"Campus Update" is a weekly e-newsletter published by LaGuardia's Division of Communications and External Affairs to provide news and information to the college community. | |
The Division of Communications and External Affairs offers various additional resources to help you share news with the campus, including an event calendar, photography, graphic design, and more. | |
LaGuardia is partnering with leading New York City hospitals, including Northwell Health, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York University Langone, and Montefiore Medical Center, to train and place New Yorkers with a high school diploma or equivalency in entry-level jobs in healthcare with good starting salaries and advancement opportunities. The positions are for Central Service Technicians (CSTs), who are responsible for sterilizing tools used in medical and surgical care. CSTs are critical to helping to prevent patient infection. LaGuardia’s CST program, which launched a decade ago, has expanded significantly over the past two years, thanks to initiatives helping low-income individuals train for jobs with family-sustaining salaries and growth potential. The NYC Accelerated Workforce Recovery Hub and the Jobs Direct Initiative were launched in 2022 as part of LaGuardia’s effort to help New York City communities recover from economic loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One individual served by the program is Edwin Fontanez, 48, a former truck driver who was seeking a career that would be easier on his body. Today, he is a CST at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he hopes to advance his career. “I like everything about the job—the people are great, and the work is interesting because every day I do something different. There’s always something to learn—especially as technology evolves.” | |
|
Opening Sessions 2024 will take place Wednesday, September 4. All faculty and staff are invited to attend the event and the various breakout sessions scheduled to take place throughout the day. This year's theme is "Career Readiness & Pathways: Guiding Students Towards Success in Education and Beyond," and the event will feature a keynote address from Dr. Niesha Taylor, Director of Career Readiness at the National Association of Colleges and Employers. The day will begin with a continental breakfast at 8 a.m. in the Mainstage Theater Lobby, followed by the plenary session in the Mainstage Theater at 9 a.m., and various luncheons and workshops throughout the remainder of the day. Learn more here. | |
LaGuardia aims to be an inclusive and welcoming environment with an appreciation for celebrations and observances that are important to a wide range of cultures and religions. Here are just a few of the religious and cultural observances recognized in our community throughout the month of August:
- August 9: International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
- August 12-13: Tisha B’av
- August 26: Krishna Janmashtami
- August 23: International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
For a full listing of holidays and observations celebrated this month and throughout the year, please visit the CUNY Religions & Ethnic Holiday Calendar.
| |
|
New Student Orientation to Take Place August 27 and September 3 | |
|
With summer winding down, it’s almost time for New Student Orientation. Orientation sessions will take place on August 27 and September 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please direct any Orientation-related inquiries from incoming students to CampusLife@lagcc.cuny.edu; students can also find more information about New Student Orientation on our webpage. | |
Welcome Parties Scheduled on the LaGuardia Community Greenway on August 27 and September 3 | |
Faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend two welcome parties on the LaGuardia Community Greenway, coming up on August 27 and September 3. With the Fall 2024 Semester on the horizon, the welcome parties will give community members an opportunity to catch up with one another before classes begin and enjoy the warm weather before things start to cool down in autumn. There are a handful of other events slated to take place on the Greenway through October, including a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration hosted by La Casa and the FIT to 5K. For more information about Greenway programming, visit our webpage. | |
|
MBJ Café Hours: August 12 to September 7 | |
|
As we reach the conclusion of this summer semester, MBJ is adjusting its hours of operation for the next four weeks as follows:
-
M Cafeteria: Closed until the first day of classes, September 5.
-
E Kiosk: Open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
-
C Kiosk: Open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (closed on Saturday, August 31 and September 7)
| |
LaGuardia Participates in “Celebration of Queens Culture” at Citi Field, Aug. 13 | |
Members of the LaGuardia community participated in “A Celebration of Queens Culture,” on August 13 at Citi Field. The event, which continues August 14, pays tribute to the immensely diverse community of Queens through food, music and art. The celebration is presented by Metropolitan Park, a joint venture by Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International. In addition to LaGuardia Community College, other community organizations were featured, including Woodside on the Move, Queens Community House, College Point Little League, Queens Community Justice Center, Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement, Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, Sunnyside Community Services, ArtsConnection, and Queens Public Library. LaGuardia was represented by members of the Communications and External Affairs Division, Adult and Continuing Education, and Student Veterans Services. As part of the two-day celebration, The New York Mets are offering $10 tickets for Queens residents for the August 14 game against the Oakland Athletics. | |
BRES Research Seed Grants Awarded to Three LaGuardia Faculty | |
The Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies (BRES) Collaboration Hub recently announced the recipients of the BRES Research Seed Grant Awards, which recognize the faculty members’ research and its potential to make important contributions in the field of Black, race, and ethnic studies. Among the recipients were three LaGuardia faculty members: Associate Professor of English Jesse Schwartz, for the project “America’s Russia: The Bolshevik Revolution, Racial Socialism, and the Concept of Eurasia in the US Print Culture, 1882-1929,” Professor of English Christopher Schmidt, for the project “Black Geographies and Human-Plant Entanglements in Maria Thereza Alves’s Seeds of Change,” and Associate Professor of English Paul Fess for the project “The Antislavery Songbook.” | |
|
LaGuardia Faculty Attend Québec Summer Seminar | |
|
Four LaGuardia faculty members attended SUNY Plattsburgh’s annual Québec Summer Seminar in Montréal, Québec from August 6 to 9.The Québec Summer Seminar is the flagship program in the United States for professors of Québec studies seeking a deeper appreciation of contemporary Québec. LaGuardia faculty who attended the seminar were Habiba Boumlik Professor of Education & Language Acquisition; J. Allie Brashears, Director of the CUNY LGBTQIA+ Consortium and Professor of Natural Sciences, Rebekah Johnson, Associate Professor of Education & Language Acquisition, and Robin Kietlinski, Professor of History. | |
Students looking for enrollment services support can now access virtual office hours every Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Virtual One Stop takes place on Zoom and allows students to drop in and meet with staff from the Admissions, International Student Services, Registrar, Student Financial Services, Student Information Center, Transfer Credit Evaluation and Testing offices. | |
|
|
Dr. Rhonda Mouton, director of LaGuardia CARES (College Access for Retention and Economic Success) is featured in the August issue of Women in Higher Education. In the profile, Dr. Mouton shares how her experience living through Hurricane Katrina informs her work with LaGuardia students, especially during crises. She discusses using research and analytics to measure the impact of LaGuardia CARES on students and to communicate student issues to funders and policymakers. The master’s and Ed.D. degrees she earned during her time at LaGuardia have enhanced her ability to explain how LaGuardia CARES helps students and to advocate for necessary funding and other resources to continue assisting students in need. | |
Summer Youth Employment Program’s Culinary Aides Visit Mayor’s Office of Food Policy | |
On August 9, 40 high school students working as culinary aides in school kitchens through the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) attended presentations from LaGuardia, the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute, and Kingsborough Community College, as part of a professional development series hosted by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Food Policy. Students learned from presenters about their career paths within the nutrition and culinary fields, with smaller round table discussions on health, sustainability, food ways, and more. Students also learned about the various nutrition and culinary programs offered at LaGuardia and Kingsborough. | |
Red Hawks Athletics Gears up for Fall and Winter Sports | |
As the summer comes to a close, LaGuardia’s student-athletes are getting ready for the upcoming basketball, volleyball, and soccer seasons. This year, the Red Hawks will compete in men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, and men’s soccer. If you know a student who may be interested in trying out for any of these teams, direct them to the Red Hawks Athletics webpage, where they can learn about upcoming tryouts and contact the coaches. There, you can also access the schedule for upcoming games—the women’s volleyball team begins their season on August 30, against Kingsborough Community College, while the men’s soccer team kicks things off on August 31, against Bronx Community College. | |
Updates from LaGuardia’s Library | |
|
- The Library will operate according to a modified schedule through the summer. Please make sure to check our calendar before heading in.
- Group Study Rooms are open! Students can reserve a room here.
- Not sure what to read for fun next? Let the LaGuardia Librarians make some recommendations (for you or your child). Complete this form and a LaGuardia librarian will email you a list of five titles (from our collection, and within CUNY and SUNY) we think you might enjoy borrowing and reading.
| |
HUMAN RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL UPDATES | |
In-Person New Employee Orientations Are Back!
We’re happy to announce the return of in-person new employee orientations. They’re a great way to help new employees feel more comfortable by learning more about LaGuardia’s history, values, work environment, culture, employee resources and more. Orientations are also a terrific opportunity for new employees to meet other newly hired colleagues and begin establishing strong working relationships.
Scheduled for September and October:
- September 25 – New Employee Orientation - Faculty and HEO Series
- October 2 – New Employee Orientation – Adjuncts
- October 9 – New Employee Orientation – All Classified Staff – Full and Part Time
Save the date that applies to you. More information will follow in future issues of Campus Update and other College communications channels.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, contact Human Resources at HRHelp@lagcc.cuny.edu or at (718) 482-5075.
| |
Reminder: Remote Work Agreement in Effect | |
As we prepare to welcome students back to campus over the next few weeks, please keep in mind that beginning Monday, August 12, staff members are required to work 70% of the time in person, just as in Spring 2024 and Fall 2023. This means seven in-person days and three remote days for every two weeks that full-time staff work. The remote work agreement is currently in effect through June 30, 2025. Completed and signed remote work agreements are due to Human Resources by Friday, September 13. Please see the email delivered on Monday, August 12 with the subject line "New Remote Work Agreement w/ Schedule A&B Option for 70/30" for more information. You can also review the CUNY Flexible Work Arrangements to learn more. If you have any questions, please speak to your supervisor, or contact Human Resources at HRHelp@lagcc.cuny.edu or at (718) 482-5075. | |
IT Update: Mandatory CUNY Cybersecurity Awareness Training Course
CUNY has announced that the 40-minute Cybersecurity Awareness training course, designed specifically for faculty and staff, is now mandatory annually, beginning this year. This course will help safeguard the security of our data against increasing cybersecurity risks, such as phishing attacks, spam, and hacked accounts, while providing best practices for safeguarding your data. You can view the course on Blackboard. All LaGuardia faculty and staff are required to take this course and we encourage you to take it as soon as possible to protect your own and the University's data. If you have any questions regarding the training, please contact Maritza Acero.
| |
Security Alert: Guard Against Increasing Phishing Email Attacks
There has been an increase in phishing attacks directed at CUNY from a variety of Gmail accounts. Most are of the familiar job scam variety which students are prone to acting on. CUNY/CIS teams are working with Microsoft to block these attacks, which are not “spammy” or “phishy” in nature so they aren’t automatically blocked by email security measures. CUNY/CIS urges all to guard against responding to potential phishing emails, as well as to communicate with colleagues and students to generate greater awareness about the scam increase.
Recommended User Actions Include:
- DO NOT reply to unexpected or unusual emails.
- DO NOT reply to emails with personal information or passwords.
- DO NOT click links or open attachments in unsolicited emails.
- DO read the CUNY Ransomware and Phishing Advisories.
- DO complete security awareness training at security.cuny.edu.
If you suspect you’ve received a suspicious or phishing email, please forward it to spam@lagcc.cuny.edu. Do not forward it to the LAG Information Technology Division or other group distribution lists or employees, including IT personnel. If you already responded to a phishing email, immediately contact our IT HelpDesk by submitting a ticket through the Faculty & Staff Portal or by email at ITHelp@lagcc.cuny.edu, or call 718-482-6134. If you have questions, please contact LaGuardia's Information Security team.
| |
LAGUARDIA IN THE HEADLINES | |
CRAIN’S NEW YORK – HEALTH PULSE (subscription required): LaGuardia Community College is partnering with major hospitals to recruit and train New Yorkers for entry-level health care jobs amid a labor shortage. The positions are for Central Service Technicians (CSTs), whose responsibilities include sterilizing tools used in medical and surgical care, critical to preventing infection in patients.
GAY CITY NEWS: Stephen Petrus, director of public history programs at the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives, curated The Battle for Intro. 2: The New York City Gay Rights Bill, 1971 – 1986, a new online exhibit highlighting New York City’s fight for a gay rights bill.
CITY LIMITS: The Center for Immigrant Education and Training at LaGuardia Community College, which provides adult literacy classes, is contending with funding cuts from NYC’s Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD). The Center lost its DYCD funding as of July 1, representing a loss of 145 seats. John Hunt, assistant dean for pre-college academic programs at LaGuardia, says that students impacted by this issue will face greater barriers to civic participation, engagement in their children’s education, access to post-secondary education, and workforce training pathways.
| |
"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. Monday to be considered for publication on Wednesday. |
| | | |