Welcome to the Fall 2026 semester! This 2026–2027 academic year marks the important milestone of 50 years of the College of Staten Island within the context of 70 years of public higher education in the borough. These anniversaries offer an opportunity to honor the College’s rich history, recognize the people who have shaped CSI, and celebrate the transformative impact of public higher education on Staten Island.
It is hard to believe that it has been three months since Commencement, where we watched more than 2,200 graduates receive their certificates and diplomas: the summer went by all too quickly. I do hope that you had some well-deserved downtime with family and were able to step away from campus.
While many of us were able to enjoy a bit of a respite and some vacation time, the campus was awash with activity as we prepared for the incoming Class of 2030 (over 2,000 of them)! The Office of Recruitment and Admissions and the Advisement team, along with our various other units, managed multiple New Student Orientations, Open Houses, Accepted Student Days, and CART sessions. These activities require hours of planning, preparation, and teamwork. Thank you to everyone who helped make them a success. Due to your efforts, we are nearing our enrollment goal and expect 11,000 students on campus this term!
This year, we are also delighted to welcome 12 new full-time faculty members to our campus in the departments of Computer Science, Curriculum and Instruction, English, Educational Studies, Management, Marketing, Media Culture, Nursing, and Performing and Creative Arts. Associate Provost for Faculty Success, Dr. Laxmi Ramasubramanian has partnered with different areas across the campus to organize a robust orientation program on August 26 and 27. The new faculty will attend the BBQ on the 27th; please stop by and welcome them to CSI! We are pleased to welcome Dr. Lauren Mullins, Associate Professor of Management in the Lucille and Jay Chazanoff School of Business, as the new Director for the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development (CTLPD). Dr. Mullins holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration from the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers-Newark and conducts research in the areas of public management, work-life balance, the changing nature of work, and sustainability. We also take this opportunity to thank Dr. Wilma Jones, Professor and former Director of the CTLPD for her leadership over the last four years. Dr. Jones will embark on a year-long sabbatical leave starting this fall.
The campus has undergone significant improvements since many of you were last here: in addition to the usual technology refresh in our computer labs, we are pleased to announce the deployment of over 260 access points (since January 2026), which should significantly improve the user experience for those on our wireless networks. Vertical Fiber upgrades in academic and administrative buildings were completed, providing improved network performance. Inter-building fiber network upgrades are underway, further strengthening reliability and capacity. In addition, successful negotiations with Verizon ought to address cellular issues experienced by folks using that carrier in the coming months. You will notice new desktop telephones across campus that will result in smoother service and ease-of-use. Clearly, the team in Information Technology was busy this summer, and I want to thank AVP/CIO Patty Kahn for her leadership on these important initiatives!
Our hardworking colleagues in Facilities and Buildings and Grounds were busy getting the campus up-to-speed for the academic year. Improvements in our science suites (including an interactive math laboratory), the creation of a second meditation room in 1L (the result of conversations with student leaders last spring), new flooring in the 1C Rotunda, and the ongoing installation of water filtration and outdoor furniture make the campus a truly welcoming place for all. New doors continue to be installed, as do access swipe locks in some of our most heavily used learning spaces. New furniture has been deployed to several classrooms on campus, elevator projects continue apace, and other improvements, including a soon-to-be-launched television studio in 1P– are planned or in process. We ask that community members remain alert and exercise caution as they walk about campus, as there is excavation activity taking place on the Loop Road, 1R, near the basketball courts, pump house, and 2M. To stay up to date on campus planning and projects please refer to the Campus Planning webpage.
The campus continues to see a heightened profile and increased activity, as witnessed by this recent SILIVE feature, and a pair of national podcasts featuring yours truly that will go live in the coming weeks. Despite the blazing heat, the Center for the Arts hosted nearly sold-out performances of 1776 celebrating America 250 this July, and hosted community theater with productions of Mean Girls and Annie Jr. The highlight of the summer in 1P was CSI Summer Stage Youth Theater’s cast of Seussical Jr., receiving a visit from Broadway veteran Janine LaManna. On the other side on campus, nearly 150 children enjoyed our UAU summer day camp and various youth and adult leagues rented our new baseball and softball complex, as well as soccer fields, for their competitions (Speaking of softball, it was great to see so many of you come out for the annual Faculty/Staff game, from which I am still recovering).
As further evidence of the impact that CSI has in the local community, this weekend we hosted the “Lest We Forget: A 9/11 Memorial Concert” honoring Staten Islanders affected by 9/11 through music, remembrance, and community. The event was highlighted on the WCBS Evening News. Our impact can also be seen in the work of Robert Wallace, who was recently feted by the SIEDC for his role in championing workforce development, and our soon-to-be launched 9/11 curriculum that has drawn widespread praise and recognition by local elected officials, as well as various community leaders – Congratulations, Rob! And, most recently, Crystal Vera-Montalvo, Director of Community Educational Engagement, was appointed by NYC Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani to the City’s Panel for Educational Policy (PEP). Crystal is one of 13 new members appointed by the Mayor and I know we will be well represented. Also notable, PIX11’s Eileen Explores series, took viewers inside the complicated and consequential past of the Willowbrook site in the segment, “NYC Off the Grid: Inside the History of Willowbrook,” featuring Archivist James Kaser to discuss the College’s Archives and Special Collections, which houses extensive materials. Keep an eye out for Professor Kaser’s forthcoming book about the history of the College.
This summer I had the great pleasure of being one of 32 college administrators invited by the U.S. Army to their Centers of Influence Leadership Institute at Fort Knox, KY. During the week-long experience, I spoke with Army officers about the benefits of the ROTC program, learned best practices from other attendees, and spoke to countless young people who are dedicated to a lifetime of service, in and out of uniform. I also had the pleasure of hosting or visiting representatives from academic and higher education institutions in Brazil, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, and look forward to building on these conversations to provide cultural and academic exchange programs for CSI students and employees. I recently met with the President of Wagner College and this week, the President of Guttman Community College to discuss articulations, transfer, and other enrollment funnels. I look forward to providing updates on these and other conversations during the fall term. I also met with US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to advocate for the College and answer her questions about the challenges facing higher education leaders and the institutions they serve. My summer also included the usual meetings with members of the Chancellery to discuss enrollment, budget, facilities projects, academic programming, and other topics.
I hope to see many of you at this week’s Welcome Back BBQ (8/27, noon-1:30pm between buildings 1C and 3N), and hope that you will also join me that evening at CSI Night at SIUH Community Park to see the FerryHawks game. Also, we hope you can attend our screening of GREASE on the Great Lawn on 8/28, or at the SIUH Community Park Sunday afternoon for I LOVE STATEN ISLAND festivities. Finally, save the date for Convocation, which will be held on Tuesday, September 1 at 2:30pm in 1P.
With anticipation for a great 2026-2027 academic year, and until next time,
| Timothy G. Lynch, Ph.D. |
