Assembly Resolution No. 277

BY: M. of A. Rosenthal L

COMMENDING Jeremy Travis for over 13 years of
leadership, dedication and commitment to excellence
as President of the John Jay College of Criminal
Justice of the City University of New York (CUNY)

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
honor individuals of remarkable integrity and character who devote their
lifework to education, contributing to the welfare of institutions and
the citizens of their communities, as well as to the quality of
education and the vitality of this great Empire State; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commend Jeremy
Travis for over 13 years of leadership, dedication and commitment to
excellence as President of John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the
City University of New York (CUNY); and

WHEREAS, John Jay College has evolved into the preeminent
international leader in educating for justice and preparing students to
serve the public interest as ethical leaders and engaged citizens; and

WHEREAS, Within the CUNY system, John Jay College consists of the
most diverse student body and is comprised of the largest veteran
population; this is due in part to their significant student services
and resources; President Jeremy Travis recently partnered with area
corporations to establish the Veterans Corporate Roundtable to support
career opportunities for veteran students; and

WHEREAS, Attributable to President Jeremy Travis' illustrious
guidance, freshmen enrollment has increased by half, full-time faculty
has increased by one-third, and external funding for faculty research
has tripled; in 2012, John Jay College joined the prestigious Macaulay
Honors College of CUNY; and

WHEREAS, Currently, John Jay offers 31 undergraduate majors, 15
master's degree programs and houses two nationally-recognized doctoral
programs, as well as dual degree programs with the CUNY School of Law;
in 2014, John Jay College launched its online program, offering students
the opportunity to earn various master's degrees and advanced
certificates; and

WHEREAS, John Jay College's Pre-Law Institute (PLI) and Program for
Research Initiatives in Science and Math (PRISM) were created as part of
President Jeremy Travis' vision for supporting student success; PLI
helped undergraduates secure more than $13 million a year in scholarship
support, enrolling at prestigious law schools around the United States;
PRISM was recognized by then-President Barack Obama as a national model
of excellence, with a 2011 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science,
Math and Engineering Mentoring; and

WHEREAS, The formation of the Office for Advancement of Research
helped facilitate support in faculty research and resulted in a dramatic
increase in research grants over the last 10 years; in 2016, John Jay
College tied for third place among CUNY senior colleges for scholarly

productivity, and was ranked seventh nationwide in 10-year
research-grant increase by the Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac;
and

WHEREAS, In 2011, the 625,000-square-foot New Building was
constructed and opened, doubling the size of the campus; the New
Building created a cohesive instructional environment and integrated
college functions into a unified city block, creating an academic city
within a city, as a true urban campus; the building also houses a 9-11
Memorial for the 67 John Jay alumni who died as a result of the attack;
and

WHEREAS, In 2014, John Jay College completed its first capital
campaign, raising a significant amount of funds; two years later, it
launched its next campaign matching the same amount; and

WHEREAS, Under the luminous leadership of Jeremy Travis, John Jay
College has been transformed into a senior college in the CUNY system,
offering a rigorous undergraduate liberal arts program and an array of
cutting-edge professional studies; and

WHEREAS, In addition, President Jeremy Travis led the formation of
the CUNY Justice Academy, an educational partnership involving John Jay
and six CUNY community colleges; recently, he introduced the ACE program
to support student success, the first at a CUNY senior college; he also
initiated pipeline programs in partnership with the NYPD, DOC, and other
public organizations; and

WHEREAS, Jeremy Travis was also instrumental in establishing
nationally known centers and initiatives at John Jay, including the
Prisoner Reentry Institute and the Prison to College Pipeline (P2CP),
National Network of Safe Communities, Center for Media, Crime and
Justice and more recently, the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution
and the Research Network on Misdemeanor Justice; furthermore, he brought
the Center for Policing Equity to John Jay College of Criminal Justice
and established the Franklin A. Thomas Professorship in Policing Equity;
and

WHEREAS, In 2005, Jeremy Travis wrote the book titled, But They All
Come Back: Facing the Challenges of Prisoner Reentry, with his knowledge
and vast experiences on the challenges of mass incarceration and the
reintegration of released prisoners into society; and

WHEREAS, Moreover, Jeremy Travis co-edited the 2014 National
Research Council report "The Growth of Incarceration in the United
States: Exploring Causes and Consequences," which found only a slight
relationship between incarceration and lower crime rates; he also
co-edited Prisoner Reentry and Crime in America in 2005; and

WHEREAS, In 2009, Jeremy Travis served as Chair of the Task Force on
Transforming Juvenile Justice, recommending significant changes to the
state's juvenile justice system; six years later, he testified before
the Task Force on 21st Century Policing created by President Obama on
the Future of Community Policing panel; the following year, Jeremy
Travis was named a member of the United States Partnership on Mobility
from Poverty by the Urban Institute; and

WHEREAS, For his exceptional work in the criminal justice field,
Jeremy Travis has received numerous awards and accolades including the
Ellis Island Medal of Honor, August Vollmer Award by the American
Society of Criminology , the Gerhard O.W. Mueller Award by the Academy
of Criminal Justice Sciences, and the Margaret Mead Award by the
International Community Corrections Association; and

WHEREAS, President Jeremy Travis has done remarkable work for John
Jay College of Criminal Justice, its students, and the broader criminal
justice reform community; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to commend the
efforts of those individuals who work to support our proud tradition of
public education by providing their skills and talents to our schools;
now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Jeremy Travis for over 13 years of leadership, dedication and
commitment to excellence as President of John Jay College of Criminal
Justice of the City University of New York (CUNY); and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Jeremy Travis.