor Maite Junco, Vice Chancellor Richard R. White, Interim Vice Chancellor Denise Maybank, and Interim Vice Chancellor Andrea Shapiro Davis Absent and Excused: Trustees Una S. T-Clarke and Juvanie Piquant, ex officio CONVENING OF PUBLIC MEETING Chairperson William C. Thompson, Jr. called the Public Meeting to order at 4:32 p.m., and he immediately moved to go into Executive Session. The motion was seconded by Trustee Michael Arvanites. CONVENING OF EXECUTIVE SESSION Chairperson Thompson, Jr. called for an Executive Session pursuant to Section 105, Article 7, of the Public Officers Law, to discuss matters pertaining to investigations, personnel, and litigation. The Board met in Executive Session from 4:32 p.m. to 5:49 p.m. Moved by Chairperson Thompson, Jr. and seconded by Trustee Fernando Ferrer, the public session was reconvened at 5:55 p.m. Statement of Board Secretary Gayle M. Horwitz: “On March 7, 2020, Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order 202 declaring a State of Emergency in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. On March 13, 2020, Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order 202.1, which included a suspension of law allowing the attendance of meetings telephonically or other similar service. Article 7 of the Public Officers Law, to the extent necessary to permit any public body to meet and take such actions authorized by the law without permitting in public in-person access to meetings and authorizing such meetings to be held remotely by conference call or similar service, provided that the public has the ability to view or listen to such proceeding and that such meetings are recorded and later transcribed. In accordance with the Executive Order, this Board meeting is being held via video conference with a live stream found at the CUNY Board of Trustees website. A copy of the calendar/agenda of items is also available online at the CUNY Board of Trustees website. Additional items may be added during the meeting. As a reminder, please mute your phones so we can ensure that everyone can hear.” CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT William C. Thompson, Jr.’s Remarks: “As you know, the CUNY Board of Trustees could not convene its May 17, 2021 Public and Queens Borough Hearing in person. Instead, the Office of the Secretary accepted written and video testimony and statements from concerned individuals on items on the calendar for this May 24, 2021 Board Meeting via email. Testimonies were accepted until 11:30 pm on Monday, May 17, 2021. Testimonies are always available for review in the Office of the Secretary. The Office of the Secretary has also posted on the Board of Trustees website all of the testimony submitted since March 2020. A total of (4) written testimonies were submitted. Two testimonies, one from a very concerned citizen and one from a graduate student, expressed opposition to the Covid-19 vaccine mandate for students at SUNY and CUNY. One student at Queens College is having issues with an outstanding balance for student fees and is unable to enroll in the upcoming Summer 2021 session. This inquiry was referred to the Chancellor’s Page | 92 May 24, 2021 Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Trustees Office. Testimony was also submitted by an applicant to the John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s Clinical Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, expressing frustration with the application and interview process as well as concern for a perceived lack of diversity at CUNY. This testimony was referred to the Chancellor’s Office as well. Our calendar of agenda items today includes a resolution to amend the Board of Trustees Bylaws to establish a Governance Committee of the Board of Trustees. The establishment of this committee is a critical next step in ensuring best practices in the governance of the University, including the preparation of Board members to exercise their fiduciary duties. The Board of Trustees has taken numerous actions to strengthen the fiscal integrity of the University and will now examine its own operating structure and effectiveness to implement best practices in governance. In accordance with the Association of Governing Board’s paper on Governance Committees, the Governance Committee will have the following primary functions: “(1) identify best practices in governance that are relevant for the Board; and (2) ensure a program of orientation, continuous board education, and regular assessment of the board and its members.” CHANCELLOR’S REPORT Félix V. Matos Rodriguez’ Remarks: “Thank you, Chair Thompson, Trustees, Presidents and Vice Chancellors. It’s great to be back again with you today for my final presentation of the spring semester, and as usual there is plenty of good news to share. I had the good fortune to visit CUNY vaccination sites at York College and Medgar Evers College earlier this month, and it was an honor to see the remarkable work that CUNY staff and student volunteers are doing to vaccinate their communities. My trip to Medgar Evers was highlighted by recognizing the milestone of 205,000 vaccinations with the wonderful new President, Dr. Patricia Ramsey. And I greeted President Berenecea Eanes at York’s site, which has vaccinated around 240,000 people — more proof of the integral role CUNY is playing in the city’s recovery. With Governor Cuomo’s announcement this month that all CUNY and SUNY students attending in- person classes this fall will be required to be vaccinated — it’s crucial that we continue to encourage our friends and neighbors to visit vaccination sites around the city and at CUNY’s five locations, which also include City College, Queensborough Community College, and Lehman College. The vaccine is the best tool we have to ensure the collective safety of the community. I encourage anyone who has questions to visit our VAXUpCUNY page, which is part of CUNY’s multifaceted #VaxUpCUNY campaign. Page | 93 May 24, 2021 Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Trustees As we move closer to fully reopening the state and city, we are communicating our plans for CUNY’s mostly in-person fall. I have notified our University community that we circled the week of August 2nd as the targeted date for staff to begin to return to their workplaces. As I told the staff and faculty in a letter and a video, our return will be a blended and flexible arrangement that combines remote and in-person work. We’re planning for an incremental process, anchored by testing and screening, along with a mechanism like the Excelsior Pass that will enable us to verify an individual’s vaccination status. The wellbeing of every member of the University community continues to govern our decision-making in every respect. Rigorous reopening guidelines created by the Central Office and each CUNY campus last summer are being updated in consultation with University stakeholders for Fall 2021 and will continue to cover a range of scenarios and include contingency plans in case we need to make adjustments to address sudden changes in circumstances. Even as we begin to chart the phased return to campus life, we remember that our students continue to face the economic hardships that the pandemic exacerbated. Thankfully, more help is on the way. We were pleased that on May 5th, CUNY started the process of distributing $118 million in federal emergency grants to about 150,000 students. The funds, included in the pandemic relief package passed by Congress last December, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA), were disbursed to educational institutions in recent weeks. We also applaud the US Department of Education’s decision to reverse the unjust policy which excluded undocumented and international students from being eligible to receive these funds. This is the second round of federal stimulus student emergency grants. The University has already fully disbursed the first portion of CARES Act funding, totaling $118 million, to approximately 161,000 students. Weeks after our last meeting, we announced an exciting partnership with the City of New York that will enlist thousands of our students to play an active role in the city’s recovery beginning this summer. The program, called CUNY Recovery Corps, will hire 5,000 CUNY students to gain valuable experience working in all five city boroughs revitalizing, reinvigorating and rebuilding New York City. They will work 25 hours a week for six weeks between July and mid-August and earn $15 an hour, paid by the city Department of Youth and Community Development. Our students will work on projects supporting our city’s small business, public health organizations, community-based non-profits, government agencies and schools. We have also helped get the word out to employers, inviting them to “Hire CUNY!” – because we know our students are resilient, adaptable and highly skilled.