"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. | | The Division of Communications and External Affairs offers various additional resources to help you share news with the campus, including an event calendar, photography, graphic design, and more. | | LaGuardia has signed a new transfer agreement with Temple University Japan (TUJ), a branch campus of Temple University in Philadelphia. This partnership offers International Studies students a direct pathway to earn a bachelor’s degree in Asian Studies in Tokyo, Japan, upon graduation from LaGuardia with an associate degree. “Students will prepare for careers in diplomacy, international business, tourism and hospitality, and other fields where expertise in Asian Studies is highly valued,” said Provost Billie Gastic Rosado. The agreement is supported by funding from the Title VI Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language program of the U.S. Department of Education, this agreement. Dr. Arthur Lau, Chair of the Education and Language Acquisition Department (pictured above at left) and Dr. Maria Savva, Director of the International Studies Program (pictured at right), recently visited TUJ’s Tokyo campus, where they met with Matthew J. Wilson, Dean and President of Temple University Japan (pictured in the middle). | | Bangladesh Student Association Hosts Bengali New Year Celebration | | On May 2, the Bangladesh Student Association (BSA) club celebrated Pohela Boishakh, the Bengali New Year 1432. During the celebration, President Kenneth Adams and mentor Sada Hye Jaman shared remarks and expressed gratitude to the current members, alums, and guests. The celebration included cultural song and dance performances, and other fun activities, which enhanced the students' leadership, social, and teamwork competencies. Protic Hasan, a renowned singer of Bangladesh, uplifted the event with his surprise visit with alumni and sang one of his hit songs, "Aj amar girlfriender biya." Additionally, students from other clubs were warmly welcomed and BSA executives fostered a culture of collaboration to promote inclusivity and diverse culture. | | Second Career Success Summit Takes Place at LaGuardia | | This afternoon marked the Second Annual Career Success Summit, organized by this year’s CUNY Career Success Fellows Bindu Pillai and Claudette Davis. With the theme “Empowering Your Future Beyond Graduation,” the summit aimed to empower students on their academic and professional journey by providing them with networking opportunities and introducing them to campus resources for career readiness. Students also had an opportunity to attend panels where industry experts and alumni shared inspiring stories and tips from their own career experiences. | | Survivors of Atomic Bombing Visit LaGuardia, Advocate for a Nuclear-free World | | On April 30, Jiro Hamasumi and Hiroshi Kanemoto of Nihon Hidankyo, the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, visited LaGuardia to share their stories as hibakusha, the Japanese term referring to survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Students from Dr. Kyoko Toyama’s Intermediate Japanese II (ELJ 104) class moderated a conversation with Jiro Hamasumi and Hiroshi Kanemoto. Nihon Hidankyo, the organization to which both speakers belong, received the Nobel Peace Prize last year for its efforts to address plans for nuclear disarmament at the United Nations and promote reflection on the impact of nuclear warfare. Another survivor, Toshiyuki Mimaki, visited LaGuardia in November 2023 to speak with the campus community and share his story as a survivor of the atomic bombing. | | Snigdha Laxme, 19, an Environmental Science: Sustainable Urban Agriculture major, was recently accepted to Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), with a financial aid package covering tuition, room, and board. Following her graduation this June, with a 4.0 GPA, Snigdha anticipates starting at Cornell in fall 2025 towards a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Sciences. Currently, Snigdha is working on a research project with Dr. Preethi Radhakrishnan, co-director of LaGuardia’s Environmental Science Program, supported by USDA’s NextGen program. Snigdha is a Peer Advisor for the Natural Sciences Department. Congratulations, Snigdha! | | Reminder: Complete Mandatory Trainings in Blackboard | | |
Faculty and staff have several mandatory online trainings that they are required to complete each year. Please log into Blackboard to make sure you have completed all of your required trainings, including:
- Workplace Violence Prevention
- Employee Sexual Prevention and Response Course
- Gender-Based Violence Training
- Cybersecurity Awareness Training
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LaGuardia aims to be an inclusive and welcoming environment with an appreciation for celebrations and observances that are important to a wide range of cultures and religions. Here are just a few of the religious and cultural observances recognized in our community throughout the month of May:
- May 1-31: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
- May 16: Lag B’Omer
- May 23: Vesak Day
For a full listing of holidays and observations celebrated this month and throughout the year, please visit the CUNY Religions & Ethnic Holiday Calendar.
| | | 29th Street Mural Information Session on May 8 | | | | Calling all artists: Do you have an idea for a street mural you’d like to see on 29th Street? The college is seeking submissions for street mural designs to be placed on the LaGuardia Community College Greenway later this year. Faculty, staff, and students who are interested in submitting a design are encouraged to attend an info session on May 8 from 11 a.m to 12:30 p.m. in Room E-500. RSVP for the info session here. You can find the guidelines for design submissions here. The deadline for submissions is May 18; once all submissions are received, members of the LaGuardia community and the Long Island City Partnership will vote for their favorite design. A winner will be announced May 28. For more information, contact Vice President for Communications and External Affairs, Manny Romero, or Chief of Staff Nayelli Valencia Turrent. Artists can submit their designs here. | | May is Mental Health Awareness Month | | Since 1949, the month of May has been recognized as Mental Health Awareness month, drawing attention to the needs of Americans living with mental health conditions. Please remind your students that LaGuardia’s Wellness Center is available to provide them with support and guidance if they’re struggling with their mental health. Students can attend any of the Wellness Center’s ongoing events or fill out an intake form in English or Spanish to receive one-on-one counseling. | | | Sign Up to Add a Professional Headshot to Your Faculty Profile | | | | 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! Your headshot can be used for a variety of purposes and adds a personal touch to your Faculty Profile on the LaGuardia website. Book your timeslot now—May 13 is the last session of the semester. For more information contact Anastasia Figuera, photographer, Ext. 7471. | | The FY2025 Tax Levy March 31, 2025 Operating Budgets by department are available for viewing. | | | LAGUARDIA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER | | The LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC) presents the culminating event of its inaugural Music Lab, a residency that empowers Queens-based student musicians by providing them with creative space, mentorship, and a professional-grade stage to bring their original works to life. The showcase will feature a headline performance from Kasset, an emerging indie band comprised of five CUNY students—including three studying at LaGuardia—hailing from Colombia, Indonesia, Poland, and the U.S. Additional CUNY students and alumni will perform, each bringing their own sound and energy to the stage: Cherry Haze, The New Days, and solo artists Sabrina and Rozie. The Music Lab Showcase will take place in LPAC’s Little Theater on Friday, May 30 at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here. General admission tickets are $15 each; student tickets are $10 each. | | LaGuardia Hosts 2025 Open Educational Resources Showcase and Symposium | | The 2025 Open Educational Resources (OER) Showcase and Symposium took place at LaGuardia on May 2. The event served as an opportunity for members of the LaGuardia community to share their ongoing OER projects with the wider community while building connections with other OER organizers. OER refers to a movement within higher education to provide students with open, free educational resources. Keynote speakers at the symposium included Ian McDermott (OER Librarian at LaGuardia), Stacy Katz (Associate Professor Open Resources Librarian-STEM Liaison at Lehman College), and Elvis Bakaitis (Head Reference Librarian at the CUNY Graduate Center). If you missed the symposium, you can visit the OER Showcase and Symposium’s website to learn more about the resources and information shared at the event. | | Associate Professor Co-Edits Newly Released Book about Propaganda’s Role in the War on Terror | | Dr. Sumanth Inukonda, an Associate Professor in the Humanities Department, is credited as an editor on a newly released book published by Taylor and Francis, entitled Propaganda, Communication and Empire: Western Intervention in Afghanistan. This book "interrogates the mediatized politics of western intervention in Afghanistan, to gain a deeper understanding of the occupation within the broader transition toward a multipolar global order." Congratulations to Dr. Inukonda! | | | Faculty and staff are invited to attend “Beyond the Degree: Helping Students Navigate STEM and non-STEM Career Opportunities” on May 14 from 12:30 to 5 p.m. in E-242. This professional development workshop for faculty and staff was organized by 2024-2025 CUNY Career Success Fellows Bindu Pillai and Claudette Davis and will provide guidance on how to promote career readiness in your students. Dr. Jessica Perez of the Center for Career and Professional Development will deliver a keynote address followed by a panel discussion on how to embed career readiness across campus, with an emphasis on the importance of continuous learning, adaptability, and leveraging technology. Attendees will also have an opportunity to participate in a NACE Career Readiness Training workshop in June. To attend, register here. | | |
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 following offices:
- Admissions
- International Student Services
- Registrar
- Student Financial Services
- Student Information Center
- Transfer Credit Evaluation
- Testing
| | | Nutrition and Culinary Management Club Tours Chelsea Market | | The Nutrition and Culinary Management Club had an unforgettable tour of New York City’s iconic Chelsea Market on April 11. A total of 18 members came together for a lively exploration of history, food, and culture, highlighting how the market transformed from a historic cookie factory into one of the city’s top culinary destinations. Along the way, students made six tasting stops, sampling New York-style pizza from Filaga, fusion tacos from Takumi Taco, classic Chinese dumplings from Nom Wah, warm mini doughnuts from Doughnuttery, creamy pastéis de natas from Joey Bats, and passionfruit iced tea from Bird & Branch. After the tastings, the tour continued with a visit to Pier 57 and a walk along the High Line, where students learned about the public art and striking architecture lining the elevated park. The day wrapped up at Hudson Yards with a visit to the eye-catching Vessel. The trip was a chance to connect classroom learning to real-world experiences, all while enjoying the best of the city's food and culture scene. | | | SOAR Experiential Learning Program Now Accepting Applications | | | | If you know a student who is looking for a fall internship, please encourage them to apply for the SOAR Experiential Learning Program, a paid internship experience coordinated by the Center for Career & Professional Development and funded by the LaGuardia Foundation and the Elmezzi Foundation. Open to students of all majors, the program runs from October through December and offers a $2,000 stipend for 120 hours of work experience across diverse NYC employers. Eligible students must have a 2.5 GPA, at least 12 credits by the end of spring, and be enrolled for a minimum of six credits in Fall I 2025. To learn more, students are encouraged to attend an information session on the program. Applications are due June 13. | | Student Success Mentor Program Recruiting New Mentors | | The Student Success Mentor (SSM) Program is looking for new mentors. If you know a student who you think would be a good mentor, encourage them to apply here by May 30. SSMs work with students in the First Year Seminar across nearly all majors and disciplines, including Business, Criminal Justice, Education, Engineering and Computer Science, Health Sciences, Liberal Arts: Social Science and Humanities, Liberal Arts: Math and Science, Natural Sciences, and Psychology. Since 2014, the SSM program has been committed to providing support to first-year students adjusting to college life and getting to know the campus and resources. Since 2017, SSMs have also provided support to Studio Hours affiliated with select Capstone-level courses. | | | Students Participate in Generational Bridge Program | | | | On April 25, five LaGuardia Community College students began the S.G.B. Generation Bridge program, an intergenerational program coordinated by the Center for Career and Professional Development in collaboration with WhyWOW Studios and NYC’s Spectrum Arts Productions. Over the next four weeks, the students will meet with seniors twice a week, engaging in improv games, discussions, and group activities led by a theater professional. The program will culminate in a community performance that showcases the stories and experiences developed together. Through this initiative, students strengthen their communication skills, engage meaningfully with the senior community, and gain valuable experience in teamwork and public interaction, all of which contribute to their ongoing career development. | | Updates from LaGuardia’s Library | |
- Our next MoneyBoss workshop will be Entrepreneurship, presented by Joyce Moy of the Queens Small Business Development Center, on Wednesday, May 14, at 2:15 - 3:45 p.m.in the Poolside Cafe (E-149). Please register on our website.
- If you know a student interested in joining a book club, the Library is interested in sponsoring one! Please fill out the form here.
- Did you get an A on a research paper? Want a chance to win an Amazon HD Fire tablet? Enter the 44th Annual Library Research Review Competition. Students can enter research papers written for courses taken at LaGuardia during the 2024-25 academic year. The deadline is July 5, 2025.
- We have the Writing Center, the English Department, and the Center for Career & Professional Development (CCPD) tabling in the Library! Check out our Events calendar to see when they’ll be here. They have information, handouts, and maybe some prizes!
| | | New York State Deferred Compensation Plan (NYSDCP) Hosts Pre-Retirement Webinar | | |
Join the NYSDCP for a conversation about important considerations as you get closer to retirement. The discussion will include longevity, income sources, asset consolidation, and required minimum distributions. All are welcome to participate. Registration required.
| | Working Advantage Offers Savings for LaGuardia Employees | | |
Shop summer savings in May with Working Advantage. Explore amazing offers with your LaGuardia email or company code 971240428.
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1-800-Flowers.com: Get up to 25% off.
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Apple: Savings on select products.
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Disneyland Resort: Adult tickets at child prices for three or more days.
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Cruises: Up to $1,000 onboard credit for select cruises.
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Discount Flight Reservations: Save up to 20% on flights.
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Discount Hotel Reservations: Enjoy exclusive savings up to 60% off hotel rates.
| | LaGuardia Seeks to Fill Open Faculty and Staff Positions | | |
LaGuardia currently has several ongoing searches for new faculty and staff members. Current faculty and staff are welcome to share the opening below with individuals who they believe may be a good fit for the role or apply for the positions themselves. For more openings, visit Employment Opportunities.
| | DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (DoIT) | | |
Protect Your Computer on Patch Tuesday, May 13
The second Tuesday of each month is informally known as “Patch Tuesday,” as it’s when Microsoft, Adobe, and Google release security updates and bug fixes to their software. These updates are crucial to protecting systems from security threats. This month’s Patch Tuesday updates begin May 13 and conclude May 19. Please leave your office computer on during this time so that it will be automatically updated at night and operate at peak efficiency when you logon in the morning. For the updates to take effect, restart your computer as soon as you see the automatic “Restart Your Computer” notification on May 19. Contact LaGuardia's Information Security team if you have any questions.
| | LAGUARDIA IN THE HEADLINES | | "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 CampusUpdate@lagcc.cuny.edu. Submissions must be received by 5 p.m. Monday to be considered for publication on Wednesday. |
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