THE HOSTOS VALUE: a bridge to success
THE HOSTOS VALUE: A BRIDGE TO SUCCESS
OUR MISSION Consistent with the mission of The City University of New York to provide access to higher education for all who seek it, Eugenio MarĂa de Hostos Community College was established in the South Bronx to meet the higher educational needs of people from this and similar communities who historically have been excluded from higher education. The mission of Eugenio MarĂa de Hostos Community College is to offer access to higher education leading to intellectual growth and socio-economic mobility through the development of linguistic, mathematical, technological, and critical thinking proficiencies needed for lifelong learning and for success in a variety of programs including careers, liberal arts, transfer, and those professional programs leading to licensure. The College takes pride in its historical role in educating students from diverse ethnic, racial, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, particularly Hispanics and African Americans. An integral part of fulfilling its mission is to provide transitional language instruction for all English-as-a-Second-Language learners along with Spanish/English bilingual education offerings to foster a multicultural environment for all students. Hostos Community College, in addition to offering degree programs, is determined to be a resource to the South Bronx and other communities served by the College by providing continuing education, cultural events, and expertise for the further development of the communities it serves.
THE SIX PILLARS OF OUR MISSION STATEMENT 1. Provide access to higher education. 2. Serve as a community resource. 3. Celebrate diversity and multiculturalism. 4. Facilitate socio-economic mobility. 5. English and math skills development. 6. Foster intellectual growth and lifelong learning.
THE HOSTOS
6TH STRAIGHT GRADUATION RECORD-BREAKING YEAR
2015 2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
In September 1970, Hostos admitted a charter class of 623 students at the site of a former tire factory at 475 Grand Concourse in the South Bronx. Enrollment grew rapidly over the years and was followed by a sustained incremental graduate growth through commencement of 2020. In the past six years, over 7,500 students fulfilled their dreams of attaining a higher education degree. Some of these alumni have gone on to study at other universities including CUNY and Ivy League; others began working in the disciplines of their choice. This growth is further proof of the need and demand for secondary education in today’s world. In the Spring of 2020, we celebrated our 50th Commencement Ceremony with a total of 1,440 graduates who made it to the finish line despite the pandemic and its unintended consequences on the academic year. When our students triumph and overcome adversity—on campus and in the greater world—we share with them, their families, and their friends a justifiable sense of pride, and this is also the Hostos Legacy.
LEGACY
MANY THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE 1968—BUT NOT THE POWER OF A GOOD STORY. Hostos Community College was created by an act of the Board of Higher Education on April 22, 1968, in response to the demands of Puerto Rican and other Hispanic leaders who urged the establishment of a college to meet the needs of the South Bronx. Fifty years on, the College is like no other educational institution on the East Coast. Hostos has weathered bad times, celebrated good times, remains firmly committed to its principles, and educates students representing 69 countries from around the world. From its founding days to the present day, Hostos has provided the South Bronx and its diverse communities with a key called education, a key that unlocks a world of opportunities—and that is the Hostos Legacy.
THE HOSTOS VALUE: A BRIDGE TO SUCCESS
KEEPING EDUCATION AFFORDABLE In keeping with the CUNY mission, Hostos places the highest priority on accessibility—and that means affordability. Scholarships and financial aid are available to help students achieve the goal of higher education. In an age of increasing costs, Hostos works hard to keep student expenses to a minimum. The proof is in the figures!
For-profit Institutions $14,000
Private Nonprofit 4-Year Colleges and Universities $36,880
Public 4-Year College In-State Institutions $10,150 CUNY 4-Year Colleges $7,405
CUNY HOSTOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE $5,208* *For one year full-time attendance.
GRADUATING DEBT FREE
86.2
%
of Hostos students graduate debt-free
IN SEPTEMBER 2020, HOSTOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE WAS RANKED NO. 3 ON NICHE’S 2021 BEST COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN NEW YORK LIST. Niche, a website that helps individuals research schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods, based its rankings on a thorough analysis of academic, financial, and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education and self-reported surveys from students and alumni. Niche also gives each school a report card that includes an overall grade and marks for professors, diversity, value, and more. The ranking is a testament to the strength and continued dedicated commitment of its faculty and staff. Next year we are aiming for #1!
THE HOSTOS VALUE: A BRIDGE TO SUCCESS
SUPPORTING STUDENTS DURING COVID-19 CHANCELLOR’S EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANT
THE CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY ACT
With assistance from the Carroll & Milton Petrie Foundation, the James and Judith K. Dimon Foundation and several other corporate and philanthropic donors, CUNY established the $3.5 million dollar Chancellor’s Emergency Relief Grant Program in response to the serious financial hardships many CUNY students and their families face as a result of the COVID-19 emergency. The program provides one-time $500 grants to qualifying CUNY students, including undocumented immigrants and student-parents, to help cover their basic living expenses as the pandemic and its economic consequences continue to unfold.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), was passed by Congress and signed by the President of the United States on March 27, 2020, to provide direct economic aid to Americans negatively impacted by COVID-19. Fourteen billion dollars was given to the Office of Postsecondary Education as the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). Fifty percent of the funds allocated to institutions of higher education were reserved to provide direct payments to eligible students to help cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the pandemic.
HOSTOS STUDENTS HAVE RECEIVED A TOTAL OF
HOSTOS RECEIVED
$93,500
FROM THE CHANCELLOR’S EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANT PROGRAM
187
STUDENTS RECEIVED CHANCELLOR’S EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANTS FOR SPRING 2020 ALL STUDENTS WERE AWARDED
$500
$3.6 MILLION IN CARES ACT FUNDS FOR ELIGIBLE STUDENTS IMPACTED BY COVID-19
4,411
STUDENTS RECEIVED CARES ACT FUNDS STUDENTS RECEIVED AN AVERAGE OF
$784
For our remaining CARES Act funds in the amount of $174,371, we are finalizing our discretionary awarding criteria which will center around eligible Spring 2020 students who have persisted and enrolled with us for Fall 2020.
THE HOSTOS
LEGACY FORWARD, TOGETHER The Division of Institutional Advancement (DIA) engages and builds relationships with community partners, foundations, corporations, alumni, and friends to raise funds to advance the College’s mission and further student success. Working in conjunction with the Hostos Community College Foundation, the DIA manages most private gifts donated in support of the College to ensure they are used for their expressed purposes and kept distinct from state or federal funds. The DIA is comprised of Development, Alumni Relations, and the Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture. In light of the many challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the DIA bolstered its efforts to provide essential assistance to students in need of emergency financial aid and support services.
THE DIA SECURED COVID-19 STUDENT EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDING
ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION
$150,000 GRANT
STAVROS NIARCHOS FOUNDATION
$100,000 GRANT
TWO SPECIAL ONLINE APPEALS
$40,000 RAISED
THE DIA SECURED IN SUPPORT OF THE HOSTOS FOOD PANTRY
THE NEW YORK YANKEES FOUNDATION
$10,000 GRANT
THE NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION
1,000 BOXES OF NON-PERISHABLE FOOD VALUE $27,000
THREE-TIME CUNY ALUMNA IDELSA MÉNDEZ HELPING THE SOUTH BRONX IN DIRE TIMES. Hostos Development Manager Idelsa Méndez, well known for helping her beloved Hostos students, went into action soon after the COVID-19 shelter in place order. She knew food insecurity would be something Hostos students would confront. Through her involvement with the Bronx Community Relief Effort, Méndez united the forces of the Mott Haven Bar and Grill and World Central Kitchen to provide free meals for Hostos students. The initiative was later extended to all Bronx CUNY students. The program kicked-off with meals designed by the acclaimed chef Kwame Onwuachi and operated on a weekly basis through the summer. From April through the end of August, close to 8,000 free meals were distributed to students in need, the College’s essential workers, and public safety officers.
THE HOSTOS VALUE: A BRIDGE TO SUCCESS
STUDENT SUCCESS Blasina Tavarez ’20
Hostos' 50th Commencement Ceremony Valedictorian Blasina Tavarez’s journey to becoming Hostos 50th Commencement Ceremony valedictorian spans two countries and several decades. The mother of two moved from the Dominican Republic to New York City in 1993 and dedicated herself to ensuring her daughters received a quality education. In 2017, she decided it was time for her to do the same for herself. Tavarez took part-time classes to test the waters before enrolling full-time at Hostos in Spring 2018. Through it all she found support from loved ones, employers, and instructors. She graduated with an A.A.S. degree in office technology with a focus on medical office management and intends to pursue her studies in health service administration or in health information management.
Anthony Booth ’20 From Hostos to Yale University
Recent Hostos graduate Anthony Booth is continuing his education at Yale University where he will major in psychology and neuroscience. Booth, who left a 13-year career as an award-winning Private Client Banker at JPMorgan Chase to attend Hostos, worked as a Supplemental Instruction Leader offering additional math tutoring during Fall 2019 and maintained a 4.0 GPA during his four semesters at the College. Theater Professor Angel Morales describes Booth as a rare talent with whom any faculty member would like to work and believes the Hostos alumnus will be a great addition to Yale.
Antoine Hunter ’20 From Hostos to Yale University
Antoine Hunter graduated from Hostos with an A.A. degree in liberal arts and sciences and a 4.0 GPA. Hunter will attend Yale via the Eli Whitney Students Program, which is designed for individuals with high academic potential who have had their education interrupted, at some point during their educational careers, for five or more years. He has received a full academic scholarship and will complete his bachelor’s degree in the History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health.
ENROLLMENT BY DISTRICT 64% of Hostos Students Reside in the Bronx
Enrollment by New York City Council District
Enrollment by State Assembly District
Council Member Mark Levine (District 7) – 186
Assemblyman Robert Rodríguez (District 68) – 205
Council Member Diana Ayala (District 8) – 637
Assemblywoman Inez Dickens (District 70) – 234
Council Member William Perkins (District 9) – 330
Assemblyman Alfred Taylor (District 71) – 216
Council Member Ydanis Rodríguez (District 10) – 183
Assemblywoman Carmen De La Rosa (District 72) – 171
Council Member Andrew Cohen (District 11) – 280
Assemblywoman Latoya Joyner (District 77) – 539
Council Member Mark Gjonaj (District 13) – 312
Assemblyman José Rivera (District 78) – 314
Council Member Fernando Cabrera (District 14) – 502
Assemblyman Michael Blake (District 79) – 627
Council Member Ritchie Torres (District 15) – 491
Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernández (District 80) – 322
Council Member Vanessa Gibson (District 16) – 753
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (District 81) – 186
Council Member Rafael Salamanca, Jr. (District 17) – 775
Assemblyman Michael Benedetto (District 82) – 211
Enrollment by State Senate District
Assemblyman Carl Heastie (District 83) – 357 Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo (District 84) – 762
Senator José Serrano (District 29) – 1,057
Assemblyman Marcos Crespo (District 85) – 453
Senator Brian Benjamin (District 30) – 520
Assemblyman Victor Pichardo (District 86) – 364
Senator Robert Jackson (District 31) – 305 Senator Luis Sepulveda (District 32) – 1,379
Enrollment by Congressional District
Senator Gustavo Rivera (District 33) – 1,015
Congressman Adriano Espaillat (District 13) – 1,319
Senator Alessandra Biaggi (District 34) – 470
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (District 14) – 556
Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins (District 35) – 70
Congressman José Serrano (District 15) – 3,067
Senator Jamaal Bailey (District 36) – 706
Congressman Eliot Engel (District 16) – 629
Data based on districts with more than 100 students..
THE HOSTOS VALUE: A BRIDGE TO SUCCESS
SOCIAL MOBILITY Along with increased earning power, social mobility is one of the primary effects of college education, a sure sign of the institution’s historic role as a bridge to opportunity for individuals and communities. On average, associate degree holders earn more than $8,194 more per year than their peers whose education stopped after high school. In 2019, people with an associate degree had median annual earnings of $46,124 and the average salary for a high school diploma or equivalent was $37,930.
DEGREE ATTAINMENT
46 % 90 % 49 % 77 %
increase in total degrees earned from 2015–2020
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
of students receive financial aid
FIRST GENERATION
of students are the first generation in their family to attend college
ECONOMIC STATUS
of students have an annual household income of less than $30,000 *Enrollment per semester for credit students.
STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS
THE HOSTOS VALUE: A BRIDGE TO SUCCESS
FACULTY ACHIEVEMENT Marcella Bencivenni Marcella Bencivenni, Professor of History in the department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, has been awarded a Tiro A Segno Fellowship in ItalianAmerican Studies at New York University for Fall 2020. As a visiting professor, she is teaching courses examining Italian immigration and presenting two public lectures under the auspices of the Tiro A Segno Foundation. In August Bencivenni contributed “The Italian Immigrant Working Class Experience in the United States,” to the online Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History (Oxford University Press).
Kristopher Burrell Kristopher Burrell, Assistant Professor of History, was named an Associate Editor at the Ethnic Studies Review in January 2020. The Ethnic Studies Review is a premier peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary journal in the field of Ethnic Studies that has been in existence since 1978, and is published by University of California Press. Topics and subjects addressed by the journal include, but are not limited to, social movements, migration, media and communication, and issues of importance to disparate communities.
Maria Subert
Maria Subert brings international experience to her work as an assistant professor in the Visual and Performing Arts Unit of Hostos’ humanities department. Her areas of expertise include intercultural communications, moral and ethical communication, hate crimes, social justice, peace and conflict, and identity narratives. Subert recently completed her postgraduate studies at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. Focusing on conflict resolution and crisis management, Subert dealt specifically with ethnic conflict and questions of nationality and identity.
STUDENT CREATIVITY
“Model With Two Heads” by Hostos student Yee Yuen Tang.
THE HOSTOS VALUE: A BRIDGE TO SUCCESS ALLIED HEALTH PROGRAM
Our award-winning allied health department offers competitive licensure programs in Dental Hygiene, Radiologic Technology and Nursing, with an additional Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) certificate. AH graduates bring top-notch skills to the Bronx, greater NYC, and the world. In addition, the College has the only free Dental Hygiene Patient Care Facility in the Bronx serviced by students training to care for the community.*
STEM
Hostos recognizes the importance of increasing the number of minority students in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) plays a central role in the growth and strength of the U.S. economy. Hostos STEM students win awards at statewide and national conferences and continue their studies at such prestigious institutions as Cornell, UPenn, and Columbia. Thanks to the hard work of faculty members, the College received a major National Science Foundation grant for the Hostos Engineering Academic Talent (HEAT) scholarship program, used for high-achieving, low income STEM students.
DIGITAL INDUSTRY The Hostos game design and digital design and animation programs are led by industry professionals serving as faculty; and for music lovers, a state-of-the-art sound studio for music production.
LIBRARY OF EXCELLENCE Recipient of Excellence in Academic Libraries Award by the Association of College and Research Libraries in 2007, the library’s resources include online databases and services, and a range of literacy resources for faculty and students accessible via the library’s website.
ARTS & CULTURE
The Hostos Center for Arts & Culture (HCAC)* has been a showcase for artists and companies that define excellence in theater, dance and music since 1982. Resources include a museum-grade art gallery, a 367-seat repertory theater, and an 884-seat main theater. The HCAC is the home of the highly-regarded Hostos Repertory Company, the only community college theatre group in U.S. and Canada to be invited to the world-renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland.
ATHLETICS
A championship-caliber athletics department boasting two NJCAA D-III women’s basketball national championship titles and one men’s championship. Hostos announced the addition of Esports within the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE), beginning in the Fall semester of 2020.
CHILD CARE
The Hostos Children’s Center* officially opened its doors in 1984 to offer free support to studentparents. Today it is a mainstay of campus life.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Over 40 clubs and extracurricular activities available and a service-oriented Student Leadership Academy and Student Government Association.
THE SKILLS TO DO THE JOB
The award-winning Division for Continuing Education & Workforce Development (CEWD) offers educational, career, and personal development opportunities designed to address the needs of young and adult learners. Courses range from certifications in allied health, ESL immersion programs, computer and IT proficiency, business/ professional development, teacher training, test preparation and much more. Serving over 12,000 students annually, the CEWD at Hostos is a leading learning center serving the Bronx and Upper Manhattan. *Facilities are currently closed due to COVID-19.
Rendering of the new Hostos Allied Health complex.
BUILDING THE FUTURE From the start, Hostos has had big dreams to be a ground-breaking educational institution. Through the years, the College has been an agent of change and, the future of Hostos is intricately connected to the realization of another big dream: the addition of the new Allied Health and Sciences Building Complex. The 170,000 GSF building will allow for a significant increase in state-of-the-art classrooms for general education and provide a home for our award-winning allied health and natural science programs. Funds provided by the Bronx Borough President and New York State were used to begin this new facility’s schematic design. An architectural firm was selected to design the building.
COLLEGE LEADERSHIP Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D. Interim President Esther Rodríguez-Chardavoyne Senior Vice President of Administration and Finance & Interim Vice President for Student Development and Enrollment Management Charles I. Drago, D.H.Ed R.T (R,CT) Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Ana Martínez Orizondo Vice President for Institutional Advancement Peter Mertens Interim Dean for Continuing Education and Workforce Development Ana I. García Reyes Associate Dean of Community Relations Babette Audant, Ph.D. Assistant Dean for Institutional Effectiveness, Strategic Planning, and Assessment Diana Kreymer Assistant to the President and Director of the President’s Office Eugene Sohn, Esq. Executive Counsel & Labor Designee Lauren Gretina, Esq. Chief Diversity Officer, Title IX Coordinator and ADA/504 Coordinator Soldanela Rivera López Director of Presidential Strategic Initiatives
HOSTOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT 475 Grand Concourse, A-Building, Room 341, Bronx, NY 10451 718-518-4300 | presidentsoffice@hostos.cuny.edu
FOLLOW US Facebook: @HostosCC Twitter: @HostosCollege Instagram: @HostosCollege Produced by the Hostos Office of Communications Issue 1 | Fall 2020
“Hostos” by Hostos student Amara Dioubate.