CITY COLLEGE–After drama in the fall semester and in the midst of a decrease in black students and shortage of black professors, CCNY’s Black Studies program has struggled back to its feet. Earlier this month in Shepard Hall, Dr. Vanessa K. Valdes, the newly appointed director of Black Studies, hosted a town hall meeting to discuss the future of the program.
“My job, plain and simple, is to facilitate that our students graduate,” explained Dr. Valdes. “To that end, I am charged with making sure that our course offerings meet the standards of excellence that all of us as learners demand.”