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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.

FROM THE PRESIDENT

As a follow-up to my Fall Report on September 28, I would like to invite all of you to join Provost Billie Gastic Rosado and me on Friday, October 21, for a Town Hall meeting. Seating is limited so advance registration is suggested.  


President’s Town Hall 

Friday, October 21, 2022 at 11 a.m. 

C-Building, Room C-103 

RSVP 


Thank you in advance to Professor Rochell Isaac, chair of the faculty council, who will moderate. Questions can be submitted on the registration form or in-person during the event. Hope to see you there. 


NEWS

President Adams honored by Queens Community House 


On October 12, President Adams was honored by Queens Community House (QCH) at its annual gala, for leading the college’s service to the communities of Queens. LaGuardia is partnering with QCH to help low-income communities in Queens that were upended by the pandemic, through the NYC Accelerated Workforce Recovery Hub, launched earlier this year with a seed grant of $1.65 million from the New York Community Trust, the City’s community foundation. “The Hub is preparing youth and adults who have lost their livelihoods because of COVID-19 for careers in high-demand sectors, and QCH is proud to be one of two Queens service providers with whom LaGuardia chose to partner in this effort,” said Ivonne Torres, QCH Associate Executive Director for Young Adult Services.  

Fine Arts Program Director Arthur Simms Elected to National Academy of Design 


Congratulations to Arthur Simms, Fine Arts program director and professor of the arts, on his election to the National Academy of Design. He was one of just 17 artists and architects from across the United States elected as National Academicians in recognition for their contributions to contemporary American art and architecture. New Academicians are nominated and elected by the current members of the National Academy, a community of 450 artists and architects from across the country. A public, online video program will celebrate the induction of the Class of 2022 National Academicians on Tuesday, October 25 beginning at 6 p.m. In 2023, the National Academy will debut a special exhibition featuring the work of the 2022 Academicians.  

La Casa Celebrates Día de los Muertos


Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a tradition with Indigenous roots practiced in many countries across Latin America and the Caribbean which celebrates and honors our ancestors. November 1 and November 2, respectively, are the days when our ancestor return to the land of the living for nourishment and community.  Join La Casa on Wednesday, November 2 from 4- 6pm in M-141 for music, light refreshments, and an altar to celebrate life.  If you'd like to have a photo of a loved one who has passed be added to La Casa's altar, fill out this form. Please note, you'll need to use your login credentials to access the form.    

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Meet Red Hawk Soccer Player Javo Akhmadjonov


First-year student Javo Akhmadjonov plays for the Red Hawks men's soccer team. Last month, he scored the team's first goal of the season in a game against Kingsborough Community College. He's pictured here (at left) with his teammate Ricardo Ruiz who assisted with the goal. Javo, an ASAP student, is currently majoring in computer science but considering switching to electrical or mechanical engineering. Come cheer on the Red Hawks--next month games start for men's and women's basketball. Click here for the schedule and dates. 


ANNOUNCEMENTS

Racial Healing Circles to Begin this Month


As part of our efforts to build and maintain an equitable and inclusive environment, the LaGuardia community is invited to join Wendy Nicholson, Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, in Racial Healing Circles (RHC). RHC will help to create the necessary relational and trust conditions for truth, racial healing, and transformation, and provide an experience where participants leave the circle in a different relationship with themselves and with each other. See details and registration links on the DEI website. Please note, each session lasts 90 minutes and allows for a maximum of 10 participants. 

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Faculty Spotlight: Lisa DeSpain


Throughout the spring, On Site Opera, New York's pioneering opera company rooted in site-specific storytelling and the immersive experience will develop a new opera, Song of the Nightingale, written by composer, and LaGuardia professor, Lisa DeSpain with librettist Melisa Tien. Co-commissioned and co-produced with Arts Brookfield, the all-ages show adapts the story of Hans Christian Anderson's The Nightingale for modern audiences. Its world premiere will be mounted across three of Brookfield Properties' public spaces in September 2023: Brookfield Place, Manhattan West, and Brooklyn Commons. 

Advocacy  Workshop Prepares Students Ahead of Meeting with Congress


The LaGuardia Humanitarian Initiative (LHI) is partnering this year with LaGuardia CARES and CARE, International (estd. 1945), one of the world’s largest and oldest humanitarian aid organizations, to collaboratively address the theme #FoodJusticeForAll (UNSDG2) from both local and global perspectives. All are invited to attend the virtual LHI Advocacy Workshop on Monday, October 24 at 10:30 a.m. See registration info here. The workshop will also serve as a practice session before students meet with the staff of Members of Congress during the next workshop on November 9. 

CAMPUS LIFE

Opportunities to Support LaGuardia CARES


As the holiday season approaches, consider donating to LaGuardia CARES. so that all of our students have access to healthy and nutritious food. It will help our awesome colleague Rhonda Mouton (Program Manager of LaGuardia CARES) to support our students’ needs. Monetary donations are also accepted at https://www.laguardia.edu/fooddrive. LaGuardia CARES also has volunteer and internship opportunities available for students; please encourage your students to learn more and sign up.  

GOOD NEWS FROM GRANTS DEVELOPMENT

Major Federal Grant for Early Childhood Learning Center (ECLC) Supports New Infant Care Room and More 



LaGuardia’s Early Childhood Learning Center (ECLC) has been awarded a four-year $2,714,884 grant from the U.S. Education Department’s Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS) program, which aims to support low-income parents pursue college degrees through campus-based childcare services. With this grant, the ECLC will begin providing early childcare services for infants as young as six months. Previously, 12 months was the youngest served by ECLC. In addition, the grant will enable ECLC to serve more single parents and low-income families with a 25–30% in capacity. Beyond childcare, the grant will enable ECLC to enhance its Parent Wellness Program with an intentional and preventative focus on trauma-informed social, emotional and mental health; address post-pandemic stressors to expand access to early intervention assessments, referrals, and services for children enrolled in the childcare program and the larger student-parent community; and collaborate with internal and external partnerships in support of the wellness series.

ALUMNI AND SUPPORTERS

Antonio Alarcón (LaGuardia’15) Taking the Fight for a Path to Citizenship to the National Stage 



Antonio Alarcón (LaGuardia’15) has dedicated his career to fighting for immigrant rights and a path to citizenship for undocumented individuals living in the United States. He was a co-plaintiff in a landmark case that went before the U.S. Supreme Court and helped safeguard DACA (the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program) against efforts to end it by the Trump administration. After earning his bachelor’s from Queens College in 2017, he began working as an organizer with Make the Road New York, leading rallies and meeting with local elected officials to advocate for immigrant rights. Now, Alarcón has taken his advocacy to the national stage. As senior national organizer for the Center for Popular Democracy, he trains supporters from around the country in grassroots advocacy—teaching them how to canvass to get out the vote and make sure that individuals understand their voting rights. The goal? To ensure a high voter turnout on election day 2022, and support the election of officials that support a national immigration bill.  


LAGUARDIA IN THE HEADLINES

MARY CHRISTIE QUARTERLY  

LaGuardia’s Mental Health Peer Specialist Training Program Provides Careers and Community for People with Mental Health Conditions  

 

NPR ALL THINGS CONSIDERED 

Thanks to a $15 million fundraising campaign, students who want to learn skilled trades, like plumbing, can do so for free at LaGuardia. 

 

COMMUNITY COLLEGE DAILY 

Craig Greene is LaGuardia's newly appointed chief diversity officer and Title IX coordinator, and Jay Golan is executive director of the LaGuardia Community College Foundation. 

 

WBUF RADIO (Buffalo, NY) 

Top 10 Community Colleges In New York State 

HUMAN RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL UPDATES

Benefits Open Enrollment Begins November 1 through November 30 


Open Enrollment is the one time during the year when you can change your benefit elections, add or remove dependents for health, dental, vision and flexible spending account plans without a “Qualifying Life Event.” CUNY’s insurance carriers, the PSC CUNY Welfare fund, and benefit vendors will be holding virtual presentations to review program highlights and answer questions from participants. Please click here to see the dates and times for the Open Enrollment Virtual presentations. 


Sign-up for Flexible Spending Account Between October 17 through November 18


The Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) Program Open Enrollment Period for Plan Year 2023 is going on now, for an effective date of January 1, 2023. The Plan Year 2023 FSA Program Brochure and forms are available on the FSA website under "Forms and Downloads".  

CUNY Training Opportunities 

The Professional Development & Learning Office is excited to share the Fall 2022/Winter 2023 DCAS Training Catalog. Courses will be offered both in-person and virtually. Course topics covered include: 

  • Communication 
  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 
  • Leadership 
  • Personal Development 
  • Management & Supervision  

Before registering for any professional development courses, staff must receive approval from their supervisor. Next, the staff member should complete the Fall Course Registration Form. Space is limited so employees interested in a course should register as soon as possible to guarantee a seat. Upon registration, a confirmation email will be sent from University.Training@cuny.edu to the employee and their supervisor within 7 business days. Use the same email address with any questions. 


EVENTS

October 19       LaGuardians at Night 

October 20       MoneyBoss: Financial Planning for Career 

October 20       LGBTQ+ Political Representation in Queens 

October 21       Fall 2022 Virtual Transfer Fair 

October 24       LHI: Raising Awareness 

October 24       Racial Healing Circles 

October 26       Wednesdays with Wendy: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Discussion 


Submit events to the campus calendar on our website.

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Campus Update is produced and published by the Communications and External Affairs Division. Faculty and staff who wish to submit items for publication can Share a Story or send an email to CampusUpdate@lagcc.cuny.edu. Submissions must be received by 5 p.m. Monday to be considered for publication on Wednesday.