I hope that you have been staying cool as I write with information and updates concerning recent activities. My communications have been less frequent over the summer but that is not for lack of activity, as today’s note demonstrates!
Our campus has been a beehive of activity lately, with summer enrollment a robust 5% ahead of projections. This bodes well for our bottom line and for the fall, where trend lines show the campus approaching its previous student population. This is largely due to increased retention efforts, as our continuing student population has been registering at an impressive pace: many thanks to all those who have helped in this ongoing and important initiative. But that is not to say that we have not been tireless in attracting new students, both first-year and transfer, to our campus. Many members of the incoming class participated in the first two “New Student Orientations” where they were introduced to the College and its many programs. Many thanks to the team in the Office of Recruitment and Admissions for their hard work in making these events happen! We also hosted the incoming cohort of SEEK/C-STEP students, who received campus tours, onboarding, and information about access to important services. In addition to this work, our inaugural summer camp has brought numerous youngsters to Willowbrook, where they have participated in athletic, artistic, academic, and other activities. The campus has also hosted a series of cultural and community-focused events, including last weekend’s concert benefitting Staten Island University Hospital’s Florina Cancer Center and Tuesday’s 2nd Annual Staten Island Disability Pride Event, themed “Champions of Change: Past, Present & Future”, attended by the Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities Christina Curry and Borough President Vito Fossella. The theme was both inspiring and timely, as it came on the heels of several meetings that I and members of my staff have had with the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities as well as advocacy groups such as Eden II, A Very Special Place, and others in the last few weeks. The goal of these meetings is to leverage our existing partnerships to position the campus to receive grant monies and to provide workforce development and job training opportunities for underserved members of our community. I am proud of this relationship and excited about what the future holds. As an example of our commitment to the community, we will continue offering on-campus accessibility services through November, despite the expiration of the shuttle bus services contract effective next week. We are also actively seeking alternative services to maintain accessibility services beyond November.
Recent meetings have included conversations with community partners, potential donors, and alumni, as we work to grow our philanthropic efforts. Last year was a banner year for such activities and we have set ambitious targets for this one, too. Key to this effort will be an increased social media and marketing campaign, highlighting the accomplishments of our faculty and the successes of our graduates. I expect that our efforts in these areas will allow CSI to move from being the “best kept secret in higher education” to being a true destination campus with a focus on access AND excellence. Conversations that I had with NYC Department of Education officials and with the Executive Director of the New York Jobs CEO Council suggest that this is already occurring and that our institutional reputation is strong….and getting stronger. Much of our appeal comes from our academic programs, but the dynamic student services we provide and our beautiful campus—made better every day by ongoing refresh projects—add to that attraction. This was the focus of conversations we had with Vice Chancellor for Facilities Planning, Construction, and Management Mohamed Attalla when he visited us this week to review progress on various capital projects.
The last few weeks have also seen reports issued by both the COACHE and HERI task forces, with recommendations for action made by each group. Many of the concerns and observations—shared in town halls and elsewhere—are being addressed in our nascent Strategic Plan, a draft copy of which has been shared with governance leaders. I am optimistic that the final version of that document (tentatively titled “Bridge to Success”) will reflect the sentiments shared in those forums and elsewhere, and that the guiding principles of the five main institutional priorities: enhancing the student experience; centering equity, inclusion, and belonging; being responsible stewards of, and advocates for increased resources; supporting faculty research, scholarship, and creative works; and committing to a campus that has modern facilities and infrastructure—will serve as our north star during the next several years of our journey together. I look forward to the hard, important work ahead.
Until next time,
Timothy G. Lynch, Ph.D. (he/him/his)
