Dear New York Tech students, staff, and faculty,

The CICU, or Council of Independent Colleges and Universities, is an organization that represents all of the independent (private) not-for-profit colleges and universities in New York State. New York Tech has been a member of CICU for quite some time, and we are proud of that.

Among CICU’s most important activities is coordinating advocacy for state programs that are of the highest importance to our students and their interests. This year, I am chairing a new advocacy working group, made up of presidents of colleges and universities in New York State.

Together with CICU’s Interim President (former Molloy College President) Drew Bogner and my other colleagues, I spent time early in March with state assembly representatives and senators, advocating for the inclusion of several programs in the state’s final budget. These included: increased funding for TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) and opportunity programs that include HEOP (Higher Education Opportunity Program), STEP (Science, Technology Entry Program), C-STEP (the collegiate version of STEP), and HECAP (Higher Education Capital Matching Grant Program), as well as reinstating Bundy Aid funds. Each of these was left out of the governor’s proposed budget this year. Thanks to a sustained advocacy campaign, they are now included in the “one-house” budgets proposed by the state assembly and senate, at either last year's level or with increases.

These programs provide the extra boost of resources students need to stay on track to complete their degrees and begin professional careers. In other words, they are supportive of New York Tech’s mission. I consider it an honor and a privilege to advocate for these programs since they are extremely important to so many of our New York Tech students.

As strong as my advocacy and that of my fellow presidents is, it is nothing compared to the student advocacy that CICU organizes. The stories that come from students who are the direct beneficiaries of these programs are truly compelling. So, let me thank all of our students who participated in student advocacy for these programs and Assistant Provost for Student Development and Engagement Tiffani Blake and her staff as well as Executive Director of External Affairs Marta Panero and HEOP Director Phillip Menzies for organizing and coaching our student advocates.

I also wish to acknowledge the advocacy efforts of our faculty and staff. Hopefully, as state assemblypersons and senators negotiate together and with the governor’s office, these programs will be in the final state budget and enacted as law. We will update you on that progress after the first week of April. If all goes as expected, we all will be able to breathe a sigh of relief, for this year, and in a few months, we will need gear up to do it all over again!

Sincerely,

Hank Foley, Ph.D.
President, New York Institute of Technology