"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. | |
English majors enjoy employment rates and peak salaries like those of college graduates of all majors, according to a new report from the Modern Language Association’s Association of Departments of English (ADE). Despite the pervasive myth that English majors have limited career prospects, Dr. Gordon Tapper, Professor of English at LaGuardia, says the “Report on English Majors’ Career Preparation and Outcomes,” concludes that English majors find jobs and earn good salaries. Dr. Tapper recently served as a member of the ADE Ad Hoc Committee on English Major’s Career Preparation and Outcomes who wrote the report release in late March. Dr. Tapper joined Dr. Rachel Arteaga, Associate Director, Simpson Center for the Humanities, University of Washington; Dr. Jacqueline Jenkins, Professor of English from the University of Calgary; Dr. Peter Joseph Kalliney, Professor of English from the University of Kentucky; and Dr. Jené Schoenfeld, Professor of English from Kenyon College. | |
Campus Community is Invited to Author Talk with Dr. Joni Schwartz-Chaney | | |
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On Wednesday, May 1, beginning at 4:30 p.m., a discussion will focus on themes in a new book, “Critical Faith: What It Is, What It Isn’t, and Why It Matters,” written by Dr. Joni Schwartz-Chaney (Humanities), co-PI of the U.S. Department of Justice-funded Accelerated College Transition Program. The book, which will be released by Fortress Press on April 23, delves into the origins and definition of Critical Race Theory (CRT), and highlights its relevance in both society and the church. A panel will be moderated by Dr. Reem Jaafar (MEC), director of research, evaluation, and program support for the Queens-STEM Academy. Panelists will include Dr. Andrea Francis (Business and Technology), Dr. Andrew McFarland (Humanities), Dr. Fay Butler (Student Affairs); John R. Chaney (Humanities), and Dr. Shaunee Wallace (Humanities). The event will take place in E-501. | |
LaGuardia Professors Elected to University Faculty Senate | |
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Congratulations to newly elected University Faculty Senators Charles Keyes (Library) and Lloyd Klein (Social Sciences), and Alternate Senators Faith Armstrong (Health Sciences) and Eric Conte (Education and Language Acquisition). Senators, who are elected for three-year terms, represent their colleges in university-wide deliberations. Alternate senators are elected for one-year terms. As the faculty governance body of CUNY, the University Faculty Senate works with senior or central administration to develop and implement CUNY’s Strategic Plan; make recommendations on CUNY policies, procedures, and personnel—and inform faculty of any changes; and foster communication transparency and reciprocity between the faculty and the administration. The University Faculty Senate is made up of nearly 140 elected delegates from 20 CUNY campuses; it is led by an elected executive committee and comprised of approximately 30 subcommittees. Dr. Rochell Isaac (English), president of LaGuardia’s Faculty Council, urges faculty to get involved in governance and to run for the positions when opportunities arise.
Pictured above, clockwise from top left: Charles Keyes, Lloyd Klein, Eric Conte, and Faith Armstrong
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Theater Program’s Everybody Wins National Awards from Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival | |
Congratulations to the Theater Program, which won four national awards from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) for its production of Everybody, directed by James Ryan (J.R.) Caldwell (Humanities). The awards are Special Achievement in Production of a Play, Distinguished Achievement in Performance and Production Ensemble, Distinguished Achievement in Sound Design (J.R. Caldwell), and Special Achievement in Media Design. Everybody was one of just five invited productions at KCACTF Region 1, held earlier this year at Central Connecticut State University. “This is an incredible achievement,” said Theater Program Director Christopher Weston. “We are so proud of everyone involved, especially our students!” | |
On April 16, LaGuardia hosted the 9th annual Black Lives Matter (BLM) Summit titled, “Black Creative Expression, Politics and Social Change.” This year’s Summit explored the power of Black expression, Black creativity, and Black politics while celebrating “50 Years of Hip Hop.” The event featured thought-provoking discussions, artistic performances, and engaging conversations to showcase the contributions of the Black community. The keynote speaker was Cheryl Boyce-Taylor, a renowned Trinidadian immigrant poet who was raised in Queens and the author of seven poetry collections, including her most recent, The Limitless Heart: New and Selected Poems (1997-2022). | |
Strategic Planning Committee Invites Input from College Community | |
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LaGuardia’s Strategic Planning Committee is preparing for the first of many events to take place in May. The Pillars of Student Success were introduced on April 15 in a message from President Kenneth Adams. Faculty, staff, and students who are interested in volunteering to work on one of the Pillars of Success (Teaching & Learning, Climate & Culture, DEI, Student Support, Student Experience, Facilities & Resources, Career Success and Community Engagement), can contact Kimberly Wright to learn who is leading that subcommittee and receive QR links directly to the pillar teams.
The Strategic Planning Committee will soon send out updates about the Forum, scheduled on May 3 at 9 a.m. in the Little Theatre, followed by brainstorming workshops in surrounding classrooms starting at 10:30 a.m. This will be your chance to ideate and discuss possible futures and strategies for student success and share what matters to you!
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Sustainability Council Hosts Annual Earth Day Festival | |
LaGuardia’s annual Earth Day Festival is taking place today in the E-Building Atrium until 4 p.m. The festival features environmental groups, agencies, and vendors from around the city, as well as games, activities, raffles and snacks. It was organized by the LaGuardia Sustainability Council, a group comprised of students, faculty and staff working together to promote the conservation of natural resources, energy efficiency, and carbon footprint reduction both on campus and in our communities. | |
LaGuardia Community College Foundation Welcomes Charles Simon to the Board of Directors | | |
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The LaGuardia Community College Foundation is overseen by a Board of Directors, and their energy and contributions are key to its ability to provide thousands of LaGuardia students with scholarships, stipends, internships, on-campus employment and emergency aid annually. The Board, currently led by Charles Boyce of Boyce Technologies, has recently elected Charles Simon as a new member. Charles Simon is the President and co-founder of MoveIndigo, a political organization. Prior to MoveIndigo, Charles served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Ethics with UNAIDS in Geneva, Switzerland. Before that, Charles was the General Counsel and Director of Policy of Case Commons, a non-profit that creates modern software for human services. Charles’ experience also includes serving as Senior Vice President for Clear; Deputy Director of New York State Division of Criminal Justice; Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York; and Deputy Associate Attorney General at the Federal Department of Justice. | |
English Professor Bijoyeta Das Awarded CUNY Interdisciplinary Research Grant for Student Storytelling Institute | |
Professor Bijoyeta Das (English) and Dr. Tram Nguyen of Hostos Community College were one of seven interdisciplinary teams, out of 44 applications, awarded 2024 grants from the CUNY Interdisciplinary Research Grant program. They will use their $45,000 grant to organize a student storytelling institute. Five students each from LaGuardia and Hostos will receive training in multimedia documentation, oral history and storytelling. “The goal is to promote intergenerational dialogue and spark public conversations through stories about boundary crossing,” said Prof. Das. “We describe crossing as both physical, such as borders, but also metaphorical, such as crossing cultural taboos, overcoming economic limitations and upward mobility.” The students will create exhibits based on their work, which will be showcased this fall both digitally and in physical locations. Please share this opportunity with students. Each participant will receive a $1,000 stipend. Click here for the application form. With questions, contact Professor Das at bdas@lagcc.cuny.edu. | |
Students, Faculty and Staff Select “LaGuardia Community Greenway” as the name of the 29th Street Space; 2024 Programming Begins May 1 with Cinco de Mayo Celebration | |
For the past two years, LaGuardia Community College has used various names to identify the open street on 29th Street, such as "LaGuardia Community Greenway," "The Plaza," and "La Plaza." Earlier this month, the college community was asked to select one of the three names used or suggest the official name of the 29th Street space. There were 353 votes in total with 41% voting for “LaGuardia Community Greenway” 14% for “The Plaza” and 24% for “La Plaza.” There were also 77 write-in votes. Programming for the LaGuardia Community Greenway will begin on Wednesday, May 1 with an early celebration of Cinco de Mayo featuring FREE tacos for LaGuardia students, faculty, and staff, live music and outdoor activities. The festivities begin at 12 noon and will conclude at 4:30 p.m. The 2024 season of Greenway activities will run through October 2024. Campus groups 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. The 2024 event schedule is still being finalized. For updates and to learn more about the LaGuardia Community Greenway here. | |
LaGuardia Encourages College Community to Participate in National Denim Day, April 24 | | |
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April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and a time to practice solidarity with and show support for survivors of sexual assault. LaGuardia invites all members of the college community to participate in National Denim Day by wearing jeans on Wednesday, April 24. Denim Day originated in 1999, as a response to a sexual assault conviction that was appealed—and then overturned—by the Italian Supreme Court. | |
The conviction concerned the sexual assault of an 18-year-old female, by her driving instructor during a routine driving lesson. A statement from the Court, overturning the conviction, argued that because the victim wore very tight jeans, she must have had to help the perpetrator remove them. The justices argued that this demonstrated that the victim had consented—a.k.a. the “jeans alibi.” In protest of this blatant injustice, women in Italy’s Parliament wore jeans on the steps of the Supreme Court. This demonstration of solidarity was picked up by international media and became the catalyst for the international sexual assault prevention education campaign, known as “Denim Day.” For the past 25 years, many institutions including colleges and universities have participated in “Denim Day” and we are excited to continue to show our support by making a fashion statement and wearing jeans to work against the myths and misconceptions held in society. Community members can show their support by posting photos on social media are encouraged to tag LaGuardia (@laguardiacc on Instagram and @LaGuardiaCC on X) and use the hashtag #DenimDay. | |
Sustainability Council and Art Department Collaborate to Save Birds | |
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Nearly one billion birds are injured or killed by collisions with clear glass windows every year in the United States, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. LaGuardia is doing its part to help reduce that number. Bird collisions often occur where vegetation is reflected in windows, where vegetation is behind glass, or at glass walkways and building corners, and where birds can see through glass to habitat on the other side. At the College, there have been many birds colliding into the windows along the E-Building breezeway connecting the outdoor cobblestone corridor and the courtyard.
Through a collaboration between LaGuardia’s Sustainability Council and the Art Department, an effort to protect the birds and highlight the creativity of LaGuardia’s Art students is building awareness about the protection of birds. In late March, the collaborative team invited Art students to design adhesive decals using LaGuardia’s school colors (red, black, white, and grey). The decals which will be placed along the breezeway windows on April 19, will help protect the birds from colliding into the windows and showcase student artwork. There were 30 designs submitted and six designs were selected by a committee of faculty and staff. The winning window art decals (shown here) were designed by Art students: Alexandra Garcia, Amelia Lichon (who had three designs selected), Dulce Amor Gamboa, and Yong Zheng Yuan.
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Staff Employee Engagement Survey Available from April 2-26 | |
LaGuardia’s Employee Engagement Committee is offering the Staff Employee Engagement Survey. In the survey, staff members are encouraged to share their concerns and work experiences at LaGuardia Community College. The survey also gives staff the opportunity to share their perspective to help shape the college’s goals and create a more inclusive community. The last engagement survey was conducted in October 2020, when 67% of full-time and 26% of Part-time employees responded. The staff survey, offered through WorkForce Science Associates begins April 2 through April 26. The survey is safe and secure and will be provided to each staff member via email with an individualized survey link. Participants should not share links. | |
Commencement Student Speaker Applications Now Being Accepted | | |
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With Commencement coming up soon on June 21, applications to serve as Commencement Student Speaker are now being accepted. Faculty and staff are encouraged to invite graduating students who have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, and who embody the spirit of the graduating class to apply by May 3.
Please visit our Commencement webpage for additional information; details regarding arrival times, directions, and more will be added over the coming weeks.
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Faculty and Staff Assistance Needed for Commencement | |
Preparations are well underway to celebrate LaGuardia’s 52nd graduating class at Commencement, taking place June 21 on the Quad at Queens College. Celebrating the hard work and achievements of our students takes a large team. Sign up to work on site at Queens College on Commencement Day. Help is needed with the student line up, ushering graduates and guests, check in, site set up, wheelchair assistance, and more. Faculty and staff are invited to attend Commencement and can RSVP here. Faculty wishing to march in the procession must wear academic regalia; rentals are available through Herff Jones, if needed. Orders may be placed online for shipment to your address or for pick-up on campus in June (the deadline for on-campus pick-up or home shipping is April 24). | |
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LaGuardia Community College Visits New York Irish Center | |
On Monday, April 15, the LaGuardia External Affairs team visited the New York Irish Center as part of an ongoing effort to forge new relationships and deepen existing ones with community-based organizations. The Center has been offering a wide range of programs to all age groups and serving the community for more than 20 years. It has served as a home for musicians and artists. This is a new relationship for the college that hopefully will grow into a solid collaboration that will benefit LaGuardia students. | |
LAGUARDIA AND WAGNER ARCHIVES | |
The Inner Circle Arrives at The Archives | |
Processing has begun on our latest acquisition: the Inner Circle Collection! The Inner Circle is a century-old organization of journalists which writes and performs an annual musical lampooning New York politics, followed by a song-and-dance rebuttal from the sitting mayor. This archival collection offers a humorous lens on the city’s current events as well as a glimpse of the mayor’s comedic chops. The Inner Circle will perform their 101st show next weekend, and in celebration we would like to share a clip from the 1986 show, “Triple Clown.” Watch until the end to see Mayor Ed Koch’s dance moves! Reach out to us if you would like to see more of the rich material in this collection. | |
LAGUARDIA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER | |
NY Forum of Amazigh Film Festival to Take Place this Week | |
The ninth edition of the New York Forum of Amazigh Film will take place in person April 18–19 and virtually on May 17. This year, the theme of the forum is “Memory and Resilience,” and it will feature screenings of recent shorts as well as Moroccan filmmaker Izza Génini’s 1993 short films Vibrations in High Atlas and Nuptials in Middle Atlas. Génini will also be present for a Q&A session in the afternoon. The first day of the festival will be at LaGuardia, with the second day at Columbia University. Learn more about the films and RSVP here. LaGuardia Professors Habiba Boumlik and Lucy McNair are two of the festival organizers. | |
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Open Education Resources Symposium Scheduled on May 3
Friday, May 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. there will be an Open Educational Resources (OER) showcase and symposium held in E-242. This event will highlight the adoption, development, and use of OER across our college and CUNY, including:
- Zero-textbook-cost classes (ZTC), or in a few cases, low-textbook-cost (LTC)
- Free online assessments using various online platforms
- Free supplemental classroom materials and lab manuals
- Other Open Pedagogy modules
The symposium will allow participants to showcase their efforts, share successful stories, and offer a collaborative space for innovating new OER projects across LaGuardia. This event is a follow-up to the first OER showcase held last year, which demonstrated the best OER practices of various LaGuardia faculty.
The Symposium organizing committee invites proposals to lead a breakout session or present a poster about your OER work as an individual or a group. Please fill out this form by April 19 if you would like to participate and register here to attend.
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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. | |
Silvercup Studios Donates Equipment to LaGuardia’s Film Production Program | |
Silvercup Studios, located in Long Island City, recently donated film production equipment (valued at approximately $37K) through Professor David Stott’s program. The equipment included Arri lights, Kinos, Barflys, and more. Photographed are LaGuardia film professors, students, and two members of the Silvercup staff who dropped off the equipment. Learn more about the Film Production Grip Training Program. | |
LaGuardia Red Hawks Women’s Basketball Team Welcome Two Players | |
On April 11, LaGuardia Red Hawks Women’s Basketball Team officially welcomed two new players to the roster for the 2024/2025 basketball season. Meniia Weeks, who will be graduating from Benjamin Cardozo High School in Queens and Akeelah Hargett- Baldwin, who will be graduating from Brooklyn Collaborative Studies High School in Brooklyn; both signed to play with the Red Hawks. Andrew Walker, director of Athletics and Recreation, says both new freshmen will be added to the roster and begin practice in preparation for the upcoming season. | |
Updates from LaGuardia’s Library | | |
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- The Library will be open for reduced hours during Spring Break. Please be sure to check our calendar before you make the trip.
- Group Study Rooms are open! Students can reserve a room here.
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Research Guides are customized guides that show you where to find information. Find the guide that relates to your research question!
- Looking for an idea for your next read? Check out our Featured Resources.
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HUMAN RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL UPDATES | |
In Memoriam: Dr. Roy McLeod | | |
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On April 11, Dr. Roy Hugh McLeod, former LaGuardia professor and administrator passed away. Dr. Roy McLeod was one of the” founding faculty” of the college, and one of the primary architects of Mathematics Department. Born in Jamaica, Dr. McLeod came to the United States in pursuit of his doctoral degree in Mathematics Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. McLeod had taught at Manhattan College and Nassau Community College before he came to LaGuardia in 1971 as Coordinator of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences Division. He was elected as the first chairperson of the Mathematics Department, which was formed in 1976, and served as chair until 1988. Dr. McLeod then served as the Dean of Faculty, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, and other administrative roles at the college until his retirement. Dr. McLeod is the author of a Precalculus textbook that was adopted by LaGuardia and other colleges. Funeral services have not been scheduled, however condolences and messages to Dr. McLeod’s family can be sent online to the Coral Springs Funeral Home. | |
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Professional Development Workshops: Spring 2024
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Conflict Resolution. How to Successfully Manage Difficult Conversations
- Focuses on strategies that employees can adapt to resolve conflict in the workplace and help us explore communication methods to develop strong relationships and improve group synergy. We will recognize the causes of workplace conflict, expand our understanding of ways to facilitate resolution of conflict and manage work relationships.
- Wednesday, May 1 at 2 p.m. on Zoom. Register here.
- Performance/Appraisal Evaluation Management
- Performance appraisals, reviews and evaluations describe documenting and communicating employees’ performance. It’s important for employees and managers to understand the role appraisals play in documenting performance issues and upholding the company’s performance management philosophy. We will go over our performance management policy, appraisal process, benefits of a fair and equitable evaluation to employees and the organization.
- Tuesday May 7 (part 1) & Thursday May 9 (part 2) both at 2 p.m. on Zoom. Register here.
- Planning/Goal Setting and Productivity Applications
- We will explore methods and processes of goal and objective setting. Setting SMART goals and objectives. We will also explore productivity tools that we can use to help stay organized and set obtainable goals that are both effective and efficient.
- Tuesday, May 14 at 2 p.m. on Zoom. Register here.
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CUNY HR Service Alert: NYCAPS Payroll Stub Access Unavailable
CUNY Central has announced that the NYCAPS (New York City Automated Personnel System) is currently experiencing a technical issue and access to Employee Self Service (ESS) is unavailable. CUNY Central is working diligently with the vendor to resolve the problem and restore access so that you can view your paystub. In the meantime, if you need immediate access to your most recent paystub, the LaGuardia Payroll department will temporarily print or email a password protected copy, please contact the Payroll Department by email at payroll@lagcc.cuny.edu or by calling 718-482-5518.
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NYCCHR Free Professional Development Opportunities for You
The University Human Resources, Professional Development & Learning Office has free, upcoming professional development opportunities available to all employees. The first session will be held on Monday, April 8. Employees will receive a meeting invitation with the link to the workshops the day before the session begins. The NYC Commission on Human Rights (NYCCHR) is offering two online workshops:
- Human Rights Law and Age Discrimination in Employment, Wednesday, May 29, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. The workshop provides information about age discrimination and protections under the City Human Rights Law for all workers. Examples of age discrimination in employment are discussed, as well as best practices for employers.
For more information and to register, please go to the workshop registration form.
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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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Protect Your Data! Take the CUNY Cybersecurity Awareness Training Course Today!
Given the rapidly increasing threats to our cybersecurity, CUNY is taking various actions to safeguard the security of our data. To that end, CUNY recently created a 40-minute Cybersecurity Awareness training course, designed specifically for faculty and staff. This course covers many cybersecurity risks, such as phishing attacks, spam, and hacked accounts, and best practices for safeguarding your data. You can view the course on Blackboard. All LaGuardia faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to take this course as soon as possible to protect their own and the University's data. If you have any questions regarding the training, please contact Maritza Acero.
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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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