CUNY Master Plan 2012-2016

THE CUNY MASTER PLAN 2012-2016
• Mentoring: in which a theatre professional mentors a group of CUNY students through a creditbearing
course that combines theatre-going with academic work in a specific discipline;
• Internships: CUNY students participate in for-credit internships in their field of study at TDF and
throughout the theatre industry; and,
• Ticketing: each school has a group participate in TDF’s “New Audiences of New York,” a program
that introduces theatre, through attendance and education, to underserved groups across the five
boroughs. Students from each campus attend theatre performances and participate in pre- and
post-performance discussions.
TDF is also offering discounted annual TDF memberships for students, faculty, and staff at the eight
participating campuses.
Creative Writing MFA Consortium
In the fall of 2007, the Office of Academic Affairs supported an initiative to coordinate projects among
the four CUNY MFA programs in creative writing. This initiative led to the formation of an affiliation
group, comprising representative members from Brooklyn, City, Hunter, and Queens Colleges. The
group’s first collaborative effort was major sponsorship in the 2008 Association of Writers and Writing
Programs (AWP) annual conference. Since its initial successful launch at the conference, the group has
continued to meet to initiate further collaborative projects, including: the annual Turnstyle Reading
Series (a mixer for graduate MFA students and writing faculty) and the Celebration of the Chapbook (an
annual chapbook festival featuring prominent chapbook presses from around the country). Last year, the
group added to its initiatives a commitment to secure tuition funding for the CUNY MFA students in creative
writing because “low tuition does not equal zero,” especially in New York City. The top-ranking creative
writing programs in the country all offer full support. Offering tuition abatement to students is
crucial to staying competitive (as well as aligning with the group’s vision of the arts). Toward this end, the
representatives have been meeting with the University Dean for Institutional Advancement to create a
tuition abatement prospectus and strategy to approach funders. In 2012-2016, CUNY will continue and
build projects that benefit both the students and faculty of the four CUNY MFA programs in creative
writing, and launch a campaign for full tuition abatement.
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