Keizs and Marti’ named to State Commission

York College president Dr. Marcia V. Keizs and Dr. Eduardo J. Marti’, President of Queensborough Community College, have been appointed to the newly created State Commission of Higher Education.
On May 29, Governor Eliot Spitzer signed an Executive Order creating the 30-member Commission, which also includes City University of New York (CUNY) Chancellor Matthew Goldstein, along with a faculty member and a student from CUNY colleges.
The coalition will discuss New York’s current higher education system and address issues like improving access, expanding degree programs, the transition of community college students to four-year schools or the workforce and increasing the capability of state university research centers.
“Excellence in higher education is a key to our state’s future,” said Spitzer. “This new commission will help identify innovative, cutting edge ideas and necessary improvements that will help improve the quality of education we deliver and make New York’s higher educational system a world class institution.”
As of right now, there is no definitive date as to when the commission will begin. According to the Executive Order, the group needs to produce a preliminary report of its findings by December 1.
Keizs, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, has lived in New York City since 1968 and has worked in the CUNY system for over 30 years. She started her career as an English professor at Queensborough Community College and went on to become the president of York College in February 2005.
“As president of York College, The City University of New York, I’m pleased to have been nominated by Senator Malcolm Smith,” said Keizs. “And I look forward to working with Governor Spitzer and this distinguished Commission to shape the future of higher education in this state.”
A prominent educator for more than 25 years and Queensborough’s President for seven years, Marti’ earned his B.A., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in biology from New York University. He was appointed Chair of the CUNY Council of Presidents Finance Committee in 2003, and in November 2006, he had the distinction of being asked by the transition team for then New York Governor-Elect Eliot Spitzer to serve on an Education Policy Advisory Committee.
“I am deeply honored that the Governor has appointed me to his Higher Education Commission. I look forward to serving on the Commission along with my York College colleague, Marcia Keizs, to the best of my abilities, and keeping the interest of the students of Queens County, New York City and the State of New York foremost in my mind,” said Marti’.