On-Campus Child Center Anticipated for Fall 2018

Renovation for Project Already Underway by Anthony ViolaPlans to develop a child care center on campus are well underway. At the City College of New York, the administration is working towards completing a facility by Fall 2018. This resource will be available to both faculty and students.The center will be called “Schiff House,” located on the corner of 133^rd and Convent Avenue. In the past, the building used for the project served as the college’s President’s House, and had been landmarked by the city. It is a renovated site that existed prior to the construction’s commencement. According to the CCNY webpage, the total costs to complete the project add up to $2.4 million.The child care center includes several areas to promote accelerated learning for pre-school children, ranging from science experiments to early reading development. It will be segmented into several areas, including a science space, a library, and a technology room.According to Wendy Thorton, interim vice president for student affairs, student activity fees don’t fund this project. “The funding for construction for the center is coming from CUNY capital budget,” she states. “The current [Student Services Corporation] SSC funds will be housed in a replacement reserve account to be used for the center as needed.”Thorton’s comment refers to the SSC budget collected from student activities fees. Each year, the breakdown allocates two dollars from undergraduate students and two dollars from graduate students for “Child Development.” This year’s fees collected $58,915 for this purpose out of the $1,587,422 managed by SSC in 2018.Thorton also notes that the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) holds a seat on the Child Development Center Board. Taimoor Arif, USG President, declined to comment. Students will also serve on the committee to decide the center’s vendor.The Division of Student Affairs will continue to oversee the remainder of the project until completion. The Schiff House expects to begin fulfilling its role by late August to bring in the new semester. Edit (05/07/2018): The original article noted the service as free. There will be a pricing structure for all community members that has yet to be released.