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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. | | |
On October 27, Governor Kathy Hochul joined CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, President Kenneth Adams, PSC-CUNY President James Davis and others at LaGuardia for a roundtable discussion highlighting the impact and continued expansion of the CUNY Reconnect program. The event brought together students, faculty, and other leadership to discuss how CUNY Reconnect is helping adult learners return to college and prepare for careers in high-demand fields. Earlier this month, the program was expanded to allow New Yorkers ages 25 to 55 to participate even if they already hold a degree in another field, broadening access to career advancement and reskilling opportunities. During the roundtable, Governor Hochul heard directly from LaGuardia students participating in the program, who shared how CUNY Reconnect has supported their educational and professional goals. Speakers emphasized the program’s rapid growth, with enrollment increasing by 50% over the past year to approximately 10,000 adult learners across the CUNY system, underscoring its role in helping New Yorkers gain the skills needed for an evolving workforce.
Read more here.
| | LaGuardia Community Celebrates Halloween and Día de los Muertos | On October 28, the LaGuardia community came together for the college’s largest Halloween and Día de los Muertos celebration yet. Casa de las Américas, the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, and NYC Dot’s Trick-or-Streets partnered together to host the celebration, which began with a Día de los Muertos celebration at Casa. Casa’s student ambassadors unveiled a Día de los Muertos display as attendees learned about the significance of Día de los Muertos enjoyed tamales, hot chocolate and pan de muerto. Then, the group paraded down to the LaGuardia Community Greenway for a Halloween Block Party featuring live pumpkin carving by the Maniac Pumpkin Carvers, a costume contest, entertainment from the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, and trick-or-treat stations hosted by local businesses, LaGuardia departments and community organizations. In addition to a strong turnout from students and LaGuardia employees, several Long Island City families and locals attended the event and participated in the day's activities. | |  | |
The LaGuardia community is invited to support students, families, and neighbors in need through campus-wide food, winter coat, and toy drives. Donations collected across campus this fall will stock the LaGuardia CARES pantry, provide winter clothing to residents of a local shelter, and help bring holiday cheer to the children of student parents. A highlight of this year’s giving efforts is a holiday toy drive organized by Veterans Services in partnership with the CUNY Fatherhood Academy and LaGuardia CARES. Departments across the college will serve as collection sites for new, wrapped toys to be distributed at LaGuardia’s Kids Christmas, a holiday celebration on December 8 for children enrolled in the Early Childhood Learning Center. The Office of Public Safety is also collecting nonperishable food and winter coats.
Read more here.
| | Last Day to Vote for Rethink Food & LaGuardia CARES: Evening Meals Pilot | | | | LaGuardia’s partnership with Rethink Food has been selected as a finalist in the 2026 Anthem Awards. The Anthem Awards recognize impactful brands, nonprofits, and individuals that are “setting the standard for good worldwide.” Winners will be selected and announced by the judging committee on November 5; additionally, the partnership has also been selected for a “Community Voice Award,” selected by public voting. Members of the campus community are encouraged to vote for the partnership by clicking here and searching for “Rethink Food.” To vote, click on “Community Engagement (Finalist)” beneath the thumbnail and then create an account to cast your vote. Voting will remain open until October 29 at 11:59 p.m. PST. | | 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. | | GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS | | LaGuardia Joins Community Organizations at LIC Partnership Soirée | | On October 28, LaGuardia was represented at the LIC Partnership Soirée, held at the Penthouse of the Ravel Hotel in Long Island City. The evening celebrated the contributions of two distinguished honorees: Leila Bozorg, NYC Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning, and Alvarez Symonette, Chief of Staff at Lady M. Confections and Treasurer of the LIC Partnership Board. Luda Spajic, who serves on the LIC Partnership Board of Directors representing LaGuardia, attended the event alongside fellow LaGuardia representatives R. Kevin Jones, Director of Government Relations, and Nelson Ortiz, Director of the LMAC Business Advancement Center. The soirée also provided an opportunity to connect with representatives from JetBlue, Sunnyside Community Services, the YMCA, Queens Community Board 2, and other community and business leaders, strengthening relationships and highlighting LaGuardia’s ongoing engagement with the Long Island City community. | | CUNY Hosts 2026 Student Affairs Conference at LaGuardia | The 2026 CUNY Student Affairs Conference, centered on the theme “Cultivating Communities That Thrive into the Future,” took place on October 23 at LaGuardia, bringing together student affairs professionals for a day of professional development, collaboration, and innovative thinking. President Kenneth Adams welcomed guests and participated in a fireside chat with Eija Ayravainen, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Hunter College, and Dr. Denise Maybank, CUNY Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. Their conversation highlighted leadership and the evolving role of student affairs in supporting students and strengthening campus communities. Dr. Alexis McLean, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dr. Alicia Alvero, CUNY Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost also delivered greetings ahead of the program’s keynote address from Dr. Michael Butcher on responsibly leveraging AI to streamline administrative work and enhance student support. Additional sessions examined strategies for strengthening new student orientation, expanding peer mentorship, improving academic success coaching, and creating accessible, supportive campus environments. | | Students Engage with Campus Leadership at SGA Town Hall | The Student Government Association (SGA) recently hosted a Town Hall featuring a panel of campus leaders, including President Adams, Interim Provost Dr. Eric Hofmann, Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Alexis McLean, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Dr. Harry Mars, and Associate Director of Student Life Donniece Davis-Cooper. During the event, panelists engaged directly with students and addressed a wide range of questions and topics that the attendees raised. The discussion provided valuable insight into campus priorities, student support services, academic initiatives, and opportunities for student engagement, fostering meaningful dialogue between students and college leadership. | | LAGUARDIA AND WAGNER ARCHIVES | | Celebrating New York Archives Week | | In honor of New York Archives Week, archivists Aliza, Molly, Andrew, Brandon, and Douglas of the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives welcomed students, staff and visitors to the C-Building Lobby with something very special: a selection of their favorite items in our unique collection! They were excited and proud to talk about their work, the Archives field, and how members of the community can access the valuable historical resources in the Archives. Pictured above are archivists Aliza and Andrew. | | Students Connect with College Representatives at Fall Transfer Fair | | On October 22, LaGuardia students attended the Fall Transfer Fair, where they had an opportunity to network with representatives from more than 35 CUNY, SUNY and private institutions and learn more about the transfer process. Coordinated by LaGuardia's Transfer Engagement Initiative, the Transfer Fair is an opportunity for students to connect with admissions staff at four-year colleges and learn more about their options after LaGuardia. The Transfer Engagement Initiative also organizes several other transfer events; please direct your students to this webpage to learn more about different events they can attend this semester to prepare for the transfer process. Faculty and staff looking for ways to support students in the transfer process can access this webpage specifically designed for professors, advisors and student-facing staff. | | |
General Education Assignment Workshop Registration Open Through November 6
Registration is open for this year’s college assessment General Education assignment workshops, encompassing the core competencies of inquiry problem solving, integrative learning and global learning to go along with the communication abilities of Oral and Digital Communication. The workshops are open to classroom instructors who have or are thinking about incorporating any of these general education themes in their class assignments. Below are the initial designated meeting dates/times for the upcoming workshops:
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Global Learning: November 18, 1 to 3 p.m. (online)
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Integrative Learning: November 19, 12 to 2 p.m. (online)
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Inquiry and Problem Solving (IPS): November 19, 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. (E-501)
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Digital Communication: November 19, 2:30pm to 4:30 p.m. (online)
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Oral Communication: November 20, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (online)
If interested in any of the workshops above, click here to register by November 6. If you have questions, please reach out to Andrea Irias (airias@lagcc.cuny.edu), Justin Rogers-Cooper (jrogers@lagcc.cuny.edu), Kyoung Kang (kkang@lagcc.cuny.edu) or Kevin Mark(kmark@lagcc.cuny.edu)
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- 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.
- We have copies of almost all of your textbooks in the Library available to check out for 2 hours (you can’t leave the Library, 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.
- The 46th Annual Library Research Review Competition is open to all students who have research papers with a grade of A. Find out how you can win an award here.
- 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.
| | Alumni and Students Invited to Cheer on the Red Hawks at Alumni Night Basketball Game, November 17 | | The LaGuardia Red Hawks invite alumni and students to their first home game of the season for Alumni Night on November 17. A pre-game reception will be held in the Skylight Reception at 5:30 p.m. before the Women’s Basketball game begins in the Gym at 6:00 p.m. The Men’s Basketball game will take place at 8:00 p.m. Alumni, students and employees are all welcome; to attend, please RSVP here. Be sure to invite any LaGuardia alumni you know. | | | |
General Election on November 3; What to Know About Voting Leave
Employees who do not have four consecutive hours available to vote outside their scheduled work hours may be eligible for voting leave. Eligible employees may take the time necessary to vote, up to three hours of paid leave, in accordance with applicable guidelines. Employees planning to use voting leave must indicate the applicable hours on their timesheet. Learn more here.
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Health Insurance Open Enrollment Runs November 1 to 30
The open enrollment period for your health insurance plans begins November 1 and will run 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.
| | 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. | | OIRE Celebrates Jeffrey Weintraub's 52nd Work Anniversary | | | | On October 28, the Office of Research and Institutional Effectiveness (OIRE) celebrated the 52nd work anniversary of Jeffrey Weintraub, Associate Director of OIRE. In 2024, Jeffrey was honored at the annual faculty and staff Years of Service ceremony for completing 50 years at LaGuardia. Congratulations to Jeffrey! | | DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (DoIT) | | |
RSVP for the 2026 CUNY IT Conference, December 3 and 4
CUNY will host its annual CUNY IT Conference on December 3 and 4 at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. This conference provides an opportunity to learn about emerging technologies, share best practices, and connect with colleagues from across CUNY and beyond. Sessions will cover a wide range of topics, including cybersecurity, data and analytics, AI, enterprise systems, student success technologies, and digital transformation. If you're interested in attending the conference, learn more and register here.
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New Guest Wi-Fi Available Across Campus
All campus locations now offer a new wi-fi network for visitors to the campus. Guests can connect by selecting “LAG-Guest” and registering with their email address to receive a temporary password. Access is available for 24 hours and can be renewed as needed. Note that LAG-Guest is intended for campus visitors. Faculty and staff should continue to connect using LaGuardia Wi-Fi or Eduroam. If you have any questions, contact our HelpDesk by submitting an IT HelpDesk ticket through the Faculty & Staff Portal, or by email at ITHelp@lagcc.cuny.edu, or call 718-482-6134.
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Annual Cybersecurity Training Now Available
The new 2026-2027 Cybersecurity Awareness Training is now available in Brightspace. Campus-wide cybersecurity training campaign is part of our ongoing security awareness efforts. To get started, log in to Brightspace and access the course titled "LaGuardia CC Staff Cybersecurity Awareness Training." If you have any questions, contact Maritza Acero at macero@lagcc.cuny.edu.
| | LAGUARDIA IN THE HEADLINES | | |
GAY & LESBIAN REVIEW: In a review of the LaGuardia & Wagner Archives’ “Panic, Politics, and Policy: New York City during the AIDS Crisis, 1981–1996,” Matthew Hays praises the online exhibition as setting “a new standard for building an online resource around a historic public crisis.” He describes the exhibition, curated by Dr. Stephen Petrus, as “exhaustively researched, user-friendly, [and] very accessible” and concludes that it is “yet another reminder that the personal and political are inseparably intertwined.”
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS/ YAHOO! NEWS: CUNY Beyond, the University’s initiative aimed at bringing career preparation into the classroom, was launched last year at LaGuardia and three other colleges.
BROOKLYN DAILY EAGLE: Gov. Hochul held a roundtable discussion at LaGuardia, giving CUNY faculty and students a chance to discuss their experiences with CUNY Reconnect, a free community college program that allows adult learners to earn a college degree and secure high-quality jobs.
QNS: LaGuardia Community College marks opening of new Office of Immigrant Student Empowerment with ribbon-cutting ceremony.
QNS: Record number of runners participate in 5th Annual LaGuardia Community 5K.
| | "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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