The City University of New York

CUNY: An Overview

CUNY is an urban institution with a unique mission of providing the capacity for upward mobility for the disadvantaged via an integrated greater education system. Over the 170 years, CUNY has grown to become one of the most accessible, inexpensive and esteemed universities in the United States. The school offers rare possibilities to students of New York, particularly those from underrepresented groups, immigrants, and different low-income families. According to Figure 1, CUNY has 24 campuses comprised of 11 senior colleges, seven community colleges, and six graduate, honors, and professional schools.

Governing Body of CUNY

The governing body of CUNY consists of 17 Board of Trustees. Ten of the members are appointed by the governor and approved by the state senate, five are selected by the Mayor of the City, and the remaining include representatives from the faculty and student body ("The Structure of Higher Education," 2017). Currently, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees is William Thompson, who was appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2016 for a six-year term. He is assisted by Barry Schwartz, who serves as the Chair of the Board's Committee on Fiscal Affairs and as a member of the executive committee. It is noteworthy that not all trustees were appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo. For instance, T-Clarke and Lorraine Cortes were nominated by Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Ex-Officio Members of CUNY

CUNY has two Ex-Officio members namely Chika Onyejiukwa and Katherine M. Conway. Chika is a senior in one of the campuses pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Community Health Education. She serves as the Chairperson of the University Student Senate (USS) and the Vice Chair for Legislative Affairs, which represents the interest of the students. In her capacity, Chika fosters effective working relationships between the faculty, students and elected officials. On the other hand, Katherine Chairs the University Faculty Senate (UFS). She serves on the Board's Standing Committee on Audit and Fiscal Affairs ("The Board of Trustees," 2017). Ex-officio members are not necessarily appointed or elected. They are called to serve in their positions due to their influence or expertise.

John Jay College of Criminal Justice

In order to understand the hierarchy of CUNY, this paper draws on John Jay College of Criminal Justice, a senior campus of the CUNY famous for its forensic science, criminal justice, and public affairs programs. The university is governed by its Board of Trustees and the President. The Board of Trustees consists of the Chairperson and 27 other members. Currently, the chairmanship of the board is held by Jules B. Kroll, who is also the co-founder of K2 intelligence, one of the leading investigative and cyber defense Services Company.

The Role of the President

In essence, the president the leader of the entire college. The position entails administrative and executive duties such as making policy recommendations to the Board of Trustees, recommending changes in personnel policies and submitting annual budgets to the board for approval. Moreover, the principle is directly responsible for the implementation of policies and advising the Board on forward planning. In John Jay, Jeremy Travis has held that position since 2004 when CUNY Board of Trustees appointed him. Under his regime, John Jay has developed into a senior college providing quality undergraduate liberal art degrees (Travis, 2017). Moreover, the university has also increased its freshmen enrollment, tripled its external funding sources, and expanded the master's program to eleven.

Role of the Provost and Dean

The current provost of John Jay is Jane Bowers. She is the vice president and the senior academic administrator of John Jay. Ideally, Jane takes on the responsibilities delegated to her by the Chairman and deputizes for him when absent. The school's governance is also exercised by the Dean of students, who reports directly to the Provost. Micheal Martinez-Sachs currently holds this position. The Dean's office supports student-centered education that nurtures the ability to think critically, develop ethics, and promote respect for human diversity.

John Jay College's Hierarchy

As can be seen, John Jay College is governed by CUNY Board of Trustees. However, the institution has its committee which serves the organization at the grassroots level. The hierarchy is led by the President appointed by the Board of Directors. Further, the chain of command goes down to various departments such as Academic affairs, Student affairs, and Finance. Each member of John Jay's administration is committed to the school mission. Being essential to the multiple services offered, the stakeholders make a significant contribution to the operation of the college. Indeed, management is among the most valuable assets at John Jay.

References

The Board of Trustees. (2017). Www2.cuny.edu. Retrieved 19 July 2017, from http://www2.cuny.edu/about/trustees/the-board-of-trustees/#trustee-conway
The Board of Trustees. (2017). www2.cuny.edu. Retrieved 19 July 2017, from http://www2.cuny.edu/about/trustees/the-board-of-trustees/#trustee-conway
The Engine of Social and Economic Mobility for the 21st Century. (2017). Www1.cuny.edu. Retrieved 19 July 2017, from http://www1.cuny.edu/sites/connected/overview/
The Structure of Higher Education. (2017). Highered.nysed.gov. Retrieved 19 July 2017, from http://www.highered.nysed.gov/ocue/he/structureofhe.html
Travis, J. (2017). Travis Jeremy CV (pp. 1-17). New York: John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Retrieved from http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/faculty/cv/Travis_Jeremy.pdf