CUNY SPS Awarded Repeat Grant to Continue LGBTQIA+ Programming

For the second year in a row, the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) earned a substantial grant from the CUNY LGBTQIA+ Consortium. The $40,000 award will fund the School’s 2024-2025 lineup of numerous LGBTQIA+ community-building events and educational symposiums.

Similar to last year, the grant proposal was drafted by Dr. Jan Oosting, PhD, RN, associate professor of Nursing, and Anthony Sweeney, associate director of student life.

As one of the program’s pioneers, Dr. Oosting expressed her appreciation for the financial support. “We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the LGBTQIA+ CUNY Consortium and the New York City Council for their unwavering support and generous grant,” she said. “This funding allows us to enhance the resources and support systems necessary for our LGBTQIA+ students to thrive academically, personally, and professionally.”

The upcoming two-part Safe Zone training is one of the many informative sessions sponsored by the subsidy. Scheduled for December 4 and 9, the workshops collaboratively created with the Committee on Institutional Equity and Diversity (CIED) will offer enhanced training for the LGBTQIA+ community and active allyship. (Registration information below.)

Additionally, thanks to the endowment, the student-run CUNY SPS Pride Club is planning to host several new productions including a queer film festival, the LGBTQIA+ Health and Wellness Fair, and Black queer history month. These events will be open for all students to attend.

CUNY SPS student and recently hired LGBTQIA+ Student Resource Assistant Ash Tebor (MS in Disability Services in Higher Education ‘26), pictured below, who will assist in organizing the planned LGBTQIA+ activities for the year ahead, shared his excitement about his new role.

“I look forward to celebrating the students' resilience and strength while they pursue and continue their academic journey. Being in a marginalized community comes with its challenges,” said Tebor. “Now more than ever, there are people in power who actively want to stop members of the LGBTQIA+ community from living a well-deserved quality of life because of ignorance and hate… I want to help them by offering them a space to be joyful and safe so that they can be their authentic selves.”

For further information on Safe Zone and to register for the December workshops, please visit the registration page.

About the CUNY School of Professional Studies

As New York's leading online school since 2006, the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) offers the most online bachelor's and master's degree options at the City University of New York, and serves as the University's first undergraduate all-transfer college. With 26 degrees and numerous other non-degree and grant-funded workplace learning programs, CUNY SPS meets the needs of adults who wish to finish a bachelor's degree, progress from an associate's degree, earn a master's degree or certificate in a specialized field, and advance in the workplace or change careers. Consistently ranked highly by U.S. News & World Report for its online offerings, CUNY SPS has emerged as a nationwide leader in online education. The School's renowned and affordable online programs ensure that busy working adults may fulfill their educational goals on their own time and schedule.

Press Contact
Prerna Dar
CUNY SPS Chief Marketing Officer
Prerna.dar@cuny.edu