On June 10, Hostos Community College President David Gómez, representing CUNY and the John Jay “Prison to College Pipeline” partnership, joined fellow higher education leaders from across the nation in Washington, D.C., to launch the Obama Administration’s “Fair Chance Higher Education Pledge.” 
 
This pledge represents a call-to-action for all members of academia to improve communities by eliminating barriers for those with a criminal record and create a pathway for a second chance. Hostos has already partnered with John Jay College’s Prison to College Pipeline Program. The program, launched in 2011, takes a unique approach to educating inmates while also preparing them for reentry into society.

By signing the Fair Chance Higher Education Pledge, the CUNY partners committed to:
  • Demonstrating an ongoing commitment to take action to reduce barriers to a fair shot at a second chance, especially though an educational opportunity, including adopting fair chance admissions practices like going “Beyond the Box” by determining whether criminal justice-related questions are necessary to make an informed admission decision, and if so, whether these questions should be moved to a later part of the application process (e.g., after schools make an initial admission decision or after students meet the academic criteria), or whether the initial review of the application can be conducted without knowledge of the answers to the criminal-justice related questions.
  • Taking action in their local communities by supporting professors and students who want to teach or are teaching in correctional facilities and ensuring internships and job training are available to individuals with criminal records.
  • Setting an example for their peers. The Fair Chance Higher Education Pledge is available for more higher education institutions to sign on at this link. The Obama Administration will highlight these additional pledge takers later this year.
Click here for more information and Follow the hashtag #FairChanceEducationPledge on Twitter and Instagram.

About Hostos Community College
Eugenio María de Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities since 1968. It serves as a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs. The College’s unique Student Success Coaching Unit provides students with individualized guidance and exemplifies its emphasis on student support services.

Named one of the top 10 finalists for the 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, Hostos offers 28 associate degree programs and two certificate programs that facilitate easy transfer to The City University of New York’s (CUNY) four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. The College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. Hostos is part of CUNY, the nation’s leading urban public university, which serves more than 500,000 students at 24 colleges.