cuny.edu/news • C ITY U NIVERSITY OF N EW Y ORK FOUNDED 1847 • June 2004 ATAGLANCE Callers Flood‘Citizenship Now!’ Hotline John Oliver Killens he torrent of phone calls to “Citizenship Now!,” the immigra- Celebrated at Medgar T tion hotline set up jointly by the 1 Evers Conference City University of New York and the New The multi- York Daily News, began a full half-hour talented Black before the five-day program officially author John began on April 26. Oliver Killens Before that Monday morning was over, was honored the volume of calls had overwhelmed the at Medgar Daily News phone system, causing it to Evers College, crash briefly. By Friday evening, the 80 where he volunteer experts assembled to provide taught, at the help and advice to almost 6,000 callers 7th National —a rate of about 120 per hour, two per Black Writers Conference, of which minute. he was a co-founder. See page 8. “It just goes to show you the lack of information out there,” said Hostos Explorers Club of N.Y. Community College Professor Allan Honors CUNY Team Wernick, who coordinated the hotline on Colorado Peak initiative. Wernick, an attorney, is chair- 2 man of the CUNY Citizenship and A CCNY- Immigration Project, and also writes a BCC team of column on immigration for the Daily Chancellor Matthew Goldstein, rear at right, visited the hotline at the Daily News as volun- faculty and News. teers helped almost 6,000 callers. student “We knew there was a demand for a researchers service like this,” said Martin Dunn, staff, faculty and students from the Law through this special outreach program.” studying deputy publisher and editorial director School. They were joined by lawyers and Last November, CUNY initiated a clouds in the of the News. “But even we have been paralegals who specialize in immigration series of special seminars in immigration Colorado surprised by the overwhelming response.” and naturalization matters for the Legal law for staff from district offices of state, Rockies has Citizenship Now! added phone lines and Aid Society, the city and county bar asso- city and federal officials; more than 50 been awarded additional CUNY volunteers for the ciations, and several nonprofit legal service staffers signed up for the first series. the Explorers Club Flag Award. second and succeeding days to meet the providers. Telephones were staffed from 9 According to Hershenson, the intent is to See page 5. demand. am to 7 pm daily from April 26 through develop a series of seminars to equip local “The response to the call-in proves once April 30. staff to give precise, correct, current New Edition of 17C and for all that immigrant New Yorkers “CUNY has historically welcomed answers to immigration questions. Pamphlets on Women want desperately to become citizens,” many generations of immigrants who have The need for such services in a city from Trustee O’Malley Wernick said. “But the process isn’t easy. looked to higher education opportunity where about 40 percent of the residents 3 as their ladder to upward social and eco- are immigrants is nowhere more clear Kingsborough Complicated rules, the inefficiency of the nomic mobility,” Chancellor Matthew than at Hostos Community College’s Community government’s immigration offices and the Goldstein wrote, inviting colleges to lend Immigration Clinic. College lack of information keep many from get- their experts and expertise to the pro- “Today I’ve seen more than 25 people,” Professor of ting naturalized.” gram. “Every day, your college helps Myriam Rodriguez, the clinic’s assistant English and Vice Chancellor and board secretary Jay immigrants realize their dreams in numer- director, said on a recent afternoon. Chair of the Hershenson proposed the citizenship call- ous ways. I believe we can build on our “Every day I see more people than the University in to Dunn, who enthusiastically longstanding record of contributions day before, and now they’re coming from Faculty Senate embraced the idea. Volunteers included different countries. It’s not just Hispanic Susan people, it’s people from Pakistan, Trinidad, O’Malley has Morocco, Russia — everywhere.” just published an edition of early CUNY Intellectual Property Policy is Approved Most of the people Rodriguez sees have 17th-century pamphlets on such he New York State Public Employ- increases the royalties faculty members already been to a lawyer, paid their money, topics as gossip, spousal abuse, and ment Relations Board has upheld receive on work they create during their and received nothing in return. “Not the cross-dressing. See page 9. T policies adopted by the City employment.” pro bono lawyers,” she stresses, not the Three Performers University in 2002 that govern the The March 26 decision ruled that, ones who offer their expertise without ownership of intellectual property at the under the CUNY-PSC contract, the union charge. “The only problem with the pro Leave Mark in Circus, 19-campus public college system in New waived its right to collective bargaining on bono lawyers is that they sometimes have 4 Dance, Met Opera York City. A three-member appeals panel this issue. The University’s prior copyright too many cases to help anyone else.” Danette Sheppard is one of three in Albany issued the ruling on March and patent policies, which had been in Rodriguez said most people who con- notable debutantes in the perform- 26th. effect since 1972, were adopted and tact the Hostos clinic want to become cit- ing arts who remind us that CUNY The revised policy, which was adopted amended by the Board of Trustees with- izens, or to secure admission for a relative, is the “Arts & Entertainment” uni- by CUNY’s Board out collective or to get green cards. The volume of visi- versity. Seen here with ringmaster of Trustees in The full decision of the Public bargaining. tors has been up recently because “right Kevin Venardos, she recently November 2002, CUNY began now the INS is being a little bit tougher, became the first featured vocalist in was challenged Relations Board can be found at working on the and people are more aware. They’re look- Ringling Brothers Circus’s 134-year during its drafting (cuny.edu/news). revised intellec- ing for more information.” history. See page 12. in 2001 by the tual property Those worries don’t affect Rodriguez, Professional Staff policy in the fall who was born in Puerto Rico, but, as she Congress, the union representing faculty, of 2000 when Chancellor Goldstein con- said after a recent full day of work, “I like which asserted that the matter was sub- vened a committee to review and update to help people with these problems. I ject to collective bargaining. CUNY’s copyright and patent policies. believe everyone has the right to come “I’m very gratified by the decision,” said The committee received comments from here and look for what we call the Frederick Schaffer, general counsel and several CUNY groups, including the American Dream.’” vice chancellor for legal affairs to the University Faculty Senate, the Professional Wernick urged immigrants to not Board of Trustees. “The revised policy is Staff Congress and individual faculty become discouraged in their quest for cit- more favorable to the faculty than the members, and held two public forums on izenship. “The benefits are too great, the University’s earlier policies. It greatly the issue before the policy was adopted. rights too precious,” he said. FROM THE CHANCELLOR’S DESK Reflections on the Season of Caps and Gowns By Chancellor Matthew Goldstein but also trepidation. examples bodes well for future grads. In and/or night jobs, parental responsibili- ach year at this time my What will become of the student survey, 80 percent of students ties—it is nearly impossible to choose mind turns to the upcoming our graduates? What in the health sciences—both associate’s from the many stories we have to tell. I ECommencements across our “new beginning” are they and bachelor’s degree recipients—found a could fill pages with inspiring stories of campuses, and what Commence- embarking upon? For job in their field. The numbers are even fabulous grads, and I encourage you to ment really means to us at insight, I turn to previ- higher for earners of a bachelor’s degree watch for the Summer issue of CUNY CUNY—collectively and to our ous graduating classes in education, over 90 percent. (This leads Matters, with its annual feature on some more than 32,800 students poised and their experiences. to particularly satisfying projections for of the most remarkable members of the to graduate this year. It is a time According to one education majors when we consider that Class of 2004. All their stories point not filled with hope and promise, survey of past gradu- this year CUNY education students only to how hard they have worked but marked by a sense of accomplish- ates, 80 percent of asso- achieved the highest pass rates ever on what promise they hold. ment and personal pride. It is the ciate’s degree recipients their state license exams.) In keeping with that promise, I will long-anticipated outcome of years of hard and more than 90 percent of bachelor’s Of course, not all students immediately refer to the Greek philosopher Plato to work, balancing jobs, families, and com- degree recipients from CUNY were pursue employment. Many who com- point us in the right direction for thinking munity obligations with classes and employed within a year and a half of mence will continue their education, about Commencement. In The Republic, assignments, while overcoming difficult graduating. Of those employed graduates, whether by transferring from a two-year to he wrote, “The direction in which educa- obstacles to forge a path to personal suc- 90 percent of associate’s degree holders a four-year program or by going to gradu- tion starts a man, will determine his future cess or a better life.