Annual Fair Makes College Access Easier for Black and Hispanic Students

Janet Sassi — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 18:01:55 +0000

For any high schooler, the college application process is daunting. For underrepresented students or those coming from low-income homes or homes without a college graduate, the process can be completely overwhelming, especially if the high school is short on counselors.

On Oct. 22, Fordham and the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU) hosted the 2017 College Access Fair for African-American/Black and Hispanic/Latino Students, the only one of its kind in the State of New York. The event was made possible thanks to a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Held at the Rose Hill campus, the event attracted 52 independent colleges and universities and an estimated 870 students from nearly 250 schools from the greater New York City region. An additional six organizations were represented, including The College Board, College Goal New York, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.

Students and their families got a chance to talk with dozens of independent college and university admission and financial aid representatives, and to attend a series of workshops designed to aid in the admissions process. Among those workshops were How to Pay for College and Undocumented Students and the College Process.

“The event underscored for me the tenacity and support that some of these [students]need to make it through,” said Mary Beth Labate, president of CICU.

Fordham and CICU have worked together to sponsor the event since 2009 through various funding sources. Last year, Fordham received a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to support the annual event beginning with the 2016 fair and running through 2018. (Photo by Bruce Gilbert)

Fordham Hosts Latino College Fair

Father McShane Named CICU Chair

Fordham News — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:51:29 +0000

Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, has been named chair of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU), a statewide association representing the public policy interests of the chief executives of more than 100 independent colleges and universities in New York state.

Father McShane was first elected to the CICU Board of Trustees in June of 2005, and has also served as its vice chair. His term as chair will run from 2012-2014.

“I welcome the chance to work with CICU’s president, Laura Anglin, and my colleagues in private higher education, to advance the interests of our collective student body,” said Father McShane. “The private colleges and universities of New York play a crucial role in ensuring both access to, and affordability of, higher education in the state. Given that the member institutions of CICU are among the main providers of intellectual capital in the state—both through their many graduates and the research they produce—I am honored to do whatever I may to advance CICU’s mission.”

Although not a government agency, CICU is an educational corporation formed under the New York State Board of Regents. Its mission is to develop consensus among a diverse membership and to advance higher education public policy. The commission is governed by a board of trustees composed of chief executive officers or institutional trustees of member campuses who represent the diversity of the CICU membership in terms of institutional type, size, and geographic location.

CICU – Fordham Now

Annual Fair Makes College Access Easier for Black and Hispanic Students

Father McShane Named CICU Chair