OAA This Week - Friday edition

OAA THIS WEEK | MAY 29, 2020

A news update and community connection for the Office of Academic Affairs of The City University of New York

OAA NEWS

Decision has yet to be made for Fall 2020 classes

A determination about the Fall 2020 semester has not been made. CUNY's highest priority in responding to the coronavirus pandemic is to protect the health and safety of CUNY students, faculty and staff. Considerations as to how to proceed in the fall will factor in those challenges. In the meantime — and in accordance with recent distance education regulatory relief provided by USDE, MSCHE, and NYSED — CUNY will continue to prepare for a Fall 2020 in which the proportion of online courses and remote services will, in all likelihood, be higher than in the pre-COVID era.

OAA aids City and State in contact-tracing efforts

OAA’s Workforce Development team is playing a pivotal role in New York City’s and State’s road to COVID-19 recovery by conducting contact-tracer interviews. The first of these started in mid-May and in a span of less than two weeks, the team has directly supported over 200 candidates with second round interviews. As of last week, the CUNY contact-tracer interview teams have completed 107 interviews. In addition, another 113 interviews are already scheduled for the next several days.

Contact tracing is expected to be a vital step in tamping down the spread of COVID-19 in the City and States. The practice involves interviewing people who have tested positive for the virus and then tracing (tracking down and testing) those with whom the infected may have been in contact over the previous two weeks.

Feature: CUNY virtual commencements demonstrate joy and spirit

Virtual commencement ceremonies are taking place around CUNY, and while they are not meant to replace the “real thing,” they are intended as a well-deserved tribute to the graduating class of 2020.

----- Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez recorded remarks to be shared at various schools celebrating commencement with virtual ceremonies through early June including Baruch College ( June 8 ), Brooklyn College ( May 28 ), John Jay College of Criminal Justice ( May 27 ), and Macaulay Honors College ( June 4 ). Some colleges have postponed or are celebrating commencement in other ways; for example, Queens College, which had originally scheduled its ceremony for May 28 , posted an online recognition booklet featuring congratulatory speeches by Interim President William Tramontano, Senator Chuck Schumer , Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, and Congressman Adriano Espaillat . The college plans to hold a live ceremony at a later date.

----- John Jay College’s virtual commencement, last Wednesday, paid tribute to its largest ever graduating class of nearly 4,000 students with much of the fanfare of a live graduation: remarks by the Chancellor and President Karol Mason , congratulatory speeches by political leaders including Senator Schumer , Lt. Gov. Hochul and City Council member Helen Rosenthal , and student leaders including valedictorian Gabrielle D’Angelo and student council president Musarrat Lamia. The virtual celebration features recordings of students talking about John Jay and congratulatory tweets from faculty. Both John Jay and Brooklyn used the website Marching Order to create personal name cards with photos for each student as part of the virtual celebrations.

----- For his remarks, the Chancellor wore a cap and gown and spoke from a podium surrounded by flags, looking much like he was delivering a live commencement address “Like all of you, I wish we could be celebrating your wonderful achievement together in person, in a grand setting, with all the pomp and circumstance that I know you and your families have looked forward to,” the Chancellor said.

----- Brooklyn College’s commencement, yesterday, was also a virtual celebration, for nearly 4,500 grads. The event included a series of pre-taped videos congratulating the students along with musical performances, guest speakers, and valedictory and keynote addresses. Brooklyn’s virtual celebration site enabled students to chat live about the videos and send encouragement to each other via social media. The college reported that students created remote viewing parties for the event. The virtual ceremony was broadcast on Marching Order and Facebook (via a Watch Party).

----- Anyone interested can still attend Macaulay’s virtual commencement ceremony Thursday, June 4 and Baruch’s commencement Monday, June 8 (link will be live on the college’s website June 1 ) . Baruch’s “Virtual Commencement Experience” will begin with a 30-minute video featuring a welcome from Interim Provost James McCarthy ; a special performance by the Blue Notes; and a valedictory address by Annmarie Gajdos, valedictorian of the Class of 2020. President Mitchel B. Wallerstein , will also deliver the keynote and, together with the deans, confer the graduate and undergraduate degrees for each of Baruch’s three schools.

----- Macaulay’s virtual commencement ceremony will include remarks from Dean Mary C. Pearl , CUNY Chancellor Matos Rodríguez , Chief Academic Officer Joseph Ugoretz , Scholars Council President Samah Islam , Commencement Speaker Dr. Ayala Elizabeth Johnson .

-----

CITY NEWS

C UNY students earn internships in NYC real estate world

CUNY and one of its partner organizations, Project Destined, have teamed with the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), the City’s leading real estate trade association, to launch a 5-week virtual summer internship program in commercial real estate for 100 CUNY undergraduate students. The students who participate in the internship program had lost their in-person summer internships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

----- The internship program was made possible in large part by CUNY, as well as sponsors Donald Zucker, Tishman Speyer, Brookfield Properties, and Rudin Management Company.

----- “I grew up in a single-parent household where my mother never owned any property,” said Shanice Isidore , accounting major at York College at CUNY, in an interview with Real Estate Weekly. “I am thankful for this opportunity.”

Media Round-up: CUNY community deliver

Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez was featured in MarketWatch in a story titled Commencements during COVID-19 are a bittersweet experience for N.Y. grads . “Graduation is my absolute favorite time of the academic year,” he told MarketWatch. “It’s a great time for students and family.”

----- CUNY experts also continue to weigh in on health and safety issues, including Eugene Chudnovsky, Distinguished Professor of Physics at Lehman College , who was featured in The New York Times in a story discussing the risk of catching coronavirus from a surface.

----- John Jay psychology professor Deryn Strange was cited in a Discover Magazine article that looks at how we will remember the experience of living through the pandemic. A number of CUNY criminal justice experts have been featured in media reports on issues surrounding incarceration during the pandemic. Shana Kay Salmon , of John Jay’s Institute for Innovation in Prosecution, wrote an opinion piece for The Hill titled “ COVID-19 crisis highlights the urgency of prison reentry reform .” CUNY Law professor Steven Zeidman wrote an opinion piece for City Limits calling on the state legislature to “address the COVID threat to people in prison.” Challenges faced by CUNY students is another continuing theme of virus-related news coverage. Rosa Jimenez , a John Jay senior, is featured in an article in Teen Vogue about frontline workers who are also students.

----- Finally, The Times ran a heartwarming story on Memorial Day involving a U.S. Army reservist who helped with the recovery of George Crouch , a 96-year-old veteran who, after serving in both the Second World War and Korea, worked as a lab technician and taught chemistry at City College. Capt. Eric Dungan, a U.S. Army social worker from Indiana assigned to serve during the crisis at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, gave Mr. Crouch emotional support that helped him gain strength to recover from the coronavirus.

City Events Roundup: family festival, Broadway, Jane Fonda

It’s true you can’t frequent your old weekend haunts, but that doesn’t mean there still isn’t fun to be had. OAA This Week has curated a list of livestreams to keep you entertained and cultured with plenty of talks, art shows, and performances — all from the comfort of your living room, or whatever room of the house you’re hanging around in these days.

Tonight , 8:00 p.m.

Theater: The live-stream premiere of “ Allegiance: The Broadway Musical on the Big Screen ,” includes a live, pre-show event with special guest, George Takei , who will be recipient of an honorary degree from The Graduate Center next month. $14.99 for the opening night streaming event and 48-hour playback, including additional on-screen, behind-the-scene content and a digital download of the Broadway Original Cast Recording of “Allegiance.” The film-only version will be available after the streaming premiere for 48-hours rentals at $8.99 until June 8 .

Saturday, May 31, 8:00 p.m.

Talks: The Amateur Astronomers Association hosts a weekly live stream of the night skies and local universe. This week, you’re invited to take a look at Earth’s trajectory relative to neighboring worlds, and where its headed on a large scale. A portion of show proceeds will benefit City Harvest . Free.

Saturday, May 31, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Festivals: The Brooklyn Museum’s annual Bring the Cool Family Festival is back with an afternoon of art-making, performances and storytelling. This year’s theme is “ Curating Home: Sharing Stories, Building Community ” and will include drawing, animal-inspired yoga, interactive storytelling, and a virtual dance party. Free.

Sunday, May 31, at 5:00 p.m. for 72 hours

Music: Renowned violin virtuoso Cho-Liang Lin is this weekend’s featured artist on the series “ Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Presents ‘Front Row’ .” The virtual performance includes HD concert footage and an introductory interview offering a personal look into the artist’s life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program includes visual program notes and ends with a live Q & A with Lin. The lively program include works by American composers Lukas Foss and Leonard Bernstein, as well as time-honored favorites by Romantic composers Dvořák and Tchaikovsky. Free.

Monday, June 1, 8:00 p.m.

Theater: The Public Theater presents “ We Are One Public ,” a one night only, star-studded virtual event to support the theatrical venue. The impressive list of participating artists includes: Antonio Banderas, Laura Benanti, Kim Blanck, Ally Bonino, Danielle Brooks, Glenn Close, Jenn Colella, Elvis Costello, Claire Danes, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Holly Gould, Danai Gurira, Anne Hathaway, Stephanie Hsu, Oscar Isaac, Nikki M. James, John Leguizamo, Audra McDonald, Grace McLean, Sandra Oh, Mia Pak, David Hyde Pierce, Phillipa Soo, Trudie Styler and Sting, Will Swenson, Shaina Taub, Kuhoo Verma, Ada Westfall, Kate Wetherhead , and more. The evening will also feature special cameo appearances by Jane Fonda , Alicia Keys , Lin-Manuel Miranda , Meryl Streep , and others . Free.

Available anytime, online

Art: The Street Museum of Art (SMoA) has curated the online exhibit, “ 24hrs in NYC . ” In 2014, 17 local artists were given 24 hours to hit the streets of NYC in the first artist-run, public exhibition of its kind, challenging the current model for “public” art museums by collectively working outside conventional exhibition spaces. Any piece pasted within the five boroughs, by any local artist, was accepted. “ 24hrs in NYC ” became a citywide public art experiment grounded on the artists’ reclamation of public space. Free.

COLLEAGUE CONNECTION

In each edition, OAA This Week asks our colleagues about how they’re faring with remote-work life. If you would like to be featured as a Colleague Connection, please contact Duffie Cohen at Duffie.Cohen@cuny.edu.

Shaun Rasmussen , ASAP Director for External Relations and Engagement

What has your unit been doing that you’re really proud of during the COVID-19 crisis? I have frien ds who work in industries with unlimited resources, and many of them shared horror stories about transitioning to remote work. It took many of their organizations a few weeks to get it together and ensure their projects could get completed remotely. After hearing their stories, I felt like a unicorn sharing that my team transitioned seamlessly. [My unit] moved all systems, planning documents, and program support resources online a few years ago. As a result, the team never missed a beat, and immediately jumped into action to ensure our students remained supported as we navigated this new normal.

What’s your daily routine these days? I am good on the weekends, but Monday through Friday, I have to start my day bright and early with a colossal cup of coffee and Lori and Rosanna on Good Day New York. After my coffee and news, I follow the same routine that I did when going to the office. I shower and get dressed for work and take breaks as needed (and usually to respond to text messages from my mother ). My entire family lives in New York, but because my parents are in their 60’s and 70’s, for their safety, I’ve avoided seeing them. But, technology keeps us connected, and my mom has become a WhatsApp whiz! I start my workday at 9 a.m., connect throughout the day with various program directors, and city agency partners over Zoom, WebEx, and Google. Every now I then, I even connect with our partners over something called a “phone call.” I hear it’s the wave of the future. The latter is not exciting, but with everything going on in the world around us, it is a familiar calm in a rapidly changing storm.

What’s your home workspace like? What kind of challenges or disruptions are you dealing with while working from home? I live in Crown Heights, and I am right across the street from Medgar Evers College. As I open the shades every morning, without fail, the first thing I see is the CUNY ASAP logo flashing across the jumbo screen in the MEC gallery window. Beyond MEC, I live within a few blocks of ten public schools – oh my!

----- My neighborhood is often bustling with students and families. Naturally, things have changed. Until about two weeks ago, instead of waking up to the sounds of children laughing on their way to school, and college students rushing to get to an 8 a.m. class, the sounds shifted to constant ambulance sirens. During Zoom meetings, if anyone asked a question, I’d often pause and allow the sounds of sirens to disappear before responding. There were many long pauses. Although those sounds became heavy at times, I thought it was essential to maintain some sense of routine – especially while working. I feel comforted by art, nature, and structure. Instead of working from the sofa, I set up a desk in the corner of the living room where I could be surrounded by some of my favorite pieces and plants as I work.

Do you have a self-care practice that has helped you deal with the stress of the current situation? I am a trained dancer. Before COVID, part of my self-care involved jetting off to evening rehearsals with my company, Something Positive. In the studio and on stage, I was able to let everything out. When the city went on pause, I needed to find a way to release stress through movement. Since I cannot dance, I thought running would be the next best thing. The 3.5-mile loop, with a brief stop to enjoy the lake in Prospect Park, has become my happy place. At the end of a long day, running and enjoying nature helps to calm my mind. It’s also lovely to see people, even at a distance.