The CUNY Board of Trustees will consider the proposed University Budget Request for 2018-2019, which includes a $200 senior college tuition hike and $100 community college tuition hike. The CUNY Rising Alliance will be there to oppose the tuition hikes and to urge the Trustees to tell Governor Cuomo to sign the College MOE bill (Maintenance of Effort). The Board of Trustees is appointed to strengthen and advocate for CUNY, and they need to speak out about the MOE bill. The MOE legislation would help to reverse the State’s long record of disinvestment in CUNY operational budget and provide the resources to freeze CUNY’s tuition.

The College MOE was passed last spring with near unanimous legislative support. The bill will come before the Governor later this year. If he signs, CUNY will have funding for smaller classes, expanded course availability and better advisement. If he vetoes the College MOE, CUNY may rely on tuition hikes and cut programs to absorb its annual increases in rent, utilities and other costs.

You can testify about the MOE bill and the proposed University Budget Request for 2018-2019 at the CUNY Board of Trustees hearing next Monday, October 16. The hearing will begin at 4:00 PM. It will run for several hours. Oral testimony is limited to three minutes and a written copy should be submitted when you speak. Speakers are called to testify in the order in which they sign in at the hearing. Persons wishing to testify should notify the Office of the Secretary via email at hearings@cuny.edu prior to noon, Monday, October 16, indicating the topic or calendar item number they wish to address. The Budget Request is Calendar item 4A.