"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. | |
The Division of Communications and External Affairs offers various additional resources to help you share news with the campus, including an event calendar, photography, graphic design, and more. | |
LaGuardia Community College celebrated the grand opening of Finca La Florecita (Little Flower Farm), a new urban farm and research center on campus. Kenneth Adams, President of LaGuardia Community College was the emcee for the ribbon-cutting ceremony that took place on October 30 with guests including Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez; CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez; representatives from the offices of Senator Kristen Gonzalez and Council Member Julie Won. Other guests included: Miriam Ana Vilamil, NYC Urban County Executive Director with the USDA; Qiana Mickie is the Executive Diretor of Office of Urban Agriculture; Estefany Gonzaga (Peer Mentor), who introduced Sub-Chief Owl S. D. Smith, a member of the Ramapough Lenape Nation of New York and New Jersey who offered the Living Land Acknowledgement. Finca La Florecita is a collaborative project spearheaded by Dr. Preethi Radhakrishnan, professor and director of LaGuardia’s Environmental Science Program, and departments throughout the college. Finca La Florecita is a research and learning space for aspiring urban farmers and gardeners—offering students hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture. Finca La Florecita supports the LaGuardia CARES food pantry, providing the pantry with fresh produce, addressing food insecurity among students and the local community. | |
Kenneth Adams, President of LaGuardia Community College, shared the stage at the New York State Multicultural Creativity Summit with leaders of the film and television industry to discuss career pathways for students interested in careers in this exciting field. The event, at 30 Hudson Yards, was co-hosted by the MPA’s member companies: NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros. Discovery. President Kenneth Adams shared his expertise during a panel discussion titled, “NYS Industry Pipeline Opportunities.” He shared insights about LaGuardia’s programs including the Film & Television Production Workforce Development Program and Film Production Accounting. President Adams was joined by Cheyenne Ford, Founder and Program Director of Art Craft NYC, Mitch Gelman, President and CEO of WCNY; Jay Roewe, Senior Vice President of Global Incentives and Production Planning for Warner Brothers, Discovery; and Patricia Bayley, Vice President of Digital & New Media Development at Empire State Development. | |
La Casa Hosts LaGuardia's Third Annual Day of the Dead Celebration | |
LaGuardia's Casa de las Américas (La Casa) hosted its third annual Day of the Dead celebration this afternoon in M-144. The Day of the Dead, known as Día de los Muertos in Spanish, is a holiday traditionally celebrated in some Latin American countries at the beginning of November, to honor deceased family members and loved ones. This year marked La Casa's third celebration of the holiday on campus, in which La Casa unveiled their Day of the Dead display of candles, calaveras, photos and other mementos. Attendees also enjoyed hot chocolate and pan de muerto, a Mexican sweet bread traditionally eaten on the holiday. | |
Center for Career and Professional Development Hosts Fall 2024 Job and Internship Fair | |
The Center for Career and Professional Development hosted its Fall 2024 Job and Internship Fair this afternoon in the E-Building Atrium. This fair is designed to introduce current students, recent graduates, and alumni to employers who are interested in recruiting for internships and entry-level opportunities. Students were encouraged to bring multiple copies of their resumes to share with recruiters — they even had the opportunity to do an interview with recruiters on the spot. More than 40 different employers across a wide range of sectors were represented at the fair, including organizations such as Bank of America, the New York City Department of Corrections, Lennox Hill Radiology, and the Bronx Zoo. | |
Students, faculty and staff are invited to attend the final event scheduled to take place on the LaGuardia Community Greenway this year: the Halloween Harvest Fest. The Halloween Harvest Fest marks the end of this year's programming on the Greenway, and it will feature several spook-tacular festivities such as trick or treating, DIY Halloween crafts and a costume contest. The event will take place from 12 to 4 p.m. For more information, contact Nayelli Valencia Turrent at nvalenciaturrent@lagcc.cuny.edu. | |
LaGuardia Hosts Fall 2024 Transfer Fair | |
Last week was National Transfer Student Week, and LaGuardia hosted a handful of transfer-support events, culminating in the Fall Transfer Fair on October 24. Students had the opportunity to explore college opportunities after graduation at the fair, hosted in the E-Building Atrium. Students met with representatives from a wide range of colleges, including CUNY, SUNY, and private schools both within and outside of New York City. College representatives were on campus from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. speaking with hundreds of LaGuardia students eager to learn more about their options after completing their associate degree. If you know a student who's interested in learning more about the transfer process, please direct them to the Transfer Resources webpage or tell them to contact their advisor or transfer@lagcc.cuny.edu. | |
Students, Faculty and Staff Gather for The Making of Democracy | |
La Casa partnered with the Creative Justice Initiative and afrolatin@ forum this week to present The Making of a Democracy: The Importance of Activism and Civil Engagement. The discussion was moderated by Isis Rakia Mattei, an attorney, writer, founding member, and Board President of the Creative Justice Initiative Inc., and welcomed Elizabeth Yeampierre, an internationally recognized Puerto Rican attorney and leader in environmental and climate justice, Esmeralda Simmons, Esq., founder of the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College, and Guesnerth Josué Perea, executive director of the afrolatin@ forum. | | |
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Following a Periodic Unit Review — required as part of the assessment cycle of all Administrative and Educational Support units — the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA), has changed its name to the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (OIRE). The new name more accurately reflects the office’s mission of combining institutional research and institutional effectiveness to provide accurate information and analysis to support data-driven decision making and support the college’s improvement efforts. The office has also launched a new webpage to reflect the change and streamline its content. | |
Early Voting Underway, Election Day on November 5 | |
The 2024 General Election on November 5 is coming up fast! Early Voting has begun and will run through November 3. To search for your Early Voting and Election Day locations, click here. Note that although LaGuardia is an Early Voting location, it may not be yours — voters in New York City are assigned one Early Voting location, and may only cast an early vote at their assigned site. Be sure to look up your location before showing up to the polls. | |
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Faculty Lunch Series with President Adams: Register Today | | |
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Faculty are invited to RSVP for Lunch with President Kenneth Adams, as part of an on-going series of meet ups with the community. There is no formal agenda, just a chance to catch up and share your LaGuardia story with the President. Please RSVP; space is limited. All events are held on Wednesdays from noon to 1:30 p.m. The first event will be November 20; additional dates continue into 2025. | |
Sign Up to Add a Professional Headshot to Your Faculty Profile | |
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LaGuardia’s Communications and External Affairs Division is hosting a series of “Photo Days” for faculty and staff who need to update their professional headshots! Your headshot can be used for a variety of purposes, and adds a personal touch to your Faculty Profile on the LaGuardia website. The Photo Days are scheduled from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Room E-509. Book your timeslot here for one of the following dates:
For more information contact Anastasia Figuera, photographer, Ext. 7471.
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New 2024-25 Executive Committee | |
The College Senate elected a new Executive Committee for the 2024-25 academic year at the Senate meeting on October 23. Dr. Cristy Bruns (English) will continue as chair, while Dr. Leslie Scamacca (Business and Technology) has been elected as vice chair and Dr. Jill Kehoe (Social Sciences) as secretary. At-large senators joining the Executive Committee are Jean Buckley-Lockhart (Counseling Dept/Wellness Center) and Luke Cardaio (Student Affairs). Two students elected to the Executive Commitee are Jiale Lin (Electrical Engineering) and Aowshaful Jafin (Liberal Arts: Political Science). For a complete list of new and returning senators and alternate senators for the 2024-2025 Senate year, please visit the Senate website. | |
LAGUARDIA AND WAGNER ARCHIVES | |
LaGuardia and Wagner Archives Encourages LaGuardia Community to Vote in 2024 Election | | |
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Early Voting has begun in the election! Don't forget to cast your vote and to help your neighbors do the same. While the election for president is important, so are the down-ballot issues that New Yorkers need to weigh in on! Don't forget to turn your ballot over and vote on the six proposals that will impact our city government, which you can learn about here. The LaGuardia and Wagner Archives is dedicated not only to preserving the city's history but encouraging students and all New Yorkers to learn about city government and how they can advocate for the issues that matter to them. We've just added new interviews with member of the City Council to our Women in Politics website and you can listen to interview clips with elected officials who spoke directly with LaGuardia students about issues they care about. In the lead up to possibly the first female Black and Asian president of the US, you can hear all about why diversity in leadership is important. | |
United Nations Hosts International Career Info Session for Students | |
When you think of jobs at the United Nations, you likely think of diplomats and ambassadors — probably not computer scientists and educators. But, as students learned at the UN’s Career Session held in E-111 on October 29, the organization actually needs individuals from all sorts of backgrounds to fill a wide range of roles, such as cybersecurity specialists and supply chain experts. UN Secretariat Associate Human Resources Officer Mahmoud Almasri spoke to students about the hiring process at the United Nations, giving them an inside look at the different ways students can get a job at the organization. Mahmoud introduced students to the UN’s Youth Professional Program, which aims to recruit talented young employees to work as civil servants in the UN. Students also got a chance to hear firsthand from a current intern at the UN. If you know a student who may be interested in working at the UN, consider encouraging them to look into the YPP or the UN's internships. | | |
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October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Tuesday’s edition of the Stamford Advocate includes an opinion piece highlighting domestic and intimate partner violence as a public health crisis. The article is authored by LaGuardia’s provost, Dr. Billie Gastic Rosado, who also serves on the board of directors for the Domestic Violence Crisis Center in Stamford, CT. "National Domestic Violence Awareness Month is a crucial reminder of the work we have ahead. By acknowledging the issue as a public health crisis, supporting survivors, and creating safe communities, we can make a meaningful impact and help end the cycle of violence," Dr. Gastic Rosado writes. Read the full op-ed here. | |
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Faculty Invited to Conversation about Transfer Mentoring
LaGuardia’s Transfer Engagement Initiative invites you to “A Conversation with Faculty about a Transfer Mentoring Mindset.” During this in-person event, there will be an opportunity to discuss our impressions and experiences of LaGuardia’s transfer support to four-year colleges. In addition, we will consider what it means for us to mentor students on the transfer pipeline. The event will take place on Wednesday, November 6 at 2:15 p.m. in MB-06. Please RSVP here. Facilitators Misun Dokko (English), Julianne Salazar (College Discovery), and Joshua Goldblatt (Academic Affairs) will present basics about transferring to four-year colleges, address the impression that expertise is required when supporting the transfer process, and walkthrough a couple of transfer tools/websites. There will be time to tinker with the transfer tools and practice responses to preliminary student questions about transfer—all to support student agency over their transfer experience.
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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. | |
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Campus Life to Host Book Discussion with Arianna Davis on November 6 | | |
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On November 6 from 3 to 4:30 p.m., writer and editor Arianna Davis will be on campus for a book discussion hosted by Campus Life in M-118. Davis is the editorial director of TODAY.com, the official website of the TODAY Show. She is also the author of What Would Frida Do? A Guide to Living Boldly, inspired by the life of the well-known Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. In 2018, she launched and served as founding digital director of OprahDaily.com. She launched her career at O, The Oprah Magazine, and has also worked at Refinery29 and Us Weekly. For more information, contact Campus Life at campuslife@lagcc.cuny.edu. | |
Updates from LaGuardia’s Library | |
- Need help? Ask a Librarian!
- Need to borrow a Chromebook, iPad, calculator, or laptop? Students should check out the Media Help Desk on the 2nd floor.
- 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.
- Free digital subscriptions to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal are available to all students, staff, and faculty. Use your LaGuardia email to sign up.
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HUMAN RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL UPDATES | |
CUNY Benefits Office Open Enrollment Sessions Online Nov. 6 and 7 | |
The University Benefits Office open enrollment sessions for all CUNY employees will be held virtually on November 6 and 7. This is a great opportunity to learn more and enroll online. Presentations by the Welfare Funds, Insurance Carriers and NYCERS (New York City Employees Retirement System) will be made during Zoom meetings as scheduled below. CUNY’s Open Enrollment website will be accessible next week. | |
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Benefits Webinars:
Wednesday, November 6, 9:30 a.m.– 12 p.m.
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Join Zoom Meeting; Meeting ID: 861 3734 0251; Passcode: 418833
- DC-37 at 9:30 a.m.; PSC-CUNY Welfare Fund at 10 a.m.; MetroPlus at 10:45 a.m.; Emblem Health at 11:15 a.m.
Thursday, November 7, 12 – 2:30 p.m.
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Join Zoom Meeting; Meeting ID: 873 7302 8263; Passcode: 593407
- DC-37 at 12 p.m.; Metro Plus at 12:30 p.m.; PSC-CUNY Welfare Fund at 1 p.m.; Emblem Health at 1:30 p.m.
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NYCERS Webinars:
Wednesday, November 6, 10 a.m.
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Join Zoom Meeting; Passcode: 811406
- 62/5, 55/25, 57/5, 63/5 Pension Plans
- Note: NYCERS webinar will not be recorded.
Thursday, November 7, 1:30 p.m.
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Join Zoom Meeting; Passcode: 409358
- 62/5, 55/25, 57/5, 63/5 Pension Plans
- Note: NYCERS webinar will not be recorded.
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Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Open Enrollment 2025
The FSA Open Enrollment Period is September 23 – November 8, 2024 for the effective date January 1, 2025. Employees can download forms to enroll and get information at Healthcare (HCFSA) and the Dependent Care Assistance (DeCAP) Flexible Spending Account programs. The first payroll deduction begins on the second paycheck in January 2025.
Current FSA participants must enroll annually and complete the 2025 enrollment form. After the FSA administrative office processes the employee’s HCFSA/DeCAP enrollment form, participants will receive a confirmation letter. Employees are encouraged to refer to the FSA website for updates to the HCFSA/DeCap program. For more information, view FSA Videos.
FSA forms must be submitted by the employee on/or by November 8, 2024 to NYC Employee Benefits Program.
Health Benefits Buy-out Waiver Program for 2025: The annual incentive payment for the 2025 Buy-out Waiver Program is $500 for waiving individual coverage and $1,000 for waiving family coverage (payments issued in June and December). Current active participants in the Buy-out Waiver Program will be automatically enrolled in the program for Plan year 2025. If a participant would like to withdraw from the program, they must complete the 2025 MSC Enrollment/Change Form in addition to completing the Health Benefits Application and submit them to Human Resources.
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National Cybersecurity Awareness Month Week 4: Update Software
Keeping your software updated is essential to ensure your devices have the latest security patches and fixes. If automatic updates are not an option, manually check for updates regularly.
Update Your Software Resources:
Helpful Cybersecurity Tips:
- Enable Automatic Updates
- Download from Trusted Sources
- Beware of Phishing Attempts
If you have any general inquiries, please contact LaGuardia's Information Security team.
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IT Reminder: Complete Mandatory Cybersecurity Awareness Training | |
This is an important reminder to log in to Blackboard and complete the Cybersecurity Awareness Training course. You can find this course under the “Organizations” tab, along with the other essential annual training courses required for CUNY employees. This course was developed specifically for CUNY and covers phishing attacks, spam, and best practices for protecting your CUNY accounts and sensitive data. We encourage you to take it as soon as possible to protect the University's data, as well as your own. Your active involvement is crucial to our collective security efforts. If you have any questions regarding the training, please contact Maritza Acero. | |
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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