From President Frank H. Wu:

It is my great pleasure to welcome all students, faculty, and staff to Queens College for the Spring 2025 semester. I am looking forward to the renewal that spring will soon bring to our beautiful campus. As the weather improves, I hope to greet you as we spend more time outdoors. In the meantime, please dress with layers to help you stay warm.

Over winter break, we have been busy planning exciting and engaging events for the spring semester. 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 at the beginning of February. Please watch your Queens College email for information about programs in celebration of Black History Month this February. The QC calendar is a great resource where you can find details about upcoming events.

As previously announced, CUNY is one of the first universities in the nation to designate Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Lunar New Year and Diwali as holidays on the official school calendar. As such, during this semester, Queens College will not hold classes on January 29 (Lunar New Year or Spring Festival) or March 31 (Eid al-Fitr).

Queens College continues to be ranked at the highest levels of colleges throughout the nation that provide great return on investment for its graduates. I have been meeting during the semester break with alumni, both in the region and in other parts of the country. Their career success is an inspiring reminder of how the quality education they obtained at the college positively transformed their lives. Their generosity is a testament to the mission and importance of that education to our current students.  

Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Let us take a moment to reflect on the effects of antisemitism, intolerance, and hatred and commit ourselves to the values of civility and respect. 

Here at Queens College, we take special pride in our diverse community. Our students speak 93 languages at home and trace their ancestries to over 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 county we call “The World’s Borough.” As we have seen during these challenging times, deeply held views can sometimes devolve into statements or actions of antisemitism, Islamophobia, or other forms of bigotry against individuals with opposing views. 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. CUNY and New York State have 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 which you will receive 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 718-997-5911/2. 

We tailor our safety, communications, and awareness response 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”).

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 endeavor 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 spring 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, career, and research pursuits.