I am pleased to invite you to participate in a new planning project for LaGuardia. After the holidays we will launch the Priority Initiative Planning Teams. Please review the descriptions of each of these teams. If any of the topics are of interest to you please consider joining the corresponding team. 

Feel free to contact the co-chairs of the teams (listed at the end of each summary) if you would like more information. Note that the teams will do their research and planning from January – March. As their proposals take shape they will present them to Senate for further deliberation and consideration. Thank you for considering this request. I hope you will join us.

Ribbon Cutting for ECLC’s New Early Infant Childcare Program  



On December 1, the Early Childhood Learning Center (ECLC) held a ribbon cutting to mark the opening of its new early infant childcare program, where babies as young as six months old can receive daycare. Previously, the youngest age accepted by ECLC was 12 months. In remarks, Provost Billie Gastic Rosado noted that the expanded services of the ECLC makes clear LaGuardia’s commitment to student-parents, making it easier for them to attend classes, study, work, and pursue internships. In addition to Provost Gastic Rosado, the event was led by ECLC Director Sonya Evariste and Interim Associate Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Fay M. Butler. Also on hand were CUNY leaders, ECLC teachers, administrators and staff including Irkania Pimentel, Marisol Abreau, Brenda Cotto, and Mercedes Flor, as well as representatives of several of ECLC’s educational partners. The expansion was made possible by a four-year $2,714,884 grant from the U.S. Education Department’s Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS) program, as well as support from the Robin Hood Foundation and a CUNY Family Empowerment Grant. 

"The Nutcracker and Visit to Santa's Toyland" Returns to LaGuardia

Reserve your tickets today for the Joffrey Ballet School’s production of “The Nutcracker,” on Sunday, December 18, 3:30–5:45 p.m., at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center’s Mainstage Theater. After the show, which is tailored for school-aged children and families, visitors will be invited to “Santa’s Toyland” (in the Little Theater) for photos with Santa. Tickets are $20 per person for “The Nutcracker and Visit to Santa’s Toyland.”

A Future in Finance for Angelo De La Cruz

Angelo De La Cruz is a business administration major who lives in Corona, Queens. He's president of the Finance Club, where Andrea Francis, accounting professor in the Department of Business and Technology, often leads discussions on financial literacy and career opportunities within finance. Angelo says that recently, he invited investment bank executives to share their career journeys with students at a Finance Club meeting. In the future, Angelo hopes to work in private equity, and eventually start his own company. In his free time, he loves fitness training and playing soccer. 

Registration Now Open for Online Teaching Essentials:

Faculty are invited to register for Online Teaching Essentials (OTE), a three-week online workshop facilitated by CUNY SPS. OTE focuses on best practices in online pedagogy and flexible use of online teaching resources in any modality, from fully asynchronous online to hybrid, flipped, and blended modalities. The major topics covered in the OTE are Understanding the Online Learning Environment, Inclusive Teaching, Backward Design & Effective Assessment, Online Presence & Engagement, and Communicating & Interacting Online. LaGuardia faculty interested in participating should sign up by December 14; please reach out to Pablo Avila with any questions. 

For the past three years a dedicated committee of the College Senate, led by Senator Leslie Scamacca, has been at work revising LaGuardia’s Governance Plan. As the culmination of this work, the Senate voted, at its meeting last week, to approve the newly revised sections of the Governance Plan focused on the College Senate and its committees. Revision of an additional section of the Governance Plan focused on Personnel & Budget (P&B) Committees is being undertaken by a new committee, chaired by Senator Patricia Sokolski, which includes representation from all academic departments.  

In other news, a second student senator was elected to the Senate’s Executive Committee. Congratulations to Arianna Pena.  

The Senate also wants to ensure that the college community knows that many of the Senate’s committees are open to new members, including from outside the Senate. For a list and description of them see the Senate website here. If you are interested in getting involved by joining a committee, contact Charis Victory, Chair of the Senate’s Committee on Committees (cvictory@lagcc.cuny.edu), or if you have questions contact Cristy Bruns, Chair of the College Senate (cbruns@lagcc.cuny.edu). 

Faculty Spotlight: Michael Napolitano, Esq. 

Michael Napolitano, Esq., is chair of the Business & Technology Department. He joined LaGuardia in 1993 as an instructor in the Paralegal Studies Program. Prior to joining the LAGCC faculty, he served as an assistant district attorney in Kings County, a supervising trial attorney for a Long Island-based personal injury law firm, and as a solo practitioner handling civil cases throughout New York State. He is a member of the New York State Bar and several professional organizations. When asked what makes his department unique, he responded, “The faculty and how they have established a strong connection with students. They are incredibly flexible and are highly innovative in their pedagogy. Indeed, many collegewide initiatives have been piloted by B&T faculty. They also maintain strong ties with the local business community. For example, faculty have worked closely with managers at MetLife (internships) and MANA Products Inc. (entrepreneurship classes). Faculty have also worked with ACE to identify qualified applicants for the 10KSB fellowship.” 

Health Sciences Department Awarded Four Grants 



This past month the Health Sciences Department received over $120,000 in grants to support student success. The Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiologic Technology, and Nutrition & Culinary Management programs each received over $20,000 from the Health Careers Credentials (HC2) Grant. These funds will support the integration of career-related credentials into these programs. In addition, the nursing programs received a CUNY Nursing Innovation Grant for over $60,000. These funds will support nursing student retention by providing additional tutoring and resources for students. Special thanks to Clarence Chan, Theresa Licari, Nicolle Fernandes, and Faith Armstrong who serve as program directors of these programs and who were instrumental in obtaining these grants. 

Join Mindfulness Meditation Wednesdays at 8 p.m. 

Curious to explore the possibility of generating greater well-being for yourself and others through mindfulness meditation? The LaGuardia Mindfulness Project, led by Professor Koun Eum, Ellen Quish, and Paul Arcario, invite all LaGuardia faculty, staff, and students to join Mindfulness Meditation Wednesdays at 8 p.m. via Zoom. Sessions include instruction, meditation, and discussion with Q&A. These sessions are here to support you, whether you have a practice or are curious to start one. Join sessions at https://bit.ly/mindfulnessmwed.