“Keep New York A State of Mind” Campaign

At the urging of PSC, United University Professions (UUP), and SUNY community college union leaders, our statewide affiliate, New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), has launched a sustained campaign demanding an end to chronic underfunding of CUNY and SUNY, and a proactive plan for reinvigorating the state's public colleges and universities. The legislative campaign, "Keep New York A State of Mind," calls for increased state funding for both senior and community colleges of CUNY and SUNY, along with additional state investment to strengthen and expand student financial aid and opportunity programs. It also includes an innovative demand for the creation of an endowment to fund new full-time faculty and professional staff lines at CUNY and SUNY. The legislative platform is called the “Public Higher Education Quality Initiative.” The platform and campaign were developed by higher education union leaders over the past several months. A communications effort to support the campaign started last week with a media release and print advertisements. A social media campaign is also in the works.