CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez delivered his annual State of the University Address at Hunter College’s Silberman School of Social Work in East Harlem on October 3.
The chancellor, who started his CUNY career at Hunter as a faculty member and the director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO), outlined his vision for transforming the 25-college institution by 2030.
His plans include expanding and upgrading CUNY facilities through a five-year, $5.5 billion capital program. He also promised to connect more students with jobs and paid internships through partnerships with JP Morgan Chase, IBM, Mount Sinai, Centerbridge Partners, and Accenture, among other employers.
The chancellor also announced that CUNY as a whole is experiencing growing freshman enrollment — a trend we are also seeing at Hunter — announcing that it had risen by more than 4% this fall.
“For the first time in three years, our enrollment is on the upswing. We have reason to believe that we have turned a corner,” he said. “Enrollment may sound like just a lot of numbers but it’s fundamental because it means more New Yorkers have a path to a better future. It’s a tangible measure of how well we are delivering on our core mission of providing access to a first-rate education to everyone in our city, regardless of means or background.”
