As the calendar turns to October, I write with information and updates about recent activities that you may find of interest. The week began in earnest when, despite torrential downpours and high winds, our Women’s Basketball team participated in the annual Tunnel to Towers run and demonstrated their commitment to each other and to a worthy cause. Many thanks to Coach Nicole Sarcone for organizing their participation and to the entire Dolphin squad for showing up and showing out! It is always wonderful to see service in action having impact.
Speaking of profound impact, on Monday, members of my administration met with Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon and his team to reaffirm our shared commitment to combating sexual assault on campus. We did so by signing our annual Comprehensive College Sexual Assault Initiative contract. The contract asserts that our Office of Title IX will work together with the RCDA’s Special Victim’s Bureau, at the request of a sexual assault survivor, to help them explore all of their options within and outside the criminal justice system and we are lucky to have such dedicated partners in this space. And the signing could not have been more timely: This week saw troubling headlines concerning sexual harassment and assault on college campuses, with particular attention to a high-profile case at Cornell University. I am grateful to partner with the District Attorney and his team on this important imperative, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to provide safe learning and working environments for all our campus constituents. Should you be the victim of, or aware of, sexual assault on this campus, please contact our Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, ably led by Director Tara Mastrangelo and Deputy Director DeSyre Collier, who will handle complaints and conduct investigations. You can also file a complaint through CUNY’s online reporting portal.
The week also saw me attend a meeting of the CUNY Deans and Presidents, where we shared best practices regarding student retention and how campuses are utilizing various strategies to reduce achievement gaps and advance equity. One of the benefits of being in a system with two dozen other campuses is being able to tap into the individual and collective wisdom of so many talented administrators who care deeply about the mission of their institutions and of CUNY. With no disrespect to these good folks (or to the DA’s Office), this was not my favorite meeting of the week; that took place on Tuesday when Vice President of Student Affairs Tommy Tressler-Gelok and I hosted the Executive Board of the Student Government Association for “Pizza with the President.” We listened to their plans for increased student engagement this year, to their hopes for greater on-campus presence and, especially, their intense interest in pathways to careers via internships, clinical placements, and other applied, experiential learning opportunities. It was a pleasure to meet with President Gabriella Rosales and her associates, and I look forward to partnering with them to implement their many good ideas. In fact, this goal of expanding workplace-based learning formed a good part of my conversation on Thursday with Meagan Sills, President of Staten Island University Hospital, where we brainstormed ways for our two institutions to leverage our partnership for the betterment of our students and our broader community.
This week also saw a meeting with the Central Office regarding the implementation of their Constructive Dialogue Initiative and our plans to equip faculty and staff with the tools and resources to have difficult conversations. Many thanks to Vice Chancellor and Chief Transformation Officer Rachel Stephenson for her leadership here, and to Robert King Kee of our Office of Student Life for running point on this project locally. I look forward to the results of this hard, but important work. Implementation of the CDI at a local level will likely be one of the topics covered at Monday’s “deep dive” meeting with the Chancellor and his staff as I and others will be addressing our Performance Management Plan at the Central Office that morning. I expect many accolades regarding our recent achievements but always appreciate the positive energy that comes with any good vibes you send our way!
The week ended with the first meeting of the Institutional Planning Committee of the term, where we continued discussing the operationalization of our Strategic Plan Bridge to Success and with our hosting of a gathering of local high school counselors (and CUNY staffers from University Admissions and Recruitment). We assessed forthcoming demographic shifts, analyzed challenges to higher education, and celebrated the successes of our campus and our system. It is always great to meet ambassadors for our programs and to speak glowingly about the achievements of our faculty, staff, and students, and the impressive improvements we have made to our facilities (and to our reputation!), Thank you for making my job easier in that regard.
I want to acknowledge that October marks Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Look out for weekly emails from IT and remember to login to CUNY Brightspace to complete your trainings. If you happen to be free on Saturday and are looking to enjoy the outside, consider joining our colleagues at the Staten Island District Attorney’s Office for their Fifth Annual “A Mile in Their Shoes” Walk & Family Festival, a free event in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, being held right next door at Willowbrook Park.
By Timothy G. Lynch, Ph.D.
