I write with information that you may find of interest. What a momentous week it has been!
On Monday, the campus learned that the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) has granted accreditation to the Lucille and Jay Chazanoff School of Business! AACSB accreditation is the gold-standard of business school accreditation, with fewer than 6% of institutions worldwide earning this distinction: we are now one of just three CUNY schools whose business programs are so acknowledged. AACSB-accredited schools are highly valued by leading employers. This designation reflects the exceptional achievements of our faculty, including their commitment to community engagement, student mentorship, employer partnerships, and impactful research. My sincere thanks and profound appreciation to Founding Dean Susan Holak and her team for the Herculean effort they put into this process: I am sure that you will join me in sending our very best congratulations for this amazing achievement!
Monday evening saw Interim Provost Holtzman and I travel to Baruch College for the annual all-CUNY new faculty orientation. It was wonderful to meet so many of our new colleagues from across the system (and CSI was well-represented in attendees) and to hear inspiring words from Chancellor Rodríguez and Interim Provost Alvero, who spoke of the importance of mentorship and their support for research, scholarship, and creative activity. The event underscored the role that faculty play in the lives of the institution and of the students we serve, themes that were reflected during Tuesday’s celebration of our DST colleagues who were recently acknowledged as global leaders in their fields (thank you Dean Peetz for organizing this event) and at today’s Graduate Student Research Conference. The Graduate Conference allowed students to demonstrate their budding expertise in a broad range of disciplines and from across multiple perspectives. Many thanks to Associate Provost Ramasubramanian and her team for organizing this event, which had been dormant for the past few years but whose resurgence shows the vibrant level of research that is occurring at CSI.
This week also saw the opening of a new exhibition at the CSI Art Gallery for November: Between Us: Portraits of Strength and Belonging which is now open to the public. We invite you to visit the gallery and experience this powerful and inspiring show, and all are invited to join the Gallery Conversation and Reception for the Artists, which will be held on November 20. Thank you to Professor Beatrix Reinhardt and the Department of Performing and Creative Arts for curating another thought-provoking exhibit.
My week also included an on-campus meeting with Dean Dara Byrne and Provost Roblin Meeks of the Macaulay Honors College (MHC). Our guests spoke about recent successes of MHC at CSI, and we discussed ways to better support our high-achieving students. Our Honors Programs—like our award-winning faculty and our internationally recognized academic programs—are great vehicles to demonstrate the value of higher education as a public good and to drive home the point that you can “stay here and go anywhere.” This theme of the transformative power of the work we do was on display Thursday afternoon at one of my favorite events of the academic year, our “First Gen College Student Celebration,” where we acknowledged those who—like me and so many others now in leadership roles on our campus—were the first in their families to pursue and attain a college degree. Many thanks to Director Jennifer Durando and her team in the Center for Advising and Academic Success (CAAS) for making this event so special, and to all of you who recognize the talents in our students that they may not see in themselves. (Shout out to ASAP/ACE Director Ronald Oliva for supplying the pizza, and to Dining Services for the beautiful spread!) Together, we’re creating a stronger future—for our students and the communities we serve.
Our campus demonstrated its commitment to community service in meaningful ways this week: at the NYC Marathon, where Nursing students volunteered in medical tents along the route to assist runners and spectators, and at this week’s Spirit Day, where our community came together for lawn games and some fun as we navigate midterms and head toward the home stretch of the semester. In the spirit of community engagement, I want to wish everyone a good Veteran’s Day (Tuesday the 11th) and thank you for your service—we have a full slate of celebratory events scheduled for next week.
During these challenging times, the Office of Student Life reminds you that the CSI Food Pantry is available throughout the year. As shared by our good friend and former colleague Michel Hodge, now University Dean for Special Programs, who visited our campus on Friday, if you or a CUNY student you know is experiencing food insecurity, CSI has a non-perishable food pantry that was created to provide assistance for currently enrolled students. Once you make an appointment, someone from the Office of Student Life will contact you to confirm. Additionally, for those seeking assistance with matters related to CUNY’s Immigration Assistance Project, please contact Interim Vice President Ruta Shah-Gordon (point of contact for students) or Chief of Staff Jessica Collura (point of contact for faculty/staff) and you will be directed to the appropriate resources.
With appreciation, and until next time,
Timothy G. Lynch, Ph.D.
