An Institution of the People
When CUNY abolished open admissions in 1999, many thought minority enrollment would take a hit. But officials say they are doubling their efforts to ensure access.
By Ronald Roach
It may have produced one of the most contentious fights ever in
U.S. higher education. The battle over open admissions and remedial education at the City University of New York in the 1990s garnered
national attention and marked a shift towards greater selectivity in America’s public, four-year higher education institutions.
For 30 years, the open admissions policy at the nation’s third largest university system stood as a landmark achievement for access and equity. Even before the enactment of the policy, CUNY had already attained legendary status as a vehicle for upward economic mobility for generations of the city’s immigrant and low-income residents.
“CUNY is a system that prides itself with the importance of diversity. Our role is very closely identified with being an institution of the people,” says Jay Hershenson, the system’s vice chancellor for university relations.
