President Morales (far left) recently hosted a Women of Color Reception at his residence.

In an effort to address the problem of low college graduation rates among Black and Latina women, College of Staten Island President Dr. Tomás D. Morales hosted a Women of Color Reception at his residence last month.

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Commenting on the importance of this new initiative, created by Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. A. Ramona Brown and Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences Dr. Christine Flynn Saulnier, Dr. Brown said, “The Women of Color Reception was a wonderful event that brought students, faculty, staff, and administrators together to celebrate a new community at CSI. This effort is a new initiative that focuses on student retention and success. There will be follow-up events and activities throughout the year to ensure that students and faculty become more engaged with each other to enhance the overall student experience.”

The event was well attended by CSI students from programs such as SEEK, Liberty Partnership, CSTEP, STEP, Student Government, and CSI Athletics, and faculty and staff, as well as members of the President’s Cabinet and the Provost’s Council.

Following brief comments by Dr. Morales, Dr. Brown, and Dr. Saulnier, attendees had ample time for networking and informal discussion.

Other events planned throughout the year, as a result of this initiative, will include workshops, lectures from guest speakers, career and advisement sessions, and an end-of-year gala.