Dr. Claudia V. Schrader took the helm as president of Kingsborough Community College (KCC) of The City University of New York (CUNY) in September 2018. She is the College’s 7th president, and holds the distinction of being the first African-American in the College’s 57-year old history to hold that office. As the president of the only community college in Brooklyn, Dr. Schrader is positioned to make an indelible impact on the lives of so many who choose education as a vehicle for transformation and elevation.
Education has served as a vehicle for Dr. Schrader. She was born and raised on St. Croix, the largest of the United States Virgin Islands. She earned her undergraduate degree from Livingston College, Rutgers University and her Master of Arts, Master of Education, and Doctorate of Education from Columbia University, Teachers College. Dr. Schrader also obtained a certificate from the Institute for Educational Management at the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University.
Prior to becoming president at Kingsborough, she served as provost and senior vice president at Bronx Community College, CUNY; as associate provost at William Paterson University of New Jersey; and as associate provost at Medgar Evers College, CUNY, where she also held faculty rank with tenure. Dr. Schrader also taught as an adjunct at Teachers College, Columbia University, Bank Street College, and the College of New Rochelle. Her professional service includes serving as a peer evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; membership on the American Association of Community College’s (AACC) National Council for Black American Affairs; and a 3-year term on the AACC Commission on Diversity, Inclusion and Equity.
Dr. Schrader takes seriously her responsibility of leading at a critical time in not only in the KCC’s history, but during a time where the place of community colleges in the landscape of higher education has assumed significant attention. Access, affordability, a solid liberal arts foundation, job training and employment readiness are enduring reasons why she believes that community colleges will and must continue to be a viable option for those who seek to improve their lives. Since assuming leadership of Kingsborough Community College, Dr. Schrader secured $1 million donation from Leonard & Louise Riggio, founders of Barnes & Noble for student scholarships. The gift stands as the largest gift in the College’s history.
For those who call Brooklyn, the most populated of the five boroughs their home, Kingsborough Community College, which holds the distinction of being the borough’s only community college, stands as a beacon of opportunity. KCC has long tradition of excellence. It is the first CUNY institution to be recognized three times by the Aspen Institute as one of the Top 10 community colleges in the nation.; holds a nationally recognized model for Learning Communities; and most recently ranked #5 in 2019 by Nurse Explorer for RN programs within New York City/CUNY. The College was recently awarded $1,186,900 by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration to its Division of Workforce Development, Strategic Partnerships & Office of Continuing Education to create a Job Corps Scholars Program for youth. Additionally, KCC also recently secured a $857,000 grant from the NYS Workforce Development Initiative for the development of a Maritime Technology Apprenticeship Program making it the first Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship program for marine mechanics in the nation.
Dr. Schrader believes strongly in giving back to her to both her local and global community. She is a Life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® and is an active member of the Eta Omega Omega chapter in the Bronx, where she has served as Recording Secretary, co-chair of the Rites of Passage Program and chair of the Leadership Committee. For the past 14 years, she has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity Global Village Program building homes in Brazil, El Salvador, Vietnam, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia and Thailand for families in need.