A Message from the President | |
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Dear Friends & Supporters,
As we step into the New Year, I am filled with anticipation. I know it’s time to renew the commitments that give us life and fuel our dreams. These commitments allow us to tap into the life and dreams of many who came before us as well as those with whom we share the right to freedom and possibility. At Guttman, we are about the enterprise of hope.
In this month’s newsletter, I find plenty of evidence to choose hope. I want to share some of that with you here. There are so many reasons we are #GuttmanProud! Our College community continues to thrive, and we are excited to share updates on the innovative work happening here. From strategic initiatives around student success to groundbreaking academic programs, there is much to celebrate as we look toward the future.
A key area of focus for Guttman College leadership has been the intentional development of our enrollment management department, created in 2022. This department is harnessing data to inform transformative solutions that will enhance student retention, persistence and completion rates. We’re excited about new academic programs we’ve launched that are designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge to pursue careers that will elevate them toward upward social mobility.
At our All College Meeting, we hosted Dr. Frank Harris III, a nationally recognized speaker and researcher, who led a powerful session on best practices for supporting minority male student success. His insights underscored the importance of student-centered approaches, including intrusive advising, to foster higher levels of engagement and achievement. Dr. Harris’ message serves as a reminder that while we’ve made great strides, there is always more work to be done to ensure every student has the support they need to succeed. At Guttman, we welcome 2025, and we’re ready to renew this important work while reaffirming our commitment to all students, including our immigrant students.
Yours in hope,
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Dr. Larry D. Johnson, Jr. ("Dr. J") | |
President Adds Perspective | | |
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Keynote for NJCU King Scholarship Brunch
On 1/23, President Johnson gave the keynote address at New Jersey City University’s 35th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Scholarship Brunch and awards ceremony. Faculty, staff, students and community were in attendance. He was welcomed by Interim President Andrés Acebo and Associate Provost Jonelle Knox.
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Foundation Board Meeting
Members of the Guttman Community College Foundation Board of Directors kicked off 2025 with their first meeting of the year. Excited for a fresh start, the team is ready to continue supporting our students and community in the months ahead. Here's to a fantastic year of growth, connection and opportunity!
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Removing the Barriers: Leading the Work in Enrollment Management | |
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Now you see them, now you don’t.
For Danny Ambrose, vice president for enrollment management and student affairs, Krystal Liriano-Gonzalez, director of strategic enrollment and persistence initiatives, and Sophea Sainsurin, director of college admissions, some days they’re at their desks or hosting campus tours and orientations, and some days they’re “on the road,” talking with hundreds of students and meeting with guidance counselors and parents. But you can be sure to find these campus leaders each Commencement Day, cheering on every Guttman graduate who crosses the stage, degree in hand. Read more.
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Guttman’s First Fully Online Degree: Associate of Applied Science in Health Information Technology | |
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What is Health Information Technology? “Health Information Technology (HIT) is the use of electronic systems to store, share and analyze health data,” explained Guttman HIT Professor Laquan Black.
Think of just about any health-related task on your to-do list in the last 24 hours: Make a telehealth appointment to get a prescription for a cough that won’t go away. Check with the pharmacist that the medication doesn’t interfere with your allergies. Look at your employer’s website to see if they reimburse the cost of an eye exam. Help your grandfather find out if he’s eligible for Medicaid. If you accomplished any one of these things, a health information technician was in some way involved in the process to support you, and you can thank them for it.
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“A career in health information technology is very exciting, and there are a lot of opportunities in organizations including hospitals, physician offices, insurance companies, long-term care facilities, consulting, HIT vendors, hospice, law firms, ambulatory care and skilled nursing facilities, home care providers, government agencies, and pharmaceutical companies,” said HIT Professor Patricia Jones.
36 of the 61 degree credits students earn for this fully online degree are in core courses like Medical Terminology, Legal & Ethical Aspects of Healthcare, Computer Applications in Healthcare and Data Security, Clinical Classifications Systems: ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding that teach the essential skills defined by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Mastering these skills, students get to apply them in 40 hours of industry experience with project-based, supervised professional practice. Read more.
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Dreaming in Action: Resume/LinkedIn Workshop and Career Day at Salesforce Tower | |
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Six Guttman students, along with the Center for Career Preparation and Partnerships Internship Manager Shaina Davis and Associate Director LaShonna Turner, attended a 1/16 event co-hosted by BOLDForce and Salesforce, packed with insightful discussions, career development resources and networking opportunities. The afternoon featured a dynamic panel with Ashley Alebisou, manager of the CXO experience, and Ismael Brown, senior product marketing manager, moderated by Jerome Joseph, senior manager, Future Pathways AMER|Volunteer and philanthropy chair with BOLDforce NY.
The panelists shared insights from how they successfully navigated their careers, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and how to leverage AI to enhance productivity and creativity. Afterward, students enjoyed lunch and took advantage of networking with Salesforce employees and industry leaders. The day concluded with a hands-on resume and LinkedIn review session in which Salesforce volunteers offered personalized feedback to help students refine their professional profiles and stand out in the competitive job market. For IT major Nazir Bristel, getting his resume reviewed was the highlight of his day: “I really appreciated the workshop as it supported me for networking and helping with the resume process.”
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“Everybody Can Be Great Because Everybody Can Serve”
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy of service and leadership, Grizzlies volunteered with God’s Love We Deliver in Lower Manhattan. On 1/17, 1/24 and 1/31, students assisted the organization dedicated to providing nutritious, medically tailored meals by preparing and packaging food for people who are too sick to shop or cook for themselves.
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“Let’s Talk About It!” Post-Inaugural Discussion Group Convenes
Staying politically engaged, members of the campus community gathered on 1/23 to ask questions, gain clarifications and share ideas that will shape our future, in dialogue with political science faculty Dr. Douglas Medina.
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Annual All-Campus Meeting
Guttman’s annual All College Meeting was held on 1/24, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Frank Harris III, professor of postsecondary education and co-director of the Community College Equity Assessment Lab at San Diego State University (SDSU).
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Best known for his expertise in racial equity in postsecondary education, Harris’s scholarship on student equity, student success and institutional transformation has been widely published, and he has worked with more than 100 postsecondary institutions, community organizations and nonprofits on equity-related efforts. He spoke with the Guttman community about supporting men of color and co-facilitated a session with the College’s Chief Diversity Officer Jewel Jones on strategies for meaningful support for them to thrive in and out of the classroom. | | |
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UMOC Lines it Up With Barbershop Talks
On 1/30, Guttman’s United Men of Color (UMOC) hosted their second Barbershop Talk with open conversation, peer interaction, refreshments, a special guest and even a shave or a tapered fade!
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Art For Everyone
Students in Professor Maya Mason’s inaugural Studio Art class this semester learned about color theory by taking portraits of each other with controlled lighting, and Arts in NYC students of Professor Stephanie Guyet toured the Whitney Museum of American Art. These two classes, plus Perspectives in Photography, assert that, in Mason’s words, “art is for everyone and can be made by anyone; students needn’t go out of their way to find inspiration, meaning and beauty in their lives.”
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Department Chair Addresses NYC Educators
On 1/24, Dr. Alia Tyner-Mullings presented the keynote address for the New York Performance Standards Consortium’s Annual Conference, where she rallied the teachers attending with the blend of scholarly insight, motivation and practical wisdom that she shares as professor and founding chair of the College’s Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. Guttman Alumni Bashir Juwara ‘22, currently a political science and government student at Hunter College and a graduate of a Consortium school, introduced Dr. Tyner-Mullings at the event.
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Faculty Hone Expertise in Teaching Freshmen Students
Dr. karen g. williams, anthroplogy professor, facilitated a working discussion on AI with colleagues at the College’s annual First Year Experience (FYE) Winter Institute on 1/9.
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SUPPORTING STUDENT SUCCESS | |
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$75,000 from the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation, spanning three years, to provide emergency funds for students in need through the College’s Connect Center. Read more.
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Over $1 million to fund the development of vital behavioral health career pathways from the following funders: Mother Cabrini Health Foundation ($876,000), Summerfield Foundation ($110,000) and Trinity Church NYC ($100,000). Read more.
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Connect with President Johnson | | | | |
