New York State regents voted 9-6 at the end of November to uphold a new policy at the City University of New York that effectively eliminates remedial course offerings at the system's 11 four-year (senior) colleges. In May 1998, under considerable pressure from a mayor highly critical of the university, CUNY trustees pushed through the policy change. It directs students who are accepted at a CUNY senior college, but who fail to pass English and/or math proficiency tests, to go to a CUNY community college or to a special summer immersion program to improve their skills.

That policy was to begin implementation at four colleges beginning last month, with the rest to fall in line by September 2000. Conceding to the many students and faculty vehemently opposed to the policy change, the regents delayed its implementation at two colleges, Lehman and City College, until September 2001. The regents also asked for a report on the effect of the policy on student access to the university. The regents will hire their own consultants to analyze the data.

The new policy marks the end of CUNY's 30-year commitment to open admissions for New York City residents and new immigrants. The AFT union at CUNY, the Professional Staff Congress, has complained about the level of politicization involved with this decision, which CUNY trustees arrived at without faculty consultation. PSC has also voiced its concern about the policy's impact on racial and ethnic minorities, and on the academic integrity of CUNY's offerings. The new policy has also generated lawsuits.

CUNY has been in the mainstream with its remedial offerings. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that approximately 80 percent of undergraduate institutions offer remedial courses to entering students. At CUNY, some estimate that the new policy will affect approximately 10 percent of the average 14,000 students who make up the freshman class. Faculty note that many other students who would have counted on attending CUNY before the policy was announced, now won't even apply.

On the morning after the Nov. 22 vote, PSC first vice president Richard Boris said the union would focus on ensuring adequate funding for CUNY programs and personnel. "Our next struggle," he noted, "will be to make sure that student access and opportunity are not further eroded."