Res. No. 169
Title
Resolution establishing an annual event called "The CUNY Awards" to highlight the accomplishments of outstanding CUNY students and their contributions to the City and State of New York.
Body
By Council Members Barron, Baez, Clarke, Diaz, Felder, Fidler, Gennaro, Rivera and Seabrook; also Council Members Boyland, Jackson, Rodriguez, Vann and Sanders
Whereas, The City University of New York ("CUNY") is the nation's largest municipal university system and the third largest public university system in the nation, comprised of ten senior colleges, six community colleges, a graduate center, a technical college, a law school, and an affiliated medical school; and
Whereas, CUNY has approximately 200,000 students enrolled in credit-bearing courses and nearly 165,000 individuals enrolled each year in adult and continuing education programs; and
Whereas, Since its founding in the 1870's, CUNY has been an integral part of this City and State's diverse social fabric, providing access and opportunity to quality higher education, and awarding academic degrees from the associate through the doctoral level, as well as offering certificate programs; and
Whereas, Approximately eighty percent of CUNY graduates continue to live in New York State ten years after graduation, contributing in a vast array of professions and creating employment opportunities for countless others; and
Whereas, CUNY alumni have gone on to excel in every field of human endeavor, including the Arts, Business, Government, Literature, and Science, with eleven of those alumni being Nobel Laureates; and
Whereas, In an effort to recognize the important role CUNY has in the social and economic fabric of our City and State, the City Council created the Peter F. Vallone Academic Scholarship, which is available to students graduating from public and private New York City high schools with at least a B average and who wish to attend a CUNY college; and
Whereas, The City Council also recognizes the contributions of CUNY and its students by having an annual "CUNY Day" at City Hall, which provides students and faculty of the university system an opportunity to meet with and lobby their elected officials on issues and concerns which are important to them; and
Whereas, The Council would like to additionally recognize the outstanding achievements and accomplishments of students enrolled at CUNY; and
Whereas, As part of this recognition, the City Council's Committee on Higher Education will hold an annual awards ceremony in either September or October entitled "The CUNY Awards"; and
Whereas, During "The CUNY Awards" ceremony, CUNY students will be recognized for their excellence in the following awards categories: The Malcolm X / Fannie Lou Hamer Activism Award; The Marion Anderson Arts and Literature Award; The Roberto Clemente Athletics Award; The Percy Sutton Business and Economics Award; The Nelson Mandela Humanitarian Award; The Bella Abzug Visionary Leadership Award; The Paul Robeson Scholarship Award; and The Jonas Salk Science and Technology Award; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York establishes an annual event called "The CUNY Awards" to highlight the accomplishments of outstanding CUNY students and their contributions to the City and State of New York.
|1013|
|1013|