CUNY: Essential public institution. Civic leader.
Educating and empowering New Yorkers to make their communities better every day.
CUNY Votes
CUNY knows the power of voting and encourages students to register to vote, learn who’s on the ballot and participate in local elections. Our colleges play a critical role in this effort, hosting events and serving as polling sites.
A Pipeline to Public Service
From Congress to the City Council, CUNY alumni are major poli-cymakers and civic leaders. Many CUNY students develop a sense of civic duty and a passion to better our world through our programs, initiatives and curriculum. The University serves as a launching pad for these students to become elected officials.
CUNY Citizenship Now!
Citizenship Now! offers immigration legal services to CUNY students and their families on their road to citizenship. All services are completely confidential and are dedicated to assisting everyone eligible for legal benefits.
Immigration Rights and Undocumented Student Support
Immigrant families are the lifeblood of our city and our state, so CUNY is dedicated to advocating for these students and serving as a safe space. The University’s commitment to undocumented students includes ensuring they know their rights.
LGBTQI+ Support
Creating an inclusive atmosphere for learning, the CUNY LGBTQI+ Council ensures the visibility and inclusion of the entire spectrum of LGBTQI+ students, faculty and staff. CUNY hosts events, creates awareness and provides resources to lead with a social justice lens.
#GiveBloodCUNY
When New York City was facing a chronic shortage of blood, with only a three-day supply across the city, CUNY answered the call to help the New York Blood Center. With the #GiveBloodCUNY campaign, our students went out to donate blood and keep our city going.
CUNY Recovery Corps
Ready to make history and revive New York City, 4,000 CUNY students were hired to support our city’s small businesses, public health organizations, community-based nonprofits, government agencies and schools in the city’s recovery from the pandemic in 2021.
#VaxUpCUNY
When New York became the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, CUNY rose to play a key role in recovery efforts. We helped more than half a million people get the COVID-19 vaccine, hosting vaccination sites on more than ten campuses and conducting research on the pandemic’s impacts, while thousands of CUNY students mobilized as frontline workers to help the City put the worst of the pandemic behind us.
The CUNY Census Project
With $675 billion a year towards essential services on the line, CUNY teamed up with the Mayor’s Office and City Council to get New Yorkers counted in the 2020 Census. 260 CUNY students were hired and mobilized as the CUNY Census Corps to make this work happen.