Colleagues:
As the month of September draws to a close, I write with some important updates and information. First, and perhaps most importantly, today marks the last day at CSI for Provost and Senior Vice President J. Michael Parrish, who announced his retirement earlier this month. For the past three and a half years, Michael has led the Office of Academic Affairs, overseeing the transition to remote learning that accompanied the pandemic, and all the attendant challenges associated with that move. He has been a calm and steady influence on campus, and he played a pivotal role in securing reaccreditation from Middle States: he has also been of inestimable help to me during the nine months of my Interim Presidency, for which I am grateful. In addition to his role as chief academic officer, Michael had at times been tasked with taking on interim Dean assignments, and I thank him for his dedication and willingness to foreground student success and support our faculty in his everyday work. I am sure that you will join me in wishing Michael all the best, and in welcoming our Interim Provost and VPAA, Michael Steiper, who surely has big shoes to fill!
This week I was pleased to join my CUNY colleagues and local elected officials at the inauguration of President Patricia Ramsey as the sixth president of Medgar Evers College, and to attend a welcoming reception for the new Dean of the CUNY Law School, Suddha Setty. It is always good to socialize and interact with my peers in informal and authentic settings, but we also gathered in meaningful conversation as part of our regular sector and borough meetings. The individual and collective guidance of my peers has been a tremendous support, and for that I am grateful. I was also honored this week to receive a proclamation from Governor Kathy Hochul, commending the campus for its work during this “Year of Willowbrook.”
Over the next few weeks, you will notice improvements in campus appearance and transportation. I am pleased to announce that thanks to a close working relationship with the MTA, we will reinstate on-campus S93 service as of Tuesday, October 12. I know that the absence of this bus has been a tremendous inconvenience and I am glad to be able to resume this vital service for those members of our campus community who had come to rely on it. Many thanks to those members of the senior administration—namely VP Michel Hodge, AVP Carlos Serrano, Chief Superintendent Keith Pisons, and Director Mike Lederhandler– for their assistance and leadership in making this happen. Additionally, and consistent with pedestrian safety and in the hopes of preserving our sidewalks and other infrastructure, we will be significantly curtailing vehicles from driving on any surface other than our roadways…AND we are investing in a number of lightweight but versatile vehicles that will provide greater utility, reduce our carbon footprint, and protect our campus.
Lastly, a lighting improvement initiative is underway to improve campus safety and aesthetics, with a particular focus on walkways and parking lots, some of which I am sure you noticed were recently repaved. Improved visibility and hazard-free paths are keys to campus safety and personal security and I am pleased to support such efforts. Additionally, we are adding to our custodial ranks to assure that the campus is well-maintained and welcoming to our students and other stakeholders. While there are certainly areas that we can improve, it is important to recognize the efforts we are expending to modernize our campus and to introduce efficiencies. Please note that many of the issues we are addressing through such efforts are the result of our campus community bringing them to the attention of our Facilities/Buildings and Grounds team. Therefore, if you encounter issues that require attention, and you do not have access to the Facilities / Building and Grounds work order system, please contact our Facilities team via email at: campusplanningandfacilitiesmanagement@csi.cuny.edu or phone at (718)982-3210 and they will assist in submitting a work order for you or help add you to the work order system upon request.
Until next time,
Timothy G. Lynch, Ph.D. (he/him/his)
Interim President, College of Staten Island
The City University of New York
2800 Victory Blvd, SI, NY 10314
718.982.2400
