CSI Receives CASE District II Award

The College of Staten Island was the recipient of a prestigious Accolade Award at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District II Annual Conference in Philadelphia, PA on March 25, 2019. CSI received Honorable Mention honors in the category of “Community Relations Programs, Projects and Special Events” for its Legacy Initiative that has advanced the College’s re-engagement with community and mission. This is the first CASE District II Accolade Award ever received by the College of Staten Island.

Commenting on the award, Ken Iwama, CSI Vice President for Economic Development, Continuing Studies, and Government Relations, said, “We are thrilled that the College’s Legacy Initiative has been recognized by the prestigious organization CASE District II. Most rewarding is the overwhelmingly positive impact this initiative has had upon both the College and Staten Island community.”

The award recognized the leadership and vision of the College’s President William J. Fritz–in collaboration with Vice President Iwama, with support from the Division of Institutional Advancement and External Affairs–to embark upon an ambitious, three-year public relations and community engagement campaign to reconnect with Staten Island through the College’s strong, but largely forgotten or ignored, legacies within the community. The campaign included the creation of videos, development of collaborative community/College projects, and facilitation of colloquia and speaking engagements at major events within the College and across Staten Island–all of which focused upon our Legacy trilogy as follows:

Legacy of Institution – incorporating CSI’s predecessor institutions, Staten Island Community College (1956-1993) and Richmond College (1967-1993), in the discourse and dialog of our history to successfully create greater connections with alumni and community members who were affiliated with these predecessor institutions.

Legacy of Place – remembering and honoring CSI’s current campus location as the former site of the infamous Willowbrook State School–which became the epicenter of the national disability civil rights movement to cease the institutionalization of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities–and to successfully reengage the disabilities community on Staten Island.

Legacy of Mission – embracing CSI’s original Mission of access, opportunity, and excellence, dating back to the establishment of its first predecessor institution Staten Island Community College in 1956, to successfully create new initiatives to advance student academic success and social and economic mobility within the community.

Among other major outcomes, the Legacy Initiative Legacy Initiative fostered a new commitment to community engagement that is now reflected as one of the six major strategic priorities of the College’s new Strategic Plan –“Borough Stewardship”–which encompasses our goal to fulfill our status and role Staten Island’s anchor institution.

According to the CASE Website, “The largest of the eight CASE districts, District II helps members build stronger relationships with their alumni and donors, raise funds for campus projects, produce recruitment materials, market their institutions to prospective students, diversify the profession, and foster public support of education. CASE District II is a regional organization of advancement professionals in the areas of alumni relations, communications, and philanthropy. It is our purpose to advance the knowledge and wisdom of our colleagues through district training programs, communication vehicles, and networking opportunities. We value the spirit of volunteerism which is implicit to the character and nature of our profession. We are committed to seeking individual and institutional diversity among our volunteers.”

 

 

 

 

 

Ken Iwama, JD,