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Embattled CCNY Pres Probed by Feds; Search is On  for Replacement

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CUNY, or the City University of New York, is the largest public city university in the country.  Recently, the president of City College, the university’s forerunner, or parent school, was forced to quit her position amidst a major financial impropriety.  While a temporary president has been established, a suitable candidate hasn’t been found to permanently take the position.

Lisa S. Coico, the former President of the City College of New York, resigned and has continued to be investigated by federal authorities for using funds from one of the college’s foundations to spend on personal expenses.  Even though the school has stated its intentions to find a permanent replacement for her by the end of the upcoming academic year, it has failed to do so. A letter was sent by a  chancellor of the City University of New York, named James B. Milliken, to the general City College community addressing the issue.  It stated, “The search committee and our consultant continue their good work on this critically important responsibility, and I have assured them they should take the time required to see this process to a successful conclusion.”  

There is a larger issue at play than just whether or not a proper successor president is found for New York City College, it turns out.

The entire City University of New York system, in general, is key to a new educational plan being crafted by New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.  The governor desires to make public colleges in the state of New York completely free  of tuition for all middle-class students.  His plan has been engaging the attention of people nationwide as a new means for people to better themselves and get an education amongst rising education costs.  City College has even been called the “poor man’s Harvard” for its endeavors to provide educations for students from poorer backgrounds, including minorities and immigrants.  City College has 16,000 students, most of whom are undergraduates.

Now, that reputation has been marred by the former president’s financial wrongdoing.  The New York Times reported that, in May of last year, some of Ms. Coico’s personal expenditures had been paid for by money from a nonprofit group named the 21st Century Foundation, which is associated with the college, back when she assumed her position in 2010.  $150,000 was then paid the Foundation by the Research Foundation of CUNY, which controls research funds for the entire school system.  In investigating the shady handling of these funds, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York has been distributing record-seeking subpoenas.

By: Anat Ghelber

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