"Campus Update" is a weekly e-newsletter published by LaGuardia's Division of Communications and External Affairs to provide news and information to the college community.

NEWS

Council Member Julie Won and LaGuardia Community College President Kenneth Adams Celebrate the Women of Queens

Council Member Julie Won (26th District) and LaGuardia President Kenneth Adams honored nine women from the Queens community for their selfless dedication, commitment to community service, and hard work, at an event on March 22. The “Celebrating the Women of Queens” event is held annually during Women’s History Month. Former Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan began the tradition in 2010; when she stepped down in 2022 after representing western Queens for 38 years, Council Member Won picked up the torch to recognize women working to empower and enrich their communities. The above photo shows President Adams and Council Member Won with this year’s honorees (from left to right): Dr. Rhonda Mouton, Director of LaGuardia CARES; Melissa Orlando, Community organizer for victims of the December 20, 2023 Sunnyside fire; Corrine Haynes, President of the NYCHA Queensbridge Houses Resident Association; Laura Rothrock, President of the Long Island City Partnership; Dr. Preethi Radhakrishnan, LaGuardia Biology Professor and Environmental Science Program Director; Dr. Cory Rowe, LaGuardia Criminal Justice Professor and Director of the LaGuardia–Rikers college credit program; and Katherine Zink and Fanny Chang, both community organizers for victims of the December 20, 2023 Sunnyside fire.

LaGuardia Alumni Artist Lecture Series Features Elias Williams 

LaGuardia students, faculty and staff are invited to meet Elias Williams ('12, Commercial Photography), LaGuardia alumnus and notable photographer, from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., March 27, in Room B-326 (3rd floor of the B Building). Elias Williams is a photographer born, raised, and working in New York City. Through long-term portrait-based projects he celebrates historically underrepresented communities referencing lived experiences through the nuances of music, pride, race and resilience. His photographs have been showcased at the Photoville Festival, International Photo Festival Leiden, the Morris Museum, and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Museum of the City of New York. This program was funded in part by the Title V Project Conexión grant from the US Department of Education. For more information, contact Professor Maureen Drennan [email protected]

LaGuardia Student Launches Gratis Grove to Help Community

Food insecurity continues to be a problem in New York City. Adam Sanchez, a Liberal Arts: Political Science major, has found a way to help his community in Queens find free food through Gratis Grove, a community refrigerator offering free food and beverages to the community. “The pandemic opened my eyes to a lot of injustices, one of which is food insecurity,” he says. “I was inspired by volunteering during the pandemic and meeting people who showed me what true mutual aid is.” Gratis Grove Community Fridge is located right on the corner of 61-02 39th Avenue in Woodside, Queens. Adam and the other volunteers work with different food pantries in Queens to acquire the food, and also accept donations – “People can contact us on Instagram or e-mail to schedule a pickup. We also encourage community engagement, so everyone is welcome to come and donate food on their own.” 

LaGuardia Hosts Spring Transfer Fair

On March 27, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., students are invited to connect and explore college opportunities after graduation. Senior CUNY, SUNY and private college representatives gathered in the Atrium, located in the E-Building, to answer questions and get information on the next steps to earning a four-year degree. For more information, contact Julianne Salazar at [email protected] or Josie Bergin-Ko at [email protected].

Campus Life Invites Students to Spring Fest/Club Fest 

Joining or starting a club in college can be a great way to get involved on campus, meet people, explore different interests, and learn about group dynamics. It can also be fun and help reduce the stress of late study nights and heavy academic workloads. Campus Life is hosting the Spring Fest/Club Fest from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., March 27, in the M-Building Gymnasium—please encourage your students to attend. For more information, contact Campus Life at [email protected]

LaGuardia Community Invited to Celebrate 10 Years of First Year Seminar 

Join the college community in celebrating the 10th anniversary of LaGuardia’s First Year Seminar (FYS) in an inspiring atmosphere. The event is scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m., April 10 in the Atrium, located on the first floor of the E-Building. Hear from LaGuardia students and alumni about the impact of the FYS on their success and network with Student Success Mentors (SSMs), faculty, and staff who make the FYS possible. Share your FYS experiences, while learning about new resources to support your continued success at LaGuardia. Light refreshments and raffle prizes will be available! For more information contact [email protected]

Interfaith Council Launching in April 

Students, faculty and staff are invited to attend LaGuardia’s Interfaith Council on April 17, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., in room E-500. The LaGuardia Community College Interfaith Council was formed to openly and peacefully spark respectful dialogue about faith and its role in our lives. The Council also aims to provide a safe space for students to explore their own faith journeys and learn from diverse religious and spiritual perspectives. For more information, please contact Alexis McLean at [email protected] or Choon Shan Lai at [email protected]

LaGuardia Celebrates Women’s History Month with “HERStory in the Making”

LaGuardia is celebrating Women’s History Month with “HERStory in the Making,” a series of events highlighting the historical and continued contributions and achievements of women, and all those who fight for women’s rights. Programming focuses on the doers and changemakers at the forefront of political, artistic, and educational advancement. Learn more and add events to your calendar here

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ad Astra Celebrates 10th Issue and 10th Anniversary of CRSP

Ad Astra is celebrating its 10th issue—during these years it has grown to an online platform with around 100 articles published, giving more than 150 LaGuardia students and faculty members an opportunity to communicate their research and artistic works to the college community and beyond. The CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP) is also celebrating its 10th anniversary this year which prompted the publication of two editions of the Special Edition of Ad Astra (#10) and the regular edition of Ad Astra

Commencement Student Speaker Applications Now Being Accepted 

With Commencement coming up soon on June 21, applications to serve as Commencement Student Speaker are now being accepted. Faculty and staff are encouraged to invite graduating students who have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, and who embody the spirit of the graduating class to apply by May 3


Please visit our Commencement webpage for additional information; details regarding arrival times, directions, and more will be added over the coming weeks. 

Faculty and Staff Volunteers Needed for Commencement 

Preparations are well underway to celebrate LaGuardia’s 52nd graduating class at Commencement, taking place June 21 on the Quad at Queens College. Celebrating the hard work and achievements of our students takes a large team. Sign up to work on site at Queens College on Commencement Day. Help is needed with the student line up, ushering graduates and guests, check in, site set up, wheelchair assistance, and more. Faculty and staff are invited to attend Commencement and can RSVP here. Faculty wishing to march in the procession must wear academic regalia; rentals are available through Herff Jones, if needed. Orders may be placed online for shipment to your address or for pick-up on campus in June (the deadline for on-campus pick-up or home shipping is April 24). 

LaGuardia Staff Invited April 10 to Have Lunch with President Adams

Kenneth Adams, President of LaGuardia Community College invites staff to participate in a chat n’ chew, from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., April 10, in room E-501. The lunch will offer staff an opportunity to ask questions, share concerns, and ideas with President Adams. Staff members who are interested can sign up here. Space is limited. No formal agenda, no fancy food — just a chance to meet and catch up! 

LaGuardia Students Encouraged to Submit Decal Designs

Nearly one billion birds are injured or killed by collisions with glass every year in the United States. LaGuardia Community College is doing its part to help reduce that number. The College invites all students to design a 9-inch diameter, circular artwork using school colors (red, black, white, and grey). The art should reflect the spirit, diversity, and energy of the college, while creatively preventing bird collisions with the glass. Selected work will be printed and installed in the E-Building (pictured to the left). For the design, students can use colored markers, paint, or digital tools to create a design on a 9-inch round surface. Finished art with name and email can be dropped off in the Art Department Office, Room M-223 by April 5. 

Students, Faculty and Staff: Vote on Naming 29th Street Space

For the past two years, LaGuardia Community College has used various names to identify the open street on 29th Street, such as "LaGuardia Community Greenway," "The Plaza," and "La Plaza." We need you to help us select a name which we will formally use across the college. The deadline to vote is April 17, 2024.


VOTE HERE

As a pilot program in 2022, organized by the President’s Society Environment Program, "the Greenway" was introduced as a pop-up space for outdoor activities and programming on 29th Street, stretching from Skillman Avenue to 47th Avenue. In 2023, the success of the pop-up "Greenway" inspired the LaGuardia community to partner with New York City’s Open Streets program to bring back "the Greenway" with a series of eight days filled with events and activities that reflect our community’s diversity, culture, and spirit. Learn more about the vision for the 29th street closure here

1LaGuardia: Raise Your Voice, Respect Each Other 

LaGuardia’s Office of Compliance and Diversity educates and develops a workforce that embraces cultural competence, intersectionality, and aids in ensuring compliance with Federal, State, City, and CUNY Policies on Sexual Misconduct and Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination. LaGuardia encourages a positive and welcoming environment free from harassment and discrimination of any kind. Learn about: 

Professional Headshots for Faculty and Staff

LaGuardia’s Communications and External Affairs Division is hosting a series of “Photo Days” for faculty and staff who need to update their professional headshots! The Photo Days are scheduled from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Room E-509. Book your timeslot here for one of the following dates:


  • Wednesday, April 10
  • Wednesday, May 15
  • Wednesday, June 12


For more information contact Anastasia Figuera, photographer, Ext. 7471.

LaGuardia Hosts “One CUNY Caribbean Symposium”

On Tuesday, April 2, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., LaGuardia Campus Life in partnership with the Multicultural Exchange and Casa de las Américas will host representatives of four CUNY Caribbean focused centers and institutes: the Caribbean Studies Center at Medgar Evers, the Dominican Studies Institute at City College, the Haitian Studies Institute at Brooklyn College, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College. Each will give an overview of their work and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso will make a keynote presentation. The symposium will take place in the Little Theater, followed by a networking and tabling engagement in the Poolside Café.

From the Budget Office

The FY2024 Tax Levy February 29, 2024 Operating Budgets by department are available for viewing

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

College and Career Connect Accepting Applications Through May 31

Supported by grants from the Heckscher and Petrie foundations, College and Career Connect (C3) at LaGuardia, through the Center for Teaching and Learning, offers 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 high school graduates the opportunity to take a free three-credit course at LaGuardia during Spring II. The program also includes access to peer mentoring, financial literacy and career readiness programming. Participants will receive a MetroCard to get them to and from campus, as well as be eligible for $500 stipend upon successful completion of the program (including regular attendance). Prospective students must have not yet enrolled in college or have enrolled previously, earned less than 7 credits, and not currently be enrolled in school. C3 will accept applications until May 31. Students can apply to C3 and see additional eligibility criteria online. If you know any students who may be eligible, please encourage them to apply. Questions about C3 can be directed to Ellen Quish and David Brandt.

Four Faculty Receive CUNY Office of Academic Affairs Fellowships

The Office of Academic Affairs at CUNY Central has selected four LaGuardia faculty to receive Strategic Innovation Fellowships. This fellowship will support faculty embedded within OAA offices full time this summer and fall and provide them with scaffolded professional development opportunities.


Here are the four LaGuardia faculty selected, along with the respective offices they'll be working with:


  • Office of K-16 Initiatives: Dr. Payal Doctor
  • Office of Careers & Industry Partnerships: Dr. Robin Kietlinski
  • Office of Academic Innovation: Dr. Joshua Tan 
  • Office of Health and Human Services: Dr. Kathleen Karsten

ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

Virtual Office Available Every Friday for Enrollment Assistance

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Students looking for enrollment services support can now access virtual office hours every Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Virtual One Stop takes place on Zoom and allows students to drop in and meet with staff from the Admissions, International Student Services, Registrar, Student Financial Services, Student Information Center, Transfer Credit Evaluation and Testing offices.  

CONTINUING EDUCATION

LaGuardia’s Continuing Education Resource Fair Welcomes Students to Learn About Resources and Opportunities

The Adult and Continuing Education Division of LaGuardia Community College hosted its Continuing Education Fair on March 25 in the C-Building for students. The fair included resources to help students learn about High School Equivalency/GED and College Prep, English as a Second Language, Workforce Training and Certificate Programs, Healthcare, Technology and skilled trades and small business and entrepreneur services. The free event also provided information about the College’s Career Development Center, Credit for Prior Learning, College Admissions, and LaGuardia CARES.

LIBRARY NEWS

Updates from LaGuardia’s Library

HUMAN RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL UPDATES

CUNY Time to Vote Policy 


The Presidential Primary election is April 2, 2024. Please review the CUNY Time to Vote policy, which is posted on the University Human Resources website. 


  • Employees are eligible for voting leave only if they do not have four consecutive hours either between the opening of the polls and the beginning of their working shift, or between the end of their working shift and the closing of the polls; and
  • Employees who do not have a four-hour window are eligible to take off only as much working time as will enable, when added to their voting time outside working hours, the employee to vote, up to three hours of which time must be without loss of pay.  


This is also a reminder that early voting takes place between Saturday, March 23, 2024, to Saturday, March 30, 2024. Voting FAQs can be found here.  


If an employee plans to take time off to vote per the guidelines above, the employee should indicate the hours on the corresponding timesheet. 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Fastest and Best Way to Get Technology Help 


Whenever you have any technology-related problems—whether it’s with apps like CUNYfirst, Outlook, or the Faculty & Staff Portal, etc. or with any network services or computer equipment — the fastest and best way to get help is to contact the IT HelpDesk by opening a ticket through the Faculty & Staff Portal, or by calling 718-482-6134. 

Protect Your Data! Take the CUNY Cybersecurity Awareness Training Course Today!  


Given the rapidly increasing threats to our cybersecurity, CUNY is taking various actions to safeguard the security of our data. To that end, CUNY recently created a 40-minute Cybersecurity Awareness training course, designed specifically for faculty and staff. This course covers many cybersecurity risks, such as phishing attacks, spam, and hacked accounts, and best practices for safeguarding your data. You can view the course on Blackboard. All LaGuardia faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to take this course as soon as possible to protect their own and the University's data. If you have any questions regarding the training, please contact Maritza Acero.

LAGUARDIA IN THE HEADLINES

QNS: Council Member Won and LaGuardia Community College Co-host 'Celebrating the Women of Queens'


NEW YORK TIMES: A $116 million grant to LaGuardia Community College. 


NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: Editorial: Cohens’ community college home run: A huge gift for LaGuardia will help thousands every year.


NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: Steve and Alex Cohen donate $116M to LaGuardia Community College — largest gift in CUNY history.


INSIDE HIGHER ED: LaGuardia Community College has been awarded a $116.2 million grant to develop a state-of-the art workforce training center. The gift comes from the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation, led by philanthropist Alex Cohen.


CHRONICLE OF PHILANTHROPY: LaGuardia Community College Scores $116.2 Million From the Owners of the New York Mets.


FORBES: LaGuardia Community College receives a record $116 million gift. 


OBSERVER:Billionaires Steve Cohen and Alexandra Cohen are giving a staggering $116.2 million to LaGuardia Community College, a public institution in Long Island City, Queens. 


LA VOCE DI NEW YORK: Another mega-donation for a New York college. After the record-breaking $1 billion check written by his widow Ruth Gottesman at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine in the Bronx, this time it was the turn of a public institution in Queens. LaGuardia Community College will receive a $116.2 million grant from the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation to build a state-of-the-art vocational training facility on its Long Island City campus, a stone's throw from Manhattan.


CITY & STATE NEW YORK: LaGuardia Community College received a $116.2 million donation from Steve and Alex Cohen.


DIVERSE: ISSUES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: Foundation Awards $116M Grant to LaGuardia Community College.


QNS: Mets owners award more than $116M to LaGuardia Community College to establish Cohen Career Collective on LIC campus.


LIC POST:The Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation has awarded a grant of $116.2 million to LaGuardia Community College to create a new state-of-the-art workforce training center at its Long Island City campus. 


AM NEW YORK/ MSN: Mets owners award more than $116M to LaGuardia Community College to establish Cohen Career Collective on the LIC campus. 


NEWS 12: Visually Impaired Students Take Part in Basketball Workshop with LaGuardia Community College Team.

EVENTS

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"Campus Update" is produced and published by the Communications and External Affairs Division. Faculty and staff who wish to submit items for publication can email [email protected]. Submissions must be received by 5 p.m. Monday to be considered for publication on Wednesday.