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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. | | |
LaGuardia is celebrating a recent achievement in community engagement. Rethink Food x LaGuardia CARES Evening Meals Pilot won Silver at the Anthem Awards in School or University Engagement, Humanitarian Action & Services. Since launching in summer 2026, the pilot program has provided free, hot meals to evening students through LaGuardia CARES, serving 1,175 meals to 79 unique students per week. The meals are prepared by Rethink Food’s longtime restaurant partner, Brain Food. As one student shared, the meals are often the only healthy meal they receive that day. “We are incredibly proud that the LaGuardia CARES x Rethink Food Evening Pilot has earned Silver recognition in the Anthem Awards,” said Dr. Alexis McLean, Vice President for Student Affairs. “This honor celebrates our shared commitment to ensuring that evening students have access to nutritious, dignified meals right on campus—without having to choose between getting the food they need and attending class.”
Read more here.
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Biology major Arielle Blair, 20, has been named a 2026-27 Kaplan Leadership Program Scholar. Born in Guyana, Arielle spent most of her childhood in Antigua and Barbuda before relocating to the United States with her family. Arielle aspires to become a physician-scientist focused on pediatric cardiology and biomedical research. “Growing up in Antigua, I saw how access to healthcare could shape people’s lives. I want to become part of changing that reality, especially for communities that are often overlooked,” said Arielle. At LaGuardia, she conducts faculty-mentored research through the CUNY Research Scholars Program, is founder and president of the college’s Pre-Medical Society and a member of LaGuardia’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter. She maintains a 4.0 GPA. Established in 2006, the Kaplan Educational Foundation’s highly selective Kaplan Leadership Program helps high-potential, underserved community college students successfully transfer and earn four-year bachelor’s degrees at some of the nation’s most selective colleges and universities.
Read more here.
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Microsoft Outage Delays Campus Update and Other Emails Globally
On Thursday, November 12, Microsoft experienced an outage that disrupted Outlook and other M365 applications, including SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams around the world. As of today, Friday, November 13, Outlook is up and running, though users may experience intermittent delays across Microsoft applications. Campus Update will resume its regular Thursday publication schedule on November 19. Check Microsoft status updates here.
| | | | LaGuardia's Division of Communications and External Affairs has developed guidelines on the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing and communication materials. These guidelines outline best practices for utilizing generative AI tools in marketing, communications, and operations to ensure their use aligns with LaGuardia’s values, standards, and strategic goals. If you intend to use generative AI tools like Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Canva AI, etc. to develop materials for your office, such as flyers, graphics, copy for social media, etc., please be sure to refer to these guidelines here and consult with the Division of Communications and External Affairs for your communications and marketing needs. | | Lights, Camera, LaGuardia: Campus Featured on Last Night's Episode of Law & Order | | | | LaGuardia has made another appearance on primetime TV—this time, the President’s Office suite and E-Building fifth-floor hallway served as filming locations for NBC’s iconic crime drama Law & Order. Keep an eye out for familiar campus spaces in Season 26, Episode 6, “Do No Harm,” which aired Thursday, November 12. Now in its 26th season, Law & Order continues to bring New York City crime stories to life, following NYPD detectives and Manhattan prosecutors as they investigate crimes and pursue justice. | | LaGuardia Community Celebrates Life of Dr. Lakshmi Bandlamudi | | | | On November 7, LaGuardia held a Celebration of Life for Dr. Lakshmi Bandlamudi, who passed away earlier this year. The gathering, which took place in the Poolside Cafe, provided an opportunity for colleagues, students, family and friends to come together to reflect on Dr. Bandlamudi's life, share memories, and recognize the profound impact she had on campus and on the many individuals whose lives she touched. Throughout her career, Dr. Bandlamudi authored four books, numerous scholarly articles, and received many grants and honors, including recognition as a Distinguished CUNY Fellow and multiple PSC-CUNY and Fulbright-Hays awards. | | |
Staff Engagement Committee Invites Staff to Discuss Upcoming Survey
LaGuardia staff are invited to attend two upcoming meetings to discuss the Staff Engagement Committee's upcoming survey, to be released in February. This is an opportunity to meet the committee members and ask questions about the survey as the committee prepares to send it out. The committee will host two discussions on the following dates:
- November 19, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in E-500
- December 8, 1 to 4 p.m. in E-501
Light refreshments will be served.
| | Grace & Peace Community Leaders Come Together for Quarterly Gathering | | On November 6, Hope Church of Astoria hosted the quarterly Grace & Peace Community Leaders gathering at Legal Outreach in Astoria. The event brought together representatives from various local organizations, including LaGuardia, Legal Outreach, Astoria Love, the Family Enrichment Center, the Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement, and other community partners. The gathering provided an opportunity for local leaders and organizations to connect, exchange ideas, share updates on ongoing projects, strengthen existing partnerships, and explore ways to continue working together in support of the community. | | Students Meet with Art School Reps at 11th Annual Art & Design Transfer Fair | | On November 11, students in the Fine Arts, Industrial Design, Commercial Photography, and New Media Technology programs had a chance to share their portfolios with faculty and admissions representatives from art and design schools across the country. The 11th Annual Art & Design Transfer Fair brought in representatives from schools such as SUNY Buffalo, the Fashion Institute of Technology, the School of Visual Arts, Savannah College of Art and Design and many more. In addition to portfolio review, students also got a chance to ask questions and learn more about the transfer process and what it’s like to pursue a degree in the arts. | | Students Tour Princeton University, Learn About Transfer Opportunities | | The Transfer Engagement Initiative (TEI), President's Society, and ASAP brought 30 students to Princeton University on November 6 for an information session, transfer student panel and tour of the campus. Students were able to connect with representatives from the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity and LaGuardia alumna, Mame Fall ('25). For more information on Transfer Resources and ways you can support students in their transfer journey, click here. | | LaGuardia Honors Veterans Day with Barbecue | In honor of Veterans Day earlier this week, the Student Government Association and Veterans Services at LaGuardia hosted a barbecue in E-500. Attendees had the opportunity to enjoy hotdogs, hamburgers, and more while participating in a program featuring remarks from Veterans Services manager Daryl Griffin and a panel of student veterans. The speakers shared information about the veteran experience and resources for veterans. Attendees also had a chance to win prizes, with gift card drawings taking place during the program. | | Upcoming Programming at the Women's Center & LGBTQ+ Hub | | |
The Women's Center & LGBTQ+ Hub invites the LaGuardia community to two events coming up next week, hosted in partnership with several other offices on campus:
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Shakti Film Screening, November 16, 11:45 a.m. in E-242: Organized alongside Dr. Jayashree Kamblé, the Women, Gender and Sexuality program and the Health Humanities program, this screening will feature the film Shakti, which tells the story of a single mother whose child suddenly catches a mysterious illness after enrolling in painting lessons in Kathmandu.
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Real Talk—Sexual Violence in Society, November 18, 10:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in E-242: Hosted by the Women's Center & LGBTQ+ Hub in partnership with LaGuardia CARES, the Philosophy program and Sociology faculty, this student-driven roundtable discussion will explore questions and ideas around the problem of sexual violence in society.
| | Continuing Education Hosts Fair to Share Resources and Information | | | |
- 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 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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Health Insurance Open Enrollment (Annual Transfer Period) Runs Through November 30
The open enrollment period for your health insurance plans is currently running until November 30. If you would like to transfer to a different health plan, add/ drop eligible dependents, add/ drop optional benefit riders, enroll in or make changes to the Health Benefits Buy-Out Waiver Program, contact benefits@lagcc.cuny.edu. No action is needed if you do not intend to make any changes to your current plan. Any changes made to your plans will take effect January 1, 2027. Learn more here.
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NYSDCP Webinar on Retirement to Take Place November 18
LaGuardia employees are invited to attend a New York State Deferred Compensation Plan (NYSDCP) webinar on Wednesday, November 18 at 4 p.m. about retirement-related topics such as longevity, income sources, asset consolidation, and required minimum distributions. 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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