The Connected University CUNY Master Plan 2016–2020 Table of Contents Foreword by James B. Milliken, Chancellor, The City University of New York .....................................................2 CUNY’s Plans for the Years Ahead ....................................................................................................................................4 Chapter 1: Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................9 Chapter 2: CUNY Will Expand Its Portals of Opportunity and Access ..................................................................21 Chapter 3: CUNY Will Raise Success Rates ................................................................................................................. 42 Chapter 4: CUNY Will Set the Standard for Academic Quality in the Urban University ................................... 71 Chapter 5: CUNY Will Operate Efficiently in the Service of Its Academic Mission ......................................... 100 Concluding Statement ..................................................................................................................................................... 116 The City University of New York Leadership ............................................................................................................. 117 1 Foreword by James B. Milliken, Chancellor, The City University of New York Every four years, The City University of New York provides a Master Plan to the State to assess prog- ress and map out the directions for the future, but this year’s Plan comes at a particularly useful, and op- timistic, time for CUNY. The University is now embarking on an ambitious and essential path that will set CUNY on a new course of leadership and achievement. While CUNY has always been the nation’s largest public urban university, it is time for it to take steps to demonstrate clearly, and in ways that provide tangi- ble returns to the City and State of New York, that it is the most important urban public university system in the country, with local, national and global impact. Our Plan takes on the stubborn challenges of retention and graduation rates, which have plagued CUNY throughout its modern history. It will outline actions that will increase significantly the opportunities for our students to realize their ambitions after graduation, and it will capitalize on the investments made by the State and City by establishing CUNY as a global resource for addressing the sig- nificant challenges that face a rapidly urbanizing world. Our Plan advances these important objectives by creating opportunities for and supporting the scholar- ship and great teaching of our talented faculty and the commitment of our staff, and by managing the University efficiently and wisely. The Master Plan was prepared through a consultative process and was greatly aided by the parallel work on the University’s first Strategic Framework. To- gether, these important new documents will detail our long-range goals and James B. Milliken the actions that will help us achieve them. We will accomplish this by breaking Chancellor down unnecessary barriers and reducing friction that inhibit effective collab- oration within the University and through a new level of collaboration with other institutions, locally and globally, to leverage our substantial capabilities and assets and deliver increased benefits to New York. The process of preparing our strategic vision was inclusive, as we sought the advice of many stakeholders outside the University as well as faculty, students and our college presidents. We have developed the Master Plan on a foundation that emphasizes the qualities that have always defined CUNY and its special mission, accessibility, affordability and exceptional quality. Our Master Plan includes initiatives that are designed to bring in more students, prepare them for college-level work more effective- ly, retain more students throughout the educational process and significantly increase the ranks of those who will obtain the key that opens doors to fulfilling careers in the knowledge economy—a diploma. These innovative programs—including a rapid expansion of research-based strategies for student success, signifi- cantly increasing our online programs and courses to expand our reach, and fully taking advantage of other 2 new technologies to improve our effectiveness—will make CUNY a leader in national efforts to increase educational attainment levels. CUNY enjoys the benefit of having 25 campuses and schools located within one city, and our Master Plan lays out ways to take full advantage of that wonderful natural advantage. We will make it easier for students to navigate between schools as needed to maintain academic momentum and for faculty to embrace op- portunities for interdisciplinary, inter-institutional research. The newly connected CUNY will extend and deepen the University’s links to New York City, including its schools, its communities, its many research institutions, its vibrant industries and to its adult learners, who will be offered an array of new opportu- nities to obtain skills to advance their careers. In addition, we will continue to enhance our curriculum so CUNY graduates are competitive with the best in the nation, including significant expansion of literacy in information technology, data analytics and software development. Opportunities for experiential learning and internships will be expanded and given the emphasis they deserve. This marks an important new focus for CUNY in an area where we have underperformed. We also aim to make the University a hub in a global network of universities in major urban centers, providing new learning opportunities for our students, research collaborations for faculty and a means for sharing knowledge on ways of improving conditions in a rapidly urbanizing world. To ensure that CUNY remains one of the most cost effective university systems in the country, we will continue to focus on creating efficiencies in our operations, allocating every dollar we can to the Universi- ty’s priorities. In addition, CUNY will take ambitious steps to become a leader in attracting private support for our programs. Our plans include significant investments—of resources and talent—in our advancement operations. CUNY simply must be more successful in attracting greater funding from foundations, philan- thropies and individuals who share our mission and understand our potential. This new vision, and our efforts to implement it effectively, will enhance CUNY’s reach and impact in our rapidly changing world, benefiting our students today and the people of New York for generations to come. 3 CUNY’s Plans for the Years Ahead Chapter 1: Introduction The context in which the City University of New York and other higher education institutions operate con- tinues to experience significant shifts as a result of technological advances, globalization, and other forces that shape the economic, political, and social environment. This chapter describes these changes and in alignment with CUNY’s first strategic framework sets the stage for how CUNY will meet the challenges and exploit the opportunities to create a stronger, better connected university that remains true to its original mission. Chapter 2: CUNY Will Expand its Portals of Opportunity and Access No matter where a student comes from or hopes to go, CUNY is the higher education portal through which all can travel. In the coming years, the university will focus on creating more on-ramps to a quality college experience for New Yorkers from all walks of life. Key strategies will focus on: • Affordability. Keeping tuition relatively low and increases modest and predictable. Advocating for ro- bust federal and state aid and increasing revenue from granting agencies and philanthropy that will enable more academic and student support services and scholarships and attract and retain a strong professoriate. Investing in programs, such as a new textbook initiative that provides low-cost access to expensive course materials, which will empower students to persist on their path to degree completion despite financial hardship. • Diversity. Connecting more effectively with prospective students from underrepresented groups by providing support services and programming that will lead them to college. Working with the New York City Department of Education to strengthen guidance on admissions and financial aid applications. Launching a new admissions system that will allow a more holistic review of applications. Leveraging new state investments in the SEEK program to increase diverse student participation at senior colleges. • College Readiness and Developmental Education. Building on CUNY’s national reputation for research on developmental education and in developing effective interventions such as USIP, CUNY Start and Math Start, expand Math Start enrollment to 4,000 by 2018-19. Improving CUNY’s policies on placement into and exit from developmental instruction and aligning developmental math with students’ intended majors. Providing better support for math students in both non-credit and credit-bearing course work. • Adult Learners. Increasing access and support for adult students and other students who wish to begin, continue, or complete their higher education by replicating successful models, including part-time programs and college success programs. Examining proficiency standards with an eye toward