"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. | |
LaGuardia Celebrates Asian American/ Pacific Islander Heritage Month | |
May is Asian American/ Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month! As a proud Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), LaGuardia will be hosting several events and workshops to celebrate AAPI heritage and cultures throughout the month of May. The AAPI Heritage Month Committee has planned a mini conference on May 7 to celebrate the diverse cultural identities of AAPI communities at LaGuardia, as well as a cultural celebration on May 22, featuring singing, taiko drumming, and dance performances. For more information on these events and more, visit LaGuardia’s AAPI Celebration webpage. | |
LaGuardia’s Theater Program will perform the Tony-award winning musical Pippin. “We’ve set Pippin in the year 2044, 20 years after a fictional catastrophic world war,” said Theater Professor Stefanie Sertich, director of Pippin. “Led by the Leading Player, a troupe of wandering players find The Black Box Theatre at LaGuardia to be the ideal spot to stage Pippin for the surviving audience.” Two youth actors will make their theatrical debut in Pippin. The role of Theo is shared by Catalina Kaloferov, 11, daughter of Snezhana Kenarova, development manager, and Abel Tőke Nichols, 10, son of Dr. Lilla Tőke, associate professor of English. Tickets are available for performances running from May 13 through May 20; click here to reserve. | |
 | Today, LaGuardia celebrated Cinco de Mayo to kick off the event season of the LaGuardia Community Greenway, located on 29th Street, stretching from Skillman Avenue to 47th Avenue. The event featured dancing, free tacos and activities for the college community to enjoy. The Greenway will be hosting a series of events from May 1 through October 30 and inviting students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the community to engage and enjoy the open space. The Greenway is made possible through a partnership between LaGuardia, New York Department of Transportation and the NYC Open Streets Program. On May 15, the Hispanic Federation will be hosting a Career Expo, featuring employers and service providers from across the five boroughs. The Expo will provide participants with the opportunity to meet with receive advise and learn about many job opportunities. Festivities for each of the scheduled events will begin at 12 noon and conclude at 4:30 p.m. 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. | |
LaGuardia is offering students experiential opportunities to prepare for careers in the film and media industries, with support from a three-year $150K grant from the MetLife Foundation. Students interested in film or media can now participate in the “Reel Futures Media” internship program offering complete workforce readiness training and paid internships with production companies across New York City. Through the program students gain real-life film/media production experience by working alongside creative educators and professionals from concept to post-production. Internships are available through the MediaMKRS program offered by Reel Works, a non-profit group that incorporates arts education with workforce development to mentor, train, and place young people from underrepresented communities into careers in film and television. | |
Basketball Player Arthur Dukes Selected for NABC NICAA Division III All-American Team | | |
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The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) recently announced its 2023-24 Two-Year College Coach of the Year, Player of the Year, and All-America Teams. Arthur Dukes, point guard and team captain for the LaGuardia Red Hawk Men’s Basketball team, was selected for the 2023-24 NABC NICAA Division III All-American Team. Arthur is a Business Administration major from Harlem who has been the top point scorer for the Red Hawks during the 2023-34 season. Click here to read the full list of NABC honorees. | |
Theater Major Juan Rubio Wins National Award from the 2024 American College Theater Festival | |
As a winner of the Charlene Gordon Arts Impact Award, Theater major Juan Rubio will receive a scholarship and an invitation to the Kennedy Center for an 8-day summer residency that will include meetings with artistic leaders of theater companies across the country and with the programming and administrative leadership at the Kennedy Center. This award follows Juan’s selection as a regional finalist for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF)/League of Resident Theatres (LORT) ASPIRE Leadership Fellows Program, which Theater Professor Stefanie Sertich co-founded. | |
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As a finalist, Juan attended the national KCACTF festival in Washington, D.C last month, where he was part of a group of 12 students selected from two and four-year institutions nationwide to learn about arts leadership and advocacy. In an awards ceremony, Kelvin Dinkins Jr., a nationally recognized leader in American theater, stated that Juan and his fellow winner were selected for demonstrating a “pioneering commitment to advancing access and inclusion as well as forward thinking advocacy for the arts.” | | |
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LaGuardia aims to be an inclusive and welcoming environment with an appreciation for celebrations and observances that are important to a wide range of cultures and religions. Here are just a few of the religious and cultural observances recognized in our community throughout the month of May:
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May 5: Holocaust Remembrance Day
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May 5: Orthodox Easter
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May 5: Cinco de Mayo
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May 23: Vesak
For a full listing of holidays and observations celebrated this month and throughout the year, please visit the CUNY Religions & Ethnic Holiday Calendar.
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Student Financial Services will host CUNY FAST this Saturday, May 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students can receive guidance with their FAFSA and personalized support from financial aid professionals. Students are encouraged to create a FSA ID for themselves and contributors (such as parents), and gather necessary documents. Please encourage your students to register here. | |
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March Operating Statements Now Available | |
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Strategic Planning Forum: Friday, May 3
LaGuardia’s Strategic Planning Committee invites members of the college community to attend Charting Student Success: A Journey Through LaGuardia's Past, Present & Future. The Forum begins at 9 a.m. in the Little Theater, and is immediately followed by workshops focused on the eight pillars of student success: Teaching & Learning, Student Support, Facilities & Resources, Student Experience, Career Success and Social & Economic Mobility, Climate and Culture, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Community Engagement. RSVP here to attend.
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U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Recognizes Professor Arthur Lau | |
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), recently recognized Professor Arthur Lau, Chairperson of the Education and Language Acquisition Department for his service in support of the recent selection panels for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. Heidi Manley, USA Study Abroad Branch Chief, U.S. Department of State; and Theresa Gagnon, Gilman Program Officer, U.S. Department of State wrote in a recent letter to Provost Billie Gastic Rosado, “We are grateful for the expertise and time that Arthur Lau shared in evaluating applications to select recipients of the Gilman Scholarship Program for the March 2024 Deadline.” Overall, for the 2023-2024 academic year, the Gilman Program will provide approximately 3,000 exceptional U.S. undergraduate students with funding to support their participation in study abroad programs and international internships. These Gilman Scholars will share American culture and values and learn the languages and cultures while bringing that knowledge back to campuses and communities across the United States. | |
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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. | |
Four Part Self-Care Journey in May with Geo Derice | |
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Author and motivational speaker Geo Derice will lead four sessions throughout May to help students achieve their greatest potential! Students are invited to participate in the series and get a free copy of one of his books, The Thirst is Real and Geo's Gems. If you know of any students who may be interested, please encourage them to register today to secure a spot!
All events will take place on Zoom from 2–4 p.m. on Wednesdays. Each week will feature a different theme:
- May 1: Self-ish
- May 8: Turn Down for What
- May 15: Vision Board
- May 22: Chess not Checkers
Hosted by LaGuardia's Multicultural Exchange.
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Updates from LaGuardia’s Library | | |
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- 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.
- We have two display cases outside the Library with Faculty Publications. Make sure to check them out.
- Students can submit “A” papers for a course taken at LaGuardia during the 2023/24 academic year to the 43rd Annual Library Research Review Competition. First place is an Amazon fire tablet. Entries are due July 6.
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HUMAN RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL UPDATES | |
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Professional Development Workshops: Spring 2024
- 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.
- 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 28 (part 1) & Thursday, May 30 (part 2) both at 2 p.m. on Zoom. Register here.
- 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.
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CUNY HR Service Alert: NYCAPS Payroll Stub Access Unavailable
NYCAPS (New York City Automated Personnel System) continues to experience 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. 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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NYCERS Members and Retirees: You’ve Got Questions? NYCERS Has Answers!
Join NYCERS for a special event where they will answer your frequently asked questions about your most valuable NYCERS resource – your online MyNYCERS account. Learn how to register and the great benefits of having a MyNYCERS account.
- When: April 30, 6 to 8 p.m.
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Where: Zoom. Closed captioning is available.
Click here to register. Registration will remain open until Zoom capacity has been reached.
After registering, look out for an email from “POP Zoom” (no-reply@zoom.us) with details to join the webinar on the day of the event.
For information on other NYCERS events, visit NYCERS' Pension Seminars webpage.
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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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