Letter to Hostos Community College Students from Professor Diane Penner
Item
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- Eugenio Marfa de Hostos Community College
MK of the City University of New York
475 Grand Concourse, Bronx, New York 10451 (212) 993-8000
March 1, 1976
Dear Student,
It is crucially important that you inform your State Legislators
to insure the continuation of Hostos as a separate unit of the City
University.
Your officials must be told the following:
They should not vote on Governor Carey's budget unless the sur-
vival of Hostos is an integral and stated part of such a budget.
Hostos Community College was the first of the CUNY units to be
placed deliberately in an economically depressed community. It
services a population that is predominantly Hispanic and Black, and
at the bottom of the economic ladder. It is crucial that these
students continue to reap the unique benefits that only Hostos
Community College can provide
Please write the above information or a proximity thereof to
the following people today:
Your Assemblyman:
Name:
Address:
Your Senator:
Name:
Address:
Thanking you in advance for your cooperation in this urgent
matter.
Sincerely,
Prof. Diane Penner
Chairperson for Voter Registration
Save Hostos Committee
O-r “ g = 5 Ch. We
- Eugenio Marfa de Hostos Community College
MK of the City University of New York
475 Grand Concourse, Bronx, New York 10451 (212) 993-8000
March 1, 1976
Dear Student,
It is crucially important that you inform your State Legislators
to insure the continuation of Hostos as a separate unit of the City
University.
Your officials must be told the following:
They should not vote on Governor Carey's budget unless the sur-
vival of Hostos is an integral and stated part of such a budget.
Hostos Community College was the first of the CUNY units to be
placed deliberately in an economically depressed community. It
services a population that is predominantly Hispanic and Black, and
at the bottom of the economic ladder. It is crucial that these
students continue to reap the unique benefits that only Hostos
Community College can provide
Please write the above information or a proximity thereof to
the following people today:
Your Assemblyman:
Name:
Address:
Your Senator:
Name:
Address:
Thanking you in advance for your cooperation in this urgent
matter.
Sincerely,
Prof. Diane Penner
Chairperson for Voter Registration
Save Hostos Committee
Title
Letter to Hostos Community College Students from Professor Diane Penner
Description
Professor Diane Penner wrote this letter to the Hostos Community College student body in 1976 to encourage them to pressure state officials to oppose Hostos’ closure. As a faculty member and activist on the Save Hostos Committee, Penner’s letter gave students instructions on how to urge their representatives to protect their school.
In 1975, the New York City fiscal crisis led to efforts by city officials and the CUNY administration to close or merge multiple campuses in order to pay back debt that was owed to major banks. Hostos Community College was slated to merge with Bronx Community College in order to dramatically cut spending. It was this threat that led to the second iteration of organizing to save Hostos. Determined to preserve Hostos for the South Bronx as a place for students to pursue a bilingual higher education, students, faculty, staff, and community groups joined forces to keep Hostos open. The faculty and students at Hostos Community College deployed political and protest strategies to achieve their goals.
In 1975, the New York City fiscal crisis led to efforts by city officials and the CUNY administration to close or merge multiple campuses in order to pay back debt that was owed to major banks. Hostos Community College was slated to merge with Bronx Community College in order to dramatically cut spending. It was this threat that led to the second iteration of organizing to save Hostos. Determined to preserve Hostos for the South Bronx as a place for students to pursue a bilingual higher education, students, faculty, staff, and community groups joined forces to keep Hostos open. The faculty and students at Hostos Community College deployed political and protest strategies to achieve their goals.
Contributor
Meyer, Gerald
Creator
Penner, Diane; Save Hostos Committee
Date
March 1, 1976
Language
English
Rights
Obtained from Contributor - Copyright Unknown
Source
Hostos Community College Archives
Original Format
Diary / Correspondence
Penner, Diane; Save Hostos Committee. Letter. “Letter to Hostos Community College Students from Professor Diane Penner.”, CUNY DIGITAL HISTORY ARCHIVE, accessed March 10, 2026, https://stephenz.tailc22a4b.ts.net/s/cdha/item/659