OAA This Week: Thursday Edition

OAA THIS WEEK | May 27, 2021

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

OAA NEWS

EVC Cruz ends his at tenure at CUNY today

Today marks the end of Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost José Luis Cruz’s tenure at CUNY. Next month, Cruz will assume the role of president of Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, AZ. Last March, the Arizona Board of Regents approved Cruz to become the 17th president of NAU, and he tendered his resignation to Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez thereafter.

_____Earlier today, in an email message to OAA staff, Cruz thanked colleagues for the support they had given to his nearly 2-year administration: “When I first assumed the role of EVC/UP, I made a promise that OAA would adhere to the values of transparency, accountability, and equity — undergirded by a commitment to excellence. You welcomed me and dedicated yourselves to these values as we worked together to transform CUNY into the 21st century institution of higher learning and research that our students and New York deserve.”

_____Before taking over as EVC/UP in July 2019, Cruz had served as president of Lehman College for almost three years. Under Cruz’s leadership as EVC/UP, OAA prioritized a number of key education-equity issues, such as the passage of the Credit for Prior Learning Policy, the establishment of a transfer-steering committee, and the launch of the Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies Initiative (BRESI). Most of Cruz’s tenure as EVC/UP took place during the COVID-19 pandemic and his administration oversaw the University’s pivot to distance learning, OAA’s shift to remote work, and the creation of emergency student-aid policies, such as the flexible credit/no credit grading policy and the pause on standardized college-entrance exams, as well as the distribution of emergency financial aid.

_____In his email to OAA staff, Cruz acknowledged their concerted efforts over the past two years: “I cannot thank you enough for the warm welcome you gave my administration and for the hard work you put in over the past couple of years to accelerate the CUNY mission and reaffirm to the world that this University is unlike any other in its historic charge, scope, and compassion.”

_____On May 29, Daniel E. Lemons, current president of Lehman College, will take over as interim executive vice chancellor and University provost.

CUNY Summer Hours to begin week of June 21

CUNY's central office of human resources has announced the return of the Summer Four-Day Workweek Plan, also known as “summer Fridays,” to begin the week of Monday, June 21 and conclude Friday, August 13. The dates of June 25 and August 13 will be the first and last Fridays off. In an email this week to Central Office staff, Sue Malhotra of HR noted that this year’s summer condensed workweek has been extended an extra week “in order to assist with the transition to a greater in-person presence.” Most departments will be able to participate.

_____This year’s Independence Day holiday will be observed on Monday, July 5; during that week, there will be regular workdays from Tuesday through Friday. CUNY will also be closed on Friday, June 18 in observance of Juneteenth, which was added to the CUNY-wide holiday schedule this spring by the Board of Trustees.

_____As in the past, there are three main summer schedules from which to choose. Staff are asked to consult with their supervisor to obtain approval for their summer schedule. Click here to access the schedule election form on the COHR webpage (or copy and paste it into your web browser).

https://www.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/media-assets/2021-Summer-Hours-Election-Form.pdf

_____Once the form has the required signatures, it must be emailed to COHRTIMEandLEAVE@cuny.edu by Friday, June 11 with "2021 Summer Schedule" in the subject line.

QUALITYstarsNY receives $40 million investment from NYS budget

The NY Early Childhood Professional Development Institute coordinates QUALITYstarsNY, New York State’s quality-rating and improvement system for early childhood programs. QUALITYstarsNY will receive $35 million of federal recovery over three years to expand the program to serve more children and families. _____QUALITYstarsNY provides the comprehensive support early childhood programs need to improve their quality, helping to ensure that every child has the best foundation to succeed in life. Quality-improvement specialists work across the state, coordinated by CUNY’s Early Childhood Professional Development Institute, with more than 900 programs. They offer individualized guidance and a range of supportive resources to help participants improve their program quality based on best practices and evidence based standards in early care and education. With this increased investment, QUALITYstarsNY will expand their services to support more than double the number of early childhood programs and build an infrastructure to accommodate the programs and providers that need their services.

Career Development Center and Leadership Initiative Development Institute to expand

The NY Early Childhood Professional Development Institute’s Career Development Center and the Leadership Initiative are being replicated across New York State. By late spring, all 10 economic development regions in the state will have a “career center satellite” that includes a leadership initiative. This expansion is being funded by the 3-year Birth through Five Renewal Grant awarded to the state last year.

_____The newly established centers will administer a scholarship that supports the early childhood workforce in earning credentials, degrees, and certification, enabling the workforce to develop career stability and mobility while working. Most of these new satellites are hosted by local childcare resource and referral partners. The Institute’s director of Career Services and Higher Education, Claudine Campanelli and Jenna Pettinicchi, the Leadership Initiative’s assistant director, will lead this work with new colleagues in each region.

CUNY Research hosts global COVID-19 forum tomorrow

The CUNY Office of Research is hosting the COVID-19 Global Forum, a virtual event organized by the CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP), tomorrow. The forum will feature speakers from Brazil, Peru, South Africa, Guatemala, Egypt, and the U.S. who will discuss vaccine access and equity issues around the world.

_____The forum plans to focus on global vaccine disparities, as wealthier countries have widespread vaccine access and are poised to reopen, but less-well-off countries have vaccination rates as low as one percent. The forum will also explore vaccine inequities within the U.S. The forum’s U.S.-based speakers will also address vaccine access in prisons and jails, as well as among migrants at the U.S. border.

_____Those interested in attending are asked to register here.

CITY, STATE & NATIONAL NEWS

Chancellor salutes Gay Pride Month and CUNY Fulbright winners

As CUNY looks ahead to the approach of Gay Pride Month, Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez took the opportunity, in a piece published in AM NY, to salute the “rich legacy of the LGBTQ movement,” while highlighting CUNY’s role in the movement. “The integral role the City University of New York played in this historic movement is a point of great pride. CUNY is the home of the nation’s first university-based research institute dedicated to the history, culture, politics and struggles of the LGBTQ community,” he wrote, referring to CLAGS, now called the Center for LGBTQ Studies, housed at the CUNY Graduate Center. The Chancellor also pointed to innovative new programs to benefit LGBTQ students including the recently launched LGBTQI+ Advocacy Academy and the CUNY LGBTQI+ Summer Internship program, which launched with a virtual conference this spring and will begin recruiting in the fall for next summer.

_____The Chancellor also recognized 2021’s Fulbright awardees of CUNY their for outstanding achievement amidst the past year’s obstacles. Campus News reported that 11 CUNY students and recent graduates have been awarded prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards, and four other have been named winners of Fulbright-Canada summer research internships. “CUNY is exceedingly proud of its students and graduates whose determination and achievement through this difficult year has led to their selection as winners of Fulbright grants, among the most prestigious honors for American students,” said the Chancellor.

SPS nursing graduates pinned and honored for service

Earlier this month, graduation and awards-season festivities kicked off at SPS with a pinning ceremony for its more than 200 nursing graduates. Patch covered the May 13 livestreamed event in a story titled “CUNY School Of Professional Studies Celebrates Resilient And Determined Class Of 2021 Nurses.” The event featured speeches, acknowledgements, and congratulatory messages for nursing students who had earned bachelor's and master's degrees.

_____"I am tremendously proud of our graduating nurses and was thrilled to honor them and their accomplishments at the 2021 nursing convocation and pinning ceremony," said Margaret Reilly, academic director of the nursing programs at CUNY SPS, who officiated and delivered opening remarks.

_____Reilly went on to highlight the sacrifices and vital contributions of SPS nursing students during New York’s weathering of the COVID-19 pandemic: "It is especially gratifying given all that our nurses have gone through over the past year. Amid all the suffering, loss, fatigue, stress, and life emergencies they faced while serving on the front lines of the pandemic, they still managed to persevere with their studies at CUNY SPS. Their resilience and determination are an inspiration.”

On anniversary of George Floyd’s killing, CUNY experts weigh in on police reform and gun violence

A year after George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer, CUNY experts are participating in the national dialogue about police reform, including reducing use of force, against a nationwide backdrop of rising gun violence. John Jay professor Dennis Kenney was quoted by the New York Times in a story titled “How a Sweeping New Proposal Would Limit Police Use of Force in N.Y.” Kenney commented on new legislation proposed by State Attorney General Letitia James that would allow police officers to use physical force only as a last resort and set a higher threshold for using deadly force, and new criminal penalties for violating those guidelines. Kenney noted that juries have historically given officers the benefit of the doubt in ambiguous circumstances. “It creates a great deal of unnecessary ambiguity,” he told the Times. “They may more easily be able to bring charges, but they’ll have more difficulty getting convictions because it’s easier to create reasonable doubt.” He also spoke to The Chief Leader and Yahoo News about the proposal.

_____John Jay professor Christopher Herman spoke to Inside Edition for an article titled “Gun Violence Spikes Across Country Amid Warmer Weather.” And John Jay professor Peter Moskos spoke to CNN for a story titled “This is the state of policing in America a year after George Floyd was killed,” noting parallels between the events of the past year with the period of civil unrest and riots in 1968 following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

_____"It does seem like a lot of the exact same things happen for the same reason, in terms of police abuse, civil unrest, rise in violence, talk about police reform," Moskos said. "In that case, over decades, there was real change in policing." The acknowledgment that Floyd was murdered indicates a positive change in policing, Moskos said, but added that incremental improvements in technology and training tend to fall short in addressing the point of the debate: race, violence, and police killings largely of African Americans.

Waterfront parks and venues open for summer season

Forecasts for a cool and possibly rainy weekend will still allow curious visitors a visit to Manhattan’s newest park, Little Island on the Hudson at 13th Street. The whimsical park, designed by UK-based Heatherwick Studio and New York landscape firm MNLA, rises out of the river over the wooden pile remains of Pier 54 across the highway from the Whitney Museum. Timed tickets are required though, there is limited availability in the next few weeks. The good news is that no tickets are required for entry before noon. The park recommends reviewing health and safety guidelines before visiting.

_____The park is a stone’s throw from the High Line, a perennial favorite of New Yorkers and visitors. With tourism still low, it’s a good opportunity to stroll and see new art and features without the crowds. The High Line is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends and also requires reservations, but has good availability. This week is the last chance to see Simone Leigh’s inaugural High Line Plinth commission, Simone Leigh’s Brick House, a 16-foot-tall bronze bust celebrating the resilience and beauty of Black womanhood.

_____Also recently reopened is Governor’s Island, with easy access by ferry from Brooklyn and Manhattan. Reservations on weekends are required. There are too many activities to list, from art and concerts to biking, birding and strolling the reconstructed Hills section, which boasts the 70-foot high Outlook Hill with 360 degree vistas of New York Harbor and, for kids, the city’s longest slide (57 feet). According to the website, the island hosts nearly 100 programs each season. The island is open 10 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. weekdays and until 7 p.m. on weekends through October 31.

_____Those who wish to observe the spirit of the holiday and take in views from high above the waterfront can consider a visit to the Intrepid Museum. New exhibits and spaces will be opening and, throughout the holiday weekend, there will be activities and demos from the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard. Hours over the holiday weekend are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. CUNY students, faculty and staff can receive free admission but reservations are required.

_____Click here for a list of other museums and venues that offer free admission to CUNY students, faculty, and staff.

COLLEAGUE CONNECTIONS

In each edition, OAA This Week asks our colleagues about the work their unit is doing in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, and how they’re personally faring in the era of remote work. If you would like to be featured as a Colleague Connection, please contact Duffie Cohen at Duffie.Cohen@cuny.edu.

Elaine Pimentel, University Executive Director of Financial Aid

What does your role as University executive director of Financial Aid entail? I oversee the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA), which is dedicated to increasing opportunities for student access and success in higher education by supporting the CUNY colleges in assisting students and their families in obtaining financial resources needed to attain a post-secondary education. We typically award over 170,000 students with financial assistance, amounting to close to two billion dollars.

How has your office adapted during the COVID-19 crisis? What are some of the biggest accomplishments of the office in the past year? Transition to a virtual modality has been fairly smooth for the Office of Student Financial Assistance. Our roles to provide leadership, business process support, policy expertise and diligent oversight for the financial aid offices of the 25 CUNY colleges and schools; serving as administrative and processing support for the colleges to help provide through Financial Aid, a seamless and integrated enrollment experience for students; and working with federal, state, city, and other agencies to support and promote beneficial financial assistance for CUNY students are very achievable in this current remote environment. It helps that the office does not have in-person student interaction.

_____A challenge the financial-aid college community faced immediately upon the declared emergency was the receipt, retrieval, and archival process for pertinent financial aid collection documents.

_____With the assistance of CIS, the University deployed an upload document process within CUNYfirst, where students were able to supply requested documents, and college personnel where able to retrieve them for their review and process. This process continues to be streamlined and is expected to be even more straightforward in the coming months as the Financial Aid Federal Verification process is automated and becomes more standardized.

_____In terms of an accomplishment OSFA is most proud of during the pandemic, the generation and distribution of emergency grants to our neediest students is one. It is well known by all that our students encountered many financial struggles during this period, and to be able to produce under such urgent need, direct payments from two Federal stimulus packages averaging around $700 to over 161,000 students gave us immense joy. To receive emails from students indicating the difference those payments made in their lives, brought lots of satisfaction. Other emergency grants also generated through our unit in an immediate fashion were the Chancellor’s Emergency Grant, the CUNY COVID-19 Relief Fund Grant and the Mellon Foundation Grant.

What are some innovative practices, strategies, or initiatives that your team has developed while working remotely? Through the use of MS Teams, Zoom, and calls, our office personnel maintain daily/weekly/monthly meetings with staff and with our colleagues on campus, other departments and agencies. These platforms have permitted larger meetings or presentations to continue to take place with the use of attendance taking, and separate chat rooms. We are also planning to hold the Financial-aid staff development conference this summer virtually, which involves all CUNY campuses with multi-sessions and breakout rooms.

What’s your home workspace like? What kind of challenges or disruptions have you been dealing with working from home? I have a dedicated office space at home in the house lower level, but initially assuming that this was going to be a temporary state, I got situated and comfortable in my dining room and it became my office space. Disruptions are minimal as other members of my family are busy doing schoolwork in a separate room or away at work during the day, until someone has to prepare a meal or walks in talking loudly while I have my speaker on in a meeting. It doesn’t happen often but I am grateful for my understanding colleagues when it does.

What’s your daily routine lately? Have you had any self-care practices that helped you deal with the tumultuous past year? The pandemic has shown me that we must make a bigger effort each night to dedicate a few hours to engage with the family in conversations about their day, their extra-curricular activities and in watching shows and programs we enjoy together. I also make use of some lunch hour breaks, when possible, to make or buy lunch for all that happen to be at home, and enjoy that meal as a family. One positive that this pandemic has demonstrated is the importance of having our loved ones in our lives healthy and engaged.