Friday, October 22, 2021 | Vol. 3 No. 9, Fall 2021 Semester
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MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT DAISY COCCO DE FILIPPIS |
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My Dear Colleagues and Students,
I am happy to share with you a brief progress report on the work of the Hostos Advisory Corps on the Ms. MacKenzie Scott Gift’s President’s Initiatives to support student success. We met on Friday, October 15 to discuss proposed next steps and activities for our work this year (Please see link to Semanario previous communications here and here). We will be forever indebted to Ms. MacKenzie Scott for the gift of $15 million which will provide an anchor for enrichment activities in support of our students. We received a number of recommendations to consider and we intend to move forward in incremental ways, assessing the early impact of these efforts.
The fall semester is organizational for our work on setting up the project. To that end, the Hostos Advisory Corps and a number of subgroups will meet in the next few weeks with the President and Chief of Staff to discuss process and structure for the following initiatives and recommendations:
- Student Emergency Fund contributions continue to be administered by the Division of Student Development and Enrollment Management through SingleStop.
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Creation of the Hostos Research Center.
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Defining the Hostos Families United in Education initiative.
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Setting up the infrastructure for Jobs on Campus Opportunities.
- Workforce incentives to create opportunities for students to transfer from non-credit to credit certificates; and matriculated students to also obtain industry recognized certificates that hold value for college and the world of work.
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Intentionality in supporting 2+2 +2 opportunities for our students to institutions currently out-of-reach for them; support of internship programs and opportunities to promote cultural diversity.
These two initiatives to be followed up by Academic Affairs:
- The creation by OAA of a high impact unit, as supported by OIERA and academic departments. Increase emphasis on assessment of programs and innovation in programming.
- OAA and CEWD to assess existing credit and non-credit ESL offerings and programs, and to propose revisions in programming and student support in order to improve quality of delivery.
We are in the process of conducting a search for the position of the Director of the MacKenzie Scott Initiative in support of student success. The Director will oversee this effort, which will be housed in the Office of the President. Processes and progress as we move forward will be shared in the Semanario.
Thank you for another week into the fall semester, now with foliage in full display, of working with students to support excellent teaching and learning, and effective advisement and counseling.
Mil gracias y bendiciones, Daisy
Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D.
President
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A POEM TO INVITE REFLECTION |
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“Introduction to Poetry”
By Billy Collins
I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide
or press an ear against its hive.
I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,
or walk inside the poem’s room
and feel the walls for a light switch.
I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author’s name on the shore.
But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.
They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.
By Billy Collins Introduction to Poetry from “The Apple that Astonished Paris.” Learn more here about the renowned American poet.
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STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION |
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Submitted by SGA President Brian Carter
Good morning my fellow students of Hostos Community College,
Being that we are approaching the halfway point of the semester, I would like to commend you, and faculty members alike for keeping your foot on the gas pedal of education with no breaks throughout these trying times. As a student, I absolutely can attest to the pressures of this world under these circumstances and keep a supreme focus. Also, we are still accepting applications for senator positions in our Student Government Association (SGA).
I encourage you to become a part of an exclusive entity at Hostos which will help you build character, self-esteem, and help you gain impactful leadership qualities and discipline. From my perspective, being a part of the SGA will give you the required experience of being in a political atmosphere but without all the politics. By broadening your horizons and working with other students, faculty, and staff, you will want to become an essential part of your community.
Get in contact with the wonderful and talented Rhonda Smith, one of the coordinators of the Student Activities Office, or the amazing Jerry Rosa who plays a crucial role as Director of Student Activities. The Student Activities Office is located on the third floor of the C-Building near the elevators. You may also contact the remarkable Jason Libfeld who is the Director of the Student Leadership Academy. Any of these three individuals can provide you with an SGA application and set you on a path to have a significant impact on students’ life.
I am also cordially inviting everyone to experience the SGA collaboration with the Counseling Center. Together we are offering a workshop called “Adjusting to the New Normal,” an open and safe space environment, where attendees will have a chance to win a Target or Amazon Gift Card.
In “Adjusting to the New Normal” students and faculty members alike will have the opportunity to share their truths and use this safe space as a collective therapy session. “Adjusting to the New Normal” will be held next Tuesday, Oct. 26 at 3:30 p.m. on Zoom. You can follow the counseling center on Instagram @hostoscounseling or watch out for your Hostos email for the invitation to access the link.
Remember that in life never take anyone with you that wasn’t going anywhere with you in the first place. This is essentially why I’m inviting everyone because two things are certain and one thing is for sure, that we as the Community of Hostos are definitely contributing to the development and direction of our current circumstance and we are a reflection of a society that coexists with its people.
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MIDDLE STATES SELF-STUDY UPDATE |
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Submitted by MSCHE Steering Committee Co-Chairs Professor Kate S. Wolfe and Professor Nelson Nuñez Rodríguez
MSCHE Self-Study Update:
The institution mission illuminates report narrative flow
(Narrative Review Tips)
The Self-Study narrative revision uncovers how Chapter 1 (Standard 1: Mission and Goals) encompasses subsequent chapters. The revision of the narrative by the Hostos community brings an opportunity to further understand how our mission drives daily college operations including planning and budget allocation. Several chapters in the narrative such as Chapter 3 (Design and Delivery of Student Experience), Chapter 4 (Support of Student Experience), Chapter 5 (Educational Effectiveness Assessment), and Chapter 6 (Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement) are clearly explained following our institution’s mission pillars: access to higher education, diversity and multiculturalism, English and math skills development, intellectual growth and lifelong learning, socio-economic mobility, and community resources.
This narrative organization will allow reviewers to understand our institutional efforts to align mission, strategize operationally, allocate budgets, take concrete actions, assess the effectiveness of our actions, and determine how assessment results help demonstrate how we are fulfilling our mission. In this regard, Chapters 3 and 4 explain our institution’s efforts to address student language and math development needs. The resources allocated to these tasks follow operational planning priorities illuminated by our mission’s commitment to addressing student English and math skills development once we provide them with access to higher education. The assessment results of these developmental education efforts show how the institution is able to propel students into college courses once they have addressed their academic development needs. In doing so, Hostos provides students, in addition to access to higher education, the tools to navigate and persist in their college journey.
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INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS RESEARCH & ASSESSMENT |
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Submitted by Dean of Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness, Research and Assessment Babette Audant, Ph.D.
Mission in practice: Celebrate diversity and multiculturalism
Over the preceding five weeks, I have used this space to highlight aspects of the Self-Study process through the lens of our six mission pillars. These themes are threaded throughout the Self-Study report, interacting with one another to tell the story of Hostos and the efforts of faculty and staff to support students’ academic and career pathways, as well as the story of systematic planning, strategic budgeting, policy compliance, and advocacy for access.
Hostos’ commitment to “celebrate diversity and multiculturalism” is the last of these pillars. The challenge of looking at diversity and multiculturalism through the lens of the Self-Study is due to the report’s nature as a compliance document. Nonetheless, this mission pillar is addressed, providing readers a sense of what it is to be at Hostos:
"There are lovely passages that evoke the feel of the campus, and the centrality of culture/cultures. The decorations enlivening B-Building’s staircases, the many posters that line the halls, the Longwood Art Gallery, the piano tucked into the corner of the A-building atrium, and the pulsating beats and rhythms that define many of the concerts offered by the Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture."
The report includes descriptions of the ways in which curriculum offers students opportunities to learn about diversity and multiculturalism:
"The Liberal Arts Program at Hostos offers 25 options; a number of these intentionally interdisciplinary options guide student inquiry into the cultures, experiences, and histories of marginalized peoples including the Black & African Diaspora Studies Liberal Arts Option, the Women’s and Gender Studies Liberal Arts Option and the Latina/o Latin American and Caribbean Studies Liberal Arts Option."
Hostos’ commitment to diversity (integrated with explorations of equity and inclusion) is integrated with its Pathways Gen Ed curriculum:
"Twenty-four of 102 Pathways general-education courses offered at Hostos align with one of two domains that directly address DEI (U.S. Experience in Its Diversity and World Cultures & Global Issues). In turn, two of Hostos’ Institutional Learning Outcomes explicitly align with DEI (Diversity and Community/Civic Engagement); program-learning outcomes in 25 (of 28) degree programs align with these ILOs."
Professional development has, and does, address Hostos’ commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion:
"Faculty diversity became an area of focus with the creation of Hostos’ 2013-18 faculty diversity plan. This plan led to the creation of a two-year Diversity Fellow position who partnered with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) to support and facilitate curriculum development, trainings, and events on campus that promoted diversity, equity and inclusion. From their efforts, one major initiative that emerged in 2019 was the 50th commemoration of the Stonewall Riots. A faculty lavender-curriculum group was formed to strengthen the integration of gender and sexual diversity in the curriculum. Courses are in development, with at least two courses (“LGBT+ Literature” and “Race, Gender, and Sexuality in the Media”) already approved."
Hostos was created out of struggle. More than 50 years ago, a group of community advocates demanded that a higher education space be established in the South Bronx. That struggle by and for underrepresented communities to be seen for who they were — and who we are — is a struggle we continue to fight every day. It’s perhaps for this reason, too, that singling out the mission pillar “celebrating diversity and multiculturalism” is difficult: the other five mission pillars are informed by commitments to equity and inclusion. The “D” on its own is beautiful and worthy. Paired with the “E” and “I”, it has teeth, and more accurately reflects who we are, and why we are here.
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Submitted by Executive Counsel & Labor Designee Eugene Sohn, Esq.
Time to Vote on Election Day Policy
Purpose/Objective
CUNY will provide up to 3 hours of paid leave for the purpose of voting in most local or federal elections, to employees who are registered to vote. This leave can be taken at the beginning or the end of the workday.
Eligibility
Employees who need time off to vote must notify their supervisor at least two working days prior to Election Day. This applies to primary and general elections, as well as any special elections called by the Governor. It does NOT include school district elections, library district elections, fire district elections, or special town elections. Also, the time off to vote provisions only apply to primary or election days, NOT to early voting periods.
To view the policy, please click on the following link.
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OFFICE OF GOVERNMENTAL AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS |
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Submitted by Director of Governmental and External Affairs Eric Radezky, Ph.D.
Exercise your right to vote on Election Day or in early voting!
November 2 is Election Day and will feature New York City elections for mayor, public advocate, city comptroller, city councilmembers, and district attorneys as well as a number of judgeships and ballot proposals. There are also two special elections to fill vacancies in New York State Senate District 30 and New York State Assembly District 86 for voters living in those districts.
To find your poll site, please visit the Board of Elections website and use the look-up tool on the home page. You can also use that tool to find your early voting site (early voting is open from October 23 to October 31) and to see a sample ballot similar to the one you will see on Election Day.
Exercise your right to vote on Election Day or in early voting!
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HOSTOS REOPENING UPDATE: OCTOBER 22, 2021
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Submitted by Esther Rodríguez Chardavoyne, Senior Vice President of Administration and Finance and Interim Vice President of Student Development and Enrollment Management
With the October 7 deadline — for proof of full vaccination to be verified and approved in CUNYfirst — having passed, SDEM and the Health and Wellness team are now focusing their current efforts on targeted, direct communications to those students who are not fully vaccinated and are enrolled in in-person classes. It is a small number of students, and they will be reminded via text message of the academic impact.
Per CUNY guidance, students withdrawn from their in-person class for non-compliance with the vaccine mandate will receive a refund for the class if they paid for it out-of-pocket. Details about refunds will be forthcoming. For those students who received financial aid this term, further information will be sent about how the withdrawal will affect their aid. The College is continuing outreach to all students not in compliance with the vaccine mandate but currently greater focus is being applied to those in in-person classes.
Hostos continues to encourage students to get fully vaccinated and upload their documentation so they can successfully complete their classes this fall and be ready for the spring semester.
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NEWS FROM THE OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
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The Office of Academic Affairs is delighted to share the release of a new book written by Thomas Beachdel, Associate Professor in the Humanities Department, and published by Hatje Cantz. Congratulations Professor Beachdel!
Becoming in “New York New York” by Thomas Beachdel
As an art historian, one whose academic discipline uses images instead of texts to construct and shape a position or argument, the theme of place and identity is powerful, compelling, and is a much-needed addition to current scholarship. The thesis of “New York New York” (Hatje Cantz, 2021) is that the genres of landscape and portrait merge in the creation of identity, or identities. They intersect. Places and people deeply influence each other, but perhaps even more important is that identity, as something that is not fixed, is formed and transformed by each individual person and their experiences.
“New York New York” is a landscape of youth and a portrait of place — entwining person and environment. New York City is an almost mythic entity, a place of both coming to and becoming in. “New York New York” is at once vast and specific, intimate and outgoing. It is about deep truth and superficial moments, the range of what it means to be human. It is honest and forthright — it is real. Marie Tomanova’s images are direct and speak to the essence of an instant. They merge the genres of portrait and landscape to effortlessly bounce off one another, revealing a social landscape inextricably linked to place. They are about emotions and space, place, and identity.
The main theme of “New York New York” is about New York City, the place and people and how these aspects create identity, or many identities, for that part, because identity is fluid and transformative. It is really about freedom to find yourself and to be yourself. It is about New York City as a place of becoming, which is part of what Kim Gordon touches on in her foreword to the book. She shares her experience of coming to New York City as a young artist in search of herself. And while New York City is special and magical, that idea of coming to someplace new and finding yourself is really a more universal one. It is the song movement, of immigration, and emigration and becoming. It is a call of freedom. But it can also be a struggle. Finding yourself or your place in the world is seldom easy. Sometimes it is so hard you want to stop. “New York New York” is about not stopping. It is about pushing for your dreams.
Learn more about the book here.
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Students: Every week, for the academic year, read the Caiman Clues for helpful tips and reminders.
Caiman Clues —Your Hostos Helping Hand to Success
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NEWS FROM THE DIVISION OF CONTINUING EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
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CEWD UPDATE: The leadership of the CEWD division of Hostos is proud to announce the Summer ’21 completion figures. We recognize the work of our instructors and the efforts of our students during this trying time.
We will continue to work and prepare people with the Skills to do the Job!
Adult Learning Center
High School Equivalency – 21 completers
ESOL (still in session)
Professional Development
Microsoft Office – 10 certifications earned
DOE - DASA – 20 certifications earned
DOE – School Violence Prevention – 17 certifications earned
DOE – Training in the Needs of Students with Autism – 20 certifications earned
Basic Electrical for Residential – 5 certifications earned
Plumbing Basics - 5 certifications earned
Construction Site Safety
OSHA 30-hour Construction – 51 certifications earned
DOB Site Safety courses - 60 certifications earned
Allied Health
Clinical Medical Assistant – (still in session)
Dental Assistant – (still in session)
CPR – 9 certifications earned
CASAC - 12 certifications earned
Certified Nursing Assistant - 8 certifications earned
Patient Care Technician – (still in session)
Phlebotomy – (still in session)
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CEWD Presents The History of Latin Music & Jazz Part XVI Fall 2021
The History of Latin Music & Jazz Part XVI Fall 2021 is a free seminar series that will cover the diversity of Latin music pioneers and artists who were influential in creating it by highlighting their impact on the history of Latin music and jazz. Special guests will periodically attend throughout the seminar series.
Learn about musicians and artists like Graciela, known as the First Lady of Latin Jazz, Celia Cruz, Olga Guiott, Gloria Estefan, Enrique Jorrin, Johnny Rodríguez, Julio Gutiérrez, and many others that helped create and influence the music of this time.
The series is hosted by noted music historian, producer, and author of “Mambo Diablo: My Journey with Tito Puente,” Joe Conzo Sr.
These seminars will broaden your knowledge of the genres and enlighten you as you hear and learn about the music and how it evolved from the 1930’s to now.
The Tito Puente Exhibit is housed at Hostos and is available for viewing.
Seminar Dates:
10/23, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, 12/4, 12/11 | 8 sessions 16 hrs.
Attend via zoom at the following times:
Oct 23, 2021 11 a.m.
Oct 30, 2021 11 a.m.
Nov 6, 2021 11 a.m.
Nov 13, 2021 11 a.m.
Nov 20, 2021 11 a.m.
Nov 27, 2021 11 a.m.
Dec 4, 2021 11 a.m.
Weekly: Join weekly Zoom Meeting here | Meeting ID: 839 5263 4190
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CEWD
The CEWD Fall 2021 course brochure can be found here.
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WATCH MISSION BX
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, an organization that 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. Guests will share stories of the meaningful work being carried out in neighborhoods throughout the borough.
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NEWS FROM THE DIVISION OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
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Alumni Relations – DATE CHANGE
Fourth Annual Alma Matters Awards
Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 17, 2021, at 12:30 p.m., when the Office of Alumni Relations will host its Fourth Annual Alma Matters Awards. This virtual event will honor the Hostos alumni who serve as faculty and staff at the College. RSVP today to show your support for Hostos graduates who have committed their careers to the mission of this College, and nominate your outstanding alumni colleagues using this online form.
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#CUNYTuesday is November 30, 2021
CUNY’s University-wide day of giving, #CUNYTuesday, is November 30. The Hostos portal will be open soon, and we encourage you to show your love for Hostos by making a gift through the cunytuesday.org portal, or via payroll deduction. The link to complete a payroll deduction form online will be available next week, or you can renew your existing payroll deduction by contacting Idelsa Méndez at imendez@hostos.cuny.edu.
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Richard Propper Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Two Students at Street Co-Naming
On Monday, September 27, 2021, community members gathered at a street co-naming ceremony to acknowledge the new Richard Propper Way at 151st St and Third Ave, which honors the life and legacy of a long-time advocate for the South Bronx. In addition to the street co-naming, this event recognized the two Hostos students who received the inaugural Richard Propper Memorial Scholarship. The family of the late Mr. Propper created this scholarship in support of students majoring in business management, celebrating Mr. Propper's pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit.
The students were selected for this award based on their exemplary commitment to the South Bronx community, as well as their demonstrable academic achievements and stated plans to continue their education. In a moving speech, Michael Propper, son of the late Mr. Propper, recognized Hostos students as “the torch-bearers for the future of the South Bronx,” and named Nicole Morel and Leaghton Ozoria as the recipients of this $500 scholarship award. Congratulations to these two outstanding Hostos students!
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The Communications team knows the Hostos faculty to be prepared leaders and informed scholars. We want to build a centralized list to reach you should we need to offer an expert to a reporter. Most news stories include an “on-the-record” expert on topics impacting society — from immigration to climate change, ESL, enrollment, financial aid, and continuing education.
Opportunities come our way detailing what editors and reporters are working on and what type of expert they need for their reporting. We want Hostos to have a robust list. The competition is fierce, the news cycle is unpredictable, and the time to respond is short. We want to reach you as soon as possible so please sign up and be part of the Hostos expert list. You can access the form here.
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Intelligent.com, a trusted resource for online/on-campus program rankings and higher education planning, has included Hostos Community College to its list of the Best Community College Programs in New York in 2022. The research identifies 42 top programs in the nation based on flexibility, faculty, course strength, cost, and reputation. Read More.
Please visit the Hostos Game Design program website to learn more.
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EdCast: The Creation of CUNY's Guttman Community College: Success or Failure?
Hostos Professor Linda Hirsch, Ph.D., speaks with Dr. Chet Jordan about CUNY's experimental Guttman Community College. What can we learn from its development and efforts at reform? Access October and November broadcast calendar here.
ADA and Brand Design Workshop for Non-Designers
Office of Communications
Friday, October 22, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Zoom link forthcoming
The workshop will review the importance of understanding and implementing a consistent and accessible brand presence across all communication platforms and doing so in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The intensive is a valuable tool for administrators, faculty, staff, and student leaders who ideate, create, and share Hostos-branded content and communication.
Bronx Social Justice Matters Film Festival
Bronx Community College, Lehman College, and Hostos Community College alongside the United Nations Association of El Salvador and GLACO
Friday, October 22 through Monday, October 25
A complete list of films can be found here and tickets can be purchased here.
Make sure to purchase your ticket soon.
Hostos Votes Awareness Event
Hostos President’s Office, Hostos Experiential Learning Opportunities Program, Hostos Service-Learning, Civic Engagement Committee, Hostos Lincoln Academy, Hostos Politics Club, and JUSTICE Committee
Tuesday, October 26 | Zoom lounge opens at 6:15 p.m. | Start time 6:30 p.m.
For students, faculty, staff, and community members.
Hostos Review/ Revista Hostosiana 17
Black Conditions: A French-Spanish Caribbean Dialogue
Hostos Latin American Writers Institute (LAWI)
Wednesday, October 27 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
How Are You? A Conversation with Dr. Judith Gil, Deputy Director of Mental Health at Children Aid
Center for Bronx Nonprofits
Friday, November 5, 2021 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Meeting ID: 845 0240 4779 Passcode: 01c4rx
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ABOUT EL SEMANARIO HOSTOSIANO/THE HOSTOS WEEKLY
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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.
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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 Fall 2021 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.
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