Meng law to improve community college grad rates
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Congresswoman Grace
Meng on July 24 introduced
a new measure that would
improve graduation rates
at under-resourced public
community colleges with
high percentages of lowincome
and minority students
to have necessary funding
to develop and implement
support services.
The goal of the legislation,
The Community College
Student Success Act, is to
replicate nationwide the
proven success of the City
University of New York’s
(CUNY) Accelerated Study in
Associate Programs (ASAP).
The acclaimed initiative,
which CUNY launched in
2007 at its then six community
colleges including those in
Queens, helps students earn
associate degrees within three
years by offering a wide range
of financial, academic, and
personal assistance.
The program has been
found to consistently double
the graduation rates of
participating students. The
community colleges in Queens
consist of Queensborough
Community College in Bayside
and LaGuardia Community
College in Long Island City.
Meng orginally introduced
the Community College
Student Success Act in 2017
during the last session of
Congress. According to Meng,
community colleges play a
critical role in American
higher education.
“Of the over 40 percent
of undergraduates who
are enrolled at community
colleges across the United
States, a large portion are
first-generation, low-income
college students, and half are
from minority communities,”
Meng said. Unfortunately,
many of the institutions they
attend are under-resourced.
In addition, access to college
means little without degree
completion. That is why I
am proud to reintroduce
the Community College
Student Success Act, which
is a holistic, student-centered
approach to ensuring that
community college students
have the financial, academic,
and career support they need
Photo via Getty Images
to obtain their degree.”
Meng added, “If Congress
truly values the importance
of educating our next
generation, we must increase
our investment in these
colleges and the students they
serve. Everybody deserves a
quality education, no matter
their background, because
education is a civil right.”
Meng’s measure
would provide:
Academic Advising:
Advisors would provide
ongoing academic and
personal advising to students
including helping to clearly
lay out a three-year graduation
plan and creating strong
transfer pathways for students
interested in continuing
their education.
Academic and Career
Support: Students on academic
probation or those have been
referred to developmental
courses would be required
to meet weekly with a tutor.
Students would also meet
with an on-campus career
counselor or participate in
career services events at least
once a semester to promote
career planning and success.
Financial Support:
Students would receive a
tuition waiver to cover the gap
between tuition and fees and
financial aid. Additionally,
students satisfying all of the
above meeting requirements
would receive a financial
incentive, such as a gas card
or pass for transportation, at
least once per month.
Read more at QNS.com.
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by email at
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at
(718) 260–4526.
Man pleads guilty to selling drugs at the Ravenswood Houses
BY MAX PARROTT
A Long Island City
resident pleaded guilty
to selling a controlled
substance and organizing
a crew of dealers who sold
cocaine and heroin from
the Ravenswood Houses,
acting District Attorney
John Ryan announced on
Thursday.
Jamarl Gilmore, 38,
pleaded guilty to seconddegree
criminal sale of
a controlled substance
between March 2018 and
April 2019 on Wednesday.
Queens Criminal Court
Judge David Kirschner
indicated he will sentence
the defendant to eight years
in prison to be followed
by five years’ post-release
supervision when he returns
to court on Sept. 5.
“Peddling potentially
deadly drugs for months,
the defendant was caught
red-handed selling his illicit
merchandise to undercover
police,” Ryan said.
The police arrested
Gilmore, and others
who were apprehended,
following a long-term
investigation. Detectives
of the Queens North Gang
Squad and assistant district
attorneys within the
Queens District Attorney’s
Narcotics Investigations
Bureau used a courtauthorized
eavesdropping
warrant to listen to phone
conversations between
the defendant and others
discussing drug orders and
meets that were set up to
exchange cash for either
cocaine or heroin.
During the course of the
investigation, undercover
detectives posed as drug
buyers and purchased
cocaine from Gilmore,
or those in Gilmore’s
crew, according to acting
DA Ryan.
Reach reporter Max
Parrott by email at mparrott@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260-2507.
The Ravenswood Houses, as seen from 21st Street in Astoria Photo via Google Maps
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