History of SEEK

Program Origins

SEEK’s origins can be traced to the 1965 Pre-Baccalaureate (Pre-Bac) Program, piloted at City College and designed to support Black and Latino students through academic assistance, financial aid, and counseling services. This early model was soon extended to Brooklyn College and became a catalyst for reevaluating how CUNY identified and supported talented students whose potential wasn’t fully captured by test scores or GPA.

During this era, Brooklyn College alumna Shirley Chisholm, who had graduated in 1946 after an active and advocacy driven undergraduate experience, emerged as a key legislative voice in Albany. Chisholm’s time at Brooklyn College—where she participated in the Debate Team and the Harriet Tubman Society advocating for inclusion and representation—reflected the very inequities that SEEK would later address. Her advocacy, alongside Manhattan Borough President Percy Ellis Sutton, helped transform Pre-Bac from a temporary initiative into a fully legislated opportunity program.

Formal Establishment

In 1966, the SEEK (Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge) Program was formally established, becoming the first state funded academic opportunity program in the nation. Its’ mission expanded beyond academic support to include tailored coursework, mentorship, counseling, and financial assistance. SEEK also encouraged CUNY colleges—including Brooklyn College—to diversify their faculty and rethink admissions practices, contributing to the broader movement that led to CUNY’s Open Admissions policy in 1970.

Over the following decades, SEEK evolved into an essential part of the CUNY system. Brooklyn College’s SEEK program became a hub for academic support, community connection, and leadership development—offering tutoring, specialized academic advisement, and financial resources that enable students to thrive. More than 100,000 CUNY students, including numerous Brooklyn College students, have been supported through SEEK programs, each building on this legacy of access and empowerment.

ExpanDING OPPORTUNITY

In 2011, SEEK was renamed the Percy Ellis Sutton SEEK Program, honoring Sutton’s leadership in establishing the legislation that made SEEK permanent and expansive. Today, the program continues to reflect the values shared by student advocates, educators, and leaders like Chisholm and Sutton: that higher education must be accessible, equitable, and rooted in student success.

As Brooklyn College celebrates SEEK at 60 in 2026, the program stands as a testament to decades of perseverance—by students who pushed for opportunity, by communities who demanded justice, and by leaders who built pathways where none existed. SEEK’s history is Brooklyn College’s history, and its future is shaped by the students who walk through its doors each year.