By Ryan Kelley
The City University of New York
(CUNY) is leading the nation’s public
universities in terms of diversity
among its leadership staff and overall
affordability, according to a pair of
studies released in August.
Five CUNY schools were ranked in the top
10 four-year public institutions with the most
diverse managerial staff, and four more were
ranked among the top 10 most diverse two-year
public institutions according to a study by the
Chronicle of Higher Education on Aug. 18.
“Organizational and workplace research has
conclusively demonstrated that diversity among
managers boosts employees’ morale, fosters
unity among teams and, ultimately, improves
efficiency and outcomes,” said CUNY Chancellor
Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “CUNY’s long-standing
commitment to promote and increase diversity
across the administrative ranks is driven by
a continuous desire to strive for excellence at
all levels. To that end, I am pleased that The
Chronicle of Higher Education listed nine of
our schools among the nation’s colleges with
the greatest ethnic and racial diversity among
managers.”
In total, the four-year list includes 12 CUNY
schools: The City College of New York (4), Lehman
College (5), Queens College (6), John Jay College
of Criminal Justice (7), New York City College of
Technology (8), Brooklyn College (16), Baruch
College (22), York College (24), Hunter College (26),
The Graduate Center (40), the College of Staten
Island (105) and Medgar Evers College (109).
Six CUNY schools were named on the list of
two-year public colleges: Borough of Manhattan
Community College (1), Bronx Community
College (3), Kingsborough Community College
(4), LaGuardia Community College (6), Hostos
Community College (20) and Queensborough
Community College (24).
“The diversity index indicates on a scale of
1 to 100 the probability that any two full-time
managers at an institution were from different
racial or ethnic groups in the fall of 2017,” the
authors of the study explain in the article.
With more than 250,000 students and 45,000
staff members, the CUNY network of schools is
the largest urban university in the United States.
Chancellor Matos Rodriguez is the first educator
of color to lead the university.
CUNY also received recognition from Money
magazine on Aug. 12 as seven of its schools were
named in the top fifth of 744 schools nationwide
in its “Best Colleges for your Money 2019”
ranking.
While Baruch College ranked second on the
list, other schools that made the cut include
Brooklyn College (35), John Jay College of
Criminal Justice (53), Queens College (100),
Lehman College (110), The City College of New
York (115), Hunter College (128), and the College
of Staten Island (418).
The Money rankings examined 26 measures
of educational quality, affordability and alumni
success, with each category counting for one third
of a school’s final score. More specific factors in
the evaluation include six-year graduation rates
and how many Pell Grant recipients graduate;
affordability factors including net costs after
financial aid, the amount typically borrowed
through federal programs, and loan default and
repayment rates; and alumni salary data from
PayScale.com and the federal college scorecard.
“Money magazine’s rankings confirm once
again CUNY’s standing as the nation’s leading
urban university system, an indispensable
New York City institution with a track record of
transforming lives,” added Chancellor Matos
Rodríguez. “CUNY’s singular quality, affordability
and outcomes continue to help generations of
low-income New Yorkers of all backgrounds
join the middle class and attain their American
Dream.”
CUNY
schools
nationally
recognized
for diversity
and
affordability
Photos via the City University of New York
QNS.COM
FALL 2019 9
/PayScale.com
/QNS.COM