The Office of External Affairs at John Jay College sets strategic direction, provides leadership, and oversees the planning and implementation of the College's government affairs and community relations activities and initiatives to support the institution's mission, academic excellence and student success.
The office builds and fosters new and enriching relationships with diverse constituencies including, government, community and civic organizations, and policy-oriented stakeholders to advance the College's goals and objectives and to raise awareness about the importance of investing in public higher education, especially at a Hispanic-Serving and Minority-Serving Institution committed to academic excellence and economic mobility.
Led by Mindy Bockstein, Executive Director of External Affairs, the office represents and advocates for the College at legislative sessions, and before federal, state and city public policy-makers, national and local agencies, and the United States Congress. Working with the City University of New York (CUNY), the Office of External Affairs supports system-wide imperatives and priorities. Additionally, the office represents the College at community events, hearings, and public announcements, and interfaces with community and thought leaders.
The office oversees the College’s response to a wide range of political and policy issues. It serves as the primary liaison to public officials at the city, state, and federal levels. External Affairs leads strategic efforts to obtain government funding and resources and assists in facilitating and promoting student applied-learning opportunities and faculty scholarship support in the public sector. External Affairs offers technical assistance to faculty, staff, students, and other college community members on a host of issues, including interaction with and outreach to external and government stakeholders for strategic engagement, participation at programs, and resource development.
The Office of External Affairs serves as the point-of-contact for government and community thought leaders and organizations in gaining access to the College's resources and assets, including expert faculty, student talent, and research to inform policy and practice. The office conducts external outreach to highlight College scholarship, events and campus activities. Additionally, it plans and orchestrates strategic events and special initiatives involving internal and external stakeholders to encourage civic engagement, promote creative activities and foster lifelong learning. Further, External Affairs curates campus visits from high-level government leaders to showcase the vibrant and diverse College community and to highlight John Jay College as a national convener and cutting-edge center for research and innovation in criminal and social justice issues.
