February 25, 2015

AUDIO: New radio ad calls on lawmakers to honor CUNY's legacy

Source:  PSC-CUNY

Via PSC-CUNY:

"We've kept our promises. Albany, it's time to keep yours."

The PSC is airing a radio ad in the Capital District and New York City urging Albany to honor CUNY's legacy and keep its promises to students.

In a release announcing the ad buy, PSC President Barbara Bowen said, "New Yorkers need to know the State is in danger of breaking an important promise to students and their families. Albany can keep its promise this year and fix the broken promises of the past by providing the full funding to CUNY."

When legislators voted for SUNY 2020, they agreed to increase CUNY tuition by a total $1,500, promising that the increases would enhance education and not be used to offset shortfalls in state funding. But tuition hikes can't fund new investments because the State isn't covering CUNY's annually increasing costs for energy, rent, fringe benefits and collective bargaining (what CUNY calls "mandatory costs"). Learn more about CUNY's unfunded mandatory costs and more about how Albany can Keep the Promise of CUNY.

The ad is titled Legacy and was produced by the firm Shorr Johnson Magnus Strategic Media. It honors notable CUNY alumni, such as polio vaccine inventor Jonas Salk and award-winning actor and civil rights leader Ruby Dee, and asks: will the next generation of CUNY students "get their chance to change the world?"

The ad's initial buy includes a heavy rotation of more than 300 sixty-second spots on 14 stations in the Capital District and New York City over the next five legislative session days.

Learn more about the fight for higher education at www.nysut.org/qualityhighered.