How Will CUNY Pathways Affect CCNY Students?

What students and administration think of the new planby Elisa Cavaliere.After transferring from Bronx Community College, Kelli Holdsmem, a City College junior, lost more than half of her credits, pushing back her graduation date. CUNY Pathways is a new system used to give all CCNY colleges a base curriculum.  “Where was this three years ago when I transferred to City?,” asks Holdsmen. “CUNY Pathways would have saved me a lot of time and money.”CUNY Pathways has become a controversy among many CUNY campuses but many students are in favor of CUNY Pathways because there are fewer required core credits.This controversial plan would overhaul the core requirements that all CUNY students must take to graduate. The goal is to guarantee the smooth transfer of credits between colleges in the system by creating a common framework for general education courses. It would also reduce the number of core credits needed for graduation at virtually all of the four-year colleges.Even as the plan moves forward, it remains highly contentious. Proponents believe it will ultimately boost graduation rates. CCNY’s rate—37 percent—is notoriously low. Opponents, mainly professors, have labeled it a dummying down of the CUNY system. They say it threatens the increased respect and enhanced student performance the university has worked so hard to win.While faculty may not be in favor of Pathways, many students say they like the changes, especially the reduction in foreign language classes. “I wish I didn’t have to waste my time on so many Spanish classes,” states senior George Nkwa.Others vehemently disagree. They believe knowing a foreign language is critically important in our increasingly global marketplace. “With globalization, learning new languages has become essential and gives students a competitive edge in the job market. While fewer classes may be good news to students, it is not beneficial as the lack of education will be transparent on every transcriptm” says Elizabeth Griffin, a Baruch College senior.Pathways may also makes the transition between community college and senior college smoother. “CUNY Pathways promises a better transfer experience to students from two-year colleges with the 30-credit Common Core,” says Dean Michelle Anderson, chair of CUNY Pathways task force.“With less required courses, maybe students will be able to explore their personal interest better,” says Jessica Gonzolas. Jessica is a City College senior who is a psychology major, who now realizes she should have been a Public Relations major. “Flexibility would have helped me pick the major best suited for me rather then a quick decision.”For more information on CUNY Pathways you can visit http://www.cuny.edu/academics/initiatives/degreepathways.html