CUNY in the News
An analysis of reporting on the humanities at the people’s university, from its founding to today.
This project is a timeline that tracks local media reporting on CUNY, specifically related to liberal arts education and the humanities. It explores the evolution of both rhetoric and aesthetics in the news from different time periods, looking through how local publications have responded to changes at the City University of New York.
The archival research of this project explores four distinct eras, grouped around major events in the history of the university: 1961-1971, for the founding of the university and open admissions struggle; 1980-1990, for the response to the ‘70s fiscal crisis and introduction of the Board of Trustees; 2000-2010 for the post-open admissions era and the centralization of CUNY; and 2020-present, for COVID and a new fight for racial equity.
Examining these “snapshots” of reporting will provide insights into how major events such as protests, financial struggle, and various other crises corresponded with shifting representations of the place of the humanities at the university. The aim of this project is to use the archive to better understand how the work of the humanities at the university has been perceived and presented historically, so that it may be used to advocate for the humanities at CUNY today, during an era of extreme cutbacks in higher education and general hostility towards public schools.
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“New Role for CUNY: Big Brother to Public Schools”
Another article that speaks to an attempt to rehabilitate CUNY’s reputation through stronger partnering with the “campus schools.” It details the integration of liberal arts and humanities programs into these initiatives. Read more.
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“Don’t Shut Welfare Recipients Out of College”
Op Ed by Chancellor Joseph S. Murphy. The Chancellor in this piece argues against the loss of state assistance for people who enroll in bachelor’s degree programs. He discusses liberal education as both a right who should be available to all, and as necessary training for employment. The piece also includes a large visual element…
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“Cuts at Hunter”
This letter to the editor argues against retrenchment and the firing of English faculty, who mainly teach introductory level and remedial English. This is framed as another issue of educational access for first-generation New Yorkers. Read more.
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“When Welfare and Schooling Don’t Mix”
“They say that going to a four-year school and studying liberal arts does not prepare you for a job. But liberal arts makes you well-rounded. You learn how to speak, how to present yourself; it teaches you the essential things.” This article deals with a fundamental issue that faces CUNY during all time periods: educational…
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“Lehman College to Open Satellite Campus in Japan”
In the early 1990s, Lehman College worked to open a satellite campus in the city of Hiroshima, Japan. The article talks about liberal arts education as a “high technology export.” The goal of this venture was to create avenues for better international understanding. It also indicates further perceptions on behalf of the media outlets on…
