August 2017
Going the extra mile: Innovative ways Adelphi helps students on their journey through college
Being “college ready” is a hotly debated topic in education right now, with efforts beginning as early as middle school to prepare students for the rigors of the college experience. I think the Dean of our Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, Dr. Rajib Sanyal, summed this challenge up best. “What’s the difference between a high school student and a college student? Three months.”

At Adelphi, where we personalize the college experience for each of our students, we have special insight into the challenges our young students face, from the time they walk into their first college classroom, throughout their college careers. Knowing when to step in, and how, is something we call being “relentlessly dedicated to student success.” Our mission is to empower our students not just as academicians, but also as well-rounded individuals. So no matter what challenges they may face in the classroom, the boardroom or the world, they have the skills necessary to fulfill their dreams for the future.  

We talk a lot about the Adelphi approach to educating.  We’ve always demonstrated our commitment to small class sizes and tailoring our programs to the needs of individual students. But it’s the breadth and depth of services that impresses me most. How lucky we are to have so many passionate and talented educators and counselors who recognize that while the need for an education is universal, the way in which we learn, and the challenges we face, are as individual as each of us.  

That’s why I’m so proud of the people and programs I’m sharing with you here. These stories of personal achievement and dedication to helping others remind us that each of our students begins their journey in a different place. At Adelphi, our goal is to be ready for that challenge.
 
Christine M. Riordan, Ph.D.
President

As a non-native English speaker with autism spectrum disorder, Pedro Izquierdo ’17 has overcome more than the usual challenges in college. Through our nationally known Bridges to Adelphi program for students with autism, he is on his way to becoming an ambassador to the world.
Helping students meet the global challenge 
As our business students from all over the world grapple with the quickly changing challenges of international business, Adelphi is introducing a new Global M.B.A. The new tracks of study offered in the fall will be finance and entrepreneurship. These tracks will develop global perspectives, ethical decision making, cross-cultural critical thinking and international leadership to define the future of worldwide business. New York City, a global nexus of business, media and international relations, provides a deeply complex learning laboratory with guidance, networking, internships, personal mentorships and individual career development to help each student succeed. Students can apply here.
In our Office of Student Financial Services, students and parents form relationships with representatives that last throughout their tenure at Adelphi. Some families have shared their experiences in letters. “This will be my daughter’s first year in college. It is a very overwhelming and stressful process. Your staff helped me with my millions of questions about loans and financial aid,” writes one parent. One student let us know that she was experiencing home difficulties. “I had no hope, nobody to believe in, and you changed that,” she wrote. “You cared about me and showed me [how] to be positive regardless of the hardships I encountered.” Last year, 98.8 percent of full-time first-year students received some kind of financial assistance.
For those who are the first in their family to attend college, Adelphi has a mentoring program focused on the special challenges they, and their families, might encounter. Chotsani West, M.A. ’07, director of student mentoring, says one of the initial challenges first-generation students and their families often have to deal with is the time commitment college requires and how that affects certain family obligations. By providing effective tools and strategies, which include but are not limited to role playing, West says she provides students with the language they need to help their families understand the demands of attending college in a way that is sensitive and respectful. 
Born out of our diversity initiative, Adelphi’s commitment to members of our community who identify as LGBTQ is more than just words; it is part of our core curriculum. We have faculty, staff and mentors specifically dedicated to working with self-identifying LGBTQ students to navigate the college experience. Through a tailored and personalized approach, the LGBTQ component of the mentoring program supports students in all facets of their college career. Students can also live in gender-inclusive housing with roommates of any sex or gender identity they prefer. They can also choose to make a residence hall match with other LGBTQ students and allies in any of our seven residence halls. And Adelphi has more than 40 all-gender restrooms on campus.
Imagine suffering from a traumatic brain injury and trying to put your life back together while also pursuing your college dreams. For Christina Wease, an adviser in Adelphi’s Veteran Resource Center, helping a Marine who was wounded while on deployment presented special challenges. Through individual counseling, credit allowances for program training received while serving, and specialized placement services, America’s brave fighting men and women can receive their bachelor’s degrees from Adelphi and be in the civilian workforce in as little as two years. For Wease’s veteran scholar, that meant getting his bachelor’s degree in emergency services.
As an older student returning to school while raising three young children, Ann Pedersen ’92, M.A. ’94, Ph.D., credits the help and personal interest her Adelphi academic adviser took in her as being instrumental to her most recent success. In July, Dr. Pedersen was appointed superintendent of the Lawrence School District in southwest Nassau County. Her journey to school superintendent began when she returned to school and earned both her degrees from Adelphi University while teaching. Pedersen says, “If not for my adviser’s loving, helpful and knowledgeable guidance, I’m not sure when or if I would have graduated.” 

Congratulations, Ann!
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among college students, but it is also one of the most preventable. Since 2012, more than 900 Adelphi faculty members, staff and students have been trained in QPR Suicide Prevention: Question, Persuade, Refer. QPR is a nationally recognized bystander training approach to confronting an individual about their possible thoughts of suicide. Not intended to be a form of counseling or treatment, it’s a means of preventing possible tragedies by helping through positive actions. QPR is offered free of charge by our Student Counseling Center and teaches participants how to recognize warning signs and verbal and nonverbal clues, and it is one of the many innovative ways our Student Counseling Center reaches out to students at Adelphi. If you’re interested in getting QPR training, contact the Student Counseling Center at 516.877.3646.

Athletics Update
Adelphi's women's lacrosse team named IWLCA Academic Honor Squad--and six members earned the IWCLA Honor Roll
As we gear up for the 2017-2018 school year, including the announcement of schedules and our newest Panthers, we take a look back on one highlight from 2016-2017. Our women's lacrosse team, which was recently named an Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Academic Honor Squad, brought home the program's eighth Division II National Championship and third in four years. Additionally, the honors continue to roll in as six members of the National Championship squad earned inclusion on the IWLCA Honor Roll, for being upperclassmen with a 3.5 GPA or better. 
Alumni Who Make a Difference
We congratulate Hollywood film producer Patrick Johnson ’10 on the upcoming release of his new psychological thriller, Till Death Do Us Part, starring Taye Diggs and opening in September. Adelphi arts graduates are making an impact in Hollywood, on Broadway and on stages around the world. 
2017–2018 Momentum Tour news

It’s official: I will be traveling to 19 cities during the upcoming year as part of my nationwide Adelphi University Momentum Tour, Stories of Lives Changed: Hear Ours, Share Yours. Join us for an event in your city!

We'll be posting my future Momentum events here.