Brooklyn Learns BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
A conversation with Kingsborough
Community College’s new president
We sat down with Dr. Claudia Schrader, who this spring began her second semester as president of Brooklyn’s only community
college. Born and raised in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Schrader moved to the mainland in 1986. She graduated from Rutgers University
with a double major in Africana studies and journalism, and went on to Columbia University Teachers College, where she
earned two masters degrees in special education and a doctorate in international transcultural studies. She is no stranger to the
borough or The City University of New York system. Dr. Schrader taught at Medgar Evers College in Crown Heights, before being
named provost and senior vice president for academic and student success at Bronx Community College. “CUNY’s colleges open
the halls of higher education to a broader cross-section of New Yorkers, eager to learn and gain the skills for success in our local
economy,” said Borough President Eric Adams. “I look forward to fi ghting alongside students and educators like Dr. Schrader
to maintain the higher education network’s quality programming, affordability, and integrity.”
One Brooklyn: What motivated
you to take the job at Kingsborough
Community College?
Claudia Schrader: First, it’s a
CUNY college and I strongly believe
in CUNY’s mission, having worked
in the system for 17 years. Its commitment
to public education is bar
none. It’s one of the best public universities
in the United States. I’d
long admired Kingsborough’s innovation.
They – we are known for
trying new things and sharing what
works with colleagues throughout
CUNY and around the world. We
also have a dedicated faculty and
staff, many who have been here a
long time. I was also attracted to the
college’s commitment to serving the
community. Kingsborough was one
of the fi rst community colleges in the
country to require civic engagement
as a graduation requirement. As a
longtime volunteer with Habitat for
Humanity’s Global Village who has
helped build homes in Africa, Asia,
and South America, this is something
near and dear to my heart.
OB: How do you think growing up
in the Caribbean infl uenced you as
an educator and now as president?
CS: Growing up on the islands
taught me the value of community.
Everyone knows everyone else down
there. It also grounded me in a very
real way. On an island, we didn’t get
things at the same time the mainland
did, such as cable television, which
came a bit later. It was very humbling.
I also learned to be patient, to
really be present, and to be mindful
and consider all aspects of a situation.
I’m also a little more global in
my thinking.
OB: What was the most surprising
thing you learned about the college?
CS: How huge the campus is!
It seems smaller now that I know
where I’m going. I’ve been spending
my fi rst few months meeting people,
learning names, and gathering information
8 ONE BROOKLYN | SPRING 2019
from students, faculty, administrators,
and staff. We’re fi nding
fun ways to get input from the
campus community, like breakfast
meetings, surveys, and other things.
My goal is to meet everyone!
OB: What would our readers
would fi nd surprising to learn about
Kingsborough?
CS: For one thing, excluding
Guttman Community College, which
is a unique entity – Kingsborough
has the highest graduation and retention
rates in CUNY, meaning our
students come back each semester
and earn their degrees. Kingsborough
was identifi ed as a 2019 Aspen
Prize Top 10 Community College by
the Aspen Institute College Excellence
Program, and was one of only
11 community colleges in the country
to be named an Achieving the
Dream Leader College of Distinction
because of our focus on student success.
We also have a very vibrant
and diverse study body, who really
support each other. We have students
of all ages – the oldest is in their 90s
– who have come from around the
world. By our last estimate, they represent
over 142 different countries
and speak 73 languages.
OB: What can we look forward to
in the near future?
CS: We’re about to launch our fi rst
completely online degree. Students
will soon be able to complete an associate
of arts degree in liberal arts
from the privacy of their home. Our
retail merchandising degree was refocused
and renamed “The Business
of Fashion” to give our graduates
the skills to better serve the needs of
the city’s fashion community. We’re
launching a new concentration in
baking and pastry that will allow
our award-winning bakers to really
grow their talent. And, we’re examining
ways we can better serve our
adult students who have never fi nished
college or want to change careers.
Dr. Claudia Schrader took over as president of Kingsborough
Community College last September. She spent her fi rst and second
semesters at the school hearing feedback from the student
body, faculty, and staff, to fi nd out how to steer the college into
the future. Kingsborough Community College
/BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
/BROOKLYN-USA.ORG