Tough times are ahead. As a society, we are currently in the midst of two crises: combating systemic racism in our country and COVID-19, with both having subsequent consequences on our lives. Even in the midst of all this, CUNY is still facing potential budget cuts as the state continues to constantly reduce its funding. The state will have an approximate budget deficit of $13 billion. As a result, it’s anticipated that CUNY Queens College will face a cut nearing 10%. This translates into potentially major layoffs & tuition hikes. Additionally, this means that class sizes will increase, the amount of sections for a course will be reduced, and the…
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CUNY budget to be slashed at the expense of incoming freshmen
Dear Editors, We’re writing as the Directors of First Year Writing and the First Year Experience with support from the Chair of the English Department, because we see plans evolving for the fall that trouble us greatly. We think our students will be troubled, too, when these plans become public, so we want to tell you about them now, while we still have time to change them. As the college considers how to cut its budget for the fall, it’s weighing a proposal to raise the class size in English 110 from twenty students to twenty-five. That increase may not sound significant—we’re talking about five students, or an increase of…
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Letter to the Editor: QC Department Chairs United Against Budget Cuts
Dear Editors: We are a group of Queens College department chairs who are deeply concerned about the impending budget cuts facing our college and CUNY as a whole. Even though Governor Cuomo has not yet announced budget cuts for CUNY, the CUNY administration has told each campus to start cutting its budget. At Queens this means cutting large numbers of part-time faculty members, many of whom have very little job security. If these cuts go through, the number of classes offered next year will plummet dramatically. We’re looking at hundreds of fewer seats in both general education courses and courses needed for completion of majors. Worse, Cuomo has announced that…
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Who are our student leaders? Student Affairs Award Winners, a Profile
The Student Affairs division of Queens College has recently announced winners for their seven awards, which encompass dedication and commitment to servicing the QC community, as well as demonstrating commitment to humanitarian causes in other areas. On behalf of the Knight News Staff, I would like to congratulate all the recipients for their commendable contributions and achievements. I recently caught up with a few students to talk about their experiences and impact on our community. The first award, the Burton L. Backner Student Affairs Award, granted five hundred dollars to a full-time undergraduate student that consistently participated in student affairs and student services on campus. Burt Backner was the Dean…
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Black Lives Matter: The Movement Sweeping the Nation
New York City is one of the many states protesting “Black Lives Matter” throughout the streets of the five boroughs as well as in front of our very own Queens College. The protests began shortly after George Floyd’s death on May 25, he was arrested in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes which led to Floyd’s death. The people of Minneapolis rioted the day of Floyd’s death and it has led the Black Lives Matter movement to spread to the 50 states as well as other countries around the world. According to the Black Lives Matter Foundation, “ [the movement] began as…
