Administrators, current faculty members, and staff treated the College of Staten Island’s newest faculty members to the first two days of a multipart orientation, recently, in an effort to help them get acquainted with the College, its students, and its resources.

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Commenting on the new cohort of faculty, one of the largest in the College’s history, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. William Fritz said, “The College of Staten Island is very fortunate and delighted to welcome more than 40 exceptionally qualified researchers and scholars to join its ranks this week. The faculty “Class of 2009” is almost double the number of new full-time hires in any given year within memory. With advanced degrees earned at prestigious universities worldwide, fellowships, national awards and recognition, and industry experience, this diverse group of experts is poised to make significant contributions to the College, CUNY, and their respective academic disciplines. We look forward to the energy and promise that new faculty bring to an institution of higher education. I know that the entire CSI community joins me in congratulating and welcoming our colleagues.”

Describing the significance of the orientation sessions, Dr. Susan Holak, Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness, commented, “There is much to learn and absorb as a new faculty member. From paperwork in human resources and departmental requirements for syllabi, to maneuvering the campus, understanding organizational culture, and achieving a sense of comfort in the midst of it all, it is no wonder that new faculty orientations at many institutions have expanded to semester-long programs. CSI’s orientation format with two sessions in August, followed by additional sessions focused on faculty and student resources in September and October, exposes new faculty members to these topics and more, while giving them time to interact with colleagues across departments and divisions. Judging from the first day’s events, the faculty “Class of 2009” seems to have developed a strong esprit de corps.”

Francesca Degiuli, a new Assistant Professor in the Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Department commented, “I would say that there were multiple aspects of the Orientation that were helpful. First of all I find it very useful to hear from the President and all the other administrators about the overall goals of the College for the future. It is good to learn what the College is striving for, how they plan to achieve it, and what part we, as new faculty, can play in it. What I liked the most, however, was to meet and learn about my new colleagues. All of them are doing really exciting work and I’m looking forward to collaborate with them, if possible, on different interdisciplinary projects.

Another participant, Calandra Tate, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics, added, “I think one of the most helpful aspects of New Faculty Orientation thus far has been getting to know the other incoming professors across different disciplines and being introduced to their various areas of research. This not only provides an atmosphere of camaraderie for all of us embarking on this new journey but serves as an initial avenue for establishing interdisciplinary collaborations across departments.”

CSI recently welcomed its new faculty members with the first two of four orientation sessions.