Dr. Claudia V. Schrader
A veteran CUNY educator, in her 15 months on the job, Schrader oversaw significant improvements to campus facilities, including the establishment of a graduate student lounge and upgrades to common areas, the cafeteria and the public safety break room.She established the York Opportunity Network (YON), a consortium of community and interfaith organizations and businesses mobilized to empower pre-college youth by showcasing York College as a premier institution where they can achieve their academic and career goals.
Prior to her appointment at York, Schrader was the first African American president of CUNY’s Kingsborough Community College. During her five-year tenure, the college opened its first satellite location and launched initiatives such as KCC FLEX, one of CUNY’s earliest online hybrid degree programs, to provide adult learners with an affordable, flexible way to obtain a college degree. Under her leadership, Kingsborough twice advanced to the final round of 10 schools competing for the highly prestigious Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.
Earlier in her career, Schrader served in leadership posts at two other CUNY colleges: She was provost and senior vice president for academic and student success at Bronx Community College; and associate provost at Medgar Evers College, where she also held a tenured appointment as an associate professor of education and served as her department’s deputy chair. She has also been associate provost at William Patterson University in New Jersey.
Born and raised in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Schrader earned her bachelor’s degree at Rutgers University and three graduate degrees in education — two master’s and her doctorate — from Teachers College, Columbia University.
