Friday, February 10, 2023 | Vol. 6, No. 4

MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT DAISY COCCO DE FILIPPIS

My Dear Colleagues and Students,

I am happy to share remarks from this week’s All College Meeting: The Beginning of a New Semester. Thank you for the show of support from students, faculty, and staff who joined us for yesterday’s program.

All College Meeting: The Beginning of a New Semester

Thursday, February 9, 2023

Hostos Community College | Savoy Multi-Purpose Room

Welcome Remarks – Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D., President

Dear Members of the Hostos Family,

It is good to be with you all, sharing Our All College Beginning of the Semester Gathering. Thank you, Diana Kreymer, our moderator, and the wonderful team of speakers this afternoon. As always, this presentation is intended to feature a rich array of diverse voices, underscoring the generous team efforts taking place at our college. It is also in keeping with the now-established practice in El Semanario Hostosiano / The Hostos Weekly, designed to share information often and widely and for the college community to hear perspectives and information from multiple voices.

It takes significant commitment, generosity, and hope to embrace our mission, our students, and our communities to work with tenacity and clarity on social justice, equity, generational transformation, and student-centeredness evidenced in so much of the work taking place at the College. We begin our Spring 2023 semester, which also marks the 55th Anniversary of the founding of the College, with encouraging and significant growth in enrollment. More on enrollment management strategies will be discussed by VP Yates this afternoon. Our manos a la obra/all hands-on-deck spirit is paying off. Life is coming back to our campus. How wonderful it is to be able to meet students in our hallways and cafeteria, and to hold our SGA meetings in person in our conference room, with President Ozoria leading a very engaged SGA team. In celebration of our 55th Anniversary and the increased in-person academic life on campus, a number of commemorative events are being planned. Executive Chief of Staff Kreymer will provide a summary later in the program.

The successful completion and acceptance of our Self-Study Report in Spring 2022, also saw the initiation of our planning process for the Hostos Strategic Plan, 2023–2028. I have shared in the past a guiding framework that will support the creation of the plan, based on the six pillars of our college’s mission. Among the core principles is a commitment to designing academic pathways that lead to family-sustaining jobs at minimum for Hostos graduates, 95% of whom are underrepresented minority and low-income. Provost Wang will be providing an update on OAA’s work in this regard as part of this program. As far as the Strategic Plan process, look for the announcement of college-wide open forums taking place the last week of March, including a virtual option, in which committee members will present their updates. This afternoon we will hear a brief presentation by our own Dean Audant on the progress made thus far.

The fall semester brought significant engagement as our decades of work to transform lives was recognized in the wonderful retention numbers for Hostos students, as per the National Clearinghouse report of 2021. This no doubt accounts for Hostos being one of the three CUNY Colleges selected for recognition for work with vulnerable communities by Ms. MacKenzie Scott and her generous gift, and Hostos being one of the two CUNY community colleges selected by the Aspen Institute as Top Ten Finalists competing for the National Aspen prize. Our Aspen Team follow-up meeting visit was very positive. All are to be thanked for putting our best foot forward. Let’s keep our fingers crossed until the prize winner is announced on April 20, 2023.

There is much work being planned for this semester as the Ms. MacKenzie Scott's initiatives continue to grow, and we anticipate the opening of the Hostos Research Center by mid-semester, once all equipment and furniture are delivered. Later on in the program, Dr. Oviedo and Professor Yoel Rodríguez will be providing an update, but please continue to read all communications from Dr. Oviedo as she announces activities approved by the Hostos Advisory Corps and provides updates on the multiple ways in which students, faculty, and staff are engaging in the creation of very intentional activities in support of retention, faculty and students’ engagement in research and connections among different programs and so much more. Professor Yoel Rodríguez’s communications on research opportunities are also well worth reading and following up on. Executive Chief of Staff Kreymer will be introducing a selection of important upcoming events and Black at Hostos town halls and other activities at a later point in the program. Please look for opportunities to engage and participate as we continue to benefit from this generous Gift.

Chair Ialongo will be bringing greetings on behalf of the College-wide Senate and Vice President José González on behalf of the Student Government Association. Their participation is valuable and much appreciated. SVP Rodríguez-Chardavoyne will give information on the budget and the work at the College to support our students and our mission. We are all indebted to her for her diligence in managing our budget in support of student success during a challenging time, and keeping us in the black. As she will explain briefly, we are challenged once again to prepare a plan for a reduced budget for next year.  A report is due to the system office by March. The SVP has begun to work with Vice Presidents on the process. This is the beginning of planning. The College will be kept informed as we proceed.

Soon, if not already, we will be looking at class schedules for both summer and fall, understanding that class schedules are to be designed to enhance access and support social mobility. We will continue to focus on enrollment patterns and creating new ways for students to engage with the College. To support this effort, the Registrar’s Office and the Office of Academic Affairs continue to conduct a number of analyses designed to assist in projecting, with flexibility, potential areas to explore. Shortly, the Provost will be introducing the names of our new full-time faculty members this semester. An effort funded by the Central Office designed to strengthen the teaching and learning quality, retention, and successful completion.

Advisement will also be the subject of our increased attention, both by OAA and the Student Success Coaching unit, as we labor to support the retention of students and also to reach out to continuing students who stopped out and need to return to complete credentials. This effort thus far yielded more than 600 students returning to our classrooms this semester. Non-credit and credit programs will continue to deepen their connection as we create stackable credentials, from non-credit certificates, credit certificates, and associate degrees, and enhance our relationships with industry and community businesses, health providers, and others, as well as with our sister institutions at CUNY. VP Fernández-Ketcham reported over 140 students in our classrooms who had begun their studies at Hostos in our non-credit courses. To support these efforts, philanthropy, and sponsored programming will continue to receive intentional and additional attention, as we work even harder to bring new resources in support of both programmatic innovation and retention to graduation.

After a very successful Nursing Summit this past fall, the spring semester will focus our work with the HCC Community Advisory Council, which will be planning in collaboration with leadership at the College to create our June industry summit in Computer Science, and a number of programs aligned with it, such as Cybersecurity, Digital Design & Animation, and others, designed to connect our programs with industry partners. I’ll say it again, we are fortunate to have Lehman alumnus and leader in the finance world Elias Alcántara as Chair of our Advisory Council. Our Vice Chair is someone well-known to Hostos, our own Dr. Nydia Edgecombe.

Dear Hostos family, Hostos Community College is committed to living its mission in generous and talented ways. Let me just affirm the six pillars of our HCC Mission Statement:

• Provide access to higher education

• Serve as a community resource

• Celebrate diversity and multiculturalism

• Facilitate socio-economic mobility

• Develop linguistic, mathematical, technological and critical thinking proficiencies



• Foster intellectual growth and lifelong learning

These pillars are supported by the work taking place to support our Institutional Self-Study Priorities of which Dr. Audant will share during her presentation. 

Before I close my remarks, I am pleased to announce that our Spring Commencement ceremony will be held on Friday, June 2 with a location to be shared soon. I look forward to shaking hands with all the graduates as their names are announced walking across the stage to be congratulated by faculty and staff. We hope you will join this annual rite of passage.

Finally, as always, I end my brief remarks with a quote you will hear me bring up often from Pablo Neruda’s Nobel Laureate speech: “All paths lead to the same goal; to convey to others what we are…but in this dance or in this song there are fulfilled the most ancient rites of our conscience in the awareness of being human and of believing in a common destiny.”

I believe that our common destiny is that of a community of purpose; an academic community that partners with multiple stakeholders and works closely together in harmony and in concert, to ensure that Eugenio María de Hostos Community College will live up to the promise made in our mission to embrace diversity and opportunity as the birthright of all. 

Mil gracias y bendiciones,

Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D.

President

A POEM TO MARK DOMINICAN HERITAGE MONTH

Edited by Cocco De Filippis, Daisy. “New York 1987.” Tertuliando/Hanging Out, Paperback ed., Comisión Permanente de la Feria Nacional del Libro, Dominican Republic, 1997, pp. 228 - 229.

MESSAGE FROM STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT LEAGHTON N. OZORIA

We had a goal. Now the cafeteria is up and running. Each meal has a touch of “good day” and “bon appetit.” That is to say: once you set a goal, you must continuously reinforce it and not allow any limitations to stop you. Reach deep until you find your shining moments, as those instances are valuable. May we all grow wisely and have clearer goals and satisfaction. In the end, regardless of what happens, it pays off to dream.

CAIMAN CLUES

Weekly Tips & Reminders to Navigate Life at Hostos

Dear Students,

This week, we are participating in practicing a growth mindset and engaging with our campus community activities. Learn to tell your stories, run for student government, and understand how tutoring can help you academically. We also have some tips to make you a more efficient, engaged student.  

Student Government Association (SGA) Open Positions Applications - SGA Senators are the voice of the student body and serve on important college committees. To apply, email Office of Student Activities Director Jerry Rosa at jrosa@hostos.cuny.edu with the subject "SGA Application."  

Stay engaged with your classes - Avoid the W/N grade (Withdrawn, Never Attended) in the first three weeks of class by making sure you attend. Your Professor(s) keep track of in-person and online attendance. Attend class, access your class Blackboard course link frequently, and email the Instructor/Professor (S@H or webmail directory), so you can communicate your tardiness or absence along with a reasonable explanation.    

Don’t forget to check back in for next week’s Caiman Clues. 

MS. MACKENZIE SCOTT’S GIFT: PRESIDENT’S INITIATIVES

Submitted by Sofia Oviedo, Ph.D., Research Programs Director  

Dear Students and Colleagues,

It has been an exciting start to the spring semester for the Ms. MacKenzie Scott’s Gift: President’s Initiatives as we held a program orientation for our returning cohort of students in Families United in Education and announced the new Spring 2023 grantees for the Educating for Diversity Initiative. Our Families United in Education Program has enrolled several family members pursuing their associate degrees at Hostos and making good progress towards degree attainment. Along with my colleague, Ms. Christeen Francis, Program Manager for the Health and Wellness Center, we shared with students the access to resources, including Metrocards and book vouchers, educational workshops, and cultural experiences they will receive and benefit from during their participation. We are also looking to fill additional slots in this program so please contact Ms. Francis at chfrancis@hostos.cuny.edu to complete an application or to refer family members that are enrolled at Hostos for more information. The deadline for spring semester enrollment is March 31, 2023.

I am delighted to report that the Educating for Diversity Initiative has awarded 11 grants for Spring 2023 to support faculty and staff in implementing a variety of activities and events to engage Hostos students and community members in vital discussions and learning opportunities that address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Congratulations to all the grant recipients!



1. Elizabeth Porter, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English and Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) Coordinator, “Women’s History Month: Telling Our Stories,” Award: $2,000
2. Christeen Francis, Project Manager, Family Empowerment Program (FEP), Health and Wellness Center, “Caribbean Play ‘Tek Weh Yuhself’,” Award: $2,000 
3. William Casari, Associate Professor and Archivist, Hostos Library, “La Lucha: The Save Hostos Movement,” Award: $1,975 
4. Inmaculada Lara-Bonilla, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Director of Latin American Writer’s Institute, Latin American and Caribbean Studies Unit Coordinator, “Borderlands Creative Writing Workshop, Contest, and Velada: Meaningful Bonding through Curricular Integration,” Award: $1,900
5. Ana Ozuna, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Humanities Department Chairperson, Black Studies Unit Coordinator; Anamaría Flores, Lecturer, Black Studies Unit, “Black History Month Program,” Award: $1,700
6. Cynthia Jones, Lecturer, English Department, Center for Teaching and Learning Co-Director, Honors Program Co-Director, “Lift Every Voice and Sing – African American Read-In,” Award: $845 
7. Marsha Milan Bethel, Student Services Specialist and Immigrant Student Success Liaison, Division of Student Development and Enrollment Management, “Hostos JUSTICE Resource Fair and Symposium,” Award: $2,000
8. Awardee/Project Lead(s): Stacey Cooper, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Coordinator of Teaching Meets Wellness Initiative, Behavioral and Social Sciences Department, “Teaching Meets Wellness Conference,” Award: $975
9. Flor Henderson, Ph.D., Professor, Biology Unit, Food Studies Unit Coordinator, Natural Sciences Department, “Food as an Intercultural Bridge and Communicator,” Award: $1,500
10. Nicole Wallenbrock, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, French and Francophone Studies; Joseph Caravalho, Assistant Professor, Media Design Unit, Humanities Department, “Music Connects Us: Hostos Family and Community Songs,” Award: $1,800
11. Carlos Guevara, Director, Office of Educational Technology, Co-Director, Center for Teaching and Learning, “Hostos Teaching Day,” Award: $1,000

I look forward to seeing these wonderful projects come to life and provide our Hostos community with multi-faceted opportunities for learning about and honoring our diversity. Please continue to follow El Semanario/The Hostos Weekly for updates and announcements on upcoming Educating for Diversity events. The Black History Month Program is currently underway, and I encourage you to participate in the planned activities hosted by the Black Studies Unit. Click here for the calendar of events.

Recurring Announcement

The Hostos Research Center’s 2023 ADELANTE Call for Proposals and Application is still open and the deadline has been extended to February 14, 2023.



Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to faculty and staff seeking to develop ADELANTE (ADvancing Excellence in Liberal Arts, scieNces, Technology and Engineering) Project proposals to address research, need-based, and/or creative/transformative interventions in all disciplines, including the Arts and Humanities, Behavioral and Social Sciences, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The funding will support year-long research projects that also engage students as research assistants. If you have a new research project/intervention that you want to develop and that will enhance the learning experience for our students, do not miss this opportunity to submit your proposal.

Please click on the links below to access the 2023 ADELANTE Call for Proposals and Application.

NEW application deadline is February 14, 2023.

ADELANTE 2023 Call for Proposals

ADELANTE Project Application Template

Submit ADELANTE Project Application (Use CUNY log-in to access)

For more information about the Ms. MacKenzie Scott’s Gift: President’s Initiatives, please email or call Sofia Oviedo at soviedo@hostos.cuny.edu | Tel: 718-518-4309.



OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS, RESEARCH AND ASSESSMENT (OIERA)

Submitted by Dean Babette Audant, Ph.D.

The 2023-2028 Strategic Planning Process: Mission-aligned and Radically Hostos, Part I



In late March, the draft proposal of the Strategic Plan will be shared with the college community through a series of open forums. Between now and then, the draft proposals developed by the six working groups and approved by the Strategic Planning steering committee and Cabinet will be synthesized into a single draft document. These details were shared by President Cocco De Filippis in last week’s Semanario.

The draft plans are responsive to the present context and emerging opportunities and reflect the lasting relevance of our Mission. Much has changed in the 55 years since Hostos was founded, and the South Bronx maintains its status as the poorest congressional district in the U.S. We continue to stand up to this challenge and be a space of learning, empowerment, and a force for change for new generations of students and communities seeking equity and justice.

The draft proposal includes a strategy to measure and develop foreign language and tech competencies across majors. The proposal argues that “foreign language and tech competencies significantly improve students’ employability across all sectors. Our students have many skills related to those fields, both developed during their time at the college and obtained before coming to us. We need to do a better job of both identifying and developing existing skills in these fields, and should also incentivize the programs which are designed to create and foster them within Hostos.”

Committing to providing students with the appropriate technology competencies is not particularly radical (and it’s a Middle States Commission of Higher Education requirement). It is an invitation to faculty across disciplines to consider which technology platforms, tools, and resources are already integrated within courses and degree programs. Where there are gaps, we have opportunities to learn from peers, employers, and alumni, among others.

Proposing to include foreign language competency as a fundamental component of Hostos’ degree programs acknowledges the multilingualism of our students. It builds on nascent efforts to award credit for prior learning to students with multilingual competencies (be they heritage speakers or not) via a standardized exam process (Lehman is already doing this), and offering foreign language courses focused on particular industries/career pathways. Professor Humberto Ballesteros is piloting a Spanish for Healthcare course this semester, and the Bronx District Attorney’s office is working with faculty to develop a Spanish for Law/Paralegal course. As OAA works with faculty to develop degree program maps that show the alignment of academic and career pathways, we can add information about in-demand foreign language skills and curricular and co-curricular opportunities to strengthen existing competencies and develop new ones.

The piece of this particular strategy I find the most satisfying (full disclosure: I am the co-chair of this working group along with Prof. Ballesteros) is the intentional positing that technology and foreign language skills are both fundamental to socio-economic mobility and intellectual growth. Moreover, foreign language and technology competencies are developed, not innate or to be taken for granted.

POLICY OF THE WEEK

Highlighting CUNY Policies You Should Know

Submitted by Executive Counsel and Labor Designee Eugene Sohn, Esq.

Jury Duty Policy

Employees summoned to jury duty must notify their immediate supervisor and the Human Resources Office as soon as possible that they have been summoned and must submit a copy of the jury duty summons at this time. While serving jury duty, employees must keep their supervisors updated on a daily basis regarding the expected duration of service. When returning from jury duty, employees are required to submit a copy of the completed jury duty certificate to their supervisor and the Human Resources Office. A completed jury duty certificate will include the employee’s name, dates of jury duty service, and the signature or stamp of the appropriate court clerk. If all of the above requirements are met, full-time employees, except for certain skilled trade titles, will be paid for their time serving jury duty without charge to leave credits. For federal and out-of-state jury service (as opposed to local or New York state jury service), the same procedure applies, but employees who received pay while performing jury service must reimburse the college if they receive a per diem jury service allowance from the federal or out of state governmental jurisdiction. Reimbursement may be done through the Human Resources payroll unit. 

Certain skilled trade titles not entitled to be paid for their jury duty may, at their discretion, request annual leave instead of receiving the per diem allowance from the court. Part-time employees, including college assistants, adjuncts, and other hourly employees, will be paid either $40 for each of the first three days of jury service or their regular pay, if less if such employees perform jury service during their regularly scheduled hours of work.

OFFICE OF GOVERNMENTAL AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Submitted by Director Eric Radezky, Ph.D.

Mayor Adams Helps New Yorkers Save up to $150 Million on Overdue Water Bills

This week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala launched a temporary water bill amnesty program to help New Yorkers save up to $150 million of interest when they pay their overdue water bills. The limited-time program will forgive up to 100 percent of interest when customers pay a portion or all of their outstanding water bills. With nearly 200,000 customers owing a combined $1.2 billion in water bill charges to DEP, this program will help New Yorkers both clear their debt and save money while ensuring that the city can continue to invest in and maintain the city’s critical water infrastructure.

In other words, if you owe money on your New York City water bill, sign up to pay as much of the principal balance as you can now, and the interest will be forgiven under this program.

The amnesty program will only run for 90 days, from January 30, 2023 to April 30, 2023. To receive amnesty and confirm eligibility, or for more information, customers should visit DEP’s water amnesty website or call (718) 595-7000. 

For customers with a seriously delinquent balance of more than $1,000 for over a year, DEP will offer three amnesty options:



• If 100 percent of the principal bill is paid, 100 percent of interest will be forgiven; 

• If 50 percent of the principal bill is paid, 75 percent of interest will be forgiven; or 

• If 25 percent of the principal bill is paid, 50 percent of interest will be forgiven. 

Customers who owe less than $1,000 are still eligible to receive amnesty on 100 percent of their interest if they pay their total bill. All customers who participate in the water amnesty program and leave a remaining outstanding balance will be required to enter into a payment agreement with DEP. Data shows that 85 percent of customers who set up a payment plan stay on it and successfully clear their debt. 

New York 1 recently did a news segment with DEP Commissioner Aggarwala about this program. You can view it here.

If you owe money on your New York City water bill, consider taking advantage of this limited-time program.



NEWS FROM THE DIVISIONS

OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Submitted by Professor Louis Bury, Faculty Facilitator and Andrea Fabrizio, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs

Effective Online Teaching Practices

The Office of Academic Affairs is delighted to support faculty professional development with this spring's Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) launch of the "Effective Online Teaching Practices" course. Associate Dean Andrea Fabrizio supported recruitment efforts and is excited that a cohort of about thirty full-time faculty, from nearly all departments at the College, are taking the online course during the Spring and Fall 2023 semesters. Professor Louis Bury, from the English Department, will serve as the cohort's Faculty Facilitator. The course provides college educators with evidence-based teaching practices that can help student outcomes and retention in online and face-to-face classes. The course began with a Zoom launch on Tuesday, January 24, hosted by ACUE Academic Director, Martha Bless, and Hostos faculty have already begun to implement course concepts into their classrooms. Upon completion of the course in December, faculty will be awarded $500 in recognition of their work, generously funded by Ms. MacKenzie Scott’s Gift: President’s Initiatives. OAA would like to thank President Cocco De Filippis for her support.



STUDENT DEVELOPMENT AND ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

Submitted by VP La Toro Yates, Ph.D.

Children’s Center

The Children’s Center is delighted to announce that it was granted a license by the NYC Department of Health to open an Infant/Toddler program. On February 1, we welcomed our littlest members of the Hostos Community. The new program offers childcare services for infants (6 weeks to 12 months), and toddlers, (12-18 months). Our student-parents can enroll throughout the year. Low-cost tuition ensures all student-parents can attend and study with peace of mind, knowing their children are close by and in good hands.

Financial Aid

Campus Updates 

• Hostos Financial Aid awarded $550,000 in emergency relief funds to assist 578 continuing students during the COVID-19 national emergency to cover their financial needs, particularly past due tuition and fees. Seventy percent of benefitted students have been retained and registered for Spring 2023, while 5% have applied to graduate.

Federal Updates

• President Joe Biden on Monday announced that the White House will end the ongoing national emergency declarations tied to the coronavirus pandemic on May 11, 2023. The administration has used the authority granted by the emergency powers as justification for a number of higher education initiatives — including its student debt cancellation program — and other regulatory flexibilities related to federal student aid programs.

• Those various COVID-19 flexibilities and waivers do not all end at the same time. For instance, some flexibilities, like withdrawals and transfers of unused Federal Work-Study (FWS) funds and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) program, end at the end of the payment period that contains May 11. Some flexibilities, like verification, finish at the end of the payment period that begins after the payment period that contains May 11. Other flexibilities, like the community service waiver, end at the end of the 2023-24 award year. Please reach out to us for further clarification. 

Accessibility Resource Center (ARC)

Hostos Linking Employment Academic and Disability Service (LEADS) Program is teaming up with Reach Swim Academy. This Bronx non-profit works with individuals with physical and mental disabilities who are traditionally underrepresented in sports activities to experience the world of aquatics. The Accessibility Resource Center is working with Reach Academy to provide recreational and inclusive extracurricular activities to our student population. This organization will also offer 15 job opportunities for our Hostos students with or without disabilities to work with their organization. ARC is excited by the opportunity, and students are excited to transition to successful employment and the chance of landing a job that can lead to growth and leadership positions within Reach.

Hostos Office of Veteran Affairs (HOVA)

On January 31, 2023, Hostos Office of Veterans Affairs Sergeant First Class Mr. Ricardo Garcia testified before NY City Council's Committee on both Veterans and Higher Education, chaired by Council member Eric Dinowitz (Higher Education Chair) and Robert Holden (Veterans Chair). The University Vice Chancellor Denise Maybank selected Mr. Garcia to represent CUNY's best practices when serving Veterans University-wide, especially at Hostos. Mr. Garcia shared with the committees how our College and Division work tirelessly to address the mountain of barriers that not only our Veterans face but also our student body.

We congratulate him for being spotlighted and his efforts in making Hostos Community College a prime destination for veterans.

Transfer Services

The Office of Transfer Services will be hosting weekly events this semester to assist you with the process:

Transfer Talks

Join us and receive assistance with your CUNY Transfer Applications

• Every Tuesday in C-512, from 12-1 p.m.

Walk-In Wednesdays

Come in and meet with a member of the Transfer Services Staff and get assistance with your questions

• Every Wednesday in D-101-A, from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Thursday Transfer Tabling

Come and ask your Transfer questions

• Every Thursday in the A-Atrium, from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Additional Events:

Mark your calendars for the following events (some locations, times, and links pending):

• February 14 – Belle Zeller Scholarship Essay Workshop with Writing Center and Scholarship Office, 12 - 1 p.m., C-512.

• February 15 – Virtual Info Session for Baruch Public Affairs Major

• February 21 and 28 – CUNY Application Workshop, 12 - 1 p.m., C-512

• March 14 – HBCU Transfer Summit



POEMS TO INSPIRE OUR COMMUNITY

Submitted by VP La Toro Yates, Ph.D.

To Black Women 

By Gwendolyn Brooks

Sisters,

Where there is cold silence

no hallelujahs, no hurrahs at all, no handshakes,

no neon red or blue, no smiling faces

prevail.

Prevail across the editors of the world

who are obsessed, self-honeying and self-crowned

in the seduced arena.

It has been a hard trudge, with fainting, bandaging and death.

There have been startling confrontations.

There have been tramplings. Tramplings of monarchs and of other men.

But there remain large countries in your eyes.

Shrewd sun.

The civil balance. The listening secrets.

And you create and train your flowers still.

ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE

Submitted by SVP Esther Rodríguez-Chardavoyne

Facilities and Campus Planning Project Updates

With the semester now underway, it is time for another update on some of the infrastructure work taking place on campus.

The 9 Air Handling Units project in the A building has begun. The contractors are on site and have been mobilizing and setting up the various project components. The target date for completion is the end of December 2023.

The A building (475 GC) façade project has been put on hold due to some issues. Design changes, as well as temperature fluctuations, have affected the progress of the façade. The new construction details delayed the work, and the environmental situation made it non-ideal for the work to be properly completed. The work will resume once temperatures are consistently above 40F.

Many of our staff may also be curious about the progress of the 429 Grand Concourse space. In January, an industrial hygienist had been called in to evaluate the space and develop a report on their findings. The report was received by CUNY and Hostos on January 19, 2023, and is currently under review. CUNY is also considering conducting its third-party assessment of the space. So as reports are reviewed and considered, no other work is underway, and no move-in date has been established. We will continue to provide progress updates to the community throughout the semester.

Lastly, among their many projects, Facilities personnel was able to prepare the Children’s Center space so that it could obtain its license for the new Infant/Toddler program.

CONTINUING EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT (CEWD)

Submitted by VP Evelyn Fernández-Ketcham, Ph.D.

Now Available Online: CEWD’s Spring 2023 Catalog

The CEWD Spring 2023 catalog is now available online. To view our online catalog, please click here. This semester, we are offering a variety of occupational training and educational programs in areas such as construction, culinary arts, education/teaching, English for Speakers of Other Languages, GED, medical and health, and technology. As part of CEWD’s commitment to making our programs accessible to the community, scholarships and no-cost programs are available to students that qualify. Below you will find more information on these opportunities. For students interested in enrolling in a degree program after completing a certificate, CEWD and the Office of Academic Affairs have developed seven credit articulation agreements, which allow CEWD students to earn credit when they enroll in a Hostos degree program. To learn more, click here.  

For information on CEWD’s scholarships and no-cost programming, please visit the links below to our online catalog:  

• NYC Accelerated Workforce Recovery Hub

• Community Health Worker Certificate Program

• Spanish for Healthcare Workers

• CUNY Fatherhood Academy

• Home Health Aide Certificate Training and English as a Second Language (ESL) Program

• Information Technology Academy/Google Career Certifications

• The Adult Learning Center’s GED and ESL Courses

• The MacKenzie Scott Adult and Continuing Education (ACE) Scholarship Fund

• Career Success Scholarship

Virtual Information Sessions in February

To learn more about CEWD’s Spring 2023 program offerings, please attend one of the upcoming online Virtual Information Sessions in February: 

• Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 11 a.m.

• Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at 6 p.m.

To register for a Virtual Information Session, go here.

Spread the Word

Please share information about CEWD’s current scholarships and no-cost training opportunities, which can be found by clicking here and selecting the scholarships & tuition assistance programs link in our online course catalog. For additional information, please encourage prospective students to sign up for one of CEWD’s upcoming Virtual Information Sessions by visiting https://tinyurl.com/HostosCEWD. 



INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

Submitted by VP Colette Atkins

The Alumni Fund for Student Transfer Scholarships

The Office of Alumni Relations is pleased to announce the Hostos Alumni Fund for Student Transfer Scholarships. The intended fund gives alumni a way to honor the impact of their Hostos degree by providing empowering support to current students who want to further their academic careers at a four-year institution. If you’re an alum, consider making a year-end gift toward the Hostos Alumni Fund for Student Transfer Scholarships using this link.



BRAVO NEWS

Celebrating the Accomplishments of the Hostos Community

New York Urban League Participates in SDEM’s Welcome Days Event

The New York Urban League, an organization that focuses on providing underserved communities with a first-rate education, built the character and intelligence of its students at Bronx Legacy High School. At a recent service day, the high school scholars created thoughtful care packets, complete with hygiene products, socks, snacks, and handwritten inspirational messages for our Hostos Community College students. These thoughtful packets were then distributed by the New York Urban League staff Shalima McCants and Scarlet Dominguez on the first day of class as part of our Welcome Days event. 



Marsha Milan-Bethel, SDEM’s Student Services Specialist and community liaison stated, “I am appreciative of our partnerships. Our students were extremely grateful for the packets and read each handwritten message with a smile on their faces.”

For his part, student José Gonzalez shared, “It is nice to have someone from our community think about the need of our students. My peers were grateful.”

HOSTOS FOR EVERYONE

Free Services for the Community 

Hostos Offers Free Preventive Dental Hygiene Services to the Public

For more information and scheduling, call 718-319-7943.

The appointment schedule, as follows, will resume January 25, 2023:

Mondays: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 6 p.m.

Wednesdays: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Fridays: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Location: Hostos Dental Hygiene Patient Care Facility

500 Grand Concourse, Bronx NY 10451

B-Building 

The Dental Hygiene Patient Care Facility at Hostos Community College is a teaching unit that provides high-quality dental care, primarily cleanings and dental x-rays to the community, while adhering to the most current sterilization techniques. Several appointments will be needed and each may last three hours at a time.

Note: The clinic does not provide restorative dental work such as fillings, implants, etc.

Title: Panel: A Legacy of Advocacy: Dominican Women and the Struggle for Representation

Date | Time: Tuesday, February 14, 2023 | 3:00 p.m.

Location: Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos

Title: First Lecture of the Food Studies Seminar Series

Date | Time:Wednesday, February 15, 2023 | 2 p.m.

Location: Zoom

Description: Dr. Fabio Parasecoli will present “Gastronativism: Food, Power, Identity.” He is a Professor of Food Studies at New York University, Steinhardt, and a fellow at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. His research explores the cultural politics of food, particularly in media, design, and heritage. He studied East Asian cultures and political science in Rome, Naples and Beijing, and earned his doctorate in Agricultural Sciences at Hohenheim University, Germany. Moderator: English Professor Elyse Zucker.

Title: Black History Month | A Conversation with Black Studies Alumni

Date | Time: Thursday, February 16, 2023 | 5:30 p.m.

Location: B-501

Description: Black Studies Alumni will present on how Black Studies courses at Hostos informed their present academic trajectories and careers. This activity will also feature a mixer component to facilitate one-on-one conversations between current Hostos and Black Studies students and alumni. Light food and refreshments will be served. Moderated by Professor Anamaría Flores, Black Studies, Eugenio María de Hostos Community College

Title: Winter Wellness at Hostos Community College

Date | Time: Wednesday, February 22, 2023 | 3 p.m. 

Location: C-391

Description: Come and join the Wellness Center to get vaccines and boosters for COVID-19 and the flu, and free COVID testing. Please bring your Benefits Card and State ID for a chance to win a free smartphone or tablet.

Title: Untold Narratives – A Seductive Echo

Date | Time: Open until February 22, 2023 (Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri | 12 - 6 p.m.)

Location: Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos

Brief description: An exciting new exhibition featuring artists that contend with the limits and potentials of language manifested in misinterpretation, abstraction, and slippages. Their works reveal distorted and fragmented expressions of the self as mediated by popular culture, new technologies, experiences of isolation, and displacement.

Title: Black History Month | West African Dance Workshop

Date | Time: Monday, February 27, 2023 | 12:30 p.m. 

Location: C-152, Dance Studio

Description: Maguette Camara is a recognized West African choreographer, musician, and instructor. He began his career with the Ballet Bougarabou Dance Company and his extensive experiences with this company allowed him to perform and present workshops in Morocco, Canada, Senegal, and the United States, earning him the privileged opportunity to perform as the representative of Senegal in the festival of De Jeunes Createurs. Mr. Camara has performed in diverse venues and events such as the Lincoln Center Outdoor Concert Series, the Guggenheim Museum, the Rolling Stones World Tour, Epcot Center Disney World, the World Trade Center Jazz Festival among others. Mr. Camara currently serves as the Artistic Director of Manekadang-Dance and Drum and teaches regularly at the Alvin Ailey School and Extension. This dance workshop will celebrate the dance forms of West Africa and get you moving!

Title: Strategic Plan Open Forum for Students

Date | Time: Tuesday, March 28 | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Location: C-391

Title: Strategic Plan Open Forum for Faculty/Staff

Date | Time: Tuesday, March 28 | 3 - 5 p.m.

Location: Savoy Multi-Purpose Room

Title: Virtual Strategic Plan Open Forum for All

Date | Time: Thursday, March 30 | 11 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. 

Location: Zoom (link coming soon)

Title: 2023 Hostos Community College Foundation 55th Anniversary Gala

Date | Time: Wednesday, April 26, 2023 (Time: TBD)

Location: TBD



Title: “The Racialized Politics of Education in 2023 featuring CUNY Senior Vice Chancellor for Institutional Affairs, Strategic Advancement and Special Counsel Glenda Grace

Date | Time: Monday, May 8 | 11 a.m.

Location: TBD

ABOUT EL SEMANARIO HOSTOSIANO / THE HOSTOS WEEKLY

El Semanario Hostosiano / The Hostos Weekly is a weekly communication vehicle designed to unite our multiple voices as we share news about members of the Hostos family, provide updates on our work and upcoming events, and disseminate policy that impacts our work.

Published on Fridays at 9 a.m.

For inclusion in The Hostos Weekly, please send your items to:

publicrelations@hostos.cuny.edu at least two weeks ahead of publication.

Please keep submissions to no more than two paragraphs of written content and note,

we are unable to add attachments to our publication.

Find the Spring Publishing Schedule for El Semanario Hostosiano here.

Past issues of El Semanario Hostosiano / The Hostos Weekly can be found here.

Look for The Hostos Weekly each Friday.