SHARE:  

"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.

Submit an Event
Submit a Project Request

NEWS

LaGuardia Community College Receives $85K Grant to Enhance Career Services for Students 

LaGuardia and its Continuing Education Division were recently awarded an $85,000 grant from The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation to support the critical re-organization of Career Services at LaGuardia through the LaGuardia Career Forward Navigation Lab initiative. “The Petrie Foundation’s support will allow LaGuardia to effectively plan and begin executing this much-needed re-organization, which promises to significantly enhance our students' career success across both credit-bearing and non-credit programs and improve access to quality careers for students from underserved communities,” stated Sunil Gupta, the college’s Vice President for Adult Continuing Education and Workforce Development. 

First Annual Gender-Affirming Resource Fair to Take Place January 15 in E-Building Atrium

The LGBT Network is organizing its first annual Gender-Affirming Resource Fair at LaGuardia on Wednesday, January 15. The fair will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. in the E-Building Atrium. A partner of the CUNY LGBTQIA+ Consortium, the LGBT Network is a non-profit organization that operates LGBT community centers and hosts events throughout Queens and Long Island.

Students and community members who attend the fair will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from various organizations providing resources for gender-affirming care, clothing, employment opportunities, and other specialized services. There will also be performances by local transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary (TGNCNB) artists. Those interested in attending the fair can learn more and register here. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Faculty Lunch Series with President Adams: Register Today 

Faculty are invited to RSVP for Lunch with President Kenneth Adams, as part of an on-going series of meet ups with the community. There is no formal agenda, just a chance to catch up and share your LaGuardia story with the President. Please RSVP; space is limited. All events are held on Wednesdays from 12 to 1:30 p.m. The first lunch of 2025 will be January 15, with two more to be held in April and May.  

New Guidance from the Office for Civil Rights regarding Student Accessibility in Higher Education 

On January 3, 2025, the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a new resource regarding Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: Individualized Assessments for Students with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education. This new resource explains Section 504's requirement that postsecondary schools individually assess a student's need for academic adjustments (sometimes referred to as accommodations). Section 504 prohibits discrimination against students with disabilities by institutions that accept federal financial assistance, which includes almost all public and private institutions of higher education.

Specifically, regarding assessments for students with disabilities, postsecondary schools must always treat each student with a disability as an individual. The resource addresses what postsecondary community members have often referred to as "the interactive process," including several aspects of individualized consideration, and offers examples that illustrate schools' obligations. Please review this updated guidance and contact LaGuardia’s Office of Accessibility if you have any questions. 

CUNY Citizenship Now! Provides Immigration Law Services to Students

CUNY Citizenship Now! offers free, high-quality, and confidential immigration law services to help CUNY students and their families on the path to U.S. citizenship. CUNY Citizenship Now! has a team of attorneys and paralegals who can assess students' eligibility for legal benefits and help them apply if they qualify. Services include assistance with naturalization, family-based petitions, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Temporary Protected Status (TPS), certificates of citizenship, renewal and replacement of immigration documents, and full and partial fee waiver requests. If you know of a LaGuardia student who may be in need of these services, please direct them here to learn more and schedule an appointment. In Queens, CUNY Citizenship Now! has offices on the Queens College and York College campuses; for a full list of CUNY Citizenship Now! offices, click here.

LaGuardia Offers Funding Resources for Virtually Every Student


Through the Friedman Fund for new New Yorkers, any eligible student at LaGuardia can receive support through scholarships, experiential learning stipends, and emergency aid, to help students complete their degree or continuing education program. Students of any citizenship status can apply for support through the LaGuardia Foundation here.

LaGuardia CARES Supports Students in Need

LaGuardia CARES (College Access for Retention and Economic Success) provides resources for daily living expenses, including food, healthcare, rent, utilities, childcare, emergency transportation, medical expense, tuition, books, supplies, and more. If you know a student in need, consider directing them to LaGuardia CARES to learn more about their services. If you're interested in supporting LaGuardia CARES' work, click here to learn more about donating.

LAGUARDIA AND WAGNER ARCHIVES

2025 Calendar Now Available!

The LaGuardia and Wagner Archives is proud to announce that the 2025 calendar, “Gotham Transformed: How 19th Century Innovation Shaped New York City,” is now available to all faculty, staff and students. Pick up your copy in Room E-238, or email warchives@lagcc.cuny.edu to reserve copies for yourself or your office. 

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Associate Provost Dr. Dionne Miller to Join Middlesex College

Associate Provost Dr. Dionne Miller will step down from her role at LaGuardia on January 17 to become Vice President of Academic Affairs at Middlesex College in Edison, New Jersey. In a letter announcing the news to the LaGuardia community, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Billie Gastic Rosado wrote that Dr. Miller's "deep investment in our College shines through her varied work to support LaGuardia’s academic portfolio and expand learning opportunities for our students." During her time at LaGuardia, Miller oversaw curriculum development, dual enrollment programs, and initiatives like the Early College Initiative and Credit for Prior Learning. She also supported apprenticeship programs and negotiated transfer agreements with four-year colleges. A professor of chemistry and former Chair of the Natural Sciences Department, Miller brought thoughtfulness, collaboration, and innovation to her role, shaping LaGuardia’s academic offerings.

CUNY Career Success Fellows Featured in Inside Higher Ed Article

English Professor Jason Hendrickson shared his thoughts on the role of faculty mentorship in an Inside Higher Ed article published last month. Dr. Hendrickson, a CUNY Career Success Leadership Fellow, was one of three CUNY Career Success Leadership Fellows featured in the article, alongside Dr. Punita Bhansali, assistant professor at Queensborough Community College, and Dr. Sebastian Alvarado, an assistant professor at Queens College. The article is a response to a May 2024 survey that found a majority (55%) of students believe their professors should act as a mentor; in the piece, Dr. Hendrickson and his colleagues discussed ways in which faculty can provide students with the mentorship they need. Read the article here.

Supporting Students’ Mental Health: Faculty Support Circles on January 22 and February 26 

Faculty play a key role in supporting students with mental health challenges. However, providing support to students in need can leave a significant emotional toll. LaGuardia faculty who are feeling overwhelmed or stressed out due to their student’s mental health challenges are invited to attend Faculty Support Circles, organized by Dr. Donna Siergie-Munsey, DNP, RN, an Assistant Professor in the Health Sciences Department. Faculty Support Circles will take place January 22 and February 26 at 6 p.m. in E-322. Faculty Support Circles aim to provide faculty members with a community of peers who are also navigating the complexities of supporting students with mental health difficulties. Faculty who participate will learn practical, effective coping mechanisms and support techniques in the company of colleagues who understand what you’re going through. Please reach out to Dr. Siergie-Munsey at dsiergie-munsey@lagcc.cuny.edu to receive more information about Faculty Support Circles.   

CTL Call for Seminar and Workshop Proposals

The Center for Teaching and Learning invites LaGuardia faculty and staff to propose seminars, workshops or other professional development activities for the 2025 spring semester or 2025-26 academic year. Proposals should align with the CTL goals for the year and with the College’s new Strategic Plan, which prioritizes shared equity leadership as a college wide practice. Proposal applications for Spring 2025 are due January 21; and applications for academic year 2025-26 activities are due March 10. Additional information is available here.

ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

Virtual Office Available Every Friday for Enrollment Assistance

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.  

RED HAWK ATHLETICS

Cheer for the LaGuardia Red Hawks Women’s and Men’s Basketball


The mighty Red Hawks invite students, faculty and staff to support them during the following upcoming games. Show your school spirit and support the Red Hawks. Check the Athletics website for full schedules: 

Women’s Basketball


  • January 11, 1 p.m. vs. Northern Essex CC
  • January 15, 6 p.m. at Camden CC
  • January 18, 1 p.m. at Westchester CC
  • January 21, 6 p.m. vs. BMCC

Men’s Basketball 


  • January 11, 3 p.m. vs. Northern Essex CC
  • January 18, 3 p.m. at Westchester CC
  • January 21, 8 p.m. vs. BMCC
  • January 23, 8 p.m. vs. Queensborough

LIBRARY NEWS

Updates from LaGuardia’s Library

  • Welcome back! Due to financial limitations, the Library will be closed Sundays through the Fall II session. Sunday hours will resume with the Spring I semester. Please check our Library Hours before making the trip.
  • Our next MoneyBoss financial literacy workshop will be on Wednesday, January 22, at 2:15-3:15 p.m. in room E-111. Professors Elizabeth Jardine and Anne O’Reilly will discuss Your Financial New Year’s Resolutions! Don’t forget, these count as co-curricular workshops.To register, and find out more information, visit our MoneyBoss website.
  • Need to borrow a chromebook, ipad, calculator, or laptop? Stop by our Media Help Desk.
  • Free digital subscriptions to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal are available to all students, staff, and faculty. Use your LaGuardia email to sign up.

HUMAN RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL UPDATES

In Memoriam: Professor Bruce Brooks

On December 24, Bruce Brooks, a former professor in the Humanities Department, passed away. Brooks first began working at LaGuardia as a Sr. College Lab Technician in 1975 after graduating with an MFA from the Pratt Institute. In 1985, Professor Brooks became the director of LaGuardia’s Fine Arts program. During the course of his four decades at LaGuardia, Professor Brooks played a key role in the development of LaGuardia’s various art and design programs. He helped establish the school’s Photography and Industrial Design programs and wrote several courses for the Fine Arts program. A prolific painter, Professor Brooks’ artwork can be seen hanging across from the elevators on the seventh floor of the C-Building.

Meet with a TIAA Financial Consultant on Campus 


Meet with a TIAA financial consultant for retirement planning at LaGuardia! No matter where you are in your work life – just starting or contemplating retirement – a session with an expert can help you plan for your future. The consultation is free and will address important questions such as: 


  • Do I have the right mix of investments? 
  • Am I saving enough? 
  • How do I take income from my retirement account once I retire? 


TIAA will be on campus for one-on-one sessions on the following dates in 2025: 


  • Monday, February 10: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
  • Thursday, March 6: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
  • Wednesday, April 2: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
  • Thursday, May 1: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 


All sessions will be held in Conference Room E-407. Register here. We look forward to working with you! 

Performance Evaluation and Management Training Now Available 


Annual Performance Evaluations are prepared for all full-time employees, regardless of classification or status. Annual evaluations are critical for helping supervisors: 


  • Work with and support employees on goals and priorities. 
  • Document performance expectations and measure performance outcomes. 
  • Listen to employees’ work-related issues and interests. 
  • Make personnel decisions. 


With evaluations due to be completed and submitted to Human Resources (HR) in March, HR is now offering Performance Evaluation and Management Training to help you if you have a supervisory title and supervise one or more employees, whether you’ll be conducting your first evaluation or your 100th. Training will focus on reviewing the process and best practices for conducting and preparing efficient employee performance evaluations. 


All training will take place on Teams and will be led by Mary C. DiGangi, Executive Director, Human Resources. 


Register here for one of the following dates: 


  • Wednesday, January 15: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 
  • Friday, January 24: 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. 
  • Monday, January 27: 9: 30 a.m. to 11 a.m. 


For questions and additional information, please contact Yasu Denda

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

What is a Smishing Scam? How To Protect Yourself 


Smishing scams (also known as robotext scams) involve receiving unsolicited, automated text messages that impersonate a familiar business, government agency, or financial institution. Often, smishing scam texts try to capitalize on your fear, saying you could lose money if you don’t respond, or trick you into giving them your personal or financial information. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Robocall Response Team recently issued a new alert warning that scammers are increasingly using text messages. 


Here are six tips to protect yourself from a smishing scam:



  1. Don’t respond to suspicious text messages – delete them instead. 
  2. Never click on hyperlinks or attachments in suspect messages, which could install harmful malware on your devices. 
  3. Set your software/hardware to update automatically. 
  4. Use multi-factor authentication. 
  5. Only share personal and financial information through secure channels, not by text, email, or phone call. 
  6. Report suspicious text messages to the FCC, the FTC, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, your mobile carrier, and any company whose name appears in the suspicious text. 


For more guidance, visit online security and identity theft. Contact the IT HelpDesk ITHelp@lagcc.cuny.edu for more information

Introducing the DoIT Project Management Office (PMO) Request Form


DoIT is pleased to announce the launch of a new, streamlined process for requesting project management services from the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) Project Management Office (PMO). The PMO coordinates a wide range of initiatives using rigorous project management methodologies, ensuring structured guidance and successful outcomes. In an advisory capacity, the PMO involves stakeholders, e.g., Student Affairs and Academic Affairs, to establish IT-related project requirements, produce detailed planning, scheduling and work documents, and coordinate ongoing activities for the duration of a project.


To request PMO support for your IT-related projects and provide us with a clear understanding of your project needs, complete and submit the PMO Request Form. You can access the form in the Faculty and Staff Portal. On the left-side navigation, under “Request Support,” select “Project Management Office Request Form.” Please refer to the “How to Start a Project Management Request” guide for help with accessing and completing the form. Once we review your form, a project manager will contact you to discuss your request and outline the next steps. For additional information, contact Jetmir Troshani.

IT Reminder: Complete Mandatory Cybersecurity Awareness Training


This is an important reminder to log in to Blackboard and complete the Cybersecurity Awareness Training course. You can find this course under the “Organizations” tab, along with the other essential annual training courses required for CUNY employees. This course was developed specifically for CUNY and covers phishing attacks, spam, and best practices for protecting your CUNY accounts and sensitive data. We encourage you to take it as soon as possible to protect the University's data, as well as your own. Your active involvement is crucial to our collective security efforts. If you have any questions about the training, contact Maritza Acero.  

LAGUARDIA IN THE HEADLINES

QUEENS CHRONICLE: The $5.8 million grant to LaGuardia Community College from the New York State Education Department to provide pre-employment transition services to students with disabilities is included in a roundup of major news stories impacting Western Queens in 2024. 


QNS: LaGuardia first-generation student Tabia Tarannu was named a 2024-25 Kaplan Leadership Scholar.  


WNYC THE BRIAN LEHRER SHOW: ⁠Stephen Petrus, Director of Public History Programs at the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives, is interviewed about "A Complete Unknown," the newest biopic about Bob Dylan and his early years in the folk music scene, staring Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan.  


GAY & LESBIAN REVIEW: A new online exhibition from the LaGuardia & Wagner Archives at LaGuardia Community College provides a fascinating introduction to the passage of the “Gay Rights Bill” by the New York City Council, for scholars, students, and the general public. The bill amended the city’s human rights law to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations. The exhibition was curated by Dr. Stephen Petrus. 


PIX11 NEWS: A blood drive will be hosted at LaGuardia Community College on Monday, January 27. 


GAY CITY NEWS: ⁠Dr. Stephen Petrus, historian with the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives, on the legacy of Ed Sedarbaum, known as the ‘grandfather’ of the Queens LGBTQ movement.

More Headlines

EVENTS

Check Out the Latest Events

CONNECT WITH LAGUARDIA

Facebook            Instagram            LinkedIn            TikTok            X            YouTube

"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.