Friday, October 15, 2021 | Vol. 3 No. 8, Fall 2021 Semester 
MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT DAISY COCCO DE FILIPPIS
My Dear Colleagues and Students,

I am happy to share my remarks from yesterday’s President’s Retreat meeting:

Moving Forward Together: Hostos Community College, Cultivating Community to Build Strong Futures

President’s Retreat Remarks, October 14, 2021

Muy buenos días, good morning. It is so good to see you all today as we engage in another year of coming together for the betterment of the College, our students, and the communities we serve. My remarks today will be somewhat brief as we do have a busy agenda. Today is about planning, both short-term in terms of this year’s work and the completion of the Middle States document and long-term in terms of setting up time frames for the drafting of the Strategic Plan.

As we consider our responsibilities which include promoting vibrancy and creating programmatic opportunities designed to support our mission; our obligation to ensure access, to control costs and enhance productivity across the campus; creating opportunities to work with colleagues across the system and the communities we serve; and to ensure that our own unique strength and value is known and is used to serve our students, the communities we serve and the state, it is a very serious responsibility.

Access means having programs, support and academic services, including class schedules designed to support the needs of students to advance to completion by fomenting retention facilitated by sound academic advisement and counseling, class availability and responsiveness to students in a timely manner, each of us needs to consider what else can be done to help the college demonstrate its value each day of every week of each semester. As we consider the coming Winter Session 2022 and Spring 2022 Semester, we should endeavor to ensure that students are supported, should they need to meet Ability to Benefit requirements and/or TAP by offering courses in the Winter Session that would allow students to continue their studies in the Spring semester. Additionally, as we move toward a more robust in-person modality on campus, classes should be scheduled at times that indicate students’ preference, ensuring that there are sufficient offerings for day, evening and week-ends, as registration numbers would indicate.

Many concerns have been discussed in our past two planning meetings but I am happy to share some of the recommendations made and my remarks to the college community at a number of meetings in recent weeks. 

As diligent members of the Hostos family, our cultivation begins with engaging in careful curricular planning and reviewing to ensure that we are abreast of changing workforce trends and needs, and can be nimble enough to adjust and change in support of a stronger economy and a greener planet. We are also looking to create additional opportunities on campus for intellectual, social and cultural development outside of what has been traditionally called “the classroom.” It affirms the College’s commitment to blend rigorous academic study with hands-on service learning and internship opportunities. 

To that end, we will come together to work with constituent groups this academic year and in the coming years to firm up a number of strategies, including but not limited to the following:

  1. Putting intentionality at the forefront when it comes to students’ onboarding, evaluation of prior learning for credit and continued programming-from orientation to advisement.
  2. Growing stackable workforce non-credit and credit certificates.
  3. Establishing or strengthening community advisory boards that link programs to jobs, and increase career educational opportunities tied to employment.
  4. Partnering with the Hostos Community Advisory Council (CAC) to build on the academic year 2020-2021 five roundtables, and create opportunities to benefit students, beginning implementation this Fall 2021 Semester.
  5. Creating support to encourage faculty and staff research, and foster and increase a culture of grant writing at the College by means of engagement through the Committee on Sponsored Programs and Grants established March 2021.
  6. Regularizing assessment, particularly academic program reviews and other means of assessing how effectively our degree programs and support services help students learn and achieve career and transfer success.
  7. Mapping out all component elements that contribute to student transfer with special emphasis on frequent touch points and assessment of students’ progress.
  8. Using environmental scanning to assist us in determining what academic programs need more revisions and what programs need to be created to ensure that access is closely tied to career and transfer opportunities.

As we envision the next five years, I see the transformation of the College through the continued strength of viable academic programs, strong teaching and learning leading to retention of students to graduation. This process will be supported by the full utilization of all common spaces, as classrooms to enhance intellectual, educational and cultural opportunities. I also see new opportunities for the exploration of classrooms without walls, supported by technology and by the multiple learning venues provided by our partners in education, business and industry in various locations in the areas served. I see an institution that takes pride in its role as a catalyst for change, and in the teaching and learning provided to students whose retention to graduation becomes a passionately embraced goal. I see above all, an institution where hope and optimism are embraced in every action. In his Nobel laureate speech, Pablo Neruda affirms: “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 caring 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 to the promise made in our mission to embrace diversity and opportunity as the birthright of all.

Thank you for your support. I am deeply moved by our role in the South Bronx and New York, in particular, at this moment in time, and look to your continued support this academic year and in the future.

Mil gracias y bendiciones, Daisy

Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D.
President
POEM
“Love After Love”
By Derek Walcott
 
The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other’s welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
 
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
 
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.
 
Derek Walcott received the 1992 Literature Nobel Prize. Read more about him here.
STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION
Submitted by SGA President Brian Carter

Hello, Good Morning and blessings to my extended Hostos Family.
 
On behalf of the SGA, we’re extending an invitation to you to become part of the Hostos Student Government Association. Serving the student body and representing Hostos in the community is the opportunity of a lifetime. To be eligible, you must fulfill the following criteria: You must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5, available to commit to our weekly meetings — which include our senate, executive, and College-Wide Senate committee meetings — on Thursdays between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. via Zoom. You will be required to join two to three standing committees which meet only once a month on Zoom as well. You will become a decision-maker, your opinions will be highly valued, and you will be giving the Hostos student body a voice and be able to provide other support systems to help students bridge gaps. 
 
James Baldwin said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.” With that said, I would like to invite the Hostos Community to join us and the Counseling Center for the next Candid Conversations series installment, an invigorating seminar titled, “Adjusting to the New Normal.” This is our continuing wellness series where we talk about the factors that have impacted us all during this unfortunate time period. We have been providing this platform to continue to uplift students and faculty alike. We give people the opportunity to share opinions and personal experiences about how they are adjusting to a new normal. This is a great way for students to engage with colleagues and in a heartfelt and safe space.  
 
In conclusion, if you’re interested in the workshop, it is scheduled for Tuesday, October 26, 2021, at 3:30 p.m. via Zoom. If you’re interested in the SGA, feel free to reach out to Jason Libfeld, director of the Student Leadership Academy. He also provides growth opportunities through a series of workshops held Fridays via Zoom from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. SGA candidates who are interested in learning more, you can reach out to SLA Director Jason Libfeld, Jerry Rosa, Director of Student Activities, or Rhonda Smith in the Office of Student Activities.
MIDDLE STATES SELF-STUDY UPDATE
Submitted by MSCHE Steering Committee Co-Chairs Professor Kate S. Wolfe and Professor Nelson Nuñez Rodríguez

The evaluation of evidence resonates beyond the Self-Study period.
 
​​The Self-Study process requires gathering, evaluating, and organizing a body of evidence that will support the final report narrative. The working groups collected reports, meeting minutes, policies, processes, and examples of daily efforts to demonstrate our institution’s compliance. In addition, Middle States requires us to have evidence formatted to comply with ADA guidelines and in legible .pdf files. 
 
The steering committee appreciates the support of the Educational Technology office which provided training to working group members regarding this formatting expectation. Furthermore, Ed Tech office representatives David Dos Santos and Professor Juan Soto Franco assisted with the formatting of additional evidence pieces collected during the Spring and Summer of 2021.
 
The evaluation of evidence has represented a learning experience for many working group and steering committee members. The current American Higher Education rules require that institutions develop evidence-based practices and train stakeholders to document their daily efforts considering institution, division, and office operational planning priorities. The Self-Study evidence gathering and evaluation confirms the value of the Self-Study process itself. This journey has educated community members on understanding the meaning of evidence and ways to evaluate it. More importantly, it creates opportunities to reimagine daily practices in order to organically demonstrate the systems’ effectiveness in providing meaningful college experiences to our students.
INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS RESEARCH & ASSESSMENT
Submitted by Dean of Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness, Research and Assessment Babette Audant, Ph.D.

Mission in practice: Foster intellectual growth and lifelong learning
 
The Hostos Self-Study report demonstrates the strength of our academic programs, and how they reflect the creativity and depth of pedagogical and disciplinary expertise among our faculty. The report also highlights the role of liberal education at Hostos, and the general education foundation of all degrees.
 
This general education foundation is often described in technical terms (the number of credits in the required core; the number of credits across the Pathways buckets, or domains, in the flexible core). What gets lost is the dual promise at the heart of the Pathways Gen Ed curriculum: transfer equity and the development of an intellectual framework that invites students to be fluent across and within disciplines, to read critically, to learn expansively, to become lifelong learners. 
 
Lifelong learning is a phrase used in the realm of workforce training, often in the sense that workers are offered access to “lifelong learning,” a euphemism for cycles of retraining and/or upskilling industry that employers don’t provide. While there are many examples of training pathways that help workers move up as they move laterally, there are at least as many cases in which “lifelong learning” is “just in time” (JIT) training that minimizes employers’ costs without benefit to workers.
 
True lifelong learning is made possible by liberal education because it offers students opportunities to make connections, ask questions, and engage with the world. These skills are put into practice whether a Hostos graduate goes on to be a public health researcher, a math teacher, a music producer, or an accountant.
 
General education provides a strong foundation for learning. Articulations and clear career and academic pathways provide momentum by mapping a meaningful way forward for students. In addition to dual joint degree programs in partnership with City College’s Grove School of Engineering (Chemical, Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering), and John Jay’s CUNY Criminal Justice Academy (Accounting for Forensic Accounting, Criminal Justice and Science for Forensic Science), there are numerous articulations with colleges across CUNY and beyond that guarantee credit transfer and demonstrate intentionality at both Hostos and the receiving colleges. Articulation agreements create the potential for students and faculty at the receiving institution to meet and interact in anticipation of transfer, opportunities made easier via remote platforms.
 
Articulation agreements can go further, and there is work to be done by OAA working closely with faculty, Career Services, and OIERA, to map career pathways to academic pathways and identify opportunities that lead to middle-class careers that earn at least $45K annually. Otherwise, we risk setting our students up for a pursuit of “lifelong learning” that depletes resources rather than enriching their lives, and those of their families and communities. 
OFFICE OF GOVERNMENTAL AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Submitted by Director of Governmental and External Affairs Erik Radezky, Ph.D.

New York City Landlords Required to Provide Heat and Hot Water from October 1 through May 31
 
This week’s news about heat and hot water laws comes from a press release by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the latest NYCHA Journal from the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) about heat and hot water laws in the upcoming cold months. Excerpts from those publications follow below. Thank you to both HPD and NYCHA for providing this important information.
 
From HPD

By law, New York City has an eight-month-long “heat season” from October 1 to May 31 during which all residential building owners are required to maintain indoor temperatures at 68 degrees when outdoor temperatures fall below 55 degrees during the day. Indoor temperatures must also be a minimum of 62 degrees overnight, regardless of outdoor temperatures. Building owners are legally required to provide hot water at 120 degrees year-round.
 
If an apartment lacks appropriate heat and/or hot water, tenants should first attempt to notify the building owner, managing agent or superintendent. If service is not restored, the tenant should register an official complaint via 311. To file a complaint, tenants can call 311, visit 311 online or use the app 311Mobile (on Android and iOS devices) to file a complaint. Hearing-impaired tenants can register complaints via a Touchtone Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (212) 504-4115
 
HPD responds to heat and hot water complaints as quickly as possible. Tenants can monitor HPD Online to learn the result of the complaint. If a landlord fails to provide heat entirely, HPD’s Emergency Repair Program or Housing Litigation Division will intervene to seek the restoration of heat. Multiple complaints from a particular building can and are often the result of one condition in need of repair.
 
Low-income property owners having trouble maintaining heat in their homes should contact the Home Energy Assistance Program at 1-800-692-0557. Eligible households can learn more information about assistance in paying heating bills or repairing heating equipment.

For NYCHA Residents

NYCHA residents should follow a different procedure. Those residents experiencing issues with heat or hot water should call the NYCHA Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771 or report the issue via the MyNYCHA mobile app or web version. They should also contact NYCHA when: 

  • The apartment temperature is out of range
  • They have hot pipes and cold radiators 
  • A window is not closing properly
  • Steam is leaking into the apartment
  • The building’s front entrance door does not fully close.

View the latest NYCHA Journal for a list of helpful tips to keep apartments warm during the winter season. 
HOSTOS REOPENING UPDATE: OCTOBER 15, 2021
Submitted by Esther Rodríguez Chardavoyne, Senior Vice President of Administration and Finance and Interim Vice President of Student Development and Enrollment Management 

A reminder that vaccinations are still available!
Booster shots, too!

Getting your Vaccine could not be easier! If you need your first or second vaccination shot (if you had Pfizer for your first shot) or a Booster, come to Hostos on Tuesdays or Thursdays!  
 
Booster Shots are also available! You can get your Booster 6 months out from your second (2nd) dose or, if you are immunocompromised, as a 3rd dose 28 days after your second (2nd) dose.
 
Where: Vaccination site in the Art Gallery (in the C Building) - Enter the gallery from the Memorial Garden Plaza (plaza between the B and C buildings).
 
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

What to Bring: A CUNY photo ID.
NEWS FROM THE OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Submitted by Acting Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Charles I. Drago

Promoting the Innovative Work of the EdTech team beyond Hostos 

Our Ed Tech Director and Co-Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) Carlos Guevara was extremely busy this past summer promoting and highlighting the innovative work of the EdTech team nationally and internationally. 

Professor Jacqueline DiSanto, ETLC co-chair and chair of the Education Department and Guevara received a grant from the Robin Hood Foundation to redesign the Introduction to Instructional Technology course (EDU 226) and integrate national standards to promote computational thinking (CT), digital citizenship, and universal design for learning (UDL). With support from Ms. Meg Ray, a CS Education Consultant and adjunct instructor at Hunter, the course was presented and approved by the College Senate and successfully piloted this summer 2021 by Director Guevara. Currently, he is teaching the Introduction to Instructional Technology course this fall semester and opted to teach it as a hyflex section. 

Director Guevara has been a sought after speaker for some time. Back in August, Director Guevara was a guest faculty at the first edition of the Hispanic Educational Technology Services, HETS Learning Technology Leadership Academy. In September, and for a second year in a row, he was invited to be the keynote speaker at the 2nd International Congress on Research and Innovation in Ecuador. Recognized as a global expert in the field of Educational Technology, he represents Hostos and CUNY in the 2021 Educause Horizon Report for a second consecutive year. The Educause Horizon Report is recognized nationally and internationally as one of the leading reports in the field of education and technology. 
CAIMAN CLUES
Students: Every week, for the academic year, read the Caiman Clues for helpful tips and reminders.
Caiman Clues —Your Hostos Helping Hand to Success
NEWS FROM THE DIVISION OF CONTINUING EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
CEWD Presents The History of Latin Music & Jazz Part XVI Fall 2021
 
The History of Latin Music & Jazz Part XVI Fall 2021 is a free seminar series that will cover the diversity of Latin music pioneers and artists who were influential in creating it by highlighting their impact on the history of Latin music and jazz. Special guests will periodically attend throughout the seminar series.
 
Learn about musicians and artists like Graciela, known as the First Lady of Latin Jazz, Celia Cruz, Olga Guiott, Gloria Estefan, Enrique Jorrin, Johnny Rodríguez, Julio Gutiérrez, and many others that helped create and influence the music of this time.
 
The series is hosted by noted music historian, producer, and author of “Mambo Diablo: My Journey with Tito Puente,” Joe Conzo Sr. 
 
These seminars will broaden your knowledge of the genres and enlighten you as you hear and learn about the music and how it evolved from the 1930’s to now.
 
The Tito Puente Exhibit is housed at Hostos and is available for viewing.
 
Seminar Dates:
10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, 12/4, 12/11 | 8 sessions 16 hrs.
 
Attend via zoom at the following times:
Oct 16, 2021 11 a.m. 
Oct 23, 2021 11 a.m.
Oct 30, 2021 11 a.m.
Nov 6, 2021 11 a.m.
Nov 13, 2021 11 a.m.
Nov 20, 2021 11 a.m.
Nov 27, 2021 11 a.m.
Dec 4, 2021 11 a.m.
 
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Weekly: Join weekly Zoom Meeting here | Meeting ID: 839 5263 4190
CEWD Virtual Open Houses
 
Saturday, October 23, 2021 | 11 a.m. to noon & noon to 1 p.m.​

The CEWD Fall 2021 course brochure can be found here.
WATCH MISSION BX 

MISSION BX is produced by Hostos Community College in partnership with BronxNet, and hosted by Eileen Newman, Executive Director of the Center for Bronx Nonprofits, an organization that examines the work of nonprofits in health, housing, environmental, arts, food, and other sectors. 

Mission BX features interviews with nonprofit leaders, elected officials and community members. Guests will share stories of the meaningful work being carried out in neighborhoods throughout the borough.
NEWS FROM THE DIVISION OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
Alumni Relations – DATE CHANGE
Fourth Annual Alma Matters Awards
 
Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 17, 2021, at 12:30 p.m., when the Office of Alumni Relations will host its Fourth Annual Alma Matters Awards. This virtual event will honor the Hostos alumni who serve as faculty and staff at the College. RSVP today to show your support for Hostos graduates who have committed their careers to the mission of this College, and nominate your outstanding alumni colleagues using this online form.
The 15th Annual Scholarship Fund Golf Outing Classic Raises Nearly 120k 
for Student Scholarships, Surpassing its Fundraising Goal Once Again

The sun shone on Thursday, October 7, 2021, for the Eugenio María de Hostos Community College Foundation 15th Annual Scholarship Fund Golf Outing Classic at the picturesque Pelham Bay & Split Rock Golf Courses in Pelham Bay Park. The first in-person event since February 2020 surpassed its $50,000 fundraising goal and reached nearly 120k to bolster scholarships and create opportunities for students at Hostos Community College.

Prominent representatives of the Bronx’s robust business, hospitality, and nonprofit industries were in attendance to mark this beloved Hostos event. The winners of the tournament received a trophy and a complimentary foursome at the course. 

After the tournament, Foundation Chairperson José Sánchez-Kinghorn welcomed guests for the evening’s program, followed by messages from Hostos President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Class of ’21 Valedictorian Ishrat Zahan, and Development Officer Idelsa Méndez. A highlight of the program was the announcement of three new scholarships that were developed: The Bronx Rising Initiative Scholarship, the Cocco De Filippis Family Scholarship, and the yet-to-be-named Montefiore Scholarship. 

Foundation Board member Jason Caraballo presented the awards for the evening. The foursome representing the CUNY Athletic Conference, comprised of Michael Sporton, Vincent Naletilic, Zak Ivkovic, and Jim Vogt, clinched the first-place trophy, followed by the runner-up foursome from ABM Facility Management, Daniel Mucci, Peter La Tempa, Thanassi Arvanitis, and Alex Elkins. The Men’s Longest Drive Winner was Daniel Mucci of ABM Facility Management and the Women’s Longest Drive award was bestowed to Monique Lopez of JPMorgan Chase. The Closest to the Pin Award went to Luca Catania of Uncurtain, Inc.

Additionally, gift cards and prizes from some of the area’s finest restaurants and attractions were raffled to several lucky winners, including CUNY Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff Dolly Martínez, Foundation Board member Dolores Batista, and Hostos’ own Franklyn Correa Martínez and Dean Ana García Reyes. Miguel Cáceres won a one-night stay at the brand-new Wingate by Wyndham at Bronx/Haven Park, and Hostos’ former Director of Vocational Training Joseph Cunningham won the $500 grand prize from the Ball Drop.

During the reception President Cocco De Filippis remarked: “Hostos was established to provide access to the abundant opportunities available through higher education. This has been our mission for over half a century, and it guides my efforts as it guided the efforts of my distinguished predecessors. With your generous support, as well as a historic $15 million gift we received this summer, we look forward to fulfilling our mission for another fifty years – and beyond. Our students are as gifted, determined, and dedicated a group as any institution of higher learning has ever witnessed. They are hungry for knowledge and experience and look forward to playing vital roles in their communities. I think of something Ms. Zahan said in her remarks at the Spring Commencement ceremony: ‘Hostos has not produced a single leader, but rather a generation of leaders in the South Bronx.’” 

Student volunteers and scholarship recipients participated in the evening’s program, underscoring the significance of this event and its impact on student success. Hostos Foundation Board Chair José Sánchez-Kinghorn said, “While this day had many winners, the biggest winners are the students who benefit from the scholarships supported by this event.” Title Sponsor, Schindler Elevators, was also moved by the College’s demonstrated commitment to its students. General Manager Alfonso Robles remarked, "It was Schindler Elevator's pleasure and honor to be part of the 15th Annual Scholarship Fund Golf Outing Classic. Our Schindler family learned a great deal about the tremendous positive impact Hostos has on the Bronx community, and we look forward to joining future efforts."

Hostos Development Officer Idelsa Méndez described the success of the event, "Once again, we rose to the challenge and surpassed our goals! Our work impacts the lives of two important groups: our beloved students, for whom we raised all the money, and our donors, who invest in the future of our students. I am so proud of this team, and I am grateful to the donors and sponsors who made this Golf Outing a memorable event through their enthusiasm and exceptional commitment.”

The Foundation would like to express its profound gratitude to the sponsors of this year’s Golf Outing Classic: Title Sponsor, Schindler Elevators; Dinner Sponsor, BronxCare Health System; Lunch Sponsors, Montefiore, ABM Facility Management, 1199SEIU, the renewed Bronx Element Social Justice and Leadership Scholarship, and the Bronx Rising Initiative Scholarship. Additionally, it would like to thank the Madruga Foundation for its dedicated generosity toward Hostos students.
BRAVO NEWS
Hostos Ranked No. 4 on Niche’s List of Best Community Colleges in New York
 
We are pleased to share that Eugenio María de Hostos Community College is ranked No. 4 on Niche’s 2022 Best Community Colleges in New York list.
 
Niche provides data and insights for schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods. The website bases its ranking of community colleges on an analysis of academic, financial, admissions, and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education, as well as reviews from students and alumni. Niche also issues each institution a “report card” that includes an overall grade and marks for professors, diversity, student life, and more. 
 
Hostos is what it is today because of its incredible faculty, students, staff, administration, alumni, and extended community, and we are grateful to them all for all they do, have done, and continue to do for our beloved College. 
Elias Alcantara, Vice President for Corporate Affairs at Macquarie Group and Nydia Edgecombe, longtime Director of Hostos’ Alumni Relations Office Named Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively, of the President's Community Advisory Council (CAC)
 
The CAC was founded in October 2020 by then Interim President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D. Its goal is to provide support and receive input from New York City Metro area business, academic, and community leaders to enhance opportunities for student advancement along career paths and toward higher education degrees. The Council meets three times a year and is composed of over 50 members serving three-year terms.
 
Prior to serving as Vice President for Corporate Affairs at Macquarie Group, Mr. Alcantara was the founder and CEO of Bronx Element Strategies (BESt), a social impact and justice strategy consulting firm. He served in the Obama Administration as Senior Associate Director in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. He is a member of the Lehman College Foundation Board, a Trustee for the Sing Sing Prison Museum Board, a member of the Sankofa.org Board of Advisors and of the Hostos Community College Community Advisory Council.
 
Dr. Edgecombe retired in 2017 after four decades of service to the Hostos community. Beginning as an assistant in the Admissions Office, she successfully fulfilled a number of roles at the College, including Director of Admissions and Recruitment, International Students Advisor, and Director of Alumni Relations. She is also a founding member of the Hostos Circle of 100 Scholarship and Emergency Fund, and has coordinated other fundraising campaigns such as the CUNY Charitable Campaigns, the Invest in CUNY Bronx Scholarship Committee, and the Hostos CUNY Giving Tuesday Campaign. 
 
Congratulations to these two dynamic figures who bring their knowledge, expertise, and commitment to Hostos to their new roles!
President Daisy Cocco De Filippis Presents at the 15th Hispanic/Latina Book Fair in New York 2021
 
The Hispanic/Latino Cultural Center of New York celebrated its 15th Hispanic/Latina Book Fair in New York 2021 honoring José Miguel de la Rosa on Sunday, October 10, 2021.
 
Scholars and authors from around the Caribbean, Latin America, and Spain came together to celebrate the beloved Dominican author.
 
Hostos President Daisy Cocco De Filippis was among the guest presenters in the afternoon panel “academic conferences” with Sergio Andruccioli, Ph.D., Franklin Gutiérrez, Ph.D., Zaida Corniel, Ph.D., Margarita Drago, Ph.D., Juana M. Ramos, Ph.D., and Paquita Suarez-Coalla, Ph.D., moderated by Yrene Santos. These esteemed academics read essays on Jose de la Rosa’s literary works and all appear published in the book Garden of Words: Tribute to Jose Miguel de la Rosa.
 
Jose de la Rosa (1955-2019) was a poet, playwright, and non-fiction writer from the Dominican Republic. He studied Latin American literature at The City College of New York. He worked in the New York City Public Library for 30 years, as a catalog specialist. His literary inspiration came from New York City life. He was a member of the literary group Pensu, Teatrica, and co-founder of the Latino Cultural Center of New York. He has written eight theater works, some of which have been produced and two published under the titles, “La loca de la Estación Central” (2010) and “El hombre esperaba en el camino.” “El hombre que esperaba el camino” appears in an anthology titled “Palabra acentuadas: Antología de cuatro dramaturgos latinos en la Ciudad de Nueva York” (2014).

León, Tonia, and Yrene Santos. Jardín De Palabras. 1st ed., The Hispanic/Latino Cultural Center of New York, 2021. 
Hostos alumna Kiare Tavarez ’20 highlighted by Holden Jewelry
 
The jewelry company Holden wanted to do something recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month and decided to feature their customer experience specialist, Kiare Tavarez.
 
Daughter of two Dominican immigrants, Tavarez is a first-generation New Yorker. Her featured story shines light on her Dominican-American identity and her alma mater, Hostos Community College. Holden donated $1k to the Bridge Tuition Support Assistance Fund for Hostos students experiencing financial hardship.
 
Read the story here and visit the Holden jewelry store.
VIRTUAL EVENTS
Candid Conversations Part 7: The Anniversary
Carlos L. Gonzalez Counseling Center
Tuesday; October 19, 2021, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Theme: Keeping the Conversation About Racism Going
Topics: Black Lives Matter; Race & Finance; Race & Mental Health; Race & Education; Solidarity
Advance Registration Required. Register here.

ADA and Brand Design Workshop for Non-Designers
Office of Communications
Friday, October 22, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Zoom link forthcoming
The workshop will review the importance of understanding and implementing a consistent and accessible brand presence across all communication platforms and doing so in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The intensive is a valuable tool for administrators, faculty, staff, and student leaders who ideate, create, and share Hostos-branded content and communication.
To RSVP, email PublicRelations@hostos.cuny.edu.
 
Bronx Social Justice Matters Film Festival
Bronx Community College, Lehman College, and Hostos Community College alongside the United Nations Association of El Salvador and GLACO
Friday, October 22 through Monday, October 25 
A complete list of films can be found here and tickets can be purchased here
Make sure to purchase your ticket soon and lock in the Early Bird rate.

Hostos Votes Awareness Event
Hostos President’s Office, Hostos Experiential Learning Opportunities Program, Hostos Service-Learning, Civic Engagement Committee, Hostos Lincoln Academy, Hostos Politics Club, and JUSTICE Committee 
Tuesday, October 26 | Zoom lounge opens at 6:15 p.m. | Start time 6:30 p.m.
For students, faculty, staff, and community members.
Join the event here.
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 Fall 2021 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.

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Office of the President | Office of Communications | 718-518-4300 | publicrelations@hostos.cuny.edu