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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.

NEWS

Spring Closing Sessions Recording Now Available on YouTube 

On May 31, President Kenneth Adams gave his Closing Sessions presentation to the LaGuardia faculty and staff in the Little Theater. President Adams shared updates on the college’s ongoing strategic planning efforts, as well as other developments around the college. If you were unable to attend Closing Sessions in person or watch the livestream, the full recording is now available on YouTube for all members of the campus community to watch.

Strategic Planning Efforts Continue

This week, the Center for Teaching & Learning conducted a panel discussion on goals and strategies for the 2024–2029 strategic plan, the Career Success and Facilities and Resources committees released surveys, and more people got involved! There’s still time for you to contribute as well. We invite you to fill out surveys as soon as possible. The deadline for all surveys to be complete is June 14.

 


As always, if you want to learn about upcoming events and get involved, visit the Strategic Planning website.

LaGuardia and CUNY Participate in Queens Pride Parade

President Kenneth Adams, members of the LaGuardia community, and other Queens CUNY institutions participated in the New Queens Pride Parade and Multicultural Festival on June 2. The Parade and Multicultural Festival is the second oldest and second largest pride parade in New York City. Founded in 1993, it is held annually on the first Sunday in June, in Jackson Heights along 37th Avenue. This year is the 32nd anniversary of Queens Pride which included a day filled with food, live entertainment and engagement from community leaders including the CUNY LGBTQIA+ Consortium and the LGBT Network. 


Pictured above: Members of the CUNY community marching in the New Queens Pride Parade and Multicultural Festival, shot by Photography student Giulia Armentano.

LaGuardia Celebrates Graduates of President’s Society Program

The President’s Society (PS) of LaGuardia Community College hosted a graduation celebration on May 29. There were 27 students who completed the President’s Society program, and 23 of them are graduating with the Class of 2024. Four of the PS students will continue their studies at LaGuardia in the fall. The President’s Society graduates included: Abed Rahat (Business Administration); Ailec Tapia Susana (Accounting), Alexandra Rivera (New Media Tech: Digital Media); Alisa Fontanez (Biology: Biotechnology Track); Amena Shamia (Biology); Benjamin Gamboa (Business Administration); Diya Rijal (Accounting); Ekaterine Abutidze (Psychology); Jino Dority (Fine Arts: Design Studies); Joaquin Flores (Liberal Arts: Math and Science); Lesly Gomez (Liberal Arts: Social Sciences and Humanities); Md Siddique (Computer Science); Mingyo Song (Liberal Arts: Social Sciences and Humanities); Nadia Begum (Psychology); Rina Nagaya (Nutrition and Culinary Management); Tania Sierra (Public and Community Health); Thaw Lin Aye (Biology); Nataly Pichardo (Business Administration); Bruno Pinto (Accounting); Nang Kham His (Celia) Liang (Biology: Biotechnology Track); Priyanka Fnu (Computer Science); Dylan Ramdath (Computer Science); Jigmi Sherpa (Computer Science); Sebastian Samayoa Melendez (Liberal Arts: TESOL-Linguistics; Xian Liu (Computer Science); Brandon Ospina (Psychology); and Erik Holtsclaw (Mechanical Engineering). 

LaGuardia Community Celebrates Pride on the Greenway

Students, faculty and staff came together on the LaGuardia Community Greenway to celebrate Pride on June 5. This year’s LGBTQIA+ Pride on the Greenway featured a performance from local drag queen Petti Cash, as well as karaoke with La Casa Ambassadors, free food, and free resources such as HIV/AIDS testing, pregnancy tests, and more. Campus LGBTQIA+ groups Queer AF and Lavender LaGuardia also tabled the event. The next event scheduled to take place on the Greenway is the Summer Youth Art Expo on July 17. For more information about programming on the Greenway, visit this webpage. To learn more about upcoming events for LGBTQIA+ pride at LaGuardia, click here.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Commencement Updates for Faculty and Staff

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.  

English Department and Creative Writing Program Announces, 2024 edition of “The Lit”

The English Department and Creative Writing Program recently published the 2024 edition of LaGuardia’s Literary and Art Magazine, The Lit. In addition to the web zine, this term a print edition was also published, which can be previewed here. A limited number of copies are available in the English Department, room E-103. The Lit is a production of English 288, The Lit Internship, open to all LaGuardia students in the spring term. This term’s student-editors were Tammy (Junor) Browne, Kevin Cruz, Victor Garate, Daraen Kyi, Danaiya Odom, Vanesa Paulino, Joal Pazmiño, Devika Shewpaltan, and Ethan Velez. The faculty advisor was Dr. Christopher Schmidt. This term’s issue includes essays, poems, fiction, and art focusing on family strife, love and desire, social justice, and economic struggle. The Lit also hosted an LGBTQIA+ art and writing contest with La Casa de las Américas. Special thank you goes out to Dr. Sonia Rodriguez, co-director of La Casa de las Américas for organizing and reading submissions for the LGBTQIA+ contest, as well as Drs. Irwin Leopando, Bethany Holmstrom, Lucy McNair, Laura Tanenbaum, and Noam Scheindlin. And thank you to Wilson Munoz and the Print Center for their invaluable support with the print edition.

LaGuardia Students (Re)Introduce Student Newspaper “The Bridge”

During the Spring Semester, students enrolled in the ENG 288 class worked on re-launching LaGuardia's student newspaper, The Bridge. The paper was first created in the 1970s, when it was originally named, Fiorello’s Flute. The student publication was distributed across campus for many years, ending its printed publication in 2019. Professor Bijoyeta Das, director of the Journalism Program at LaGuardia, resurrected The Bridge in an online format, working with students from Journalism courses and various English courses. Prof. Das also worked with Ed Hollins, graphic designer with the Communications and External Affairs Division, on the design and branding to produce the online version of the student publication.

Navigate Launches July 8


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.  

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. 

From the Budget Office

The FY2024 Tax Levy April 30, 2024 Operating Budgets by department are now available for viewing.

LAGUARDIA AND WAGNER ARCHIVES

LaGuardia Students, Faculty and Staff Invited to Attend CUNY Pridefest at Queens College

June 7 marks the seventh annual CUNY Pridefest at Queens College, sponsored by the CUNY LGBTQIA+ Consortium. Last year, the event had a strong turnout and the consortium anticipates that this year will be even bigger. CUNY Pridefest will take place on the Queens College Quad, where attendees will be entertained by the featured performer DJ Unico, supported by drag numbers, band performances and voguing on the main stage. The event is an exciting opportunity for students and other community members to meet with organizations serving the local LGBTQIA+ community.

LaGuardia and Wagner Archives Celebrate Women in Government 

On May 30, the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives hosted a presentation of the “Making it Here: Women in New York City Politics” project, which was made possible through a major grant of $1,090,000 from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation. The presentation featured six LaGuardia students from the Commercial Photography and Political Science programs who presented video interviews and photography. The grant, which was presented in 2022, endows the Robert D. L. Gardiner–Joseph Shenker Student Scholars Program, through which a cohort of LaGuardia students are selected each year to collaborate with historians and researchers at the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives. The “Making it Here: Women in Politics” project has enabled Archives to offer paid internships for students to conduct interviews and learn first-hand from the pioneers who are making a difference in our state. President Kenneth Adams presented welcome remarks. Special guests included Former American political leader and Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City in 1997 Ruth Messinger, and Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse (District 46).


ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

"Cameras for Science" Exhibit Available for Viewing Online

The fifth exhibition of the LaGuardia’s Camera for Science initiative which includes 51 images from 33 stellar photographers, is now online. Spanning a multitude of ideas, these photographs submitted by LaGuardia students, faculty, and the East-West School of International Studies, encompass optical and chemical phenomena, documentation of the natural world, the solar eclipse, and personal experiences. The exhibition has is curated by Professor of Photography Maureen Drennan.


Pictured above: A photo by Jetmir Troshani, featured in the Cameras for Science exhibition.

Faculty Encouraged to Apply for CTL Fellow Program by June 12


The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is accepting applications for two faculty fellow positions to support priority initiatives that engage faculty in and promote evidence-based High Impact Practices (HIPs) in teaching and learning (AAC&U). Working with CTL and Academic Affairs staff, Student Success Fellows will help to create, implement, and sustain improvements to proven HIPs that will strengthen outcomes for LaGuardia students.  


Fellows are expected to commit 10 hours a week in academic year 2024-25 to support projects in one of the areas outlined and help facilitate in-person and online events. Fellows will also be expected to participate in in-person and online meetings with CTL and Academic Affairs staff and write reports that document and assess the initiatives they support. Fellows will receive 12 hours of RT to be used in 2024-25. Apply online by completing this form. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. on June 12. 

ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

Virtual Office Available Every Friday for Enrollment Assistance

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.  

RED HAWK ATHLETICS

LaGuardia Red Hawks Women’s Basketball Welcomes New Players

LaGuardia Athletics hosted a signing ceremony to welcome three new members of the Red Hawks Women’s Baskeball Team. Coach Shareika Parry was on-hand to welcome Mariyha Boston (point guard) a graduate from Summit Academy; Jenny Bradley-Washington (combo guard), a transfer student from Monroe College; and Kahlauney Berete (forward/center) a graduate from the Thomas Jefferson Educational Campus (District 19). Visit the LaGuardia Athletics website to learn about the upcoming season. 

LIBRARY NEWS

Updates from LaGuardia’s Library

  • Students can borrow calculators, iPads, laptops and Chromebooks from our Media Help Desk on the second floor. 
  • Group Study Rooms are open! Students can reserve a room here
  • We have copies of almost all textbooks in the Library available to check out for 2 hours (you can’t leave the Library, though). If we don’t have it, please let us know. If you can’t make it into the Library, you can request a chapter scan

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. 

Professional Development Workshops: Spring 2024 


  • Navigating the New Environment of Remote Work 
  • Review of Federal employment laws that apply to remote workers. Keeping remote workers informed and involved. Technology needed for remote working. Employee responsibilities while remote working. How can we best support and promote work/life balance while working remotely.
  • Wednesday, June 12 at 2 p.m. on Zoom. Register here

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

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.

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

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. 

LAGUARDIA IN THE HEADLINES

QUEENS GAZETTE: LaGuardia Students Begin Cultivation of New Urban Farm on Campus 


JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY:Ari Richter, professor of Fine Arts at LaGuardia, is honored by New York Jewish Week for his contributions to NYC and its Jewish community. Prof. Richter will make his debut as an author and illustrator when his book, “Never Again Will I Visit Auschwitz: A Graphic Family Memoir of Trauma & Inheritance,” is published by Fantagraphics this summer. The graphic memoir draws upon Richter’s multidisciplinary art practice and recorded Holocaust testimonies and “late-in-life memoirs” from his survivor grandparents and great-grandparents.  


WOMEN’S HEALTH ON MSN: ⁠Dr. Chelsea Del Rio, associate professor of history at LaGuardia and co-chair of the American Historical Association's Committee on LGBT History, comments on the Lesbian Pride Flag's nuanced and ever-evolving history and meaning. 


WALLET HUB:Daryl Griffin, veteran resource center co-manager at LaGuardia Community College, provides guidance on factors military veterans should consider when selecting a city and state in which to retire.  

EVENTS

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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 email CampusUpdate@lagcc.cuny.edu. Submissions must be received by 5 p.m. Monday to be considered for publication on Wednesday.