News from LaGuardia Community College
While Black History Month at LaGuardia includes celebrations of the achievements of Black Americans, it also means faculty and student research on critical issues of race and society. On February 9, for example, Professor Jason Hendrickson led a discussion about the rise of modern policing in the U.S., and the tenuous relationship in many communities between law enforcement and Black citizens. The program was part of our series, United Wounds of America: Dialogues of Healing.  

We are expecting about 10,000 students for the upcoming spring semester. Classes start Saturday, March 6. May this be the last semester that we have to endure completely online. Plans for the fall, which we hope will blend in-person classes and distance learning, are in the works. Send me your thoughts/questions – [email protected]. 

Stay safe and warm.

Kenneth Adams
President
LaGuardia Math Professor Recognized for Using Covid Vaccine Trials to Teach Statistics
Frank Wang, Ph.D., professor of mathematics, recently published an article in the journal Numeracy about using data from Covid19 vaccine trials to teach statistics at LaGuardia. His method teaches students how to review data for validity. Dr. Wang hopes his students will take their information literacy skills—the ability to assess information for biases and trustworthiness—throughout their personal and professional lives. Read more about Dr. Wang’s teaching.
Faculty and Staff Step Up to Advise Students During Covid
Prior to the start of every semester advisors are essential. They answer new students’ questions, guide them through registration, help them understand the requirements of their major, and more. Because of the challenges of Covid and related budget constraints our need for advisors has exceeded our staff capacity. So a few weeks ago, Provost, Paul Arcario and, Director of Student Advising Services, Vanessa Gonzalez-Figuereo, put out the call for volunteers to shorten wait times for advising and assist with outreach to prospective students. More than sixty faculty and staff stepped up immediately. With these helpful volunteers we can ensure that incoming LaGuardia students get the guidance and support they need. Big thanks to all who signed up!
Celebrating and Serving Queens' LGBTQ Community
The LaGuardia and Wagner Archives has become an important resource to the Queens’ LGBTQ community. Its publications and exhibitions explore the work of LGBTQ advocates to improve social acceptance and enact legal protections while shining a spotlight on members of the LGBTQ community in Queens. Recently, Rainbow LaGuardia, a groundbreaking exhibition that chronicles coming-out stories of college faculty and staff, was reviewed by The Gay & Lesbian Review. The Archives is also collaborating with the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art in SoHo to transform Shades of the Rainbow into a digital exhibit, set to go live soon.
Thank You to LaGuardia Benefactor Eugenia Ames!
A 2014 New York Times article inspired Eugenia Ames to make her first gift to the LaGuardia Community College Foundation. Recently, she read about the new scholarship fund for Adult and Continuing Education students, and decided it was important to provide support to more LaGuardia students and our Queens community. “You don’t have anything but what you give away,” is a concept Eugenia learned from a philanthropically generous cousin. “There is something about LaGuardia that resonates with me,” Eugenia says. “The college embodies an ethos I admire and values I believe to be worthy of support.” Eugenia, who lives with her husband David, in Hastings-on-Hudson, says that she has enjoyed meeting LaGuardia students over the years, and can’t wait to see them again in person, when the pandemic is behind us. Thank you, Eugenia, for your kindness and generosity.
Collaboration with New York Jobs CEO Council Creates New Talent Pipelines
Through collaboration with the New York Jobs CEO Council, which is led by my predecessor Dr. Gail O. Mellow, LaGuardia students are learning the skills they need to succeed in today’s evolving economy. Over the recent winter break, 600 students from CUNY community and senior colleges received training for micro-credentials in competencies required by leading NYC firms. LaGuardia offered a data analytics course, developed with input from human resources experts at AIG, HealthFirst, NYC Health + Hospitals, TIAA, and Tishman Speyer. Other CUNY community colleges provided training in cybersecurity, software engineering, and project management. Graduates of these free, short, intense programs earn micro-credentials that they can add to their resumes—boosting their appeal to future employers and their competitiveness in what is currently a tight local labor market.
Nursing and Rad Tech Programs Achieve Record Pass Rates on Licensing Exams, Again
In healthcare, the final step to becoming a working clinician is usually a licensing exam. While all LaGuardia health sciences programs have excellent pass rates, our nursing and radiologic technology programs are setting records. For eight quarters in a row—all of 2019 and 2020—100% of LaGuardia nursing students passed their national licensing exam on their first try. And 100% of LaGuardia's Radiologic Technology Class of 2020 passed their national and state licensing exams on their first attempt. We are incredibly proud of our nursing and radiologic technology faculty and staff. Enthusiastic congratulations, of course, to our amazing nursing and rad tech graduates who are entering the city's healthcare workforce at this critical time.