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I cannot believe it’s almost the end of 2025. That being noted, I do hope that you are looking forward to the last push of the fall semester and that you have serious plans to step back and reconnect with what’s important over the relative stillness of the winter break.
This fall has seen our academic community come together in earnest to tackle several large, important, and in many ways intriguing projects. These are all major undertakings with important repercussions. As with most such projects, the journey will likely prove at least as important as the destination. For them to be successful, we must envision ourselves as an institution: a dynamic whole that is comprised of many complex parts, none of which is more important than the other, and that together create a synergy greater than their sum.
On December 3, we had our first open meeting of the Academic Renewal Initiative Working Group. Chairs and program directors were in attendance for a brief overview presentation and an extended question and answer period. The Academic Renewal Initiative is a holistic review of our academic programming at Queens College. The working group will produce a report that advises President Wu about the relative health of our academic programs; identifying opportunities for investment in existing and new programs; and sizing the academic enterprise to align with our predicted enrollment. Our second open meeting will be in February of next year. If you are a chair or a program director, I strongly encourage you to attend. In March and April, departments and programs will be invited to sign up for an in-person visit from members of the working group to discuss preliminary data analysis and gather additional feedback.
Given that academics is our core business, the work done under the aegis of the Academic Renewal Initiative will form a central plank of our upcoming strategic planning exercise. Early in 2026, we will provide an update on the accomplishments arising from the Queens College 2021-2026 Strategic Plan. Later in the spring of 2026, you will receive communication about the next strategic planning timeline and process directly from the president.
Faculty in four departments—Chemistry and Biochemistry; European Languages and Literatures; History; and Secondary Education and Youth Services—are working in partnership with the Academic Senate to propose a unified framework for course numbering to be adopted across Queens College. Why is this needed? Over the nearly 90 years of our existence, our course numbering structure has evolved organically, resulting in departments using very different numbering systems today. Some use three digits, others four, and still others use five. There are varied conventions—dots, dashes, and alpha characters—to indicate specific types of courses such as labs, field courses, writing intensive, etc. And for some reason we do not use the number “4” at the beginning of any undergraduate course sequence, even though we are a four-year institution. These disparate systems make sense for individual departments, but it creates confusion for students who are scanning the catalogue looking for appropriate courses. For those departments with three-digit numbering conventions, they will, or have already, run out of numbering real estate. And Middle States—our accreditor—expects member institutions to have a legible, consistent course numbering architecture. This is a big project, and the pilot group is expected to consult widely before bringing a resolution through the Academic Senate. Make sure to keep an eye on their work as it evolves.
Speaking of Middle States, our institutional reaffirmation of accreditation is moving toward its culmination: the site visit by our peer evaluator team, scheduled for March 22-25, 2026. Our Self-Study Report—the key document produced by the college—is being copy-edited by the Office of Communications and Marketing now, and will be released to the Queens College community as well as to Middle States in early 2026. Many of you have worked alongside me and the members of the Executive Steering Committee and the working group co-chairs over the last two-plus years to ready ourselves for this momentous event in the life of our institution. Thanks to all who have participated thus far. Be on the lookout for a communication about opportunities to engage with the peer evaluators when they arrive on campus in March.
Detailed information on these and other projects led out of my office can be found on my website under the “Initiatives” tab. Do take a moment to inform yourself about these important endeavors.
This is the season of thankfulness. The past four years—in fits and starts but always forward—have provided for me a window onto how special Queens College truly is. My respect for our academic community has deepened immensely over this time. I have great appreciation for the creativity, commitment, and willingness to partner as we continue to move forward in this sometimes-challenging work. Thank you.
My very best wishes to you and yours during this holiday season.
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