I hope the start of the Spring term finds you well, despite the frigid temperatures! As the new
semester begins, we were greeted with the first significant snowfall of the year, and I want to
acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our colleagues in Buildings and Grounds, Public
Safety, and Facilities for having the campus prepared for the return of students this week!
THANK YOU all for your dedication and we appreciate the patience and grace of all our
community members as we continue the cleanup.
The beginning of any academic term is always inspiring and energizing. As we welcome more
than 10,500 students back, they are returning to a campus that has seen many improvements
since the end of the Fall semester. A newly renovated physical therapy lab in 5N, new
furniture in 1C (Campus Center), and new student chairs/desks in a host of classrooms on the
second floor of 1S, are among the many notable visible enhancements to our facility. Progress
continues to be made on our athletic facilities, and the beginning of our campus-wide door
replacement initiative is in full swing. Additionally, concerns related to plumbing in 1P have
been remedied, with hot water restored throughout the building: should you encounter any
issues related to our facilities or infrastructure, please be sure to inform us of them via our
reporting system.
In addition to New Student Orientation and CART sessions taking place, Emmanuel
Esperance and Sean Walsh accompanied faculty members (Drs. Charles Liu, Stephen Ferst,
Amanda Rotondo, Walt Stepnowski, Michael Paris, and Jane Alexander) to Notre Dame
Academy, where they conducted a series of master classes for junior and senior students. This
work is critical to strengthening our enrollment pipelines and advancing the message that there
is a degree for every dream at CSI.
Since my last communication, I and others have been engaged in a number of on-campus
engagements and off-campus commitments. Just last week we turned out in support of one of
our community partners, the Carl V. Bini Fund, at their annual fundraiser. This organization,
established to honor a fallen 9/11 first responder, was created to provide tangible community
support, aiding those in crisis and fostering local initiatives that make a real difference, and we
are proud to recognize them as one of our honorees at this year’s Spring into Giving
gala. Similarly, I was pleased to represent CSI at the board meeting for the Museum of
Disability History, managed by the Henry Viscardi Center, and share the work that we are
doing here to preserve and document the history of those with cognitive, developmental, and
intellectual disabilities. The legacy of place that marks Willowbrook as the birthplace of the
civil rights movement for such persons will likewise be feted at our Spring gala, where we
honor another luminary in this campaign, journalist Geraldo Rivera.
As further evidence of local impact, our colleague Dr. Paul C. Archibald (MSW Program
Director and Chair of the Department of Social Work) recently had his work highlighted for its
role in raising awareness of mental health challenges (and resources) available to the residents
of New York City’s public housing developments. As a former NYCHA resident, I was proud
to learn of this transformative work and can speak firsthand of how such initiatives can help
move folks “from the projects to the presidency.” Coupled with the work of recent graduates
who are engaged in public service, in advocacy for others, and in various other ways, it is clear
that “higher education continues to serve as a public good.”
This week, thanks to the work of the Center for Global Engagement, we welcomed a
delegation from Hallym University (South Korea) and signed a Shared Statement of Interest
(SSI), laying the foundation for long-term collaboration in global entrepreneurship education
and applied learning. The visiting delegation is visiting until February 1 and is part of a new
global entrepreneurship collaboration linked to Station C, Hallym University’s flagship
innovation and entrepreneurship platform.
In addition to networking with external partners, I also had the opportunity to advocate for CSI
within the larger CUNY community, as presidential liaison to the Board of Trustees
Committee on Finance and Administration, as part of the senior college caucus, and over
lunch with Joel Christensen, new Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at
the CUNY Graduate Center. We discussed ways in which we can leverage our consortial
relationship to the betterment of our campus and the students we serve, and toured several of
our unique teaching and learning facilities so that he could better understand our unique needs
and challenges. Joel was impressed (who wouldn’t be?) and pledged continued support. It was
a fruitful discussion and one that demonstrated to me the power of being part of such an
impressive system.
I want to take a moment to acknowledge that on January 27, many marked the solemn
occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The date was designated by the
United Nations General Assembly to mark the anniversary of the liberation of the
Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp in 1945, and it serves to
commemorate the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, as well as the millions of
other victims of Nazi persecution [ushmm.org]. May their memory be a blessing.
As February begins, let us join together in recognizing Black History Month, and I look
forward to the meaningful programs and moments of reflection our community will share. I
wish you all a stress-free and rewarding semester, and I thank you for helping to make the
College of Staten Island a true destination campus.
Until next time,
Timothy G. Lynch, Ph.D.
