As some of you know, each year, during the early weeks of the fall semester, I deliver a state-of-the-college address to students, faculty and staff. With so much to report after a busy summer, it’s not easy to keep my remarks under sixty minutes, so I talk really fast. If you’re curious you can view the recording here. Don’t feel bad if you can’t endure more than a few minutes. Whether you watch or not, I want to mention a few highlights. First, our fall enrollment is up twelve percent. That’s the largest increase among all CUNY colleges. (The system-wide growth is about three percent.) In addition, we saw a big increase in year-to-year retention: Returning Students (Fall, ’24 to Fall, ‘25) jumped fifteen percent. That’s also the biggest increase in CUNY. (The system average increase was again about three percent.) Enrollment in our Division of Adult and Continuing Education remains stable, at about 14,500 students. Thus, overall, this year we have almost 30,000 students. We are off to a strong start.

New Faces

We caught up with four new members of the Class of '28.

Foundation Closes Out Record-Breaking Year and Secures New $10M Challenge Grant

The LaGuardia Community College Foundation, led by Board Chair Charles Boyce, concluded its most successful year ever on June 30 after having raised approximately $8 million in endowment contributions and direct student support. The Foundation's momentum has continued into the new fiscal year. By the end of the summer, it had already reached 41% of its FY26 cash goal, signaling strong ongoing support and enthusiasm from donors. The Board of Directors increased to 17 members, all of whom make generous contributions and do their best to connect Executive Director, Jay Golan, and Karen Dubinsky, Chief Engagement Officer, to promising prospects.



Also, over the summer an extremely generous friend of the college – who wishes to remain anonymous – announced an incredible $10 million challenge. The arrangement requires LaGuardia to raise $15 million by June 20, 2026—through direct contributions to the Foundation and project-specific grants (no government grants allowed)—in order to unlock the $10 million gift. Pledges up to three years in duration are permitted. Proceeds will go to scholarships, stipends for internships, and emergency student aid. I announced this new campaign, which we call Tomorrow 2.0, at my Fall Report event last week, cited above. For information, please reach out to Jay, Karen, or me, or visit our website. We’ll take all the help we can get.

Admin Serves BBQ Lunch to LaGuardia’s Essential Workers

On September 26, my colleagues and I hosted a BBQ in the Cobblestone Courtyard for the people that make LaGuardia safe and clean and ensure that our students have excellent labs, classroom, and facilities. We had a lot of fun serving lunch to our friends while thanking them for their dedication to the college. Gorgeous late-summer weather ensured enthusiastic attendance from our Public Safety officers, Cleaners, and Building and Grounds crew. Thanks, everyone, for all you do for LaGuardia and our students!

LaGuardia and NYC SBS Mark Workforce Development Month with Healthcare Program Graduation

Last week, in partnership with the New York City Department of Small Business Services, we celebrated the conclusion of National Workforce Development Month with a graduation ceremony for Cohort 14 of the Healthcare Finance and Operations Training program. We designed this free workforce training program for low-income New Yorkers who have a high school diploma or equivalent and are interested in pursuing non-clinical careers in the city’s leading hospitals – think medical billing, hospital finance and administrative jobs, etc. Cohort 14 was the largest in the program’s nearly decade-long history, which boasts a job placement rate of nearly 90%. Many graduates are parents who overcame significant obstacles, such as the lack affordable childcare, to complete the program. The Healthcare Finance and Operations Training Program, along with the NCLEX-RN for English Language Learners initiative featured in prior Newsletters, are part of LaGuardia’s NYC Welcome Back Center, which helps low-income New Yorker acquire the knowledge and skills needed for well-paying jobs in fast-growing industries like healthcare.

Ribbon-Cutting to Celebrate Opening of LaGuardia Community Greenway

Last month we shared a photo of a work in progress – our giant street mural designed by Fine Arts major, Fernanda Contreras, that covers the entire 17,390 square-foot LaGuardia Community Greenway on 29th Street. On Monday, we celebrated the completion of the project with a ribbon-cutting event led by NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner, Ydanis Rodríguez, NYC Councilmember, Julie Won, NYS Assemblymember, Claire Valdez, and other community bold-faced names. We’re confident the Greenway will serve as a hub for student activities and our Long Island City neighbors. Commissioner Rodríguez officially closed the street and turned it over to the college as part of his agency’s Open Streets initiative so we could create a grand outdoor space for LaGuardia students, something in short supply on a campus that grew over the years through the gradual renovation of four old factory buildings along Thomson Avenue. DOT recently sent over bike racks and outdoor furniture; we’ll kick in for planters, more seating, supplies, and maintenance.

LaGuardia Students Travel to USDA Beltsville Research Center 

Seventeen students from our Environmental Science and Nutrition & Culinary Management programs enjoyed a terrific visit to the USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, MD, on September 19. Thanks to support from Hermina Gómez, USDA Liaison for Education Initiatives with the HSI National Program, and funding through the USDA NextGen grant awarded to Dr. Preethi Radhakrishnan, Professors Chelsea Encababian and Dr. Nicolle Fernandes led the group in exploring cutting edge technologies in agricultural science. Highlights included the Bee Research Laboratory, where a PhD student shared her personal story of starting her higher education journey at a community college in New Jersey. For LaGuardia students, this was a powerful reminder that their own paths could also lead to advanced research careers. “Trips like these are so important because they demonstrate the variety of career pathways our students can pursue. Seeing professionals in action helps students connect their coursework to real-world applications and envision themselves in those roles,” explained Professor Encababian.

LaGuardia Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with Art, Culture, and Community

LaGuardia kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month with vibrant celebrations, showcasing the rich traditions, contributions, and talent of the Latinx community. From cultural festivals to theatrical performances, the month has been filled with opportunities to honor heritage and build community.

Last week, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards hosted a celebration at The Renaissance Charter School in Jackson Heights. The event brought together elected officials, community leaders, and residents for a night of music, food, and cultural pride. Guests enjoyed traditional dishes from Rincon Melania and Los Mismos Amigos, and were treated to a variety of cultural performances. A highlight of the evening was the recognition of LaGuardia Community College’s Casa de las Américas, honored for its work to provide comprehensive academic and career support to Latinx students.

Casa de las Américas, or "La Casa," has been at the forefront of LaGuardia's own Hispanic Heritage Month programming. The center launched the month with an artist talk and installation by Diógenes Ballester, a celebrated Puerto Rican-born visual artist. La Casa also hosted “Kermesse en la Plaza,” an open house celebration that filled the campus with live music, delicious food, and cultural traditions, including a norteño dance performance. The festivities will culminate in a community-wide Hispanic Heritage Celebration on Wednesday, October 15.

Adding to the cultural offerings this month, the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC), in collaboration with Unheard Voices Productions, presents Latin Lover, an evocative new play running from October 9–11. The production is a homegrown success: nearly every lead artist is an alumnus of LaGuardia’s award-winning Theater Program, including playwright Ed Jr. Cardenas.

LaGuardia in the Headlines

QNS: Tabia Tarannum (LaGuardia’25, Biology), a Kaplan Leadership Scholar, is working towards her pre-med goals at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

CITY & STATE NEW YORK: The 2025 Who’s Who in minority- and women-owned businesses includes Assuanta Howard, Assistant Dean of Business Services in LaGuardia’s Continuing Education Division.

MID HUDSON NEWS: LaGuardia Community College, in partnership with SUNY Orange, will launch a year-long paramedic training program—funded by $500,000 from New York State—to help address critical paramedic shortages in Orange County and the Hudson Valley.

More Headlines

Questions? Comments? Contact me at PresidentAdams@lagcc.cuny.edu.