December 2022

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This month, I am thrilled to report on the recent trip I took to Asia to promote international enrollment. I made stops in Bangkok, Taipei, and Seoul, and I was joined by Betsy Hendrey, our provost emerita and a special advisor, and Blake Egbert of Navitas, a global higher education organization that Queens College partnered with in 2019 to increase international students’ access to higher education.  


Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez established the partnership with Navitas while he led QC as president, and it has unlimited potential for growth. Many educational institutions—some of them oriented toward revenue more than education—look at international students as a group to bring to campus. Queens College is different because we are uniquely situated in “the world’s borough” and can provide an unmatched experience to our students.

President Frank H. Wu (center), Provost Emerita and Special Advisor Elizabeth Hendrey (to his left), and QC GSSP Marketing and Recruitment Director Blake Egbert (back row, in suit and tie) joined the Navitas Taiwan staff and 11 agent partners at a Queens College seminar in Taipei on October 31.

Hendrey, Egbert, and I met with the leadership cabinet of the International Education Consultants Association in Taipei on November 1.

In Seoul on November 3, Hendrey, Egbert and I hosted a Queens College seminar with the Navitas South Korea staff and 30 agent partners.

Egbert, Hendrey, and I had the opportunity on November 4 to visit a Navitas agent partner in Seoul who helped four students come to Queens College this year.

Our international students benefit from the opportunities of a public higher education system, which is a model for other nations, while enjoying everything New York City has to offer. They are able to find the food they ate at home or a place of worship in the language of their choice. That is what makes us different—it’s appropriate even to say better. Other colleges cannot boast as we can state with humility, that one third of our students are newcomers themselves and another third are children born as the first generation on these shores. Those who look at us as an option can meet and befriend their cousins, literal and figurative. 


We emphasized that theme at the Navitas conference in Bangkok, attended by Navitas colleagues from the world over—whether it was African, European, or Latin American recruiters who belong to their network, they were impressed by the idea that students could come to America, yet feel at home.

In Bangkok, Thailand, on November 8, with hundreds in attendance from all over the world, I took part in a fireside chat.

In addition to our visit to Taipei and Seoul, where the consultants who work with prospective students could not have been more enthusiastic about recommending us, we met with representatives from diverse sending nations, such as Nigeria, Russia, and Mexico. Betsy, Blake, and I had so many meetings, formal and informal, with people eager to form a relationship to Queens College. I was honored to speak as part of a fireside chat with hundreds in attendance. Queens College is one of only two four-year U.S. colleges in the Navitas network, and I was the only college president and the only representative from North America who presented. My message was that no matter what, New York City is open and welcoming. 

During and after the conference, many agent partners shared that they were very impressed by Queens College and inquired further about bringing their students to campus. I was also pleased to learn at the conference that the winner of the “Best Agent Partner Award” for the United States was won by an agent partner in Myanmar who has helped enroll almost 30 students at Queens College in the past two years.

The Queens College-Navitas partnership includes both a track for direct admission and a track through the Queens College Global Student Success Program (GSSP), which supports the transition of international students to a U.S. university environment and prepares them for future academic success.

 

We chose Navitas because of its reputation for strong student support. The growth year over year has been impressive. In the pandemic year of 2021, 58 international students enrolled through the support of GSSP. In 2022, 151 students enrolled, and for the upcoming spring semester, we expect at least 80 international students. 

 

Many of you have heard me explain that Queens College was the only place I wanted to be president. When I look at our students and their families, I see my parents and my family. The American Dream is enabled by higher education. It worked for my father and mother and my brothers, and I am confident that in New York City, specifically at Queens College, it will continue to be true for those who aspire to improve their lives and the prospects for their communities.

Wu talking to students gesturing with hands

I talked with Navitas students (from left) Jane Lee, Caspar Tao, Kyungtae Kim, and Darci Jeong.

It was a thrill to meet them and hear their stories. I look forward to meeting more international students thanks to our partnership with Navitas. (For further information about our partnership, visit the Navitas website.)

Navitas isn’t the only item on my agenda. The end of fall semester is always a busy time for me, and last week was typical. On Tuesday, November 29, I hosted a luncheon with senior officers of NYPD’s 107th Precinct, headquartered on Parsons Boulevard, near campus. This was part of our ongoing efforts to build on the excellent communication with our public safety team in order to maintain and enhance our safe campus.  

That evening, I joined Herb Tam (rear left, seated in front of laptop), curator and director of exhibitions at the Museum of Chinese in America, at the Godwin-Ternbach Museum for a discussion of Understatements: Lost & Found in Asian America, a show he organized for us. An immigrant from Hong Kong, Herb is familiar with our borough; he previously served as acting associate curator at the Queens Museum of Art. Also recently Herb and Julia Delpalacio visited with employees of Crystal Windows and Doors (see above photo), the company founded by Thomas Chen, the business leader and philanthropist and our generous donor for this special exhibition.

The next day, I had the pleasure of meeting Umar Kagzi, who has held a remarkable series of internships at NASA. Umar was part of the team that developed software for Artemis I, which orbited the moon recently and is on its way back to Earth. Umar graduates this month; I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about him in the future.

 


QC has a lively and talented community of student journalists! I enjoyed taking part in the Knight News roundtable on Thursday, December 1. Our conversation, which included Jennifer Jarvis and Dwayne Jones, covered topics such as additional counseling and mental health services and ways to improve school spirit and activities on campus post-pandemic. 

I was of course proud to escort Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost Wendy Hensel and her team around campus yesterday, and to participate in her townhall. Wendy was impressed by the college’s history, the many talented people who work and study here, and the beautiful campus with its view of the Manhattan skyline. I encouraged her to come back in the spring, when our trees and flowers are blooming.


In addition to welcoming students from overseas to QC, we support global initiatives involving the college. Tomorrow—Wednesday, December 7—at a showcase for COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning), the program’s faculty fellows for 2022-23 will discuss projects their students tackled with peers in other countries. The showcase will take place over Zoom from 12:15 to 1:30 pm; there’s still time for faculty and staff to register here.

In the not-too-distant future, we hope QC graduates will go to the United Kingdom to complete one-year master’s degrees at Lucy Cavendish College at the University of Cambridge. The mission of Cavendish—to unlock the potential of exceptional students from non-traditional and underrepresented backgrounds—nicely complements QC’s mission; we envision a program that will enable alumni from low-income, underrepresented groups to advance their education at Cavendish. On Thursday, December 8, Lucy Cavendish’s president, Professor Dame Madeleine Atkins, and I will accept a donation to our joint program: Ira Schuman, vice chairman and New York branch co-manager of Savills, an international real estate services firm, will present us a check for $25,000 to help support the initiative. We anticipate being joined by longtime supporter Thomas Grech, the CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. 

women standing behind a knights food pantry table

Queens College is grateful for the generosity of the businesses and individual donors who value what we do here—from providing an affordable, top-tier education to students of all backgrounds to reducing food insecurity among students and their families. Queens College came in fourth place in CUNY on Giving Tuesday, raising $244,642. Currently, there are a total of 262 donors ranging from alumni, faculty, and staff to community members. The money raised in this campaign will support the Knights Table Food Pantry’s efforts to fight hunger, as well as various academic departments. We are still accepting donations until December 31; if you would like to make a contribution click here. Many of you will recall that Thomas Chen established the $1.1 million Thomas Chen Family/Crystal Windows arts endowment last year. On December 22, he is scheduled to visit the Godwin-Ternbach Museum to see the first exhibition funded by his gift. I’m always delighted to greet him on campus.

 

Clearly, the QC community has a lot to celebrate, including the fact that we can celebrate in person. I hope to see everyone at the holiday party at the Student Union on December 13 from 3 to 5 pm. Please RSVP. That evening, I’ll be among the servers when the Student Association holds MidKnight Breakfast, a QC tradition, from 8 pm to midnight in the Dining Hall. I encourage all students to attend and bring an appetite.

 

Happy and healthy holidays to all! I wish all students the best of luck on their exams

Winter session students jumping in the snow

PS: I can’t resist putting in a strong plug for Winter Session and beyond. Queens College offers courses year round. Through CUNYfirst, students can register right now for Winter, Spring, and Summer 2023. This is a great opportunity for students to plan their class schedule and continue For schedule specifics, click here.

 

Stay safe and well.

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