As the calendar moves to April, I write with updates and information that you may find of interest. This week saw many notable events, including the first iteration of CUNY’s new holiday to commemorate Eid al-Fitr and the end of Ramadan. My best wishes to all who celebrated that event. CUNY’s commitment to diversity and inclusion was also on display with Monday’s acknowledgment of the annual Transgender Day of Visibility and with Friday’s annual LGBTQI+ Student Conference held at Bronx Community College. The system and this campus are committed to supporting and protecting all members of our community—this was further affirmed with Monday evening’s townhall where we hosted Mayor Adams and representatives from a dozen city agencies to discuss ways we can work together with community leaders and faith-based organizations in the Borough to foster dialog and enhance religious pluralism. This demonstrates the leading role the College plays in our local and municipal spaces: yet another example was on display Thursday evening as we hosted Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon and his team for an anti-bullying event held in the Center for the Arts.
The week also saw meetings with the HEO Steering Committee, where members of the administration discussed matters of concern with that constituency. We provided updates on infrastructure projects, administrative searches, professional development opportunities, and other topics. I appreciated the sentiment that HEOs are partners in the hard, important work that we are doing here at CSI and look forward to continuing to enhance our relationship with professional staff persons to alleviate their concerns and to better serve our students. That meeting was followed by one with the College Council Budget Committee, where we analyzed our mid-year projections, strategized about the FY26 budget request, discussed our financial plan, and answered questions related to faculty and staff hiring. While all signs are pointing in the positive direction from a dollars-and-cents perspective, it is imperative that we recognize the existence of a sizable structural deficit that will continue to guide our decisions. At a time when institutions of higher education are closing, eliminating programs, or otherwise undergoing significant operational changes, it is important to recognize that we have not had to resort to such austerity measures—and we won’t, so long as we stay the course and remain conservative and prudent in our approach to the budget.
This week, I also participated in CUNY’s inaugural “Young, Gifted, and Resilient” conference on developing strategies to build awareness, action, and advocacy regarding mental health on college campuses (generously supported by The Steve Fund). I was part of a presidential panel that discussed these matters and shared how we are being proactive in approaching these sensitive topics. It was great to see a contingent of CSI faculty, staff, and students in attendance and to validate and celebrate the work you are all doing in this space. Regrettably, my attendance there prevented my participation at the Student Government Association’s roundtable with candidates for next year’s executive slate positions. I believe the question-and-answer session allowed our voters to make more informed decisions about their elected leaders, and allowed the candidates the opportunity to share their vision for what they would like to accomplish during their tenure. I look forward to working as closely with the next group of students leaders as I have with the current and previous ones!
My busy week ended with another iteration of CSI Spirit Day, the return of our student Health and Wellness Expo (and thank you to our Departments of Nursing and Physical Therapy, and our dedicated staff from the Wellness Center for organizing this first post-COVID event, which featured over a dozen vendors), and a meeting with local elected officials as we continue to lobby the City Council for additional funding. It was great to meet with Councilmembers Carr and Hanks to provide updates on recent activities and accomplishments, and to make our pitch for increased support. One of the benefits of being the only institution of public higher education in the Borough is that we enjoy wide-ranging support from our local elected officials, and I am proud to partner with them to advance our institutional goals. I look forward to the fruits of these conversations. The week concluded with a meeting of the Institutional Planning Committee, where we discussed our Strategic Plan (available here) and a few items regarding academic programs; the Drama Program of the Performing & Creative Art Department’s production of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (directed by Professor Lee Papa); and with an Admitted Students Conference event that will be held on Saturday. Many thanks to all the faculty and staff who will be in attendance as we start to build the next entering class of CSI Dolphins!
Until next time,
Timothy G. Lynch, Ph.D. (he/him/his)
