From President Frank H. Wu:

It is my great pleasure to welcome all students, faculty, and staff to Queens College for the Fall 2024 semester. While we are still experiencing the August heat, it won’t be long before our beautiful campus is covered in fall foliage. I encourage you to take the opportunity to spend some time outdoors as you meet new people and connect with friends and colleagues. I know I am planning to do just that.

The summer months have been busy with exciting and engaging plans for the upcoming academic year. I look forward to sharing many new developments and highlighting activities and events in my monthly message to the QC community, Frankly Speaking, that you will receive in your inbox next week. Our dedicated faculty and staff have been preparing interesting and educational programs and workshops that will take place this semester. Check out the QC calendar for a listing of upcoming events.

Here at Queens College, we take pride in our diverse community. Our students speak 93 languages at home and trace their ancestries to 153 countries. The college is committed to providing a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment where free speech flourishes, and where the viewpoints and experiences are as diverse as the community and the borough we call home. As we have seen during these times of political conflict, deeply held views can sometimes devolve into statements or actions of antisemitism, Islamophobia, or other forms of bigotry against individuals with opposing views. As we have and will continue to emphasize, intimidation, harassment, retaliation or any form of discrimination against those with opposing convictions cannot be the way we as a community respond in times of conflict and crisis. The University will not be tolerant of anyone in our community who violates this very fundamental principle. CUNY has rules and regulations in place to maintain public order through an atmosphere of mutual respect, civility, and trust on our campuses. These rules apply to everyone. Members of our campus community are expected to show respect to one another at all times.

Should you encounter or become aware of any misconduct, harassment, assault, or discriminatory action, please report it to the Office of Compliance and Diversity. Formal reports can be filed via email (titleix@qc.cuny.edu), by phone at 718-997-5888, or in person in Kiely Hall 134. Retaliation is not tolerated on our campus. Please check your college email for more information on CUNY policies and reporting discrimination later today.

At Queens College we take pride in providing a safe environment in which learning and teaching can flourish. We take very seriously any act that might threaten to disturb the atmosphere of trust and safety we work to cultivate on our campus. Such acts are investigated by our Public Safety office. The Public Safety Office can be reached at 718-997-5911/5. 

We tailor our safety, communications, and awareness response based on the intelligence we have on campus and in consultation with campus stakeholders, CUNY, and other state and city offices. We urge you to continue to pay attention to your surroundings and report anything that strikes you as suspicious or warranting further investigation. We also want to remind you of the many resources that Queens College has in place, as well as some informative videos and literature you may want to access:

• We have a professionally trained group of Public Safety Officers who are here to protect you. You can reach one by calling 718-997-5911/5912. You can also contact Public Safety to schedule an individualized safety presentation for your department or unit.
• Public Safety is available to provide a security escort on campus if you feel unsafe.
• Add the Public Safety numbers—718-997-5911/5912—to the speed dial on your phone.
• The blue emergency phones located throughout the campus allow you to quickly call the Public Safety Office as well as help our Peace Officers locate you. Click here for a map of blue phone locations. 
• Surveillance cameras are located in key areas around campus.
• You can view an informative video on what to do if an active shooter comes on campus here. 
• You can find important information on the Public Safety site (www.qc.cuny.edu/security), including the college's Annual Security Report and its Workplace Violence Prevention Policy. 
• View a list of public safety tips here. 
• Bike racks are located around campus. See a campus map with bike rack locations here. 

Counseling Services is available to meet with any student who wishes to share personal concerns or questions in a safe and confidential space. The Counseling Center has on staff licensed psychologists, social workers, and professional counselors, as well as supervised interns. To reach them, call 718-997-5420 and leave a message with your name, CUNY ID number, and phone number. Calls will be returned on the same business day between 9 am and 5 pm. Alternatively, students can email the same information to counselingservices@qc.cuny.edu or visit the center's office on the first floor of Frese Hall weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm. Faculty and staff in need of support may reach out to CCA@YourService, CUNY’s confidential employee assistance program provider (call 800-833-8707 or log on to www.myccaonline.com with the company code “CUNY”).

We all understand that by working together and looking out for each other, and reporting anything that deserves our attention, we can enhance our safe and caring community. Our campus life is dear to all of us, and we will continue to provide the resources to ensure your safety and well-being here at Queens College. 

Queens College is a world-class institution, with inspiring students, accomplished faculty, and dedicated staff. As we begin the fall semester together, I urge you to take advantage of all we have to offer as we work to actualize our personal and collective goals. I wish you a most successful semester in your academic and research pursuits.