City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works The Advocate Archives and Special Collections 5-2013 Advocate, May 2013, Vol. [24], No. [5] How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_advocate/10 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] Finding McAlary May 2013 http://gcadvocate.com [email protected] (page 42) He Is Ready ALSO INSIDE Anger over Professor Petraeus (page 17) The Evolution of Radical Environmentalism (page 12) May 2013 http://gcadvocate.com [email protected] CUNY Graduate Center Room 5396 365 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10016 (212) 817-7885 EDITor-in-ChiEF Michael Busch MANAGING EDITOR Christopher Silsby LAYOUT EDITOR Mark Wilson CONTRIBUTORS Never Submit. Reethee Anthony Meredith Benjamin Anne Donlon Contribute! 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Writers Payments for articles range between $75 and $150 who contribute articles of 1,000 depending on the length and amount of research words will be paid $50 and those required. We also pay for photos and cartoons. who submit longer articles re- quiring research will receive $75. Interested writers should contact Editor Michael We also pay for photographs and Busch at [email protected]. artwork. Please email for details. 2 GC Advocate May 2013 FROM THE editor’s desk Out with the Old, In with the…Same Old? What a couple of weeks. curricular decision making in his push to implement Path- Let’s start with Chancellor Matthew Goldstein’s retire- ways over strenuous objections throughout the system. ment from CUNY. On April 12, the chancellor quietly He was slow to defend the academic freedom of faculty, announced his imminent departure in a Friday evening or absent altogether, when it came under attack. And as email to the CUNY community. “Serving this exceptional the student letter quoted above points out, “suppressing university alongside so many extraordinary colleagues,” dissent has become policy, enacted in police assaults on Goldstein wrote, “has been the greatest privilege of my peaceful protests at Baruch and Brooklyn College.” professional life.” The chancellor made sure to praise his But coverage of Goldstein’s retirement by the popular own record at the institution. “Since I began as chancellor media wasn’t all rosy. Compare the Times whitewash to in 1999, we have focused on raising the academic profile how the New York Post reported the story. Following Gold- of the University while maintaining our fundamental goals stein’s announcement, the Post’s Susan Edelman focused on of access and opportunity. The results of our emphasis on something entirely different—the golden parachute being high standards, academic rigor, and student preparation… organized for the departing chancellor by CUNY’s Board have been record enrollments, increased graduation rates, of Trustees. “We’ll craft a special package for Matt,” Board and more and more high-achieving students coming to Chairman Benno Schmidt told Edelman, adding that “I CUNY…Today, CUNY is a transformed institution, re- think he’s been underpaid as chancellor.” This, despite the energized by the creative, dedicated work of professionals fact that Goldstein pulls in just under half a million dollars across our twenty-four colleges and professional schools.” a year in salary with a generous $90,000 annual allowance In response to the announcement, the New York Times for housing. published a love letter editorial to the chancellor under the The real scandal here, the Post reports, is that Goldstein banner headline, “The Man Who Saved CUNY.” The Times has collected other revenue streams during his time as highlighted his commitment to raising academic standards CUNY’s chief executive. “While chancellor, he has served of excellence in the university, and celebrated Goldstein since 2003 as a funds trustee at JPMorgan Chase, which for blowing air back into the administrative lungs of the paid him $325,000 in 2011. Last December, the board system’s bureaucracy while managing to also corral huge overseeing mutual funds elected Goldstein its new chair- amounts of capital into CUNY coffers. In fact, the Times man, a post that paid his predecessor $500,000 in 2011.” piece mirrored Goldstein’s letter to the CUNY community This is the sort of story that might have generated more so closely that some joked the chancellor had written the outrage had it not been overshadowed by another bomb- article himself. And while the Times hints momentarily shell development at CUNY. The Macaulay Honors College that Goldstein’s tenure wasn’t without controversy, any announced that same week that former director of the dissent from within the system was shrugged off as run-of- CIA, General David Petraeus, will be teaching classes at the-mill controversy common to any institution of higher CUNY next semester. In an interview with the New York learning. “This is, after all, academia,” the Times wrote. Times, the former spymaster’s lawyer, Robert Barnett, said What the Times didn’t mention in its rush to produce that Petraeus “had been approached by many universities, puff are all the less palatable legacies of the Goldstein years. but settled on CUNY because he admires the diversity of As readers of the Advocate are well aware, Goldstein’s time students, locations, and offerings.” Petraeus himself issued as chancellor is one of power had distinct privilege over a statement of intent, saying he planned to teach a seminar the public interest. As a letter to the editor of the Times “that examines the developments that could position the from CUNY students makes clear, “Mr. Goldstein’s initia- United States—and our North American partners—to lead tives lowered academic standards and restricted faculty the world out of the current global economic slowdown.” autonomy, while black and Latino enrollment dropped. Perhaps sensing that Petraeus’s proposal was anchored During his tenure, Mr. Goldstein’s total compensation more firmly in rhetoric than clarity or substance, Macaulay doubled to well over half a million dollars, and top admin- Dean Ann Kirschner explained to the New York Times that istrators’ salaries increased. Meanwhile, tuition has almost Petraeus’s plan “is in keeping with his research interest in doubled, and more than half of CUNY classes are taught energy, advanced manufacturing, life sciences and infor- by adjuncts making under $20,000 annually.” mation.” That may be. But from the sounds of things, his The Times failed to recognize other features of Gold- interests are also in reinventing himself as an expert in stein’s time at CUNY, as well. The chancellor aggressively these areas. The appointment to Macaulay allows him a walked all over CUNY’s history of faculty governance over year of university-based transition from public humiliation May 2013 GC Advocate 3 to a highly-paid career in private industry consulting. as acting president. Could Kelly take advantage of this new But back to the chancellor. As the Petraeus appointment precedent? Right now, it is difficult to tell, though everyone grabbed everyone’s attention, there were still questions at CUNY Central, including Kelly himself, has made clear about who would be tapped to replace Goldstein at CUNY that a nationwide search for a new chancellor will shortly Central. The day the chancellor announced his pending get underway. retirement, a friend presciently joked to me that Bill Kelly All of this said, Kelly’s new powers are not exclusively would take the helm at 80th Street. A few hours after Pe- bureaucratic, nor limited by his temporary appointment. traeus officially joined the faculty of Macaulay, the Execu- As chancellor, even an interim one, Kelly will enjoy the tive Board of the Board of Trustees met to rubberstamp power of the bully pulpit. As one student commented on Kelly’s selection as interim chancellor. His selection was the announcement, “He’s free to speak about the important announced that night. issues of the day, start campaigns for causes that are just, Kelly’s appointment makes perfect sense.