Around CUNY SPS

The Office of Professional Education & Workplace Learning (PEWL) at CUNY SPS

PEWL was created about the same time when CUNY SPS began admitting undergraduate degree students. Our founding dean, John Mogulescu, believed that a great urban university should also pay attention to the needs of the city. PEWL is a team of 200+ learning and development professionals who partner with city and state agencies, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector to develop engaging learning programs. Since its inception in 2006, PEWL has served more than 250,000 adult learners. PEWL begins its work with a needs assessment to understand the challenges, initiatives, and changes so that we can help develop learning solutions that work for the organization and reflect their values and vision for the future. A few examples of PEWL's areas of expertise include designing learning solutions, learning management systems and technology, program evaluation, project management, and asynchronous, instructor-led virtual-led training platforms. PEWL's portfolio of partnerships includes New York City and New York State government agencies and non-profits. PEWL’s niche is organizations that serve the needs of New Yorkers.

2022-2027 CUNY SPS Strategic Plan

On May 23, 2022, the 20222027 CUNY SPS Strategic Plan was released to the CUNY SPS community. The 5-year plan is ambitious, and at its core are Six Areas of Strategic Importance: Enrollment and Access; Ensuring Academic Success and Career Development; Improving the Teaching and Learning Experience; Broadening Professional Education and Workplace Learning; Providing a Culture of Care; and Cultivating Innovation. The planning process took place over the course of a devastating pandemic and the violent racial killings of Black men and women, most notably, the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, which galvanized the nation. This context interrupted our work at the same time that it deepened and strengthened our commitment to social justice. Furthermore, this context fundamentally altered a long-standing position that strategic plans should be static and unchangeable documents. The challenging conditions we have been working in have led us to embrace our plan as a living document, subject to the ongoing review and input of the community and open to adjustment based on changing circumstances and unpredictable events.

Introducing CUNY Online

CUNY Online is a new service unit, housed at CUNY SPS, designed to build online degree capacity at CUNY and produce high-quality online courses and degree programs in high-demand fields.

CUNY Online will provide cost-effective services to support all 25 CUNY campuses in developing new online programs and expanding existing ones.

CUNY Online services include

• Feasibility (Associates, Bachelor’s, Master’s)

• Design (fully online [asynchronous], hybrid [async/sync])

• Development (instructional design, rubric, content creation, video studios)

• Marketing (CUNYO website portal, portal marketing, specific program marketing)

• Enrollment (through CUNYO portal, then assigned to home college)

• Student Support (tech support 24/7, online tutoring, campus-provided services including academic and financial advising)

• Faculty Support (course design, PTO, delivery effectiveness)

As the incubator of the CUNY Online initiative, CUNY SPS will shape the program and policies with our expertise and will benefit from the investment in new resources. These include:

• Capacity & resources to stay at the forefront of online teaching and learning

• Marketing support

• Better articulation with online AA/AS degrees

• Enhanced Central Office support

Since the CUNY SPS and CUNYO team began planning at the end of 2021, much progress has been made. As of Summer 2022, the CO team has hired new instructional design and administrative staff, finalized procurements to build out campus infrastructure, and is meeting with campus stakeholders to launch up to seven new degree programs in Phase I of the project, with an expected start date of Fall 2023.