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"Campus Update" is a weekly e-newsletter published by LaGuardia's Division of Communications and External Affairs to provide news and information to the college community.
| | The Division of Communications and External Affairs offers various additional resources to help you share news with the campus, including an event calendar, photography, graphic design, and more. | | |
Twenty-three LaGuardia faculty members have received PSC-CUNY Research Awards through Cycle 56 of the PSC-CUNY Research Award Program, jointly administered by the Professional Staff Congress (PSC-CUNY) and the CUNY Office of Research. The program supports faculty scholarship and creative activity across the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, arts, and professional fields. Cycle 56 awards, ranging from $1,000 to $12,000, support projects conducted during the 2024-2026 grant period. Recipients were recognized at an October 22 ceremony at the CUNY Graduate Center. Speakers included Rosemarie D. Wesson, Associate Vice Chancellor and University Vice Provost for Research; Joshua Brumberg, President of the CUNY Graduate Center; Alicia M. Alvero, Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost; and James Davis, President of PSC-CUNY. LaGuardia President Kenneth Adams attended the event. The funded projects explore topics ranging from advanced mathematical theory, cannabis legalization, race and racism, and history to fantasy literature, U.S.-Japan diplomacy, and more.
Read more here.
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LaGuardia’s Theater program presents Godspell, the beloved musical featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by John-Michael Tebelak, November 18–22 in the Little Theater at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC). Featuring a cast and crew composed of LaGuardia Theater students, the production provides hands-on experience in acting, stagecraft and theatrical collaboration, reflecting the program’s commitment to experiential learning and artistic excellence. Directed and choreographed by Professor Stefanie Sertich, Director of LaGuardia’s Theater Program, this production explores the meaning of community through a contemporary lens. “Inspired by our borough of Queens, scenic designer Sam Tutatsi and I chose the historic New York State Pavilion Observation Towers in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park as our inspiration,” said Professor Sertich. “This provides us with a landmark from the 1964 World’s Fair and a reminder of a time when people gathered to imagine a better future.” At the start of the story, a group of accomplished philosophers struggle to connect with one another. Through games, storytelling, laughter, debate, and shared experiences, they gradually learn how to listen, trust, and build meaningful relationships. Reserve a free ticket for the open dress rehearsal at 5 p.m. on November 18. Tickets for performances November 19–22 are $10 for general admission and $8 for students with valid ID.
Read more here.
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Yesterday, students, faculty and staff gathered for the 8th Annual Hunger Banquet, hosted by the Community Health and Wellness Department’s Nutrition and Culinary Management program, led by Director Cynthia Vazquez. The interactive event challenged participants to experience firsthand the unequal realities of food access through a facilitated dining experience designed to raise awareness of hunger, poverty, and food insecurity around the world. Discussions led by students from the Nutrition and Culinary Management Club explored gender expectations, fairness and how social norms can compound the challenges associated with poverty. Dr. Nicolle Fernandes, Chair of the Community Health and Wellness Department, emphasized the importance of collective responsibility, encouraging attendees to reflect on the realities faced by millions of people worldwide and noted that the discomfort sparked by the exercise was part of its purpose.
Read more here.
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LaGuardia students recently harvested nearly 80 pounds of ginger and turmeric at Finca La Florecita, the college’s urban farm and research center, gaining hands-on experience growing tropical crops in New York City while learning about sustainability, food access, and experiential learning. The harvest featured three varieties grown in partnership with the New York Restoration Project (NYRP): Peruvian yellow ginger, the variety commonly found in supermarkets, along with blue turmeric and Florida red turmeric. Students in LaGuardia’s Sustainable Urban Agriculture program planted, maintained, and harvested approximately half of the crop, with the remaining rows scheduled for harvest in December. The crops were grown in Finca La Florecita’s high tunnel, which creates the warm, protected conditions tropical plants require. The project allowed students to explore how crops associated with warmer climates can be cultivated locally while applying lessons about crop origins and plant diversity.
Read more here.
| | Volunteers Needed for Community Day, November 19 | | | | LaGuardia CARES, Athletics, the Black Male Empowerment Cooperative program, Fatherhood Academy and HisVoice are currently seeking volunteers to assist with Community Day on November 19. Community Day will bring together students, faculty, staff and community organizations to connect students with essential resources and services that support their academic and personal well-being. Students will also be able to pick up free Thanksgiving trimmings (while supplies last). Volunteers are needed to help with Thanksgiving bag packing on November 16, clothing distribution, registration, information services, event guidance, host assistance and cleanup. If interested in volunteering, sign up here. | | Faculty and Staff Invited to "Connecting Coursework to Careers: Practical Assignment Ideas Across Disciplines," November 11 | On November 11, the CUNY Beyond team at LaGuardia will host an hour-long Zoom workshop called "Connecting Coursework to Careers: Practical Assignment Ideas Across Disciplines" for faculty and staff. The workshop will take place from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. and will feature a multidisciplinary panel of LaGuardia colleagues at various stages of their career-connected learning journeys. Speakers will share their assignments, explain the thinking behind their design, and offer practical suggestions for getting started. As part of LaGuardia's ongoing career-connected learning initiatives, this session is designed to strengthen, connect, and advance the work already underway in your courses. If interested, register for the session in advance here. | | |
2026–2027 College Senate Executive Committee Elections
On Wednesday, October 28, the College Senate held elections for its 2026-2027 Executive Committee. The following members were elected to serve in leadership roles:
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Chairperson: Leslie Scamacca
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Vice Chairperson: Luke Cardaio
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Secretary: Jill Kehoe
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At-Large Instructional Staff, Alumni, or Civil Service Representative: Randy Changoo
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At-Large Instructional Staff, Alumni, or Civil Service Representative: Patricia Quesada
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At-Large Student Representative: Grace Williams
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At-Large Student Representative: Moe Pa Pa Zaw
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Cristy Bruns will continue to serve on the Executive Committee in the role of Immediate Past Chair.
The Senate’s constituency committees also elected leadership for the coming year:
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Committee of Faculty: Thomas Cleary
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Committee of Staff and Alumni: Anthony Pappas
- The Committee of Students will elect its chair at a later date.
Congratulations to all newly elected Executive Committee members and constituency committee leaders. The Senate also extends its sincere thanks to outgoing Executive Committee members Patricia Sokolski and Loretta Capuano for their dedicated service and contributions. The full roster of Senate members, including contact information, is available on the College Senate webpage.
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College Senate Meets November 11
Want to stay informed about issues affecting LaGuardia? Attend the next College Senate meeting on Wednesday, November 11, from 2:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in E-500. The College Senate serves as LaGuardia’s shared governance body, bringing together faculty, staff, students and alumni to discuss matters of college-wide importance and help shape policies that affect the College community. All College Senate meetings are open to the LaGuardia community and the public. Learn more on the College Senate webpage.
| | LaGuardia Builds New Partnership with GastroBake at The Bindery | | On November 4, Luda Spajic of LaGuardia’s Community Relations team brought colleagues from the LaGuardia Community College Foundation, Stefania Dinu and Snezhana Kenarova, for a meeting with Jonathan Weizmann, owner of GastroBake at The Bindery, located at 30-02 48th Avenue in Long Island City. The meeting marked another step in developing a relationship between LaGuardia and this local business. GastroBake generously supported LaGuardia 5K Run this year by donating cookies for the event, and the college is now exploring additional opportunities to collaborate with the business. The visit also provided an opportunity for the Foundation team to connect with Jonathan and explore potential catering services for upcoming Foundation events. As part of its growing relationship with the college, GastroBake also offers a 10% discount to LaGuardia students and employees. | | INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND EFFECTIVENESS | | |
Access your Association for Institutional Research (AIR) Membership
LaGuardia is an organizational member of the Association for Institutional Research (AIR). AIR offers many resources, events, webinars, and publications for any higher education professional using or reporting data. As an organizational member, all employees of the college can access AIR membership by visiting the AIR website and setting "CUNY LaGuardia Community College" as their employer. Many of the events and webinars offered by AIR are free with this membership.
| | DYCD Hosts Queens Provider Listening Session at LaGuardia | | LaGuardia hosted the Queens stop of the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development's (DYCD) first borough-wide Provider Listening Tour on November 4. The event brought together Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) providers from across Queens to share feedback, discuss challenges and successes, and help inform future programming. DYCD leadership in attendance included Nurus S. Salam, Assistant Commissioner for In-School Youth Workforce Programs and a former SYEP participant at LaGuardia, and Daphne Montanez, Associate Commissioner for Workforce Connect. The event gave community-based organizations an opportunity to engage directly with DYCD leadership and discuss their experiences delivering youth workforce programs. “As a major partner in our youth workforce efforts, DYCD provides more than $4 million annually to support LaGuardia's SYEP and Train & Earn programs,” said Dr. Claudia Baldonedo, Senior Director of Youth Workforce Development Initiatives. “We were proud to host the Queens session and help facilitate this important conversation.” Topics covered included the lottery and enrollment timeline, employer engagement, program offerings, recruitment strategies, and other areas that could help inform and improve SYEP 2027. The session was one of a series being held across the five boroughs to gather provider feedback and inform future youth workforce initiatives. | | The Women's Center & LGBTQ+ Hub and Casa de las Americas will host "Raise Your Voice: Spoken Word and Slam Poetry" on Tuesday, November 10 from 2 to 5 p.m. in E-501. Students will have a chance to express, connect, listen, and reflect through spoken word and slam poetry readings; if you know a student who might be interested in reading their work, encourage them to sign up here. For more information about this month’s upcoming programming at the Women’s Center & LGBTQ+ Hub, click here. | | | |
- As a reminder, the Library is now located on the second floor, E-201, while the first floor undergoes renovations. We have moved several book collections to the second floor, including our Children’s, Parenting, Manga and Graphic Novels, and Leisure Reading Collections. If you need a book that is not on the second floor, request it here to receive it within 48 hours.
- We will be closed on Sunday, November 8. Please see our complete hours here.
- We have copies of almost all textbooks in the Library available to check out for 2 hours (students can’t leave the Library with them, though). If we don’t have it, please let us know. If you can’t make it into the Library, you can request a chapter scan.
- Our MoneyBoss and Events and Workshops webpages have been updated. Check out all the workshops and events we’ll be having in the Fall semester.
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Meet with a TIAA Financial Consultant about Retirement
Register for a one-on-one session with a TIAA Financial Consultant to discuss your retirement planning on the following dates:
- November 6, 2026 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – E Building, E-407
- November 20, 2026 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – E Building, E-407
- December 18, 2026 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – E Building, E-407
Register here.
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Webinar on New York State Deferred Compensation Plan Enrollment to Take Place November 11
Wednesday, November 11, 2026, 10 AM
LaGuardia employees are invited to attend a webinar on Wednesday, November 11 at 10 a.m. about the basics of the New York State Deferred Compensation Plan and how to enroll. The webinar will also cover the differences between a 457b and a 403b. To attend, please register in advance here.
| | LaGuardia Seeks to Fill Open Faculty and Staff Positions | | Current faculty and staff are welcome to share the openings below with individuals who they believe may be a good fit for the role or apply for the positions themselves. For all LaGuardia openings, visit Employment Opportunities. | | DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (DoIT) | | |
Access Free LinkedIn Learning Courses
LaGuardia students, faculty and staff have free access to LinkedIn Learning, enabling you to access more than 24,000 expert-led professional development courses. Courses cover a wide range of topics, including business, technology, creative skills, interview preparation, Excel, Python, and more. LinkedIn Learning allows faculty and staff to expand their expertise, strengthen teaching and learning practices, and stay up-to-date in their fields. For more information, visit LaGuardia's LinkedIn Learning webpage. To activate your account, visit LinkedIn Learning and sign in with your CUNY Login credentials.
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Updates to CUNY IT Help Service Catalog
LaGuardia’s service catalog in CUNY IT Help has been updated to include improved service descriptions and request forms. If you need assistance with IT or other services such as the Print Center, start by submitting a ticket through CUNY IT Help. Submitting a ticket helps route your request to the appropriate team and gathers the information they need to assist you as quickly and efficiently as possible. If you need help navigating CUNY IT Help, visit the CUNY IT Help Training page for guidance on navigating the portal and working with tickets.
| | LAGUARDIA IN THE HEADLINES | | "Campus Update" is produced and published by the Communications and External Affairs Division. Faculty and staff who wish to submit items for publication can email CampusUpdate@lagcc.cuny.edu. Submissions must be received by 5 p.m. Tuesday to be considered for publication on Thursday. |
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