Institutional Self-Study Report

Recommendations for improvements focus on a range of activities to strengthen the effective and efficient use of institutional resources. Specific recommendations include: establish guidelines for engaging chairs and coordinators, as well as other faculty and staff, in the budgeting process; formalize mechanisms for assessment of resource allocation; ensure that all teaching faculty continue to monitor and develop all curricular issues related to technology; better connect academic program and scholarship needs assessment to fundraising strategy development; formalize when facilities analysis takes place in the creation of new academic, student support, and continuing education & workforce development programs and initiatives; review operational plans to ensure that facility needs can be met before new programs, courses, services, and initiatives are created; review the current room usage throughout the campus to improve space utilization; and continue to seek other funding sources for capital dollars (e.g., through Bronx Borough President and City Council discretionary funds, targeted grant requests, and fundraising from alumni and other individuals).

Standard 4 – Leadership and Governance Structures Foster Diverse Engagement, But Role Could Be Better Clarified Hostos operates semi-autonomously, with many significant governance decisions surrounding its budget and appointment of executive leadership determined by the CUNY Board of Trustees.

The university system governance structure gives Hostos sufficient autonomy to assure institutional integrity, even though many policy and funding decisions are made by CUNY. Upon review, Working Group 3 found that Hostos’ internal leadership and governance structures reflect the values of its mission. Notably, its decision-making structures foster engagement and accountability among the diverse student, faculty, and staff. The Hostos College Senate, a central governance structure, is an inclusive community body with members from faculty, staff, and students represented. This broad representation makes the Senate’s decisions accountable to the college community. However, attendance at Senate meetings is a challenge and impacts the college’s ability to move forward with some governance changes.

Recommendations for improvements center on promoting more effective functioning of key governance structures. Specific recommendations include: explore the possibility for creating a Faculty Council (similar to those found at other CUNY community colleges) that would deal with faculty issues such as curricular items; adopt the revised Hostos Charter of Governance; promote more effective functioning of the Senate; and identify new ways to address the community service aspect of Hostos’ mission through its various governance bodies.

Standard 5 – Administrative Structures Effective But Could Be Better Systematized Working Group 3 found that Hostos has effective administrative structures that facilitate student learning, foster faculty/staff development, and support ongoing quality improvement at the college. The CUNY PMP, divisional planning and assessment activities, CUNY-administered satisfaction assessments, and various office-specific impact assessments and communication mechanisms to ensure productive cross-divisional and inter-departmental communication are notable.

The Working Group felt it important to note that, in some instances, decisions affecting the College’s capacity to facilitate learning and research/scholarship, and foster quality improvement are made by CUNY. For example, CUNY Central determines when new lines can be allocated

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