The content of the letter below was sent by DSC leadership and was addressed to the recently appointed CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez on May 13, 2019. 
Dear Chancellor Matos Rodríguez,

We are writing as current leadership of the Doctoral and Graduate Students’ Council (DSC) of the City University of New York. The DSC comprises elected representatives from Doctoral and Master’s programs at the Graduate Center CUNY and has for many years continued a tradition of promoting shared governance within the university in order to empower its students, faculty, and staff to participate in the important social, political, and economic decisions that affect the quality of their lives and of their community. As DSC leadership, we are proud of the legacy of CUNY’s historic “commitment to academic excellence and to the provision of equal access and opportunity for students, faculty, and staff.” In many regards, the mission of the DSC is deeply rooted in that of CUNY, and in particular, its advocacy for students in pursuing access to quality higher education.

While we recognize that the leadership of CUNY is undergoing a transition, as is the Graduate Center, we are optimistic about the future of the institution.

Over the past year, the representatives of the DSC have been vocal in supporting initiatives to ensure that funding for graduate students is viewed as a priority. We firmly believe that all students, doctoral as well as master’s students, are deserving of full and fair funding. All students should be eligible to enroll in affordable health insurance, regardless of the status of their financial awards and employment within the university. During the September Plenary for the DSC, we had the opportunity to hear from former Interim Chancellor Vita Rabinowitz about the possibility of health insurance for all doctoral students. We believe that under the current leadership, strides must continue to be taken to ensure equitable access to affordable health insurance for students, as well as reinstating on-campus health services for students at the Graduate Center.

We recognize that there has recently been a time of great transition within the Graduate Center and throughout CUNY. We acknowledge and appreciate the leadership your successors have shown. We also firmly believe that greater work can be done to promote access to higher education through advocacy for improved practices around shared governance, greater budget transparency, and equitable funding and benefits for students. We have the utmost expectations that the incoming administration will strive to achieve these aims.

Best regards,

DSC Steering Committee, 2018-2019

Alison Parks, Co-Chair for Student Affairs
Teresa Ober, Co-Chair for Communications
Raj Korpan, Co-Chair for Business
Roderick Hurley, University Student Senate Delegate
Anaïs Wong, University Faculty Senate Liaison
Elizabeth Che, Officer for Funding
Jason Nielsen, Officer for Governance & Membership
Ana Perry, Officer for Health & Wellness
Shoumik Bhattacharya, Officer for Outreach
Elena Chávez, Officer for Student Life & Services
Marlene Nava Ramos, Officer for Library & Technology