Friday, October 28, 2022 | Vol. 5, No. 11, Fall 2022 Semester

MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT DAISY COCCO DE FILIPPIS

My Dear Colleagues and Students,

These are just a few words to say thank you, to express my sincere appreciation for the cooperation and participation of so many of the Hostos family in meetings with the Aspen Visiting Team as we go to the final stretch in the process to be considered for the Aspen 2023 Prize. At the exit interview, we were praised about many of the practices here, including the fact that ours is a college with a soul.

I note that life is thriving at Hostos in the form of seeing so many of our students and colleagues engaged in social and academic interactions throughout the buildings. As autumn leaves begin to turn, we rejoice in having reached this level of beauty and maturity as we prepare for the peace the holidays at the end of the semester will bring us all.

Mil gracias y bendiciones, Daisy 

Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D.

President

A POEM TO EMBRACE OUR MULTIPLE DIVERSITIES:

CAIMAN CLUES

The “Caiman Clues” for the  Fall ’22 semester | Week 9

Dear Students,

Here are the Caiman Clues: 

Meet with your professor to continue on the right track. Need assistance with planning your next term at Hostos? Meet with your advisor or success coach to get ready for next semester.

• Connect with Faculty – Log in to your Succeed@Hostos to view faculty messages and how to reach out to them! 
• Academic Planning Questions? – Schedule an advisement meeting with your success coach or academic advisor on Succeed@Hostos to discuss your academic support needs and next-term plans.  
• Registration is now open – Watch this video on how to view your degree plan and enroll today using schedule builder. 
• Student Technology Workshops – The Educational Technology office offers different virtual workshops. Check out the weekly calendar and register here. The CUNY “Are You Ready?” virtual class only takes 30 minutes; access it here.

Every week, for the Academic calendar year, read the Caiman Clues for helpful tips and reminders.

Simply follow our Facebook (@HostosCC), Twitter (@HostosCollege) and Instagram (@HostosCollege) for helpful hints you can use all year round.

INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS, RESEARCH AND ASSESSMENT

Submitted by Dean of Academic Affairs Institutional Effectiveness,

Research and Assessment Babette Audant, Ph.D. 

Considering the national context: enrollment and retention

The College Board’s College Enrollment and Retention in the Era of Covid report (2021) provides a national perspective on enrollment in a comprehensive report that provides context for changes in Hostos’ enrollment: nationally, students in the Fa21 cohort were ~2% less likely to enroll in a four-year college and 16% less likely to enroll in a two-year college than the Fa19 (pre-pandemic) cohort. Enrollment of Black and Hispanic students attending two-year colleges declined more than enrollment for other ethnic/racial groups. And, deeply reflective of the situation at Hostos, enrollment declines across the United States are starkest among students residing in low-income, “highest challenge neighborhoods” – a 22% decline between Fa19 and Fa21. In sum, the opportunity cost of attending college is higher than ever.

Adding pressure to community colleges, more selective colleges are enrolling more students with “modest academic credentials.” Translated to the local context: CUNY abolished the highly flawed placement test with the CUNY Placement Index, which was first used to determine Gateway placement of the Sp20 cohort. CUNY four-year colleges now accept students who might have attended community colleges. Questions abound about the accuracy of the CPI, and how it minimizes the role of community colleges in providing socio-cultural-emotional support to all students, and the relation between this unrecognized work and student success.

Nationally, retention has declined for the post-pandemic cohorts: retention of the Fa20 cohort (56.7%) was 4.4% lower than the retention of the Fa19 cohort (58.9%). (Hostos’ rate of change is consistent with national trends: Fa19 = ~59% and Fa20 = ~52%.) Notably, persistence (college enrollment at a college and not necessarily the one where a student started the previous fall) is not included among the metrics that comprise the CUNY Progress Management Process report. With more students using ePermits CUNY wide (Hostos students use ePermit at lower rates than most!) and using tools like TREX (transfer explorer) to research course equivalencies across CUNY, reporting on persistence rates could help us gain insight about students’ trajectories.

The numbers are sobering and, through the college-wide strategic planning process and initiatives currently underway, we are acting with intentionality at every stage of program design and delivery to make positive change. The challenges are real, and it is motivating thoughtful, informed responses that acknowledge students’ needs and the many tools (including multiple modalities, flexible scheduling and accessible student services) we have at hand.

At CUNY, like elsewhere, community colleges continue to be powerful engines of socio-economic mobility. We are important access points to first-gen students who may have impostor syndrome; we help them see themselves as college students and as future decision-makers. We provide smaller classes, broad access to lab courses without waiting lists, and coordinated support services among other benefits. These qualities existed before the pandemic. Combined with more aggressive commitments to transfer equity and clear communication of academic and career pathways, we provide students with foundational skills and clear vision of their next steps that prepare them for the four-year degrees and beyond.

Submitted by Director of Governmental and External Affairs Eric Radezky, Ph.D.

Early Voting Starts this Saturday!

November 8 is Election Day and will feature elections for US Senate, all of the seats in the US House of Representatives, Governor of New York and all seats in the New York State Senate and Assembly. You can vote on Election Day, or you can take advantage of early voting between October 29 to November 6 to beat the rush.

To find your poll site, visit the Board of Elections website and use the lookup tool on the homepage. Note that your early voting poll site might be different from your Election Day poll site.

Other useful tools on the Board of Elections site include a way to check if you are registered to vote, the application to register if you are not, and an FAQ page about elections and voter registration in New York City.

Exercise your right to vote on Election Day or in early voting!

News from the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs: Now Hiring Emergency Snow Laborers for 2022-2023 Season

The New York City Department of Sanitation has announced that registration is now open for those interested in working as Emergency Snow Laborers for the 2022-2023 winter season. Emergency Snow Laborers are per-diem workers who remove snow and ice from bus stops, crosswalks, fire hydrants and step streets after heavy snowfalls. Snow Laborers earn $17 per hour to start, and $25.50 per hour after 40 hours are worked in a week.

Snow laborers must be at least 18 years of age, be eligible to work in the United States, and capable of performing heavy physical labor. Additionally, candidates must be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. All applicants must bring the following items at the time of registration:

• Two small photos (1 ½ square)
• Original and copy of two forms of identification
• Social Security card
• Proof of COVID-19 vaccination

Those interested in becoming a Snow Laborer must register for an application appointment at nyc.gov/snow. Registration appointments take place at the Department’s 59 garages. Applicants should not attend the appointment if they have any COVID-19 symptoms.

Hostos Library asks: Are your students ready to vote?

By Haruko Yamauchi

The Hostos Library Vote! guide was first created in 2018, in the aftermath of the national tumult of the 2016 elections, and prior to the 2018 midterms. As many members of the Hostos community may know, voter turnout in our country is perpetually lower for midterms than the already low turnout (compared to other countries of comparable wealth) that we see in a presidential election year. One of the guide's aims that first year was to raise awareness of crucial matters decided in a less media-prominent election season.

Its greater ongoing goal is to provide accessible information that encourages students to learn about what's at stake in each election cycle, and to cast their vote and be counted. Informed participation in electoral democracy can be read as an implicit outcome of Hostos’ commitment, in its mission, to lifelong learning and to access to community resources — and is even more explicitly tied to our previously-expressed general education core competencies of demonstrating ethical reasoning in decision-making, and developing the ability to participate as a member of both local and wider communities. 

The guide answers procedural questions such as, "How do I register to vote?" "How do I see who's on my ballot?" and "How can I vote absentee?" It also answers questions that might be fraught with concern, such as “What are my voting rights if I’m on parole?" (And how have justice-impacted people had their voting rights threatened or taken away, and who’s fighting to change that?), "What are my rights if I'm experiencing homelessness?" and "What are my rights and resources if I'm a disabled voter?" It links to reliable external sources of information about candidates and ballot measures, and addresses emerging election-related issues, such as in 2021, when it showcased short, friendly videos that demystified the new process of ranked choice voting for city elections. 

We at the library were grateful to be invited to collaborate with the staff, faculty, and students coordinating the Hostos Votes! events of 2020 and 2021, when the Vote! guide was given much-appreciated visibility through online debate watches and related activities such as extra-credit activities assigned by faculty.

NEWS FROM THE DIVISION OF STUDENT DEVELOPMENT AND ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

Submitted by VP of Student Development and Enrollment Management (SDEM) La Toro Yates, Ph.D.

Admissions

The Office of Admissions and Recruitment participated in the CUNY Counselor Conference at Queens College on Friday, October 14, and at John Jay College on Friday, October 21. The Queens College event hosted Queens and Brooklyn high school and community-based organization counselors. The John Jay College event hosted Manhattan and Brooklyn, counselors. Today, we will be participating in the CUNY Counselor Conference fair at Lehman College to network with school counselors from the Bronx and Westchester County area. Lastly, we will participate in the Thursday, November 10 Virtual CUNY Counselor Fair. If any Hostos faculty wish to showcase our academic programs to high school counselors, please email Carlos Rivera, Director of Admissions and Recruitment.

CUNY Edge

CUNY EDGE Transfer Success Event: On Friday, October 21, we held the CUNY EDGE Transfer Success Event, in collaboration with Central and other CUNY Edge Offices. The virtual activities included presentations from our panel of representatives, including T-Rex, a Financial Aid representative, and a CUNY–to–CUNY transfer student. During the panel presentation, a moderator asked questions to the panel that were submitted by students during registration, and the panelists answered them. The second activity occurred in Zoom breakout rooms. During registration, students indicated their college interests and were therefore placed in breakout rooms according to their college preferences ranging from their top choice to their third choice. Students were expected to spend about 10-15 minutes in each room and then move to the breakout room for their next college choice. In these rooms, there were representatives from each CUNY senior and comprehensive college. The event ended once all students visited their Senior College options. In total there were about 70 participants, about 15 Hostos students.

Financial Aid

Updates

• October 31 is the deadline to apply for the Limited Public Service Loan Forgiveness [PSLF] Waiver which gives borrowers credits for past periods of repayment on federal student loans —even loans that would otherwise not qualify for PSLF.
• Student Loan Debt Relief Application is OPEN! To apply for one-time student loan debt relief of up to $20,000 by December 31.
• The 2023-2024 FAFSA & TAP applications are AVAILABLE as of October 1.

Student Activities 

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

• In collaboration with Hostos Center for the Arts, an altar will be set up next week to coincide with a Día de los Muertos event in the Main Theater over the weekend.

SGA Assembly and Inauguration

• SGA Assembly and Inauguration will take place on Monday, November 7, at 4 p.m., in room C-391.

Student Enrollment Information

• Enrollment for Spring 2023 is open now! Log in to your CUNYfirst account to register for classes using Schedule Builder, for navigation assistance click here. If you need assistance you can make an appointment with your ASAP Advisor or College Discovery Advisor or Student Success Coach. You can call Student Services at 718-518-4385.

Poem submitted by VP La Toro Yates

For Gwen Brooks

By Carolyn Marie Rodgers 



“she yielding of Senses”

               Say—

        she heard a sound,

        and it was so beautiful

        she tried to find it.

Say, she saw a light and

        thought she would follow

        it.

        Say—

            she lay down and

        sleep was so delicious—

            decided not to get up.

Keep these practices in mind.

As CyberSecurity Awareness month comes to a close and your mind turns to Halloween treats, please remember the four best practices that have been shared by CUNY CIS and the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA):

1)      Enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) on your accounts and devices.

MFA is an additional security step for proving your identity beyond just your password when you log in to an account or device. Different forms of MFA can include:

• Answering security question(s) that you have selected/created during the account set up.
• The account may send you a code or PIN via text or email that you have to enter.
• Biometric identifiers like facial recognition or fingerprint scan.
• Using an authenticator app to approve your sign-in.
• Possession of a separate physical item, like a key fob, that verifies your identity.

2)      Using strong passwords and a password manager.

• Each of your accounts should be protected with its own unique password. “Unique” means your passwords should not look alike — don’t reuse passwords or add a single character (symbol, letter, or number) to a previous password.
• Each unique password should be long; NCA recommends at least 12 characters.
• Each unique password should be a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, number, and special characters. Some websites and apps may even allow spaces.
• Use a password manager to manage all of your unique passwords, which then allows you to only remember one password. (And keep your password manager safe by securing it with MFA.)

 3)     Ensuring your software is up-to-date.

• Check for software updates regularly. Keeping your software current keeps your systems functioning at their peak and can reduce the likelihood of cyberattacks.
• Get the updates directly from the software developer. Be cautious of pop-ups that say you should update your software as they may contain malware or send you to click through an unsecured website. Use a reputable pop-up blocker to limit scammers.
• Set up automatic updates if possible so you don’t have to remember or check for them. 

4)      Recognizing and reporting phishing.

• Review messages and the sender’s email address carefully — does the message seem odd? Is the email address or sender name not one you recognize?
• Take the time to think before you click.
• Reach out to IT if you think the message is suspicious and/or a possible phishing attempt.
• Change your password if you have experienced a cyberattack.

Incorporating the above tools and practices can significantly decrease your chances of becoming a cybercrime victim. You can find out more information on how to keep yourself safe on the Hostos Cyber Security Awareness web page.

NEWS FROM THE DIVISION OF CONTINUING EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Nine Dental Hygienists completed CEWD’s Local Anesthesia/Nitrous Oxide Analgesia Certificate Program and successfully obtained their New York State Restricted Certificate in Local Infiltration Anesthesia/Nitrous Oxide Analgesia. Two Dental Hygienists are recent Hostos graduates. The 45-hour course, conducted over two weekends, allows dental hygienists, under the direction of a dentist, to administer intra-oral and infiltration anesthesia or nitrous oxide analgesia to patients 18 years of age or older. Since 2010, CEWD has successfully trained 440 Dental Hygienists through its Local Anesthesia/Nitrous Oxide Analgesia Certificate Program. The program has maintained a 100% pass rate. To date, CEWD has trained 36 cohorts. Dr James R. King, Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Director of Dentistry at Harlem Hospital Center, has taught 35 cohorts.

BronxNet’s Mission Bronx

Joe Conzo Sr., who teaches CEWD’s History of Latin Music and Latin Jazz Seminar, recently appeared on BronxNet’s Mission Bronx. Mr. Conzo discussed the weekly seminar and the upcoming El Inolvidable Tito Rodríguez: A Tribute Concert that will be held at Hostos on Saturday, November 12, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, November 13, at 4 p.m. You can watch the interview on YouTube here. Mr. Conzo is a noted music historian, producer, and author of Mambo Diablo: My Journey with Tito Puente.

Register for the History of Latin Music and Latin Jazz Seminar here.

Spread the Word

Please share information about CEWD’s current scholarships and no-cost programming opportunities, which can be found by clicking here and selecting the scholarships and tuition assistance programs link in our online course catalog. 

For additional information, please encourage prospective students to sign up for one of CEWD’s upcoming summer Virtual Information Sessions by visiting https://tinyurl.com/HostosCEWD.

Changes to CUNY Tuesday

Our annual CUNY Tuesday season of giving has started! Remember, this year there will not be a payroll deduction option for CUNY faculty and staff. Instead, we encourage our giving community to make a pledge or enroll in recurring payments via the CUNY Tuesday website between October 8 and November 29. Setting up a pledge with recurring payments is the easiest way to support students with a manageable, monthly payment. Contact Idelsa Méndez if you have questions or want help planning your gift.

To set up your recurring gift at any time, visit www.givetohostos.com enter your donation amount, then click “add donation.” When more options appear, select “recurring gift.”

New Alumni Fund Available for CUNY Tuesday Gifts!

The Office of Alumni Relations is pleased to announce the Hostos Alumni Fund for Student Transfer Scholarships. The intended fund gives alumni a way to honor the impact of their Hostos degree by providing empowering support to current students who want to further their academic career at a four-year institution. If you’re an alumnus, consider allocating your CUNY Tuesday gift toward the Hostos Alumni Fund for Student Transfer Scholarships.

Gerontology Unit Seeks to Establish Scholarship Fund for Aging and Health Studies Students  

In honor of Professor Flemister’s retirement, the Gerontology Unit has started fundraising for a Gerontology Student Scholarship. Help the unit reach the $5,000 threshold to set unique scholarship criteria by making a gift here.

If your unit would like to learn more about establishing a scholarship to directly support your students, contact Colette Atkins to learn more.

Professors Ian Scott and Catherine Lewis Students’ Work Celebrated by DA Office 

On Friday, October 21, President Daisy Cocco De Filippis and members of the Extended Cabinet met with Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark to celebrate the conclusion of a month-long art exhibit of Hostos student artwork that was on display at the Office of the District Attorney in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. The exhibit featured a dozen pieces by Hostos students that celebrate the diversity of Hispanic heritage. Also present at the gathering was Hostos Alumna Dennesa Usher, ‘08, whose painting of Eugenio María de Hostos was featured in the exhibit. She was complimented on her work by President Cocco De Filippis and DA Clark. Also discussed at the celebration were possibilities for further collaboration between Hostos Community College and the Bronx DA's Office including possible internships, academic partnerships and special events.

Members of College Campus Raise Funds In Bicycle Drive

On Sunday, October 23, senior campus leaders, staff and faculty members took to the Bronx streets with their bicycles to participate in the 25 mile Tour de Bronx. Produced by the Office of Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson and The Bronx Tourism Council, in conjunction with Montefiore Einstein and in partnership with the City’s bicycling and pedestrian advocacy group, Transportation Alternatives. Tour De Bronx promotes bicycling as an environmentally-friendly and healthy method of travel. Kudos to our campus community for taking part in this activity!

President Daisy Cocco De Filippis’ Article Published in “La imagen de la madre en la literatura, el cine, las artes escénicas y las artes visuales”

President Daisy Cocco De Filippis’ article and keynote address “Retazos de vida: Reflexiones de una académica-abuela” has been published in “La imagen de la madre en la literatura, el cine, las artes escénicas y las artes visuales: memorias del VII Coloquio de LART, Centro Español de Manhattan,” edited by Paquita Suárez Coalla and Sonia Rivera Valdés, New York: Campana, 2022. Paquita Suárez Coalla is a full professor of Spanish at Borough of Manhattan Community College and Sonia Rivera Valdés is full professor emerita at York College.

Hostos Review Book Launch

On Tuesday, October 25, the Latin American Writers Institute (LAWI) celebrated the launch of issue No. 18 of the literary journal “Hostos Review/Revista Hostosiana” during an evening reception held in the Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos and simultaneously via Zoom. President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Provost Shiang-Kwei Wang, writers, poets and many others gathered to commemorate the occasion. Congratulations to Dr. Inmaculada Lara-Bonilla, Latin American & Caribbean Studies Unit Coordinator, Latin American Writers Institute Director, and Chief Editor of the “Hostos Review/Revista Hostosiana,” on another successful issue release.

VIRTUAL EVENTS

Grow with Google Career Services & Alumni Mixer

Wednesday, November 2 | Virtual Event



Career Week Alumni Panel – Alumni Speakers Bureau

Monday, November 7- Friday, November 11 | Virtual Event

SAVE THE DATE

DSA2022 Virtually@Hostos: X Biennial Dominican Studies Association Conference

December 1–3, 2022

The College is co-sponsoring the DSA Conference, which will consist of 18 panels and 7 roundtables over the course of three days. More details to be shared soon. We hope you will join us virtually on Zoom!

Abua Yala: Structural Origins (Recurring Notice)

October 5–December 21 | The Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos

Calipulli Mexican Dance Company: Dia de los Muertos

Saturday, October 29 | 8 p.m. | Main Theater

Sunday, October 30 | 3 p.m. | Main Theater

Hostos students, faculty, and staff — and their families and friends — are invited to Calpulli Mexican Dance Company’s production of Día de los Muertos. More information here. 

El Inolvidable Tito Rodriguez: A Tribute Concert

Saturday, November 12 | 8 p.m. | Hostos Theater

Sunday, November 13 | 4 p.m. | Hostos Theater

Buy tickets here.

Homecoming Alumni Basketball Game

Thursday, November 17 | Hostos Gym | 4:30 p.m. (tentative) | Hostos Gym

Details forthcoming.