Department of Special Programs at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York Percy E. Sutton SEEK Program Student Handbook Percy E. Sutton, 11.20.1920 - 12.26.2009 Search for Education Elevation and Knowledge Educational Opportunity 1637 Bedford Ave., Suite 205 * Brooklyn, NY 11225-2010 * (718) 270-4970 http://www.mec.cuny.edu/Academic-Affairs/Programs/The-Percy-Ellis-Sutton-SEEK- Program.aspx TABLE OF CONTENTS About the Percy E. Sutton S.E.E.K Program Student Handbook 3 Medgar Evers College History 4 Percy E. Sutton S.E.E.K Program History 6 Percy E. Sutton S.E.E.K Program at Medgar Evers College Guidelines 9 S.E.E.K Student Organizations 14 Counseling Requirement 18 Academic Support Requirement 22 Financial Assistance 24 General Information for Medgar Evers College Rights & Responsibilities 26 Academic Policies 26 Sexual Harassment Policy 33 College Resources & Centers 34 Keys for College Success 38 Registration Guide 43 Appendix: Student Organizations 45 Revised 8/2019 2 The Percy E. Sutton S.E.E.K Program Student Handbook This handbook has been designed as a supplement to the Medgar Evers College handbook and catalogue. Our program wants to ensure that your transition into the college is a smooth and easy one. In this handbook, you will find answers to numerous questions that you may have. Please look to this guide as you enter into your college experience. Should you still have questions and/or concerns regarding S.E.E.K specific requirements or the requirements of Medgar Evers College, feel free to contact any of the department’s personnel listed below. May you find a peace that passes all understanding in the upcoming years as a Medgar Evers student! Program Other Essential Personnel Director/Chairperson Jessica Rivera, M.P.A. Sherrill-Ann Mason, M.S. Academic Support Coordinator & [email protected] Civil Engagement Coordinator 270-4973, S-205 [email protected] 270-4974, C-221 Counselors Rebecca Cenatus, L.M.S.W. Frantz Lespinasse, B.S. [email protected] Financial Aid Counselor 270-4947, S-205 [email protected] 270-6137, S-108 Jewel C. James-Nesbitt, Ph.D. [email protected] Derek Lujan- Brooks, B.A. 270-4972, S-205 Assistant to the Director/Enrollment Specialist J. Chance Williams, Ph.D. (C) [email protected] [email protected] 270-4970, S-205 270-9889, S-205 Dorla Grant, M.A. IT Academic Tech Coordinator /SEEK [email protected] 270-4974, C-221 “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.” - Langston Hughes 3 THE HISTORY OF MEDGAR EVERS COLLEGE Medgar Evers College has the distinction of rights leader, Medgar Wiley Evers (1925- being one of the youngest senior colleges in 1963). In recognition of this, September The City University of New York. In the 28th is observed as "Founders’ Day" at early 1960's, the Central Brooklyn Medgar Evers College. community recognized the need and expressed a desire for a local public college. At the announcement ceremony in Through various community organizations December 1970, Mrs. Myrlie Evers including, but not limited to, the Bedford- presented a scroll that read “...In choosing Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, the the name of Medgar Evers, it is our hope Central Brooklyn Coordinating Council, that his ideals will inspire students and and the NAACP, and through their local faculty of the college in their pursuit of elected officials, the residents of Central truth as the surest path to human freedom Brooklyn approached the Board of Higher and social justice.” In keeping with the Education of the City of New York with this civil rights leaders’ legacy, the college request. Members of the various remains a pillar of strength to the growing community-based organizations educational, economic, cultural and social constituted the Bedford-Stuyvesant foundations of the central Brooklyn Coalition on Educational Needs and community and New York City. The Services, which served as the primary Community Council continues to be a vehicle for interfacing with the Board of major impetus in the College’s Higher Education. After many discussions development and growth. Now located in and much involvement by community the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, residents and the Coalition, the Board of Medgar Evers is noted for its commitment Higher Education, on November 17, 1967, to academic excellence and the educational "approved the sponsorship of Community development of the community in which it College Number VII, with the indication of resides. an intention to admit students in the Fall of l969." Medgar Evers is the only college in The City University of New York that was On January 27, 1969 the Board approved established by community advocacy. The the establishment of an “experimental college offers Associate’s and Bachelor’s four-year college of professional studies degree programs in Arts, Science, Applied offering both career and transfer associate Science, and Business. Now in its 30th degrees and the baccalaureate degree, to be year, Medgar Evers College enrolls more located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of than 4,500 degree students and over 7,000 Brooklyn, said college to be established in continuing education students. Medgar place of a previously approved but not Evers College is leading the way into the started new Community College VII, and 21st century with a vision to create further directed that the City University innovative academic programs that meet Master Plan be amended accordingly." This the demands of the changing workplace, to action was endorsed by action of the enhance teaching and learning, to expand Regents on March 20, 1970. On September research avenues, to promote student 28, 1970 the Board of Higher Education success and to establish linkages to the approved the recommendation from the community. College’s Community Council that the name of the college be Medgar Evers Medgar Evers College students are College, in honor of the martyred civil provided superb support services for the 4 varied programs. The Charles E. Inniss Collection for Research in African Memorial Library, which is located in the American studies. Media Services houses Bedford Avenue Building, contains more than 20,000 items of non-profit approximately 150,000 volumes and 750 resources. Recreational facilities include a periodicals (including nine ethnic gymnasium and Olympic style swimming newspapers), encompassing all academic pool. An on-campus childcare center and disciplines as well as advanced research in nearby Head Start Program provide care support of pluralism and cultural diversity. for the children of Medgar Evers College Special collections hold the South African students. Collection and the Porter Black Bibliography of the African American experience. A collection of microfilms of 40,000 titles includes the Schomburg 5 City University, SEEK and College S.E.E.K Discovery reaffirmed our historic mission, reopening the doors of the colleges to all & College Discovery people of our city. A Brief History* The SEEK legislation was only one long paragraph in a multi-paged statue By Julilus C. C. Edelstein providing 50% State funding for CUNY’s Senior Vice Chancellor Emeritus senior colleges, and establishing a Construction Fund to build new campuses and facilities for the University, utilizing the credit of New York State. The Omnibus legislation was the SEEK (Search for Education, Elevation conceptual creation of then Chancellor and Knowledge) and College Discovery Albert H. Bowker, the second Chancellor of are two programs of crucial academic, CUNY, the man who transformed CUNY institutional and historic importance to the from four municipal colleges into a mighty City University. College Discovery was university. (He was the author and father authorized in 1964 by the Board of Higher of open admission.) Education in and for the community The SEEK paragraph which was colleges. SEEK was legislatively inserted into this legislation was drafted in authorized in 1966, in and for the senior the dead of night, in the final stages of the colleges. consideration of the omnibus construction Uniquely, the SEEK Program was and funding measure; this happened as a not only authorized but also result of strenuous representations by unprecedentedly mandated upon the minority and progressive members of the University by the State Legislature. The State Assembly and Senate, directed by legislative mandate was to recruit and then Speaker Anthony J. Travia, who had admit into CUNY’s senior colleges a undertaken the responsibility to sponsor minimum of 1,000 students from “poverty and manage the overall legislation. Those areas”…“to advance the cause of equality representations were arduously pressed, and the educational opportunity at the City particularly by two of the then members of University.” This mandate was the State Assembly, Percy Sutton and accompanied by a State grant of $1,000,000 Shirley Chisholm. That night, late in the to pay for special educational services and night, between supper and breakfast, while student stipends. CUNY legislation was being processed, College Discovery (1966) served as aides to the Speaker Travia and Chancellor a preliminary program of recruiting Bowker wrote the historic terms of the minority youth into the ranks of the City SEEK Program into statutory law. University. SEEK, building on the College Most unusually for the State Discovery experience, was the key, which legislation, the new statutory paragraph on opened the gates of the City University, SEEK spelled out the detailed specifics of leading shortly to the policy of open the proposed CUNY project. Legislative admission. language specified the particular education In the months and years that functions for which the special State funds followed the start of the SEEK Program in could be expended…for student 1966, this innovation helped change the recruitment, for counseling, for books and face of all higher education in America, and supplies, for remedial courses, for tutorial beyond our shores, too.