McGuire also noted that CUNY has more students of color (140,000) than the State University of New York (SUNY) and the California State University (CSU) systems combined.
Then and Now
From 1847 to 1976, CUNY - which was known as the City College of New York - was tuition-free. The introduction of tuition at CUNY coincided with the first year that people of color became the majority in the system, according to McGuire, who charges that since then, CUNY has found ways to cut the educational opportunities for its students.
"This is not about tests or budget cutbacks," he said. "It's about educational genocide. This is the first time the trustees have been appointed by a Republican governor and mayor, and to them, Black and Latino students are expendable. When European immigrants were in the majority, CUNY went out of its way to meet their needs."
To bring about a solution at Hostos, McGuire believes that CUNY has to start with the assumption that its students of color can be leaders. Then it must provide whatever resources are needed to give them a world-class education.
Badillo maintains that all the counter-charges hurled at the trustees are a red herring. He said the trustees are right in insisting that students be able to pass the CWAT.
"All the trustees want is for the students to be bilingual when they graduate - to know English and another language," he said. "If they can't read or write in English, they shouldn't graduate."
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