Despite the severe academic and economic challenges students faced in completing their degrees amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the City University of New York conferred 56,527 degrees this year, the second highest total in University history, just shy of the record high 57,139 awarded the year before.
The annual number of degrees awarded by CUNY has risen by more than 27 percent since 2011, when 44,485 degrees were conferred. The University has granted 501,407 degrees in the last 10 academic years – and 835,705 in the last 20 – bolstering and diversifying New York’s labor force, invigorating its economy and helping many thousands of New Yorkers and their families embark on a path to the middle class.
The University celebrated the resilient graduates with moving virtual ceremonies during the spring. The College of Staten Island will commemorate its 2,786 graduates today at 7 p.m. with a virtual commencement ceremony featuring CSI President William J. Fritz, Valedictorian Stephany Luciano, Salutatorian Tiffany Hall-Clarke and honorary degree recipient Bernard Carabello. The college was planning to hold a formal, in-person graduation ceremony this fall but elected to move ahead with a video presentation because of the ongoing pandemic.
“Determination has long been a hallmark of CUNY students, but more was demanded from the Class of 2020 than any graduating class before it,” said Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “The Class of 2020 rose to the occasion, showing extraordinary grit and perseverance in getting across the finish line. It is now primed to be part of New York’s recovery from the pandemic. Along with the more than half a million other CUNY graduates of the past 10 years, the Class of 2020 will contribute to every sector of New York’s labor force, bringing talent, diversity and CUNY pride to the city’s future.”
This spring’s graduates were aided by support from the University in the transition to distance learning, as well as financial assistance that included grants from the Chancellor’s Emergency Relief Fund to help students who lost jobs and income as a result of the coronavirus crisis. The initial round of $500 grants were prioritized for students who needed fewer than 15 credits to graduate.
Bonus: The Comics (Click on Other Stories to See More Comics)
“Gasoline Alley” by Jim Scancarelli. In agreement with TCA. Click to Expand.
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