"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. | |
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The spring semester kicks off in just a few short weeks, and we are looking forward to welcoming new and returning students to campus. To ensure a smooth start to the semester, staff volunteers are needed to support students during this peak time. Can you please lend a hand?
First Week Volunteers
For many first-semester students, and some continuing students, this will be their first time on-campus. Staff volunteers are needed to serve as greeters and in other roles, including:
- Greeters (welcome students entering campus and direct them as needed)
- Usher (guide students around the buildings)
- Vax (help students upload vaccination documentation)
- Financial Aid/Admissions
- Advising
- Triage
First time staff volunteers must attend a brief training session on Zoom at one of the following times:
- Friday, February 24 at 11 a.m.
- Friday, March 3 at 12 p.m.
Training links will be sent out to volunteers.
Sign up to volunteer here by March 5.
Thank you in advance for your help in ensuring a great start to the semester for our students.
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Faculty Prepare Future Teachers to Incorporate Digital Literacy Into Classroom Curriculum
Faculty of the Education Program at LaGuardia are part of a new $14 million four-year CUNY initiative that looks to incorporate lessons about computational thinking and computer literacy into the classroom, beginning with the youngest of students and continuing through grade 12. The initiative is funded by Google, Gotham Gives, the New York City Department of Education, and the Robin Hood Learning Technology Fund and is designed to meet New York State’s digital fluency standards. This academic year alone LaGuardia’s Education Program is receiving approximately $360,000 from the CUNY Computing Integrated Teacher Education (CITE) initiative. The funds will be used to update curriculum, train faculty, develop new courses, and cover the tuition for public school teachers’ professional development credentialing. Students and public school teachers alike will learn a range of computing topics, skills and issues, including cyber-awareness, password protection, algorithms, debugging, and gaming. Projects that received funding from CUNY CITE are led by LaGuardia faculty Caterina Almendral, Angela Cornelius, Michele de Goeas-Malone, Monika Ekiert, Leigh Garrison-Fletcher, Givanni Oldefonso, Bede McCormack, and Maria Savva.
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LaGuardia to Launch Hydroponic Lab through NY Sun Works Program and Community Project Funding
NY Sun Works Director Manuela Zamora in partnership with Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) announced the expansion of climate and sustainability education through new state-of-the-art hydroponic farms at 20 schools in Brooklyn and Queens, including LaGuardia Community College. The total investment of the expansion is $800,000 in Community Project Funding, reaching thousands of students in Brooklyn and Queens. The hydroponic lab at LaGuardia will be the first within CUNY. LaGuardia will receive ongoing professional development training for science educators and weekly visits from a hydroponic specialist to guide teachers in hydroponic systems maintenance, provide planting, harvest, and produce distribution support; and clean, prep, and trouble-shoot systems.
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Julian Poli Joins LaGuardia’s Student Success Mentors to Guide New Students in Spring 2023 Semester
February is crunch-time Student Success Mentors (SSM), like civil engineering major Julian Poli —they’re gearing up for the start of the spring semester. In addition to welcoming new students, there is also a new cohort of SSMs to train.
"The primary role of an SSM is to be a mentor for new students and teach them how to be a successful student at LaGuardia,” said Julian. “We work to set them up for success—make sure they know about college resources and help alleviate their nerves about starting college by relating to them by sharing our own experiences and what we learned from them.”
While other CUNYs may have something with some similar attributes, LaGuardia is the only college with an SSM program. SSMs are paid positions, and typically work 10-16 hours per week.
SSMs play a big role in new student orientation. “We lead one section (about an hour long) where we talk to new students about what to expect at the college. We go through tools such as My LaGuardia, Degree Works, Blackboard, and programs like ASAP,” said Julian. “Basically, we tell the students about things they should be thinking about now, if they haven't done so already.”
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LaGuardia Celebrates BHM
February is Black History Month (BHM), honoring the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout U.S. history. LaGuardia Community College proudly recognizes the Black Pioneers who played critical roles in the history of African Americans, including James West (pictured here). Visit the DEI website to learn about Black Pioneers and upcoming BHM events.
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Spring 2023 Opening Sessions Scheduled March 6
President Kenneth Adams and college leaders will discuss various initiatives at Spring 2023 Opening Sessions on Monday, March 6 at 10 a.m. Please RSVP to attend live in the Little Theater, or plan to watch live on YouTube.
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Students Encouraged to Apply for Community College Global Affairs Fellowship
The Community College Global Affairs Fellowship helps strengthen the international affairs talent ecosystem in the US. This fully paid fellowship will engage (at least) 30 American community college, transfer, and non-traditional students from across the US in 1-on-1 mentorship, as well as bring them to DC to participate in an immersive two-week summer enrichment program in June 2023. Participants must be U.S. citizens from groups such as first-generation, low-income, or from overlooked regions of the country. Applicants must have/be receiving an associate degree by August 2023 AND/OR plan to be starting at a 4-year university by Fall 2023. A daily stipend, roundtrip airfare, lodging, ground transportation to and from the airport in DC, and a per diem for meals and incidentals for each day of the program, will all be covered. The application deadline is March 1, 2023.
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LaGuardia Community Encouraged to Participate in DEI Women’s History Recognition
March is Women’s History Month, and LaGuardia Community College is recognizing women from across campus. Women from the LaGuardia community who wish to be featured on the DEI Instagram page can submit their photo and information here. To learn more, visit the DEI website or contact Wendy Nicholson, Executive Director of DEI at wnicholson@lagcc.cuny.edu.
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LAGUARDIA AND WAGNER ARCHIVES | |
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Gardiner-Shenker Student Scholars Interview City Council Member
On February 3rd, three students interviewed City Council Member Rita Joseph of District 40 in Brooklyn about her career, platform, and priorities in City Council. These students are participating in the Women in Government Project as part of the Gardiner-Shenker Student Scholars Program at the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives. The students—Valentina Farinacci, John Puga, and Lucia Chavira - researched and wrote the questions and this interview will be housed at the archives and on the project's website for future researchers. Two faculty, Maureen Drennan of the Commercial Photography Program and Dr. Anja Vojvodic of the Political Science Department, and one staff member, Dr. Molly Rosner, helped prepare the students and attended the interview. You can see previous interviews from the Women in Government project on our website.
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Architecture Students from Syracuse University visit the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives
Thirteen architecture students from the Fisher Center at Syracuse University in New York City, led by Professor Jess Myers, visited the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives last week on Monday to conduct research in the collection of the New York Housing Authority. The Archives has the most comprehensive collection on public housing in New York. Once here, students poured over maps, architectural drawings, statistical analyses, and photographs to learn more about public housing in general and more specifically the Stapleton Houses on Staten Island, and the Farragut and Cooper Park Houses in Brooklyn.
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Congresswoman Velázquez Visits LaGuardia and Learns About Students’ Perseverance
On February 17, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) visited the LaGuardia Community College campus and met with President Kenneth Adams and other senior leadership including Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Billie Gastic Rosado, Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance Shahir Erfan, Vice President for Adult and Continuing Education Sunil Gupta, Vice President of Communications and External Affairs Manny Romero, and Chief of Staff Nayelli Valencia Turrent. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss programs offered at LaGuardia. In addition, Congresswoman Velázquez had a chance to meet with students enrolled an ESL course offered through Adult and Continuing Education. Heather Barikmo, Director of the English Language Center, and Elizabeth Iannotti, Senior Director of ESOL Programs, were there to introduce the students. The Congresswoman heard first-hand the stories of international students who have come from all parts of the world and found LaGuardia as their resource to help them pursue their dreams.
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Faculty Spotlight: Psychology Professor Lynne Alston-Jackson Works to Destigmatize Mental Illness Using Pop Culture, Food, and Open Dialogue
Psychology professor Lynne Alston-Jackson recognizes the importance of mental health when it comes to her students’ success. Alston-Jackson joined LaGuardia in the fall of 1989 as a substitute, and she became a full-time faculty member at LaGuardia’s Counseling Department in 1991 and an adjunct faculty member of the Social Science Department.
Her approach to teaching psychology is aimed at destigmatizing taboos about mental illness and working to create a safe space for students to share their own stories. She does this by discussing representations of mental illness in pop culture as well as sharing stories about her own experiences with mental illness.
“I tell my students, ‘Eliminate the word ‘crazy’ from your vocabulary.’ – It is mental illness,” she says. “I always want to make my students comfortable to share. Over the last several years we’ve seen many celebrities who have come forward to talk about their own mental issues, whether on social media or on a podcast; and I discuss how celebrities are sharing and being more candid with their fans. The celebrity culture has shifted, and they (celebrities) have been brave to do that.”
Alston-Jackson holds a bachelor’s in psychology from Baruch College/CUNY and a master’s degree in development psychology from Columbia University’s Teacher College. She said social media has also contributed to the rise in mental health concerns.
“Social media can also feed into a person’s ability to handle mental issues,” Alston-Jackson said. “Every platform has something that feeds into a person’s thoughts. The need to support people’s mental health is everywhere.”
In addition to teaching, Alston-Jackson, who studied at The French Culinary Institute in SoHo, from 1996-1997, says cooking is therapeutic and a great way for her to control stress and stay focused.
“You have to find something that you truly love and will bring you happiness,” she said. “I love teaching, but I love cooking – it helps balance me. I make a mean roast chicken, but I’m not sharing my cooking secret.”
Correction: An earlier issue of this article incorrectly identified Professor Alston-Jackson as "Dr. Alston-Jackson;" we apologize for the error.
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Faculty Encouraged to Participate in COACHE Survey
The 2022-23 Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey will launch this month and close in early April 2023. Harvard University’s Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) is a consortium of institutional leaders working to improve outcomes for faculty. Conducting the COACHE survey at CUNY is part of the university’s commitment to its faculty and its mission, and the data generated from the survey will be important to our college. As such, we urge faculty to participate in the 25-minute survey. Stay tuned for detailed instructions and reminders via email from COACHE at coachefaculty@abtsurvey.com or coachefaculty@abtassoc.com. The email will contain a web-link that is uniquely yours so please don’t delete it.
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NEH Summer Institute "Border Waters” Seeks Faculty Applicants
Faculty are invited to apply to participate in the summer institute, "Border Waters,” funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Ten faculty fellows will read and discuss scholarly and creative works on borders, maritime cultures, and oceanic and riverine environments. In the mornings of our institute, we will attend talks with visiting scholars and artists doing innovative work in their fields. Applications are due by March 3, 2023; contact co-directors Filip Stabrowoski, Karen Miller, and Christopher Schmidt for more information.
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LaGuardia to Host Second Annual CUNY LGBTQI+ Student Conference
The CUNY LGBTQI+ Student Conference brings together LGBTQI+ students from across CUNY interested in learning more about leadership and creating change on our campuses and broader communities. What does leadership for social change look like? What does an inclusive CUNY look like? The conference encompasses workshops, a keynote address, and most importantly, bringing together Queer & Trans students, faculty, staff, and allies. The theme of this year's conference is Community, Advocacy, Power, and Healing. Registration is now open for the Conference, taking place Friday, March 31, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and welcomes keynote speaker Cecilia Gentili, founder of Trans Equity Consulting and the former Director of Policy at GMHC. Contact Nathan Tosh with questions, or for more information.
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Women's History Month "Personal is Political" Events Coming Soon
The Women’s Center and LGBTQIA Safe Zone Hub, in partnership with Casa de las Américas, the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Option, and the Photography and Fine Arts Programs will present a series of events commemorating Women's History Month. The theme, “Personal is Political”, will draw focus on women in the arts. Events begin March 16 and run through the month.
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“Call-ing” All Volunteers
The Student Information Center is seeking volunteers to help call new students that are ready to register and start classes this Spring. Volunteers will be provided with a list of approximately 15-20 students and scripts to help guide their conversations. Volunteers should plan to complete calls by March 1, so students have time to register. Staff and faculty interested in participating should contact Loretta Capuano.
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Free Virtual Tax Preparation Sessions Now Available
LaGuardia CARES, in partnership with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance is offering free virtual tax preparation sessions. The team will walk you through your income tax returns, step-by-step, as you complete your own tax return during the session. We will help you prepare and e-file your income tax return virtually. Participants must have access to a smart phone or webcam, and a laptop or other device to participate. Contact LaGuardiaCARE@lagcc.cuny.edu to sign up for a session on Thursdays now through April 13.
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Service Now to Replace SysAid Ticketing System
LaGuardia is replacing SysAid, our current College wide ticketing system, with ServiceNow, a cloud-based system that will improve our efficiency, security and ability to connect, manage, integrate and respond to help desk ticket requests. We are in the final phases of completing and testing our transition to the new system and have targeted going live in the Spring.
Student Technology Helpdesk Opening in March
The new Student Technology Helpdesk will be providing basic help and support to students having technical issues logging in or accessing LaGuardia applications and online resources. The Student Technology Helpdesk is scheduled to open on March 3. It will be in B127 and will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
M365 Updates Continue Through the Spring
The Outlook Upgrade on all workstations to a new version compatible with M365 that will work after the conversion has been completed. We are now in the next phase of the transition, conducting research and development to ensure a seamless conversion to M365. We anticipate going live with the new cloud-based email system during the Spring.
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PUBLIC SAFETY TIP OF THE WEEK | | |
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Personal Safety
While walking around campus or to public transportation:
- Survey your surroundings and trust your instincts; pay attention.
- Avoid walking alone if possible.
- Walk in well-lit areas.
- Walk with confidence and with your head up - if you feel you are being followed off campus: cross the street, go to an occupied store, contact law enforcement, and try to stay in a well-lit and occupied location.
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LAGUARDIA IN THE HEADLINES | |
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February 22
February 23
February 24
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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 Share a Story or send an email to CampusUpdate@lagcc.cuny.edu. Submissions must be received by 5 p.m. Monday to be considered for publication on Wednesday. |
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