Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Samantha I. Lugo (212) 788-9364
"Historically, CUNY has played a critical role in educating hard working, poorer students and immigrants, and giving them an opportunity to be a part of the American dream," the Mayor said. "However, the devastatingly, low on-time graduation rates at the community and senior colleges of one percent and eight percent, respectively, the lack of college level standards for admissions and the absence of daily attendance requirements, all raise serious concerns about whether CUNY is responsibly spending $110 million in City funding and providing students with a quality college education. "
The Task Force, first announced on February 9, 1998, will examine:
Chairman Schmidt said, "I am honored to be appointed by Mayor Giuliani to this very important position. It's critical to the future of the City that we restore the highest quality education standards at CUNY, so that a CUNY education provides a real opportunity for success after graduation."
Benno C. Schmidt, Jr. served as Yale University's 20th president. During his tenure at Yale, which began in 1986, Schmidt launched one of the largest building programs in Yale's history; he fashioned a model partnership between the University and the city of New Haven; and he helped build a number of new interdisciplinary programs, especially in environmental sciences, molecular biology, and international studies. Before joining Yale, Schmidt was the Dean of Columbia University Law School, where he joined the faculty in 1969. He is one of the country's leading scholars of the Constitution, the history of the U.S. Supreme Court, the law of freedom of expression, and the history of race relations in America. Schmidt served as law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren. He is now the Chairman and CEO The Edison Project, a private company which enters into partnerships with public education authorities to create innovative, world-class public schools.
Herman Badillo is a graduate of CUNY's City College of New York. He is a former Bronx Borough President, Deputy Mayor of the City of New York, and Member of the House of Representatives from the 21st Congressional District in The Bronx, Mr. Badillo was appointed to the Mayor's Advisory Committee on the Judiciary by Mayor Giuliani in 1994. In 1997, he was appointed to be CUNY's Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees. He practices law in the law firm of Fischbein, Badillo, Wagner and Harding.
Manfred Ohrenstein is a graduate of CUNY's Brooklyn College. He was a member of the New York Senate between 1961 and 1995 and served as Minority Leader from 1975, where he specialized in issues related to fiscal management of the State and the City of New York. He was also the Chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee on Higher Education, and a member of the CUNY Commission on Open Admissions. He is a founding partner of the law firm of Ohrenstein & Brown.
Jacqueline V. Brady was born in the island of St. Kitts, in the West Indies, and moved to the United States in 1983. Currently, Ms. Brady is a Vice President in the Structure Finance Group of Nomura Securities International, Inc. For the past six years, she has also been a volunteer and mentor with the Student/Sponsor Partnership. Ms. Brady graduated from Haverford College and received a Masters in International Economics and International Relations from Johns Hopkins University. Ms. Brady has served on the alumni advisory board of both Haverford College and the Johns Hopkins University.
Heather Mac Donald is a John M. Olin fellow at The Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor to City Journal. Currently, Ms. Mac Donald received a Bachelor degree from Yale University, a Masters degree from Cambridge University, and Juris Doctor from Stanford University. A non-practicing lawyer, Mac Donald has clerked for the Honorable Stephen Reinhardt, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and served as attorney-advisor in the Office of the General Counsel of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Richard Schwartz is the President and CEO of Opportunity America, and has over 13 years of government experience, where he designed major welfare reform and welfare-to-work initiatives. Mr. Schwartz previously served as Senior Advisor to Mayor Giuliani and oversaw New York City's welfare reform program and supervised New York City's privatization efforts.
Richard T. Roberts was appointed Commissioner of New York City's Department of Housing Preservation and Development in February, 1997. As Assistant to Mayor Giuliani from 1994 to 1995, Mr. Roberts oversaw major policy initiatives that emphasizing "reinventing" city government. Mr. Roberts previously served as Vice President of Government and Community Relations at Mount Sinai Medical Center.
Members of the Task Force are appointed by the Mayor and will serve without compensation.