HOSTOS UNITED/HOSTOS UNIDO
Hostos Community College
475 Grand Concourse

Bronx, New York 10451

Hostos students, faculty and staff have joined in a united front, under the banner of
HOSTOS UNITED/HOSTOS UNIDO, to campaign to obtain the funding for the renovation of the
500 Grand Concourse building.

HOSTOS UNITED was organized during meetings in mid-January which were attended by
students and faculty representing a wide spectrum of the college community. Among the
organizations represented were: The Student Government Organization, the Puerto Rican
Student Organization, the Dominican Student Organization, the South American Student
Union, the Black Student Union, FUSP, the Professional Staff Congress and other unions
representing college staff.

A Spirit of Unity

Although some debate arose at the January meetings over the structure of HOSTOS
UNITED, a general sense of unity and good will prevailed throughout. Repeated calls
were made to avoid the divisiveness which permeated the struggle during the Save Hostos
crisis two years ago.

Structure

At the January meetings, there was some debate on the size of the Hostos United
steering committee and the relative weight that different student and faculty groups
should be given. The structure finally adopted is as follows:

1. Any student organization is eligible to have one voting member on the steering
committee. The organization, however, must show a commitment by making a financial
contribution from its budget. It, was decided that, because the student government
represents the entire student population it will have a representation of four on the
steering committee.

2. Faculty and staff will be represented on the steering committee in a ratio of one
faculty or staff member for each two student representatives.

3. Finally, there will be five working sub-committees, which will be responsible for
the following functions: finance, information, community relations, activities and
press relations. Each committee will be staffed by one faculty or staff member and
one student. Members of these work committees can be members of existing organizations
as can unafilliated students, faculty and staff. Everyone at the college, including
friends in the local communities, is urged to participate.

The 500 Grand Concourse situation at_a glance

The status of the renovation of the 500 Grand Concourse building is as follows:

...The building was acquired, following months of campaigning, in 1974.

...The renovation has been held up since then because the Dormitory Authority,
which funds such projects, has not been able to sell bonds.

.. Alternate ways of funding the renovation have been explored since, including
a grant from the federal government under the local Public Works Act. The Hostos
application, however, was denied in the summer of 1977; other projects such as the
construction of a monkey house at the Bronx Zoo and a parking lot at Yankee Stadium
were approved.

...-During the fall semester, The Bankers Trust Company offered to buy a special
issue of private bonds by the Dormitory Authority, thereby getting around the problem
of the Authority's inability to sell bonds.

..-The special issue sale was approved by the Dormitory Authority, but has been
held up because Governor Hugh Carey and his budget staff have said they will not approve
any new City University construction until Chancellor Robert J. Kibbee issues a master
construction plan for the university through the year 1990.

...-The Chancellor has said that the plan will not be published until this summer,
if then. (Meanwhile, the cogtof the renovation continues to escalate and has gone beyond
the $6 million limit established by the city and state back in 1974.)

+.-The City University has said that it has been trying to convince Governor Carey
that the renovation does not fall under the category of "new construction" and should,
therefore, not be subject to his construction freeze.

«. But the City University central office has, in the meantime, taken some of its
architectural staff offthe Hostos project, casting doubt as to its commitment to the project.

+.-.Some local legislators, including senator Robert Garcia, Assemblyman Jose Serrano
and even Deputy Mayor Herman Badillo, have taken note of the Hostos plight. But HOSTOS UNITED
firmly believes that its activities must be stepped up to further impress these and other
public officials of the urgent need of the renovation of the 500 Grand Concourse facility.
Only then will they feel compelled to act on behalf of the college.

Meetings: HOSTOS UNITED meetings will be announced regularly through this news sheet or on
college bulletin boards. Everyone is welcome to attend.