On March 7th, Governor Kathy Hochul announced $1.5 million to expand the City University of New York’s Mexican Studies Institute (MSI) at Lehman College and $250,000 for the establishment of the Carol Robles Román scholarship fund at CUNY’s John Jay College. These new funding initiatives aim to create a more accessible public higher education system for both CUNY and the state.
“This funding will help the CUNY Mexican Studies Institute build upon its critical work of empowering Mexican and Mexican-American communities and enhancing our understanding of the Mexican experience through research and scholarship. We also are grateful for the fitting tribute to Carol Robles Román, who had longstanding ties to CUNY and was a fierce warrior for social justice and women’s rights. The Carol Robles Román Award for Legal Excellence will honor her legacy by supporting students who are dedicated to serving the public with passion, commitment and talent, as she once did.” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez.
Since being founded in 2012, CUNY MSI’s mission statement has been to increase Mexican and Mexican-American student enrollment. Their website also emphasizes their plans “to promote equity through academic achievement; foster research with a focus on Mexico and Mexicans in the United States, especially in NY; empower the immigrant community by collaborating with community-based organizations and public institutions to support.”
As a testament to their efforts, in 2023, the MSI’s Bronx Education and Literacy Initiative received $1.25 million from the U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat. The new funding announced this year aims to further expand the mission statements goals of academic progress and success for the Mexican community.
Carol Robles-Román was a New York City native, long time member of CUNY’s Board of Trustees, Hunter College’s general counsel and dean of faculty. After battling cancer, she passed away in August of 2023 and the Carol Robles-Román Award for Legal Excellence was created to honor her memory and legacy. The award will provide additional support to John Jay College students aspiring to pursue careers in the public service sector.
“The Carol Robles-Román Award for Legal Excellence honors her legacy and will empower John Jay students inspired by her passion for public service. We are grateful to Governor Hochul for recognizing Carol Robles-Román and establishing this scholarship at John Jay, ensuring that her extraordinary accomplishments animate and energize our future public service leaders,” said John Jay College President Karol V. Mason.This year, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Lehman College and Queens College, among others in the CUNY system, have been added to the Research Colleges and Universities classification for this year’s update on the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education. This designation, according to the Carnegie Classification website, is for institutions that “spend at least $2.5 million on research & development” in an average fiscal year. This acknowledgement, as well as the additional funding announced by the Governor, allows for more opportunity for students to participate in academic pursuits and strive for success.
