I hope that this mid-month email finds you well and that those who celebrated St Patrick’s Day this week had a good holiday. I certainly did.
Since my last update, there has been much to report. As we approach the end of the third quarter of the fiscal year, we received confirmation from the Central Office regarding our midyear projections: we remain on track to close the year with a positive cash balance, but still short of the University’s required 5% reserve. While we have come far in a relatively short period of time, there is still work ahead. Continued caution and prudence around our campus hiring plan is needed, although we are moving ahead with promised faculty and staff lines. These include a number of executive positions, and notifications have gone out regarding on-campus interviews with finalists for both the Vice President for Student Affairs and the Provost/Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs (please reference Wednesday’s “Town Hall Interview for Senior VP for Academic Affairs/Provost” email for details).
We are in the midst of lobbying season, and I have participated in a series of conversations with local, state, and federal elected officials to position the campus for additional and ongoing support. This was also the theme of a meeting I had with consultants for an upcoming comprehensive campaign—to coincide with the 50Th anniversary of CSI and the 75th anniversary of public higher education in the Borough—and with the always dedicated Friends of CSI, with whom I met on Thursday evening. Although much work remains, early signs point to positive movement on this front, and I am encouraged by the conversations I have had. Folks recognize the transformational work we are doing here and more than a few have said that they “want to be associated with a winner.” And we have a lot of wins for which we can take credit: the soon-to-be-launched Tech Innovation Hub at Lighthouse Point is one of several projects we can highlight. Many thanks to Jasmine Cardona for presenting on this topic at the CUNY Board of Trustees Borough Hearing and to the CSI Foundation Board, with whom we met on Wednesday evening. Her leadership on this initiative is appreciated! The Foundation also received the incredible news that a pair of CSI students—Esther Adewoyin and Julia Schmidberger—were named as Jeannette K. Watson Fellows! This prestigious multi-year award will allow Esther (a Macaulay Honors sophomore majoring in Economics and International Studies with a minor in French) and Julia (a first-year Macaulay Honors student who is majoring in Biochemistry and Spanish while participating on the Women’s Soccer team) the opportunity to experience personal, professional, and cultural immersion in New York and around the globe. Mentorships and civic engagement will allow these talented students to expand their horizons, develop their potential, and build the confidence and perspective to do for others. Congratulations to Esther and Julia (and thank you to Michele Callahan for shepherding them through this process!).
The week also saw the monthly iterations of the College Council and Faculty Senate meetings, with the usual candid and passionate conversations, where we discussed challenges related to student success and our plans to improve upon several metrics. The week also saw an alumni mixer, the Small Business Development Center networking event, and the Eta Lambda Chapter of the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars at CSI has inducted 15 faculty, staff, students, and an administrator. I also liaised with the Central Office on issues related to CUNY’s Constructive Dialogue Initiative (and many thanks to those who are participating in this) and identified ways in which we can increase student engagement and their sense of belonging. On this topic, I was pleased to see both the Legal Studies Institute event on Thursday evening (thank you Professor Michael Paris) where several alumni returned to campus to share their experiences with our undergraduates as they relate to law school and the legal profession (also consider attending Monday’s lecture), and the SI Drag Show & Panel that brought notable performers and several hundred patrons to campus that same night. Many thanks to the LGBTQ Resource Center and the Department of Performing and Creative Arts for their work in organizing this year’s event.
This week brings Eid al-Fitr and the end of Ramadan, and the start of Spring: may warm thoughts and warm temperatures not be far behind. Should your schedules allow, join us on Tuesday for a return to campus by the United States Military Academy’s West Point band (tickets are free)!
Until next time,
Timothy G. Lynch, Ph.D.
