I hope that the end of the semester finds you well as I write with updates concerning recent activities that you may find of interest. Since my last communication, we have been busy with various activities as we approach the holiday season.
Last week, among other meetings I attended the monthly Council of Presidents meeting at CUNY Central where we discussed, among other things, information related to the Research Foundation, transfer initiatives, enrollment, and most notably, updates regarding collective bargaining with the Professional Staff Congress. We were gratified to learn of progress that resulted in a tentative agreement being signed this past Monday, an announcement of which I was present for at the Board of Trustees meeting. I want to congratulate the PSC for their accomplishment and for their advocacy on behalf of their members, which I witnessed firsthand in last week’s Labor Management Committee meeting, where members of the administration and I listened to requests from faculty and staff relating to academic freedom, workplace culture and civility, facilities concerns, and other matters. The frank and open conversation will, no doubt, allow us to move the needle of several important initiatives. At the Council of Presidents meeting, we also had a fulsome discussion regarding the importance of career connections for our students and graduates. It is imperative that we underscore the importance of student success with regards to good-paying jobs and meaningful employment in the workplace, and we will be taking steps to assure this occurs on our campus.
Last week also saw the monthly consultations with the College Council and Faculty Senate Executive committees, the results of which were on display at the final meetings of those bodies this week. I also had the opportunity to host a distinguished alumnus, Dr. Michael Nakao, who toured our campus (he was particularly taken by the naked mole rats in Professor Dan McCloskey’s lab!) and who shared his experiences with two of our aspiring Macaulay Honors College Pre-Med students. It was wonderful to see and hear him give back so generously to our campus: this generosity was echoed by many of you who contributed to our annual giving campaign (and there is still time to make a year-end gift), which allowed us to meet our ambitious goal for #GivingTuesday. Speaking of alumni, I also had the honor to host Dr. Dan Messina and his team from Richmond University Medical Center to similarly explore opportunities for partnerships, including scholarships, job opportunities, and enhanced community health activities on our campus.
The Center for Global Engagement and Office of Enrollment Management hosted Mr. Fenghua Liu, Vice President of Jingchu University of Technology, along with four other administrators from China, to explore potential collaborations between our institutions. Discussions focused on initiatives such as a Summer Teaching Program, ESL courses, and innovative 2+2 and 4+1 pathways, all aimed at strengthening academic partnerships and expanding student opportunities. This comes on the heels of multiple conversations I and members of our team have had with institutions of higher education in India, with whom we are exploring partnerships that would generate applications for our graduate programs, which we are seeking to expand as a way to enhance enrollment and diversify our revenue streams. These early conversations have been intriguing and we anticipate additional discussions in the coming weeks and months.
This week bought the final meeting of the CSI Foundation Board of Directors, where we welcomed two new members and strategized about upcoming events and about how to advance the mission of our College, which is rooted in access and excellence. That mission, of course, is not possible without the contributions of our hard-working and dedicated faculty and staff, whom we celebrated last week at our annual Convocation of the College/Celebration of Service. We have so much to be proud of – a lot of which was on display in our highlight video. I want to again recognize and acknowledge those who made that event so special but even more so to again thank those who have given so many years of their lives – in one case over four decades! —to our campus and to our students.
While we celebrate and acknowledge longstanding members of our community, we also welcome new ones. It is my pleasure to announce that beginning on January 2, we will have a new Director of Athletics, Mr. Matthew Scally. Matt joins us from Columbia University, where he served as Associate Athletics Director, with prior experience at LIU Brooklyn. I am sure you will join me in offering a warm welcome to Matt! I’d like to thank interim Athletic Director Brain Guidera for his service to the program and the College over these past few months (not to worry, Brian will still be an integral member of our team!) and the members of the search committee, Alex Scott, Christine Flynn-Saulnier, and Terri Sangiorgio for their work on the search. Speaking of Dr. Flynn-Saulnier, I am sure you will join me in wishing her a happy retirement as she steps down from her role as Faculty Athletics Representative and as faculty member in the Department of Social Work (which she founded) after more than 20 years of service to CSI, including as Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences.
In closing, I want to wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season. May you find comfort and peace in time spent with loved ones as we celebrate a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, and a Prosperous New Year. My very best wishes for a wonderful start to 2025.
Until next time,
Timothy G. Lynch, Ph.D. (he/him/his)
