Rationale for this undertaking
This Initiative represents a milestone in the history of Queens College. As an institution, we have never undertaken a comprehensive review of our academic programs. It is important to periodically assess the effectiveness of our institution through reviewing and revising our core business – teaching, learning, and scholarship. At this moment in the history of the College, it is imperative that we do so. This is an era when the value of higher education is being deeply questioned and our basic purpose – knowledge – is contested. Among the CUNY colleges, ours has the second-highest number of approved programs: 388 as of this writing. That itself is not a cause for concern; indeed, the variety of our scholarly interests expressed in the breadth of our academic offerings has been part of our institutional identity. Some programs, however, have experienced waning student interest, measured by majors, student FTEs, or graduates over a period of years. Demographically, the Northeastern region where we are situated is experiencing a steady decline in the numbers of traditional-age college students, with New York City public schools –our primary feeder pipeline – reporting a 13% decline in enrollment over the five-year period from 2017 to 2022 (the largest decline statewide). While colleges across the CUNY system experienced lowered student enrollment over the years of the COVID-19 pandemic, most institutions have bounced back. Queens College enrollment has, however, continued to drop, experiencing a 21% decline in student headcount over the past five years.
Though declining enrollments and the resulting structural deficit and cash flow challenges are concerning, they are not the primary drivers of the Academic Renewal Initiative. Rather, ensuring that our academic offerings truly meet the needs and aspirations of current and future students is the paramount factor. By reviewing our programs with an eye to these multiple considerations, we can ensure that the effort of our faculty and staff is focused on our priorities, and that our stakeholders – many of them here in Queens, where 84% of our students remain 10 years after graduation – are best served by Queens College. We can also determine where it makes sense to focus our limited investment capability by incorporating projections for student and employer demand.
Finally, the analysis done and recommendations made by the Academic Renewal Initiative will form the groundwork for our upcoming strategic planning exercise, which will launch in the Fall of 2026. By taking a deep, honest, and data-informed journey into our core business, we can sharpen our institutional identity and ensure that Queens College is positioned at the forefront of providing the excellence, value, and access that public higher education is known for. Because academics is at the heart of all we do, the Academic Renewal Initiative will better position the College for success both now and in the future.