"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. | |
In just eight days, the nearly 2,000 members of LaGuardia’s Class of 2024 will celebrate earning their associate degrees or certificates at the college’s 52nd Commencement, which will begin at 9 a.m. on Friday, June 21, on the quad of the Queens College campus. For more information, click here. In anticipation of this momentous event, the annual Red Hawks Rising series, named in honor of LaGuardia’s beloved mascot, recognizes members of the graduating class and offers a glimpse into their dedication and achievements. Click here to read about the 2024 Red Hawks Rising, which includes Zahara Mutebi, a Uganda native graduating with a degree in computer science and transferring to John Jay, Aim-E Chi who is graduating with a degree in New Media Technology and hopes to transfer to the CUNY Baccalaureate (CUNY BA) program to pursue a major merging criminal justice and graphic design, and Julian Poli, who will earn his degree in civil engineering and is transferring to City College to pursue a bachelor’s in the same field.
“We are excited to celebrate the LaGuardia Class of 2024,” said President Kenneth Adams. “For our graduates who finished high school during the Covid-19 pandemic, this will be their first time participating in-person during a commencement ceremony. Commencement represents the culmination of their dedication, hard work, and perseverance. We congratulate them all and wish them much success in their future.”
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President Adams Speaks at Community Board 2 Meeting | |
On June 6, President Kenneth Adams attended the monthly meeting hosted by Community Board 2 (CB2). As part of the agenda, the Department of Transportation presented a proposal for the Queens Boulevard improvements project, which includes improvements on Thomson Avenue. During the meeting, which can be viewed online, President Adams shared college stats related to LaGuardia’s student population and stressed the importance of providing a safe place for students, faculty and staff. He highlighted the creation of the LaGuardia Community Greenway to help in the efforts of creating a safe environment for the Queens community. “We are encouraged by the DOT’s revitalization of the plan,” he said. “We support the vision presented by the Department of Transportation, and we applaud Community Board 2 Transportation Committee for bringing it this far along.” The revised plan was shared as an information item and no vote was presented during the meeting. CB2 will be hosting its next meeting on September 12. | |
PTA Pinning Ceremony Honors Graduates | |
LaGuardia Community College recently hosted its 2024 Physical Therapist Assistant Program Pinning Ceremony on June 11. The event took place in the Little Theater. President Kenneth Adams was among the speakers who attended the pinning ceremony to celebrate the academic achievements of the graduates from the Physical Therapist Assistant Program. Other speakers included Dr. Billie Gastic Rosado, Provost and Senior Vice-President of Academic Affairs; Dr. Philip Gimber, Health Sciences Department, Chairperson; Fall 2023 Class Speaker Elena Loyacono Bustos; and Spring 2024 Class Speaker Sandy Argudo.
The Class of 2024 PTA graduates include: Sandy Argudo, Vitore Gega, Christian Marquez, Stephanie Rawnsley, Jennifer Ruiz, Yatnery Almonte, Francis De Lucas, Gus Dollinger, Matthew Feuer, Jacqueline Fusaro, Jorgy Garcia, Adeeb Hejazi, Ann Marie Hennesy, Christy Imperial, Elena Loyacono Bustos, Erik Quintuna, Rustam Schoenholt, and Catherine Wang.
The presentation of pins and certificates of completion were presented by Professor Sandra Ribeiro, PT, DPT. Awards were presented by Professor May Tom, PT, DPT, and the PTA Oath was led by Mr. Carlos Lopez, PTA, CLT.
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LaGuardia Celebrates SOAR Program with Closing Ceremony | |
The SOAR Experiential Learning Program and the Center for Career & Professional Development hosted the SOAR Experiential Learning Program Closing Ceremony on June 6 at the Poolside Café. During the event, SOAR Experiential Learning students participated in a speed networking session to meet hiring managers, CEOs, and industry professionals in a structured, small-group setting. The SOAR Experiential Learning Program is funded by the LaGuardia Foundation. | |
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Faculty and staff who signed up to work at Commencement on Friday, June 21 should plan to arrive at Queens College by 7 a.m., sign-in at the Rosenthal Library, and pick up a Commencement Crew t-shirt. Faculty participating in the Academic Processional should plan to arrive by 8 a.m. Please visit our website for additional information. | |
MBJ Cafe Hours: June 17- 21 | |
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E-Building Atrium and C-Building Lobby Cafes: Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9 a.m.- 2 p.m.
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M-Building Cafeteria: Closed June 17-21.
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Save the Dates: Upcoming Events on the LaGuardia Community Greenway | |
There’s plenty of fun programming coming up this summer on the LaGuardia Community Greenway. If you enjoyed events like Pride on the Greenway and the AAPI Heritage Month Cultural Celebration, there are more scheduled to take place in the coming weeks. Here are just a few upcoming events to keep an eye out for:
- July 17: Summer Youth Art Expo
- July 25: Summer Safe
- August 7: BBQ on The Greenway
For the full line-up of events planned, visit the LaGuardia Community Greenway webpage here. Campus or community groups who wish to table and participate during the Greenway events can contact Nayelli Valencia Turrent, Chief of Staff at nvalenciaturrent@lagcc.cuny.edu.
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Navigate Launches July 9
Navigate is a student, faculty and staff portal that is replacing the student My LaGuardia portal. Its features will connect members of the college community through appointments, shared notes, communications features, and much more.
Important Dates:
- June 27: Last day of student access to current My LaGuardia portal; last day to book an appointment through My LaGuardia
- June 28- July 8: My LaGuardia deactivated; students should contact advisors via email or utilize drop-in hours.
- July 9: Navigate is live. Students can access the system to make appointments or check-in to offices.
- August 16: C2C deactivated. Faculty must utilize Navigate to issue alerts or to communicate with students in their courses.
- September 5: Navigate is fully operational.
Please visit our Navigate webpage to learn more about this important transition and to register for an upcoming training.
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Fall 2024 Opening Sessions: Call for Presentations
Mark your calendars! Opening Sessions 2024, Career Readiness & Pathways: Guiding Students Towards Success in Education and Beyond, is scheduled for Wednesday, September 4. Similar to last year, Opening Sessions will be in-person. Please consider submitting a proposal for a 50-minute presentation connected to the theme. The deadline to submit your proposal is July 15. Please contact Jasmine Edwards at jaedwards@lagcc.cuny.edu and Cristina Natale at cnatale@lagcc.cuny.edu with any questions.
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LAGUARDIA AND WAGNER ARCHIVES | |
Archival Photo Shows New York's Great Political Dynasty: The Wagners | |
This Father’s Day, we remember one of the greatest political dynasties New York has ever seen, passed down from father to son to grandson: Robert Ferdinand Wagner I, II, and III. All three members of the family held elected office in or representing New York City, and devoted their lives to public service. As great an impact as each had on politics, it pales in comparison to the strength of the familial ties between all three men. Mayor Wagner II often introduced his father as “my closest friend, my severest critic, my idol, my dad.” In this Wagner Collection photo from 1945, Robert “Bobby” Wagner III is just 20 months-old, holding the hands of his father, the mayor, and his grandfather, the senator, in his adorable, chubby little fists. You can learn more about the Wagners through our Robert F. Wagner Collection, named for the second Wagner in the dynasty. | |
Two LaGuardia Faculty Complete AAC&U Grant Writing Innovation Exchange Institute | |
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Two professors in the Mathematics, Engineering, and Computer Science Department, Reem Jaafar and Milena Cuellar, recently completed the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)’s 2024 Grant Writing Innovation Exchange Institute. The AAC&U promotes “equity, innovation, and excellence in liberal education” and hosts several different professional development institutes each year. At this four-day institute, Professors Jaafar and Cuellar worked to refine their grant-writing skills. In a letter to Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Billie Gastic Rosado, AAC&U’s Kelly Mack wrote that the organization hopes “attendees will take this information to lead change efforts toward STEM reform.” | |
LaGuardia Hosts CUNY Research Scholars Program Symposium, June 24 | |
LaGuardia Community College will be hosting The CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP) Symposium for the second year on June 24. The event, which includes poster presentations and an awards presentation, is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., June 24, on the LaGuardia Campus. Keynote address will be presented by Jaweria Bakar, CRSP alumna from Kingsborough Community College and a graduate of Yale University. Other speakers include Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Dr. Rosemarie Wesson, LaGuardia President Kenneth Adams, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Billie Gastic Rosado. The CRSP funds year-long research experiences for associate degree students at all seven CUNY community colleges and three comprehensive schools. The goal of the program is to encourage undergraduate participation in authentic research and to increase persistence in STEM disciplines. RSVP here. | |
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Students looking for enrollment services support can now access virtual office hours every Thursday 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. | |
Updates from LaGuardia’s Library | |
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- The Library will be closed June 14 - June 16 and will be open reduced hours, from 9 a.m. - 4:40 p.m., on June 17 and June 18. We will be closed for the holiday on June 19. We will resume Spring II semester hours on June 20, opening at 8 a.m. Please make sure to check our calendar before heading in.
- 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.
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HUMAN RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL UPDATES | |
New York Yankees Educators Appreciation Week — June 18-22
The New York Yankees are honoring all educators and their families/friends during their annual Educator’s Appreciation week! Every ticket purchased for any of the games on June 18, 19, 20, 21 or 22 through this offer comes with a choice of either an exclusive Yankees lunch bag or tumbler cup co-branded with the Yankees’ Teacher Appreciation logo. $15 meal vouchers valid at any standing concession stand will also be included for the June 18, 19 and 20 games. For more info and to see all current offers, click here. For groups of 10 or more, suites, or season ticket packages please reach out to Ben Powell at (646) 977-8472.
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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.
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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.
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Fastest and Best Way to Get Technology Help
Whenever you have any technology-related problems—whether it’s with apps like CUNYfirst, Outlook, or the Faculty & Staff Portal, etc. or with any network services or computer equipment — the fastest and best way to get help is to contact the IT HelpDesk by opening a ticket through the Faculty & Staff Portal, or by calling 718-482-6134.
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LAGUARDIA IN THE HEADLINES | |
"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. |
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