New York, N.Y. (January 30, 2025) – An anonymous donor gifted $50,000 to Guttman Community College for the Connect Center and the United Men of Color (UMOC) program. The funds will support students’ essential needs and provide opportunities for inclusion and educational success for students underrepresented in higher education, particularly men of color.
“We are deeply grateful for this generous donation, which will make an immediate and lasting impact on our students’ lives. By supporting the Connect Center and the United Men of Color program, this gift helps us ensure that our students have the resources, mentorship and opportunities they need to thrive in college and beyond,” said Dr. Larry Johnson, Guttman president.
The Connect Center at the College provides a variety of in-house services and community referrals to address students’ essential needs — including food insecurity, financial emergencies, housing instability, childcare needs and legal assistance — ensuring students can continue their education. The on-site Grizzly Pantry, which is operated through the Connect Center and is open to all Guttman students, saw more than 4,000 visits in the 2023-24 academic year, illustrating significant need for food and other essential items.
The pantry currently provides fresh and shelf-stable foods starting two months into the start of each semester. With the grant funding, they will be able to offer these nutritious items as soon as classes begin as well as during Session 2 courses in the summer and winter months. The Connect Center will also begin offering meal packs of shelf-stable, microwavable meals, along with a beverage, on an emergency basis for students who express they are hungry. Additionally, the office will be able to provide stipends for household items, such as toilet paper, cleaning supplies, pet food and other items not covered by SNAP, and monthly MetroCards that cover bus fare. Finally, the Connect Center will be able to continue its partnership with the nearby CUNY Graduate Center, where students can receive free breakfast and lunch.
“This transformative gift underscores the critical importance of supporting programs that directly address our students’ academic and personal needs. The Connect Center and the United Men of Color program embody our commitment to fostering equity, inclusion and student success, and this donation will empower us to provide even more opportunities for our students to succeed,” said Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Danny Ambrose.
The College’s United Men of Color (UMOC) program helps men of color overcome social inequalities that lead to poor academic performance and are associated with weak enrollment, retention and graduation from higher education institutions. The program is designed to provide an inclusive and supportive space where men of color can receive academic support, mentoring and the opportunity to engage in sociocultural dialogue that will enhance their understanding of self and their relationship to different communities. At a federally designated minority-serving institution with 84% male students of color enrolled, particularly Black and Latino students, UMOC provides a space where underserved and underrepresented men can feel empowered to find their individual voices as they navigate the college environment.
The funding will provide opportunities for leadership development, community building and academic support through an annual retreat and workshops throughout the academic year. Students will also receive stipends to complete Student Leadership Development (SLD) training, during which participants will gain skills and knowledge to enact their roles as student leaders while fostering a sense of community, belonging and accountability. The stipends will be provided as an effort to offset income lost from missing work to complete the training.
Stella and Charles Guttman Community College was CUNY’s first new community college in more than forty years. Reimagining what community college could be, Guttman opened its doors in Manhattan in August 2012 to create a research-based, innovative model focused on moving students efficiently toward graduation. Offering associate degree programs in a nurturing environment, the College’s three-year graduation rate consistently surpasses the national average, and most graduates transfer to senior colleges. Guttman is federally designated as a Hispanic-serving institution and minority-serving institution with more than 85% of the student population identifying as Latine or Black/African American. The College was named the best community college in America in 2020 and the top community college in New York State for 2020, 2021, and 2022 by Niche.com and other ranking agencies.
