Friday, February 11, 2022 | Vol. 4 No. 3, Spring 2022 Semester
|
|
MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT DAISY COCCO DE FILIPPIS |
|
My Dear Colleagues and Students,
I am happy to share with you my opening remarks from Wednesday's All College Meeting. I am so grateful for the commitment of students, faculty and staff who will continue to work together throughout this new semester. Please stay safe. Mil gracias y bendiciones, President Daisy
|
|
Remarks for All College Meeting, February 9, 2022.
Dear Members of the Hostos Family,
Welcome to our beginning of the semester gathering. Thank you Diana Kreymer, our moderator, and the wonderful team of speakers this afternoon. As always, this presentation is intended to feature a rich array of diverse voices, underscoring the generous team efforts taking place on our college. It is also in keeping with by now established practice in the Semanario, Hostos Weekly, designed to share information often and widely and for the college community to hear perspectives and information from multiple voices.
It takes significant commitment, generosity and hope in embracing our mission, our students and our communities to work with tenacity and clarity on the preparation of the self-study report, a powerful, substantive document with moments that are also beautifully poetic to communicate to others the social justice, equity, generational transformation and student-centeredness evidenced in so much of the work taking place at the College. Professors Núñez Rodríguez and Wolfe and about 100 colleagues have been doing just that, as they endeavor to provide instruction, guidance, support and opportunities to enjoy and celebrate what it means to be a part of the Hostos family. We are fortunate to have both Professor Núñez Rodríguez and Professor Kate Wolfe with us this afternoon to share information about next steps.
The fall semester brought significant engagement as our work for decades to transform lives was recognized in the wonderful retention numbers for Hostos students, as per the National Clearinghouse report of 2021. This no doubt accounts for Hostos being one of the three CUNY Colleges selected for recognition for work with vulnerable communities by Ms. MacKenzie Scott, and Hostos being one of the six CUNY community colleges invited by the Aspen Institute to compete for the Aspen prize. We have an invitation for a follow up meeting to our submission coming up later this month. Also very important as we move forward, the successful search for four permanent vice presidents positions. Our new colleagues will have an opportunity to give brief greetings in a little bit. Additionally, Dr. Clayton Railey, Chair of the MSCHE visiting team, left his preliminary visit with us this fall with admiration for the way social justice and equity are part of who we are at Hostos.
There is much work being planned for this semester as the Ms. MacKenzie Scott initiatives will have their inaugural semester. In a little bit Dr. Sophia Oviedo will be explaining the multiple ways in which students, faculty and staff can engage in the creation of new and very intentional activities in support of retention, faculty and students’ engagement in research and connections among different programs and so much more. Executive Chief of Staff Kreymer will be introducing a selection of these important upcoming Veladas and Black at Hostos town halls and other activities at a later point in the program. Please look for opportunities to engage and participate as we roll out this strategy.
Chair Ialongo will be bringing greetings on behalf of the College-wide Senate and President Brian Carter on behalf of the Student Government Association. Their participation is valuable and much appreciated. SVP Rodriguez-Chardavoyne will give information on budget and the work at the College to support our students and our mission. We are all indebted to her for her diligence in managing our budget in support of student success during a challenging time.
As we know, enrollment is down at all of the CUNY community colleges and throughout the nation, underscoring in so many ways that there is an absolute necessity to redress these disparities, if we are to move forward as a democratic nation. At Hostos, we will be resolute about continuing to move forward by doubling down on all of our efforts on behalf of our students.
To that end, a number of the activities outlined in the Ms. MacKenzie Scott Gift funded presidential initiatives will support growth in a number of significant areas. In these activities we have an opportunity to build on this momentous gift for the students and connect to enrollment of students who may need more support. We will be looking at class schedules for both summer and the fall, understanding that class schedules are to be designed to enhance access and support social mobility. Much attention will be paid to enrollment patterns and creating new ways for students to engage with the College. To support this effort, the Registrar’s Office and the Office of Academic Affairs will be conducting a number of analyses designed to assist in projecting, with flexibility, potential areas to explore. We will be paying even more attention to advisement, both by OAA and the Student Success Coaching unit, as we labor to support retention of students but also to reach out to continuing students who stopped out and need to return to complete credentials. Non-credit and credit programs will deepen their connection as we create stockable credentials , from non-credit certificates, credit certificates, and associate degrees, and enhance our relationships both with industry and community business, health providers and others and with our sister institutions at CUNY. To support these efforts, philanthropy and sponsored programming will receive additional attention, as we work even harder to bring new resources in support of both programmatic innovation and retention to graduation.
The need to support and enhance a sense of cultural, educational, and inclusive life at Hostos outside of the classroom, led to the establishment of the Veladas Hostosianas (Hostos Culture Talks). Additionally, the establishment of the Hostos Community Advisory Council communicated effectively our intention to be known as an open campus, a community hub for conversations, mutual support, enhancement of our students’ learning experience, and job placement opportunities. This semester our work with the Hostos Community College Advisory Council will see us move forward with intentionality to create industry summits, designed to connect our professional programs with industry and other partners. We are fortunate to have Lehman alumnus and leader in the finance world Elias Alcántara as Chair. Our Vice-Chair is someone well known to Hostos, our own Dr. Nydia Edgecombe.
Dear Hostos family, Hostos Community College is committed to living out its mission in generous and talented ways. Let me just affirm the six pillars of our HCC Mission.
Statement:
- Provide access to higher education
- Serve as a community resource
- Celebrate diversity and multiculturalism
- Facilitate socio-economic mobility
- Develop linguistic, mathematical, technological, and critical thinking proficiencies
- Foster intellectual growth and lifelong learning
These pillars are supported by the work taking place to support our Institutional Self-Study Priorities:
- Systems Alignment: Enhance our coordinated efforts to better support student academic momentum and completion.
- Academic Competencies: Foster student development of General Education competencies and language and math skills to support success in subsequent academic steps and in the job market.
- Community Resource Hub: Sustain and strengthen Hostos’ role as a resource hub for our community.
Please continue to read updates on academic assessment alignment, the work of OAA and of OIERA, and progress reports on some of our activities by Senior Management and colleagues. The work is framed by the following priorities:
- Ensuring progress in a re-opening process that is safe, and puts at the forefront the health of the college community and at the same time is also focused on quality instruction and academic and student support;
- Strengthen student advisement for all-incoming, transfer, and target populations, identified in need of additional support;
- Accelerate application to registration process;
- Clearly communicate graduate requirements and deadlines;
- Promote a culture of “College-Going” with First-Year experiences.
Finally, I end my brief remarks with a quote you will hear me bring up often from Pablo Neruda’s Nobel Laureate speech: “All paths lead to the same goal; to convey to others what we are…but in this dance or in this song there are fulfilled the most ancient rites of our conscience in the awareness of being human and of believing in a common destiny.”
I believe that our common destiny is that of a community of purpose; an academic community that partners with multiple stakeholders and works closely together in harmony and in concert, to ensure that Eugenio Maria de Hostos Community College will live up to the promise made in our mission to embrace diversity and opportunity as the birthright of all.
Mil gracias y bendiciones, Daisy
Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D.
President
|
|
SHARING A FAVORITE POEM DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH
|
|
Dreams
By: Langston Hughes
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
Langston Hughes, "Dreams" from The Collected Works of Langston Hughes. Copyright 2002.
|
|
MIDDLE STATES SELF-STUDY UPDATE |
|
Submitted by MSCHE Steering Committee Co-Chairs Professor Kate S. Wolfe and Professor Nelson Nuñez Rodríguez
The Cover Page of the Final Self-Study Report Remembers Our Institution’s Social Justice History
The cover page of the Self-Study report final version illuminates the social justice scope of the narrative. This page has been designed by Associate Professor Catherine Lewis and embodies our institution’s mission, history, and commitment to providing access to higher education. Similarly, Professor Lewis designed our 2017–2022 college Strategic Plan encompassing our commitment to supporting student success.
The front page includes materials from our Hostos Community College Archives led by Associate Professor William Casari. The MSCHE reviewers will have the opportunity to understand how the institution documents and preserves its legacy and commitment as a minority-serving institution. The Steering Committee will share the final version of the self-report with the entire community in mid-February 2022.
Our Library archives indeed represent the institutional memory of the college. As it states in its mission, the archives collect unpublished materials of permanent historical value including official records, correspondence, papers, and publications generated by the administration, academic departments, faculty, staff, special programs, and student organizations since 1968. Through its collections, the archives promote an awareness of the diverse ethnic and cultural history of this unique bilingual institution and the surrounding South Bronx community that inspired it. The library’s archive unit also maintains a comprehensive collection of works published by and about Eugenio María de Hostos, namesake of the College. More information about the Hostos Archives can be found here.
|
|
Submitted by Director of Research Programs Sofia Oviedo, Ph.D.
Dear Students and Colleagues,
I am delighted to share with you my remarks for the All-College Meeting held on Wednesday, and hope that they will encourage you to continue moving forward in your educational and life-fulfilling journey at Hostos.
|
|
Remarks for All College Meeting, February 9, 2022.
Thank you, Madam President, for inviting me to participate in this year’s All-College meeting to have this opportunity to welcome Hostos students, faculty, and staff to the new semester.
Greetings to my fellow students and colleagues. I am deeply honored to be a part of the Hostos family, where I have been kindly welcomed into a nurturing and thriving community. I am deeply humbled to serve in the capacity of Research Programs Director, collaborating closely with the President and my colleagues in the President’s Office and across Hostos, to steward the development and implementation of the college-wide initiatives that are being funded through the Ms. MacKenzie Scott Gift.
Education and life-long learning has been an integral part of my life and I am committed to advancing the incredible work that Hostos has been undertaking to ensure the educational success and well-being of our students. This is a remarkable time to be attending Hostos. While our city and country has experienced one of the most profound events in our history and faced incalculable losses and challenges for the past two years, it is my hope and belief that 2022 will be a year of great promise and possibilities that will lead to an uplifting of your hearts, minds, and souls. While we cannot ascertain what the future holds, one thing that I can assure you of is that the Hostos community, your family, is working diligently and with heart to provide an environment infused with new opportunities to motivate and instill hope for your future.
This is best exemplified through the establishment of the Ms. MacKenzie Scott Gift: President’s Initiatives for Student Success, College Growth and Stakeholders’ Engagement, a new college-wide effort that is designed to build upon the foundations that Hostos has laid to:
- Advance academic excellence by building a strong college-going culture.
- Provide social and emotional support for students and their families.
- Increase and enhance career development efforts.
- Build stronger connections between students and faculty.
- Build a thriving research center that will generate and test innovative ideas and interventions across all disciplines.
- Promote opportunities and spaces to generate thoughtful discussions centered on diversity, equity, and inclusion to support genuine community-building.
Under the expert leadership of President Cocco De Filippis and with the collaboration of the Hostos Advisory Corp, which includes faculty, student, and staff members of the Hostos community, the Ms. MacKenzie Scott Gift: President’s Initiatives have been developed and the first pilot programs have been launched this semester. I have been working with the members of the Hostos Advisory Corp on promoting the new initiatives and inviting students and faculty to apply to these wonderful opportunities. I would like to take this opportunity to share a brief overview:
Our first initiative is the Families United in Education Program that is designed to support family members (this includes parents and adult children, spouses/partners, siblings, cousins) who are enrolled in degree programs at Hostos to provide them with the mentoring and access to resources that will help them to obtain their degrees. Under the leadership of Dean Johanna Gomez and Director Fabian Wander, of the Student Health and Wellness Center, the Families United in Education Program is a natural extension of the academic, social, and emotional supports that Hostos is providing with a special emphasis on building the educational continuity for families enrolled at Hostos. This program also seeks to strengthen familial bonds by building a community of peer support to help students stay motivated and make progress toward credit completion. The program will also engage family members in cultural experiences to help expand their learning and community engagement.
We are also piloting a new Workforce Initiative — the Ms. MacKenzie Scott Adult and Continuing Education Scholarship Fund that is under the leadership of VP Evelyn Fernandez-Ketcham of Hostos’ Continuing Education and Workforce Development division. This is a new scholarship program that will award a $1,000 scholarship to students seeking to transition from continuing education to matriculate to a degree program at Hostos. This initiative will help to build a stronger bridge between Hostos’ continuing education division and degree programs to increase the number of students that fulfill their dreams of attaining their college degree.
The Hostos Research Center is an exciting new initiative that will serve as a hub for the development of new research projects, increased the capacity for faculty to secure external funding, and more importantly, will provide students with firsthand research experiences through faculty mentorship. Under the leadership of Professor Yoel Rodriguez, the Hostos Research Center will be leading several initiatives that aim to build stronger faculty and student collaborations through research projects, increase students’ research skills, and provide paid work experiences for students. This spring the Hostos Research Center announced the ADELANTE (ADvancing Excellence in Liberal Arts, scieNces, Technology and Engineering) Project to invite faculty to submit project proposals with the aim of fostering faculty and student research mentorships across all disciplines. This is an exciting opportunity for our students to deepen their knowledge in their specific discipline while developing new skills that will enhance their employment prospects.
Educating in Diversity is another new initiative that seeks to support cultural and social activities that will engage students in learning about and celebrating diversity. Under the leadership of Ms. Idelsa Méndez, in the Office of Institutional Advancement, mini-grants ranging between $1,000 - $2,000, will be awarded to individuals or groups who are interested in hosting an activity and engaging the Hostos community in thoughtful discussions and communal learning. Activities can include the Veladas Hostosianas/Hostos Culture Talks, Black at Hostos series, lectures, panels, roundtables, symposia, and forums.
Finally, I want to highlight the Hostos Mentoring and Supporting Students 2 + 2 + 2 Opportunities Program that is designed to support students through mentoring and scholarship support and establish an Hostos pipeline of talented transfer students to competitive institutions for completion of their undergraduate and graduate degrees. This year’s inaugural initiative is the NextGen Public Health Scholars Program, a unique partnership between Hostos Community College and the Columbia University School of General Studies and Columbia Mailman School of Public Health that will prepare Hostos students for careers in public health and epidemiology. At a time when our communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, this initiative will fill a huge gap by building the next generation of college students from diverse backgrounds to secure their educational path and receive the specialized preparation and training that will open doors for them to careers where they can have a direct impact on improving public health systems, practices, and policies.
This is only the beginning of the new opportunities that are available through the Ms. MacKenzie Scott Gift: President’s Initiatives for Student Success, College Growth, and Stakeholders’ Engagement. As these pilot initiatives are being implemented, I will also be assessing whether these initiatives are achieving the desired goals for our students. This will be a time of learning how these initiatives are benefiting our students, what improvements can be made and identifying how Hostos can further ensure that it remains attuned to meeting the needs of our students and creating new opportunities for our students to succeed.
Additional information on the President’s Initiatives and applications can be found on the Hostos website. I will also share regular updates through El Semanario/The Hostos Weekly. I also look forward to attending student-led events where I can have the opportunity to get to know our students and learn more about your experiences at Hostos. And you can also feel free to contact me should you have any questions or thoughts that you would like to share with me.
Thank you all. It has been a pleasure to spend this time with you.
Learn more here about the President’s Initiatives for Student Success, College Growth, and Stakeholders’ Engagement or contact me, Sofia Oviedo, Ph.D., Research Programs Director | Tel: 718-518-4309 | Email: soviedo@hostos.cuny.edu
|
|
INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS, RESEARCH, AND ASSESSMENT |
|
Submitted by Director of Assessment AJ Stachelek, Ed.D.
General Education Pathways Assessment – Collaboration at Its Core
The process for assessing general education at Hostos has continued to grow and expand. This Spring 2022 semester, general education is entering its new phase of utilizing cohorts of faculty to build the assessment methods together across departments in United States Experience in Its Diversity. As mentioned in El Semanario last semester, the General Education Pathways Assessment Committee (GEPAC), chaired by Director of Assessment AJ Stachelek, is continuing to collect and review assessment data in eLumen to provide recommendations to the departments implicated in Stage 3 of the assessment. As a reminder, the three stages of assessment for general education are as follows:
- Stage 1: GEPAC works with faculty teaching the courses aligned with the Pathways outcomes being assessed to ensure that the methods of assessment are in place for the scheduled outcomes and that by the end of the semester, the data are uploaded into eLumen.
- Stage 2: GEPAC reviews the data in eLumen and provides an analysis and recommendations based on an assessment of outcomes across all courses within the corresponding Pathways domain. GEPAC reports these results to participating faculty, their department chairs, the Provost, and the IEC, and will convene faculty to develop actions informed by the analysis.
- Stage 3: Faculty implement the changes in the respective courses to improve the results of these outcomes across the college. These changes are included in Section 2 in the departmental A-PART for the academic year when the domain is in stage 3 - finalizing a report informed by the three-stage assessment process.
|
|
GEPAC has posted its first public report on the general education results on the General Education Assessment webpage. Furthermore, faculty members involved in the assessment of United States Experience in Its Diversity are going to convene a second cohort meeting to develop a common rubric that will enable assessment to span all courses in this domain. This process of collaborating to build assessment structures will strengthen the assessment process and results. In this way, Hostos faculty are committed to enhancing the general education of students, and an overall understanding of general education itself, here at Hostos!
|
|
Submitted by Executive Counsel & Labor Designee Eugene Sohn, Esq.
CUNY Campus and Workplace Violence Policy
The City University of New York (the “University” or “CUNY”) is committed to the prevention of workplace violence and will respond promptly to any threats and/or acts of violence. For purposes of this Policy, Workplace Violence is defined as any physical assault or acts of aggressive behavior occurring where an employee performs any work related duty in the course of his or her employment, including but not limited to:
(i) An attempt or threat, whether verbal or physical, to inflict physical injury upon an employee.
(ii) Any intentional display of force which would give an employee reason to fear or expect bodily harm.
(iii) Intentional and wrongful physical contact with an employee without his or her consent that entails some injury.
(iv) Stalking an employee in a manner which may cause the employee to fear for his or her physical safety and health when such stalking has arisen through and in the course of employment.
Read and learn more about the CUNY Campus and Workplace Violence Policy here.
|
|
Submitted by Chief Diversity Officer, Title IX Coordinator, and 504/ADA Coordinator Latoya S. Jeffers, Esq.
Dear Students,
Did you know that SPARC training is MANDATORY for all students enrolled at Hostos?
If you have not completed your SPARC training, there is still time to do so!
What is SPARC?
SPARC, which stands for Sexual and Interpersonal Violence Prevention and Response is an online mandatory training to inform students of the ways to prevent and report incidents of sexual misconduct and educate students about available resources.
How can I complete the training?
SPARC training is available via Blackboard. Once in Blackboard, the link to complete the training can be found in the “My Organization” section. Once the training is completed you will receive a certificate of completion.
For additional information regarding SPARC, please visit the OCD website here. If you have any questions, you can also email SPARC@hostos.cuny.edu.
We look forward to helping you through this process.
Have a great semester!
|
|
OFFICE OF GOVERNMENTAL AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS |
|
Submitted by Director of Governmental and External Affairs Eric Radezky, Ph.D.
NYC Landlords Required to Provide Heat and Hot Water (Recurring notice)
By law, New York City has an eight-month-long “heat season” from October 1 to May 31 during which all residential building owners are required to maintain indoor temperatures at 68 degrees when outdoor temperatures fall below 55 degrees during the day. Indoor temperatures must also be a minimum of 62 degrees overnight, regardless of outdoor temperatures. Building owners are legally required to provide hot water at 120 degrees year-round.
If an apartment lacks appropriate heat and/or hot water, tenants should first attempt to notify the building owner, managing agent, or superintendent. If service is not restored, the tenant should register an official complaint via 311. To file a complaint, tenants can call 311, visit 311 online or use the app 311Mobile (on Android and iOS devices) to file a complaint. Hearing-impaired tenants can register complaints via a Touchtone Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 212-504-4115.
Low-income property owners having trouble maintaining heat in their homes should contact the Home Energy Assistance Program at 1-800-692-0557. Eligible households can learn more information about assistance in paying heating bills or repairing heating equipment.
For NYCHA Residents
NYCHA residents follow a different procedure. Those residents experiencing issues with heat or hot water should call the NYCHA Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771 or report the issue via the MyNYCHA mobile app or web version. They should also contact NYCHA when:
- The apartment temperature is out of range.
- They have hot pipes and cold radiators.
- A window is not closing properly.
- Steam is leaking into the apartment.
- The building’s front entrance door does not fully close.
View the NYCHA Journal for a list of helpful tips to keep apartments warm during the winter season.
Safety tips for heating your home when the heat is out:
- Never use a stove, oven, or charcoal grill to heat your home.
- Kerosene heaters and propane space heaters are illegal in NYC.
- If you use an electric space heater, plug it directly into a wall outlet; do not plug it into a power strip or any other multi-appliance adaptor.
- Unplug space heaters when you leave a room or go to sleep.
- Place space heaters at least three feet away from anything that could catch fire such as curtains or table cloths.
- Do not hang clothes over a space heater to dry.
|
|
NEWS FROM THE OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
|
|
OAA Invites You to Meet and Greet Provost Shiang-Kwei Wang
February 16, 2022, 12:30 p.m. | Join Zoom Meeting here | Meeting ID: 831 8321 3466
|
|
Spotlight on Faculty Scholarship and Professional Contributions
Denise Cummings-Clay is the lead author on an article published recently in Global Education Review. Abeku Hayes, principal of the New York City Montessori Charter School, and Professor Cummings-Clay are co-authors.
The article discusses how the school moved from an environment where learning stems from hands-on curiosity and engagement to where students were expected to make academic progress in the unfamiliar online territory. Cummings-Clay is a founder of the school and has served as the first chairperson of the Board of Trustees; she is currently the chair of its Education Committee, of which Professor Jacqueline DiSanto is a member and served as the Vice-Chair for two years. The Hostos Teacher Education faculty have provided workshops for the faculty of this Montessori Charter School.
This is the abstract from the article:
At the first and only public Montessori charter school in New York City, teachers create learning environments, materials, and lessons that help students guide themselves to find the information needed to arrive at a necessary learning outcome. The sudden shift to online instruction in March 2020 required parents, teachers, and administration to maintain business-as-usual in an unfamiliar modality — online instruction. This case study reflection article focuses on the planning strategies identified and implemented that shifted the school to teaching and learning online during the COVID-19 pandemic while working to keep the Montessori philosophy alive, despite the expansion to the online modality. Existing research, the process of shifting to the online modality, maintenance of the Montessori approach, and the inter-institutional support provided to the charter school by a community college are reviewed.
Once mandated to move to online instruction, strategies employed show that maintaining students’ natural desire to learn and active discovery are central objectives in tandem with supporting the relationship-centered culture in the machine-oriented online-learning environment. This dual focus is critical because children’s development is maximized when they are engaged in secure, mutually collegial relationships (Greenfield & Suzuki, 1998).
It was concluded that building community among children and teachers, as well as between administration, teachers, families, and a partnering community college were valued and deemed critical to sustaining the rigorous curriculum and relationship-based school culture during the pandemic crisis.
The full article can be read here.
|
|
#BRONXEDTECH Showcase 2022 Call for Proposals
Balancing Learning Modalities Equity Access and the Future of Higher Ed
The disruption of the pandemic has uncovered many challenges in all areas of teaching, learning, and the use of technology, and we had to quickly adapt and innovate. At the same time, these challenges opened new pathways to innovation. For the last nine years, the three Bronx CUNY colleges created and promoted a community of learning to engage in discussions and new ways to embrace technology adoption and innovation through the Bronx EdTech Showcase. This year’s conference will highlight success stories, pave the path for the future and enable us to sustain innovation.
Our committee seeks cross-community, cross-campus and cross-disciplinary groups and individuals to lead discussions and share success stories, ideas, and roadmaps that can assist in leading, innovating, and representing change.
We welcome presentations from all academic disciplines, as well as from administrative and student support areas. Whether you consider yourself a proficient specialist, a ‘work-in-progress’, a novice, or first-time adopter, we look forward to hearing from you.
|
|
Hostos Holistic Oasis for Parents’ Education (HOPE) Program (Recurring Notice)
Are you a student parent? Are you looking to maximize your time this summer? Are you looking for a high-quality academic summer program for your child or children? Are you looking for an on-campus college experience with wraparound support?
Check out our program requirements and click “Apply Now!” and complete your application today!
Our three-dimensional HOPE Model includes holistic programming in three key areas:
Family
- High-quality on-campus programming for your children
- Reduce the summer slide!
- Hands-on Experiential Learning Opportunities (ELOs) in STEM
- Trained educators
- Small class sizes
- Breakfast, lunch, and snacks for all participants
- MetroCards
Academic
- Tuition-gap assistance
- Books
- Tutoring
- Structured study time
- Earn 6-9 credits in 7 weeks
Professional/ Social
- Colloquiums with industry leaders
- Workshops to enhance professionalism and networking
- Parenting groups and workshops
- Mentoring
Come and find your oasis this summer!
Priority application deadline is March 1 | Final application deadline is March 15, 2022.
Support for the HOPE Project is from the National Science Foundation's Division of Undergraduate Research (DUE) Programs for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) under Award #2135805.
|
|
The “Caiman Clues” for the Spring ’22 semester.
Students: Every week, for the Academic calendar year, read the Caiman Clues for helpful tips and reminders.
Caiman Clues —Your Hostos Helping Hand to Success
|
|
NEWS FROM THE DIVISION OF STUDENT DEVELOPMENT AND ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT |
|
Unit Spotlights: Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) and Veterans Services (HOVA)
The Accessibility Resource Center (ARC)
The Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) at Hostos provides students with academic support and accommodations. In addition to classroom and campus accommodations, students have the opportunity to use our private accessible computer lab, participate in workshops, and be trained in the use of assistive technologies. Registered ARC students are also provided with opportunities for personal and professional growth through participation in CUNY-wide activities where they can build relationships and be introduced to job opportunities.
As ARC starts the Spring 2022 semester:
- The office continues to provide day-to-day accommodations and faculty support and training.
- Has finished enrollment initiatives to bring back the 90 students with Disabilities who had not registered for Spring 2022 but had no reason. We were able to enroll 48 students out of the 48, 30 with 12 credits or more.
- ARC was successful in acquiring an RFP ($120,000) from CUNY for the Universal Design Leadership and Learning Project that allows ARC to employ six student leaders and provide professional development for students with Disabilities around advocacy, inclusion, and staff on accessibility, course content, and technology for diverse learners.
- Made CUNY Unlimited a reality. For years, ARC has partnered with AHRC to provide a college experience for students who could not be enrolled or did not have the academic qualifications to come to college. Students would audit classes with mentors. Through advocacy with State Legislators, Hostos became the only CUNY campus to have a comprehensive transition college program (CTP) that allows us to charge tuition and get federal dollars, allowing Hostos to hire disability staff and bring in tuition dollars for what we did for free all these years. Special thank you to Leslie King, Dean Gómez, and Lillian Morales.
- ARC celebrated Student Day of Empowerment Student on Feb 10 in partnership with our NY State legislators, students, faculty, and staff. ARC encourages the NY leadership to invest in students with disabilities at CUNY. ARC is asking for 15 million dollars to advance accommodations and academic success.
Learn more about ARC here.
The Hostos Office of Veterans Affairs (HOVA)
The Hostos Office of Veterans Affairs (HOVA) is dedicated to providing programs and services in support of the academic and personal success of service members, student veterans, dependents, and survivors.
We secured $10,000 to hire a Students Mentor Veterans Coordinator. These funds will allow us to hire VA work-study students to provide the following academic and extracurricular services.
- Creation and implementation of the HOVA Peer 2 Peer Tutoring Program
- Launched the Critical Training for Hostos Departments focusing on critical policies, laws governing VA federal funding compliance, and education benefits for faculty and staff who interact with Veterans.
- Re-establish the student Veterans Club which suffered during distance learning.
- We continue to partner with external organizations to expand resources, community relations, and employment opportunities for the Veterans population.
|
|
Hostos Community College Commencement Speaker Nomination Form Now Open! (Recurring notice)
We invite Hostos faculty, staff, and students to nominate the Spring 2022 commencement speaker. Simply complete the “Speaker Nomination Form” using your Hostos user ID and password to submit your nominee for consideration. Deadline: March 1, 2022.
|
|
NEWS FROM THE DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE |
|
Be Aware of Email Scams
There have been more and more instances of email scams where the email looks like it’s coming from your supervisor, department head, dean, or other campus representatives.
If you get an email that looks suspicious, please notify the IT Service Desk immediately at x6646 and forward the message to reportspam@hostos.cuny.edu so that they can block that email address from sending any more emails to Hostos employees.
These types of scams are referred to as business email compromise (BEC) or business email spoofing (BES) scams. They can take other forms, too, including fake invoice payments, phone calls, gift cards, wire transfers or other such schemes. Never provide sensitive personal information, payment details, employment information about colleagues or the college to anyone that attempts to solicit this via email or phone call.
Below are some tips to help you determine such scam emails:
- The email is short, usually one or two sentences, and lacks proper spelling, grammar, capitalization, and/or punctuation.
-
The sender’s name may show the correct Hostos name of the individual they are impersonating, but the email address will NOT be a @hostos.cuny.edu email address.
- If they ask you to send money, or purchase gift cards for any reason and to send them the codes from the back of the gift cards, do not respond. Contact the IT Service Desk so that IT can block that email address.
- The scammers are copying signatures to make the email seem legit, so always double-check the email address before replying.
|
|
NEWS FROM THE DIVISION OF CONTINUING EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
|
|
The CUNY Fatherhood Academy (CFA) is recruiting now!
FREE Virtual College Prep classes for fathers and expectant fathers that begin on February 17, 2022. Applicants must be 18 to 30 years old to participate. All program services are offered online.
Program services include:
- CUNY Assessment Test Prep to gain entrance to college
- Assistance with college enrollment and financial aid
- Family support, parenting workshops, men’s group, and employment assistance
- One-on-one coaching and counseling
- Access to tech devices based on need
- Alumni activities include referrals to occupational skills training (funded by CFA) and enrollment to CUNY (application fees covered)
The CUNY Fatherhood Academy (CFA) is also recruiting for their February and March cohorts. Since 2016 and 13 cohorts later, CFA is a comprehensive program designed to promote responsible parenting and economic stability for unemployed and underemployed young fathers through education, employment, and personal development. Increasing familial engagement, attaining a General Equivalency Diploma (GED), and acquiring gainful employment are all essential goals for the participants enrolled in the CFA. The program’s central focus is to help young fathers prepare for and enroll in college with the understanding that earning a college degree is the most effective path toward providing long-term economic sustainability for themselves and their families.
At Hostos, participants will receive:
- Preparation for the GED exam
- Career and educational exploration
- Preparation for college enrollment and job placement
- Work experience through internships and/or part-time jobs
- Workshops on important parenthood topics including familial bonding, health, and financial literacy
- Stipends and MetroCards
To be eligible you must:
- Be a male between the ages of 18 and 30 years
- Not be enrolled in college or another training program
- Have a child or be expecting a baby
Sign up for an Orientation Session here:
For additional information please contact Brenda Peart at 347-921-0379 or Danielle Allen at 347-871-3744.
|
|
Mission BX is produced by Hostos Community College in partnership with BronxNet and hosted by Eileen Newman, Executive Director of the Center for Bronx Nonprofits (CBNP).
Part of the CEWD at Hostos, the CBNP examines the work of nonprofits in health, housing, environmental, arts, food, and other sectors. Mission BX features interviews with nonprofit leaders, elected officials, and community members who share stories of the meaningful work being carried out in neighborhoods throughout the borough.
Host Eileen Newman recently sat with Hostos Community College Vice President of the Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development, Evelyn Fernandez-Ketcham, LCSW, and Assistant Dean of the Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development, Peter Mertens.
Tune in to hear their discussion on continuing education and workforce development, plus some of the new programs that are being offered at Hostos Community College.
You can catch Mission BX here.
The Center for Bronx Nonprofits offers:
- Executive Management Certificate Program
- Executive Director Peer Learning Networks
- Executive Directors Breakfasts
- Bronxnet TV Show: Mission BX
- Public Conversations and Convenings
- Annual Women’s Resilience Conference
For more information, contact Eileen Newman, Executive Director, The Center for Bronx Nonprofits at 718-518-6605 or enewman@hostos.cuny.edu.
|
|
NEWS FROM THE DIVISION OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
|
|
Hostos Class of 20.22 Campaign Reaches 10% in Its First Week
The Office of Alumni Relations’ Class of 20.22 Campaign is off to a great start thanks to five donors who were eager to show their support for the upcoming graduating class. This particular graduating class has persisted through nearly constant change over their last five semesters, and this tribute campaign enables future generations of students to follow their inspiring lead. Click here to learn more and make a gift honoring the tenacity of this outstanding graduating class.
|
|
Get to Know the Scholarship Website
DIA urges all student-facing faculty and staff to familiarize themselves with the Academic Works website and to check back in with it throughout the semester, as new opportunities may become available. There are a wide variety of opportunities for students with financial support based on major, volunteerism, need, meritorious achievement, and more. You are the experts in what our students need, so please encourage students to see if they qualify for a spring scholarship. Please note, DIA and the Hostos Community College Foundation serve only to secure funds for scholarships and do not participate in award decisions. For any application questions, please contact the scholarship office.
|
|
Hostos President Dr. Daisy Cocco de Filippis To Appear One to One with Sheryl McCarthy
Hostos President Dr. Daisy Cocco de Filippis will appear One to One, the compelling half-hour series hosted by veteran journalist and distinguished lecturer at Queens College Sheryl McCarthy. In One to One Host McCarthy speaks with CUNY newsmakers, notables, and experts about the issues of the day.
The episode premieres on Tuesday, February 15 at 9 p.m. on CUNY TV.
Additional air dates:
- Tuesday, February 15 – 9 p.m.
- Thursday, February 17 – 6 a.m. and noon
- Saturday, February 19 – 8 p.m.
- Sunday, February 20 – 8 a.m.
This episode will also stream on Tuesday, February 15 at 9 p.m. on the One to One website.
CUNY TV airs on these channels in NYC:
Spectrum/Optimum 75 | RCN 77 | Verizon FiOS 30 | Digital Antenna 25.3
Hostos students participated in the international Global Scholars Achieving Career Success Conference
Hostos students participated in the international Global Scholars Achieving Career Success (GSACS) Fall 2021 Student Conference held on December 1 and 4, 2021. GSACS is a collaborative multi-campus program that foregrounds United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and career readiness competencies in class-to-class virtual exchanges between students from five colleges at the City University of New York (CUNY): Borough of Manhattan Community College, Guttman Community College, Hostos Community College, LaGuardia Community College (lead), and Queens College of the City University of New York, and at four universities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Abdelmalek Essaâdi University (Morocco), The American University in Cairo, Jordan University of Science and Technology, and Palestine Ahliya University.
The two-day virtual conference was attended by over 300 students, faculty, staff and other participants from Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, and New York City. Student presentations featured projects on topics such as the water crisis in Egypt and the USA, the role of government and civil society to guarantee water access and quality in Bethlehem and New York City, and a start-up proposal for a hydration project. Students used a variety of media and tools to present including PowerPoint presentations, mobile apps, podcasts, and interviews. The conference also featured keynote speakers, including Judge Zahid N. Quraishi — United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey and the first federally appointed Muslim American judge in the US — as well as Saed K. Khayat, Professor in Hydrogeology and Isotopes Hydrology at Palestine Technical University Kadoorie (PTUK) who spoke about how climate change has impacted on water resources in the Middle East.
Over 700 students participated in international virtual exchange projects this Fall 2021 semester. GSACS Faculty Fellows, which in Fall 2021 included Hostos Professors Asrat Amnie, Nancy Genova, Roy Debasish, and Victor Torres-Velez, worked in bi-national teams to develop and implement virtual exchange modules for their students in credit-bearing courses. GSACS modules engages students in collaborative experiential learning activities through investigating either UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #6 on Clean Water and Sanitation or #10 on Reducing Inequalities. In Spring 2022, Professors Anna Ivanova and Linda Ridley will run classes in the GSACS Program.
Lisanette Rosario, Director of Career Services at Hostos, co-created and co-presented an extremely informative career workshop attendant to the conference. Students had the opportunity to learn about the NACE competencies and skills they had developed through GSACS, how to incorporate these skills into their resumé and interviews and how to start a professional LinkedIn profile. Students reflected on their GSACS experiences, such as one student who shared: “I have learned different skills, one of them is how to use technology for my presentations.” Another student added: “It opened my eyes to global issues, like we only see the issues we face here where we live, but a lot of issues we are facing here other people are facing as well, no matter where they are.” View the career workshop here. Students who complete the virtual exchange are invited to join the LinkedIn Global Scholars Achieving Career Success (GSACS) Virtual Exchange Alumni Network, as well as the US State Department’s International Exchange Alumni Network.
|
|
Candid Conversation on Healthy Relationships
Carlos L. González Counseling Center
Tuesday, February 15 | 3 to 4:30 p.m.
Are you having trouble or not feeling fulfilled in your relationship? Do you struggle with communicating your needs and expectations? Does the idea of a relationship scare you? Join the conversation and Register here.
Weekly Virtual Campus COVID Q&A Series
Division Administration and Finance
Wednesday, February 16, 2022 | 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Join Fabian Wander, Director of the Health and Wellness Center, and Zack Korenstein, Hostos’ Environmental Health & Safety consultant, for a weekly Question & Answer session to discuss your concerns about vaccinations, boosters, masks, safety measures, and other COVID-related items in place at Hostos.
Black at Hostos: The Origins of Black History Month
Office of the President
Wednesday, February 16 | 3:30 to 5 p.m.
Our 2022 kickoff event for the Town Hall series will encapsulate the story of Black History Month and why institutions nationwide recognize this annual celebration and its relevance to the month of February in the calendar year.
Access the Zoom link here.
Black at Hostos: The Origins of The Great Migration
Office of the President
Wednesday, March 23 | 3:30 to 5 p.m.
In this event, we will cover the period from 1916 to 1970 and discuss the primary factors and significance of the migration of thousands of southern African Americans.
Access the Zoom link here.
Save the Date - Annual Women’s Resilience Conference
Center for Bronx Nonprofits
Friday, March 25 | 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The Center for Bronx Nonprofit’s annual conference celebrates women and their place as leaders in their communities.
Zoom link forthcoming.
Black at Hostos: The Origins of Juneteenth
Office of the President
Wednesday, April 27 | 3:30 to 5 p.m.
Join us as we explore the historical origin of the 158-year-old upcoming holiday, which celebrates the emancipation of African Americans from slavery in the United States.
Access the Zoom link here.
|
|
ABOUT EL SEMANARIO HOSTOSIANO/THE HOSTOS WEEKLY
|
|
El Semanario Hostosiano/The Hostos Weekly is a weekly communication vehicle designed to unite our multiple voices as we share news about members of the Hostos family, provide updates on our work and upcoming events, and disseminate policy that impacts our work.
Published on Fridays at 9 a.m.
|
|
For inclusion in The Hostos Weekly, please send your items to:
Please keep submissions to no more than two paragraphs of written content and note,
we are unable to add attachments to our publication.
Find the Spring 2022 Publishing Schedule for El Semanario Hostosiano here.
Past issues of El Semanario Hostosiano/The Hostos Weekly can be found here.
Look for The Hostos Weekly each Friday.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
