What is CUNY Divest at CCNY?

“The power is with the people, by the people, for the people. We will not stop, we will not rest.” This declaration, posted on CUNY Divest at CCNY’s Instagram, embodies the commitment of City College of New York (CCNY) students advocating for institutional change. Founded in September 2024, CUNY Divest at CCNY emerged as a student-led movement dedicated to bringing awareness to the university’s financial ties and demanding the CCNY administration to divest from Israel.

By: Zury Cordova

CUNY Divest at CCNY stands on the principle that students should have a say in where their tuition dollars go. The organization’s mission is clear: to demand transparency, ethical investment, and a university that upholds social justice rather than contributing to violence and oppression. 

“Education should not come at the cost of supporting violence and systemic injustice, and students have the right to know where our tuition is going. The City University of New York (CUNY) should reflect the values they say they have. Divestment is tangible,” said a member of the CUNY Divest at CCNY organization who wishes to remain anonymous. Their words echo the growing frustration among students who feel their concerns are dismissed while their tuition is spent on investments that contradict CCNY’s mission statement of a “legacy of access, opportunity, and transformation.” 

CUNY Divest at CCNY believes financial decisions are inherently political and universities should not support actions that conflict with human rights and social justice. The movement aims to pressure CUNY’s administration to align its financial practices with its commitments to equity and global justice, challenging the university’s investments and holding it accountable for its ethical responsibilities. As the pilot statement from CUNY Divest at CNNY asserts, “As CUNY community members, we deserve better. We deserve elevators that work, labor that’s paid, schools that do not glorify war criminals, and tuition that is not drenched in blood.” For many students, this fight is not just about changing financial policies but about demanding a university that reflects the values of justice, humanity, and integrity of its mission statement.

CUNY Divest at CCNY is a coalition building approach to push for divestment from Israel. The coalition is built through collaboration with other student organizations at CCNY like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and CCNY’s Young Democratic Socialists (YDSA), and CUNY Divest at CCNY has begun to gain impact. Their impact can be seen in the growing student engagement, increased participation in demonstrations, and the wider conversation it has started within the CCNY community about financial transparency and ethical responsibility. The movement is calling out investments and envisioning a future where CUNY aligns its financial decisions with the values of its students. A post-CUNY Divest at CCNY future is possible, but it requires the administration to listen and acknowledge its students and faculty demands, and act accordingly. The students have made their stance clear: they will not be silent, they will not back down, and they will continue fighting for an education that isn’t built on complicity in the genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza.

You can be part of this movement too. Follow the coalition on Instagram, urge administrators to take action, and encourage clubs you’re a part of to join forces with CUNY Divest at CCNY. The student movement’s strength lies in collective action, and every voice matters in the fight for a more ethical and accountable system.