President, Commission on Independent College and Universities
As the president of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU), I lead an Albany-based nonprofit organization that represents New York’s 100+ independent colleges and universities on issues of public policy. I am a proud graduate of UAlbany, having earned dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Criminal Justice and Sociology, and a Master of Public Administration from Rockefeller College.
After a 26-year career in public service, including most recently as the commissioner of the NYS Department of Civil Service, I am honored to work for an organization whose mission is to provide opportunity and access to higher education through fairness, equity, and humanity. Higher education has the power to transform individuals into the best version of themselves, and we must continue to do everything possible to ensure that it is attainable to all who wish to pursue a degree.
Unfortunately, the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling banning affirmative action in college admissions is a major setback in our efforts to provide that access. Echoing Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the court’s first Black female justice, stated “With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces ‘colorblindness for all’ by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life.”
Fortunately, New York remains committed to diversity and inclusion and breaking down the institutional and systemic barriers that have long denied underrepresented students access to higher education. One of the most effective ways to break down those barriers and build pathways to upward mobility and success is to provide assistance to colleges and universities in administering educational opportunity programs to support students from underserved communities.
Programs such as the Higher Education Opportunity Program, the Science and Technology Entry Program, the Liberty Partnership Program and others provide access to higher education for talented students from underserved communities, which in turn helps increase representation and diversity on campus. We know that learning from and alongside people with experiences, beliefs, and perspectives different from our own enriches the educational experience.
Our future is in the hands of tomorrow’s college students. They are the next generation of entrepreneurs, healthcare workers, and educators and it is critical that these future leaders reflect the diversity of our state and our nation. They need our collective support in prioritizing increased student aid and college completion, especially for students who face the most difficulty in accessing and graduating college.
Investing in higher education, and particularly in pipeline programs that target students from underrepresented groups, will help build the workforce, economy and society we need to remain vibrant, strong and competitive on the world stage. These investments will also ensure that all students, regardless of race or background, can benefit from the transformative impact of higher education.
President, Commission on Independent College and Universities
As the president of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU), I lead an Albany-based nonprofit organization that represents New York’s 100+ independent colleges and universities on issues of public policy. I am a proud graduate of UAlbany, having earned dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Criminal Justice and Sociology, and a Master of Public Administration from Rockefeller College.
After a 26-year career in public service, including most recently as the commissioner of the NYS Department of Civil Service, I am honored to work for an organization whose mission is to provide opportunity and access to higher education through fairness, equity, and humanity. Higher education has the power to transform individuals into the best version of themselves, and we must continue to do everything possible to ensure that it is attainable to all who wish to pursue a degree.
Unfortunately, the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling banning affirmative action in college admissions is a major setback in our efforts to provide that access. Echoing Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the court’s first Black female justice, stated “With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces ‘colorblindness for all’ by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life.”
Fortunately, New York remains committed to diversity and inclusion and breaking down the institutional and systemic barriers that have long denied underrepresented students access to higher education. One of the most effective ways to break down those barriers and build pathways to upward mobility and success is to provide assistance to colleges and universities in administering educational opportunity programs to support students from underserved communities.
Programs such as the Higher Education Opportunity Program, the Science and Technology Entry Program, the Liberty Partnership Program and others provide access to higher education for talented students from underserved communities, which in turn helps increase representation and diversity on campus. We know that learning from and alongside people with experiences, beliefs, and perspectives different from our own enriches the educational experience.
Our future is in the hands of tomorrow’s college students. They are the next generation of entrepreneurs, healthcare workers, and educators and it is critical that these future leaders reflect the diversity of our state and our nation. They need our collective support in prioritizing increased student aid and college completion, especially for students who face the most difficulty in accessing and graduating college.
Investing in higher education, and particularly in pipeline programs that target students from underrepresented groups, will help build the workforce, economy and society we need to remain vibrant, strong and competitive on the world stage. These investments will also ensure that all students, regardless of race or background, can benefit from the transformative impact of higher education.
