Cheers to the last weeks of 2025! Since my last communication, much has transpired and I hope to share information herein.
This week saw the final CUNY Board of Trustees meeting of the calendar year, and much conversation about what 2026 holds for CUNY. With a new mayoral team in place (including several CUNY-affiliated transition team members) and growing attention on affordability, CUNY and its campuses appear well‑positioned to elevate their reputation as both a “value-added” institution and a vital public good.
I also had the opportunity to meet representatives from the campus PSC as part of our contractually required Labor Management Meetings. We discussed potential challenges to academic freedom (and I urge you to refer to the excellent presentation hosted by Professor Paris found online); campus responses to Immigration and Custom Enforcement activities (please refer to the “Know Your Rights” campaign); issues related to remote-work agreements (and conversations continue about the viability of 70/30); allocation of reassigned time for faculty (which is being standardized and codified); and challenges made manifest by our recent snow event. On this last point, I heard from many who were concerned about the condition of the campus on Monday morning, and I agree it was, simply, not up to the standards we expect and deserve. I want to reassure the campus that we will learn from this situation and be better prepared for future such events.
Wednesday evening also saw the final fall meeting of the CSI Foundation Board of Directors, where we received committee reports, assessed market performance and its impact on our portfolio, and discussed our ongoing “Season of Giving” (and there is still time to make a year-end gift online!). To date we have surpassed our fundraising goals, and this augurs well for 2026 as we gear up for our annual “Spring into Giving Gala” (save the date, April 23 at the Hilton Above) and launch a comprehensive campaign, tied to the 50th anniversary of the College of Staten Island and the 70th of public higher education in our Borough! It will be a busy and exciting year, and I am looking forward to the hard, important work ahead! With your support and ambassadorship, we can make a meaningful impact, through student success, on the Borough and beyond.
The week also brought the final College Council and Faculty Senate meetings of the term. In the former we discussed how this January, we anticipate a strong on-campus presence driven by one of the highest Winter Session enrollments in recent years, received updates regarding various campus projects (door replacements, stair tower upgrades, etc.), and I addressed recent tragedies at Brown University and in Australia. There is no place for hate on our campus or in our society. We continue to work closely with local law enforcement and with CUNY to ensure we are prepared for emergency situations, including active‑threat scenarios (please remember to take your required trainings, available on Brightspace, and familiarize yourself with campus plans and policies related to workplace violence and non-discrimination). At our Faculty Senate meeting we passed a resolution to honor Laura Kennedy with an honorary degree at our Spring 2026 Commencement ceremony! Pending CUNY Board approval, it will be an honor to count Laura, a longtime champion of disability rights advocacy and friend to CSI, among “our alumni!”
As the term ends, I want to encourage all of you to take some much-needed and well-deserved time for yourselves and your loved ones. Perhaps you’d like to take in a show (The Nutcracker is back at the CFA, with tickets available online), and if you need last-minute gift ideas, stop by the Dolphin Dash Store in 3A-106 for your spirit items! As Hanukkah continues, Christmas looms, Kwanzaa nears, and 2026 approaches, I wish you all a happy and peaceful holiday season. My campus messages will likely be on hiatus for a few weeks as I take some of my own advice and will seek to recharge my own batteries!
Until next time, and with gratitude and appreciation,
Timothy G. Lynch, Ph.D.
