# Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership

Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at the City College of New York (CCNY) is a nonpartisan educational, training, and research center named after its founder, General Colin L. Powell, USA (Retired), a graduate of CCNY. The Powell School is home to the social sciences at CCNY as well as the core leadership development, business, psychology, and public service programs of the College. The current dean is Andrew Rich.
The School is located at 160 Convent Avenue, in NAC building 6/141 on the City College of New York campus, in Harlem west.

## Mission

The mission of the Colin Powell School is to "Lift Leaders, Shift Power, and Transform Society." This reflects the belief that the future requires globally-minded, diverse leaders capable of engaging in analytically rigorous and evidence-based debates. The school aims to develop individuals with deep training in the social sciences, equipped to lead across various industries and sectors, and prepared to address current global challenges and inequities. The school's mission is to cultivate these leaders.

## Vision

The Colin Powell School aspires to prepare students to not only take power but also challenge existing power structures, becoming leaders dedicated to serving both the city and society. This is achieved by combining a rigorous education in the social sciences with values that emphasize leadership development, civic engagement, and social justice. The school is committed to fostering social mobility for a student body that is over 85% people of color, with many students being immigrants, first-generation college attendees, and from lower-income neighborhoods.
The Powell School contributes to the mission of City College, founded in 1847 as the nation's first public higher education institution. City College's founding principle was to provide an affordable, world-class education to "the children of the whole people," regardless of race, creed, class, or economic status. The Powell School works closely with faculty and students to integrate its vision of leadership and service-oriented education into its courses and research, acting as a bridge between academia and policymaking.

## History

The Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership has its roots in the Colin Powell Center for Policy Studies, which was established in 1997 by General Colin L. Powell, a distinguished alumnus of City College of New York (CCNY), class of 1958. The Center's original mission was to provide a platform for studying the social and economic forces that impact New York City, encouraging collaboration between students, faculty, and community organizations.
Over time, the mission of the Center expanded to more fully reflect General Powell’s vision, focusing on the development of leadership skills, service-learning, and addressing key areas such as international development and global security, education, the environment, community and economic development, and health.
In 2011, the Center’s name was changed to the Colin L. Powell Center for Leadership and Service to better align with its evolving mission. This shift marked a broadening of focus to leadership development and public service, while continuing its emphasis on community engagement and social justice.
In 2013, CCNY formally established the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, merging the Colin Powell Center with the Division of Social Sciences. This union integrated the Center’s focus on public service and leadership with CCNY’s long-standing academic strengths in the social sciences, creating a comprehensive school dedicated to fostering leadership in a global and civic context.
The social sciences at CCNY have a rich history dating back nearly a century, with the College consistently offering renowned academic programs in various disciplines. With the creation of the Colin Powell School, the legacy of social science education at CCNY was combined with the mission of leadership development, community-based research, and service learning. The new school aims to address the pressing issues of equity, diversity, prosperity, stability, and peace, both in society and globally.
In 2016, the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership celebrated the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Division of Social Sciences at CCNY, marking a significant milestone in its commitment to producing leaders dedicated to public service and social change.

## Departments and Academic Programs

The Colin Powell School houses five academic departments:
Anthropology and Interdisciplinary Programs, Economics and Business, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology.
The school offers a range of undergraduate and graduate programs, including Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program, Bachelor’s degrees in fields like Political Science, Economics, Management, Psychology and Sociology, as well as graduate programs in Mental Health Counselling, Public Administration and International Affairs.

## Centers and Institutes

In addition to its academic departments, the Colin Powell School is home to several centers and institutes, including:
CUNY Dominican Studies Institute, Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice, The Moynihan Center, Social Mobility Lab.

## Community Impact

The school is dedicated to addressing the needs of diverse, underrepresented populations, with a student body composed primarily of people of color, first-generation college students, and those from lower-income backgrounds. The Colin Powell School emphasizes social mobility and public service as central to its academic mission.
The Hebrew Free Loan Society of New York entered into a partnership with the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at The City College of New York "to provide interest-free emergency loans of up to $2,000 to currently-enrolled low and moderate-income students."

## Fellowships and Internships

The School operates a wide range of fellowship programs for students. The school sponsors 150 fellows each school year from across CCNY’s schools and divisions. In FY 2023-24 the school provided $1M in Scholarships and Stipends Empowering students to focus on their career aspirations. 100 Internship partners providing students with invaluable real-world experience and professional opportunities.
Undergraduate Fellowships:
Aligning Impact Fellowship: This fellowship supports students working on projects that align with their academic studies while creating positive social or environmental impact.
Climate Policy Fellows Program: This program trains students to engage in the development of policies addressing climate change and sustainability on local, national, and global levels.
Colin Powell—Bloom Energy Innovation Fellowship: Focused on innovative solutions for energy sustainability, this fellowship allows students to explore the intersection of technology and environmental leadership.
Colin Powell Fellowship in Leadership and Public Service: This prestigious fellowship empowers students to develop leadership skills and engage in community service projects with a focus on public impact.
Honors Program in Legal Studies: This fellowship provides advanced students with opportunities for in-depth study and mentorship in legal theory, advocacy, and policy.
Inner Circle Journalism Fellowship: Designed for students interested in pursuing careers in journalism, this fellowship provides exposure to the field through hands-on reporting and networking.
International Human Rights Fellowship: This fellowship offers students the chance to work on global human rights issues, preparing them for careers in advocacy and international law.
Mixner LGBTQ+ Equal Rights Fellowship: Focused on advancing LGBTQ+ rights, this fellowship supports students working in advocacy, policy development, and social justice initiatives.
Moynihan Center Public Service Fellowship: Named after Daniel Patrick Moynihan, this fellowship supports students committed to public service and provides opportunities for research and civic engagement.
Racial Justice Fellows Program: This fellowship develops leaders focused on addressing racial inequalities and promoting social justice through policy and community action.
Santander Finance Fellowship: Designed for students pursuing careers in finance, this fellowship provides financial support and professional development in the financial sector.
Semester in DC Fellowship: This fellowship offers students the opportunity to spend a semester in Washington, D.C., gaining experience through internships with government agencies or policy organizations.
Graduate Fellowship:
Colin Powell Graduate Fellowship in Leadership and Public Service: This graduate-level fellowship empowers students to pursue careers in leadership and public service by providing financial support and opportunities for professional development in the public sector.

## Board of Visitors

The School's board of visitors, chaired by Linda Powell, is a noteworthy group of public figures, former government officials, business leaders, writers, and journalists, including:
* Marco Antonio Achón
Global Head of Corporate Banking, Santander Corporate & Investment Banking
* Shahara Ahmad-Llewellyn
Commissioner and Philanthropist
* James A. Baker, III
Former Secretary of State
* Thomas L. Blair
Chairman, Blair Companies
* Vince Boudreau
President, The City College of New York
* Robert B. Catell ‘58
Chairman, AERTC, Stony Brook University
* Peggy Haberstroh Cifrino
Principal Assistant to General Colin Powell
* Martin Cohen ‘70
Co-Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer Cohen & Steers, Inc.
* Cesar Conde
Chairman, NBC Universal News Group
* Samuel Ebbesen ‘61
General (USA), Ret.
* Richard J. Henley '78
President and CEO Healthcare Strategic Solutions, LLC
* Trevor Houser '07
Partner, Rhodium Group
* Linda Kaplan Thaler ‘72
Chair, Kaplan Thaler Management
* Richard M. Krasno
Executive Director Emeritus, William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust
* Jeffrey T. Leeds
President and Co-Founder of Leeds Equity
* Linda Powell
Executive Vice President, National Board, SAG-AFTRA Chair of Board of Visitors, Colin Powell School
* Andrew Rich
Richard J. Henley and Susan L. Davis Dean, Colin Powell School
* David M. Rubenstein
Co-Founder, The Carlyle Group Stephen Schwarzman Chairman and CEO, The Blackstone Group
* Manan (Mike) Shah ‘94
Partner, Milbank LLP
* Sy Sternberg‘65
Retired Chairman and CEO New York Life Insurance Company
* Liz Weikes
Managing Director and Wealth Partner J.P. Morgan Wealth Management
* Beatrice Welters
Philanthropist
* Fareed Zakaria
Editor at Large, Time, Inc.