I hope this first message of 2025 finds you well and that you are staying warm amid the frigid temperatures. It is hard to believe but this marks the beginning of my fourth year at the College (!!), and I write with information and updates that you might find of interest.
After a period of relative quietude that marked the holiday season—and I do hope that you had a restful and enjoyable time with loved ones—the new year is off with a flurry of activity. This week, I had meetings with representatives from the New York City Department of Transportation, where we continued to discuss solutions to micro-transit problems on campus and off. I am heartened by these conversations and optimistic that bike share offerings (at least) are on the horizon. This meeting was followed by another with representatives from Columbia University’s School of Public Health to discuss a joint grant aimed at addressing health disparities (including access to transportation, inducements to healthy lifestyles, and other matters) on Staten Island. We also continue to dialog with the MTA and local elected officials to discuss options related to the transportation needs of our faculty, students, and staff. I also met with members of our Advancement team to discuss the results of our recent “Season of Giving” (where we eclipsed our aspirational goal of $150,000), plan for our annual ‘Spring into Giving’ gala (Hold the Date—4.24.25), strategize about various grant opportunities, and analyze the results of our recent survey regarding the Center for the Arts. The results, in a nutshell, were clear: the community sees us as an artistic and cultural hub and is desirous of increased and diverse programming to further that mission. We are optimistic that we will be able to answer that call in the coming months.
This week, I also had the first monthly Council of President’s meeting of the calendar year. Here, we heard about enrollment (and our numbers, both across the system and at our campus are encouraging—we saw more than a 10% increase in Winter enrollment at CSI, and the College is currently trending roughly 3% ahead of last Spring’s count); cybersecurity imperatives—and please be sure to follow the guidance of IT on this important point; lobbying initiatives (the Spring will be particularly busy with multiple trips to Albany and Washington, DC); internal control and audit activities; collective bargaining updates (and congratulations to the PSC on securing a yet-to-be-ratified contract!); and various other items. The week also saw a roundtable dedicated to growing international recruitment (with representatives from several Indian universities as well as colleagues from other CUNY campuses) as we seek to grow our global presence. The highlight of my week, however, was found not on the other side of the planet but in our own Center for the Arts, where Tuesday saw the annual Candle Lighting and Pinning Ceremony for our Nursing AAS graduates, and in 1A where Thursday saw a New Student Engagement Fair (to be repeated with a New Student Orientation next Wednesday). At the former, nearly 60 students were recognized for their accomplishments and achievements, and we were fortunate to hear inspiring words from Chairperson Randelle Sasa, guest speaker Isa-Ngozi Shoneyin, and other honorees. At the latter, I was able to speak to many incoming first-year students and learn about why they chose to continue or resume their education at CSI. Seeing their enthusiasm and the excitement of our staff was a wonderful way to warm a bone-chillingly cold week!
Until next time,
Timothy G. Lynch, Ph.D. (he/him/his)
