President's Report for December 2021

Enrollment Management Update

• The Office of Admissions and Recruitment received its first spring 2022 recommendation file on October 20, 2021.  To date, three (3) recommendation files have been delivered to QCC Admissions.  Currently, compared to spring 2021, there is a 30% increase in overall applications, and an 18% increase in students who have accepted their offer of admissions to Queensborough.  Weekly recruitment events such as admissions information sessions, and transfer admissions webinars have been well attended on a weekly basis.  As in the previous year, due to Covid-19 in-person recruitment events at partner schools and community-based organizations continue to be a challenge with many organizations still only hosting virtual events.  Registration for new students started on November 4^th and is going well. 

• Academy Advising is seeing a robust demand from students seeking assistance with advisement and registration for the winter and spring 2022 semesters. We are leveraging Tiger Advisers as well as Schedule Builder to assist students with the registration process, and we are utilizing Starfish to follow up with students who have not registered yet. In addition, we are contacting specific cohorts, such as first semester freshmen and Fresh Start students, to encourage early registration. The demand for online courses is high and availability is limited and therefore we are supporting students to take action early on. Lastly, we are also planning to have a QCC Virtual Advisement session on Saturday, December 11^th for incoming students that will provide a more flexible option for advising and registration. 

Student Resources

• Faculty and staff are asked to encourage our students to avail themselves of the valuable and free resources through the QCC Advocacy Resource Center. Services provided include (but not limited to) public benefits screening, financial coaching, legal assistance, tax preparation services, housing assistance, food pantry referrals, and more. For additional information, contact the QCC Advocacy Resource Center at arc@qcc.cuny.edu.

• Emergency funding is available to students who face a financial crisis that puts at risk their continued enrollment toward their QCC degree. Supported through a grant from The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation, the funds provide one-time, emergency grants to students in good standing with short-term financial emergencies to enable them to remain in school, rather than being forced to leave or drop out. Students with short-term financial emergencies should be referred to Ms. Karen O’Sullivan, Associate Director of Financial Services, via e-mail at KOsullivan@qcc.cuny.edu or Ms. Amawati Gonesh, Advocacy Resource Center Administrator, via e-mail at AGonesh@qcc.cuny.edu.  Additional information can be found online at QCC Scholarships.

• The Senator Jose Peralta NYS DREAM Act (DREAM Act) allows undocumented and other eligible students to apply for New York State financial aid. The NYS DREAM Act application is used to determine student eligibility under the provisions of the NYS DREAM Act. Students who meet the NYS DREAM Act's eligibility requirements for high school attendance, high school completion, in-state SUNY or CUNY tuition, and citizenship or immigration status will be able to apply for one or more NYS student financial aid programs. Students who qualify under the NYS DREAM Act can separately apply for NYS student financial aid programs. The program is administered by the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation.

• The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarshipmakes it possible for the nation's top community college students to complete their bachelor's degrees by transferring to a selective four-year college or university. The Foundation provides up to $40,000 per year to each of approximately 45 deserving students selected annually, making it the largest private scholarship for two-year and community college transfer students in the country. Each award is intended to cover a significant share of the student's educational expenses – including tuition, living expenses, books and required fees – for the final two to three years necessary to achieve a bachelor's degree. Awards vary by individual, based on the cost of tuition as well as other grants or scholarships he or she may receive. The deadline to apply is January 10, 2022.

• The Women's Forum Education Award provides a scholarship of $10,000. The awards will be given to women aged 35 and over, who have faced and overcome adversity and now, after an interruption in their education, have resumed the pursuit of their first Associate or Bachelor degree. Applicants must demonstrate noteworthy promise and resilience in the face of challenges and must also demonstrate a commitment to helping others and to making a difference in their community, large or small, when their own career goals are achieved. Financial need and academic excellence are not the primary determining factors in the selection of recipients, although true financial need should be evident and the candidate should be in good academic standing. The deadline to apply is February 1, 2022.

• Applications for The Guttman Scholarship for High-Achieving Community College Graduates will open in November for eligible students. Faculty and staff are asked to encourage our students to apply. To be eligible, students must earn an associate degree from a CUNY community college in the spring 2021, summer 2021, fall 2021 or winter 2021 semester, and must currently have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. Students must also be transferring to Brooklyn, City, Hunter, Lehman, or Queens College in spring 2022, and must enroll full time (at least 12 credits/semester). Scholarship priority will be given to students who qualify for financial aid. Students who are awarded a scholarship will receive up to $4,000 paid over two years (four semesters at up to $1,000 a semester). The deadline to apply is January 3, 2022.

Academic Momentum Plan

STEM Tuition Waiver Program

We are currently processing the STEM Waiver Program applications for the winter 2022 session, allowing hundreds of students to take one tuition-free STEM course. The balance of the FY22 STEM Tuition Waiver funding will be available to our students for the 2022 summer session courses. 

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL)

The Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL) will continue to host the workshop series ("Creating Teaching ePortfolio") in Spring 2022 to support faculty in the process of creating a digital documentation of one's teaching philosophy and the relationship between course goals, assignments, and evidence of student learning. Additionally, CETL will schedule multiple workshops to support teaching excellence and student-centered pedagogical practices. Training schedule for the newly revised "Peer Observation Form" will be available soon. All Faculty are encouraged to visit CETL and OET homepages to see a complete listing of all upcoming events and professional development opportunities.

The Office of Educational Technology (OET) continues to offer faculty development opportunities. Throughout the fall semester, OET has offered seven webinars on a wide variety of Educational Technology applications. The most popular webinar was “Blackboard Tests and the Grade Center” with 9 registrations. In total, the OET received thirty-five online registrations for all seven webinars. 
 
The number of students active in Blackboard remains above the 90%. The most recent Blackboard Statistics Report shows that 97.67% of our students are enrolled in active Blackboard courses. The report also shows that more than 80% of the Blackboard courses are currently active in Blackboard. 
 
Between October 1st – November 15th  2021, the OET staff have provided over 100 faculty consultations and resolved more than 60  technical support incidents. 
 
The Office of Educational Technology is offering Drop-in Virtual Office Hours through Blackboard Collaborate. Faculty can join the OET Virtual Office to speak with an IT Academic Specialist, Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.  and 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. 

Office of Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion

On November 12, 2021, Dr. Smith hosted the third “Thriving in Academia” lecture series featuring Dr. André Hudson, Professor and Head of the Thomas Gosnell School at Rochester Institute of Technology.  Dr. Hudson talked about the importance of “participating in review panels,” “having a penultimate draft,” “leveraging mentors for critical feedback,” and “being persistent” when pursuing grants and research.  His presentation was insightful for all our community members.  He emphasized that junior faculty should “play the long game” and “focus on access” for everyone on our campus, as we plan around equity-minded practices.

The Antiracist Curriculum Task Force is finalizing the guidelines that will support faculty as they implement antiracist, culturally responsive practices in classrooms at QCC.

On October 26, Dr. Smith hosted FaculTEA Meet and Greet for all junior faculty of color via Zoom. The next FaculTEA will be on December 7 at 11am via Zoom. This event will be led by Prof. Christine Kim and Prof. Constance Williams and is a session on publishing.

Dr. Smith is available for any mentoring-related questions for junior faculty and is always available for consultation regarding the implementation of culturally relevant practices in pedagogy.

Office of Continuing Education and Workforce Development (CEWD)

Announcements! Congratulations!!!

QCC, as the lead institution on behalf of CUNY Community Colleges Consortium, has been selected to participate in the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) and Education Strategy Group (ESG) Noncredit and Credit Alignment Lab (NCAL). ACCT ESG  received

a large number of responses which resulted in a very competitive selection process. In addition to the benefits, ACCT ESG will provide a $10,000 stipend to CUNY Community Colleges to participate in the NCAL initiative and offset the costs of data collection and submission. 

The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) and Education Strategy Group (ESG) launched the Noncredit and Credit Alignment Lab (NCAL), a two-year initiative to support 10 community college governance units’ efforts to develop new or improved pathways between non-credit and credit programs. The project is supported by a $1.2 million grant from ECMC Foundation.

Non-credit programming can be a stepping stone to further education and training that leads to higher earnings and greater career sustainability. Unfortunately, our systems are designed to discourage rather than facilitate pathways across non-credit and credit programs, according to ESG research. The result is that many students in non-credit programs are left without pathways to additional learning, and colleges fail to take advantage of a significant population of engaged learners ready to enroll in credit-bearing programs.

To achieve greater equity and develop more resilient and responsive systems following a global pandemic, community colleges must bridge the divide between non-credit and credit programs.

QCC’s CEWD Cloud Computing Microcredential (AWS Academy) instructor, Michael Lawrence, was recognized on November 18, 2021 by the Continuing Education Association of New York (CEANY) and received the  2021 Outstanding Continuing Education Educator Award,  which recognize an individual who has made exemplary contributions to the general field of continuing education on a state, national, or international level. The focus is on contributions of a general nature that extend beyond Association activities. QCC's cloud computing micro credential boot camp programs were made possible by Department of Education Perkin’s, Education Design Lab, and U.S. Department of Labor Strengthening Community Colleges grants. See Michael Lawrence's award acceptance speech.

QCC CEWD Dean Hui-Yin Hsu, Lori Conkling, Director of Labor Market Research and Workforce Development and Michael Manikopne, Director DOL SCC Consortium Grant, on behalf of CUNY Community Colleges Consortium, presented “Co-Designing  an Integrated Accelerated Pathways Model with Employers and the Workforce Development System: Driving System Changes through the CUNY Communities College Consortium”  at Continuing Education Association of New York (CEANY) annual conference 2021 at Saratoga Springs, Nov. 17, 2021. CEANY celebrates its 50th anniversary “ Past, Present and Future: A Celebration of Recovery and Revitalization.”

QCC CEWD Dean Hui-Yin Hsu co-presented US DOL SCC Grant Core Element 5: Innovative Systems Change with Doreen Forbes-Rogers from Norwalk Community College at the US Department of Labor Strengthening Community Colleges Grant Convening grantee spotlight sessions on November 16, 2021. Core Element 5, Innovative Systems Change, refers to efforts and initiatives that go beyond providing direct services to individual jobseekers and aim to transform how organizations effectively support employers and the workforce at the systems level.

Office of Research

Announcements

• The 6^th Annual Undergraduate Research Day: Showcasing UR across the disciplines, will be held on Friday, December 3^rd from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on Zoom (Register). All are welcome to attend.

Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs

Grants Awarded: October 22, 2021 – November 29, 2021

Mathematics & Computer Sciences                                   

• IBM, Inc., IBM Global University Programs Award: $15,000, Danisman, Yusuf; "Preparation of a Curriculum and Educational Materials for Data Science in Stock Market Analysis Program at Community Colleges”                                    

Annual Fund Campaign:

Faculty and staff may choose to support faculty development, merit scholarships, the QCC Food Pantry, Endowment for Student Success, or another key service or program that resonates deep within them. The link to give online is https://www2.qcc.cuny.edu/give/give.html and you can make your selection from the drop-down menu. Checks must be made payable to the QCC Fund, Inc. and mailed to Queensborough Community College, Office of Institutional Advancement, Room A-508, 222-05 56 Avenue, Bayside, NY 11364. 

Queensborough students continue to grapple with the pandemic. Your donation to the Annual Fund Campaign will make both an immediate and life-long impact on our students.

Thank you for your continued support!

Queensborough students continue to grapple with the pandemic. Your donation to the Annual Fund Campaign will make both an immediate and life-long impact on our students.

#CUNYTuesday – November 30, 2021

#CUNYTuesday is on November 30th and QCC is again participating with all the CUNY colleges in the 24-hour giving challenge. To make a gift online for #CUNYTuesday visit here . Faculty and staff can support #CUNYTuesday through payroll deduction. Up to three (3) CUNY colleges can be listed as beneficiaries and all funds raised will be used where the College(s) need it the most. Online enrollment for payroll deductions will remain open from November 2nd to December 3rd.

Thank you for your continued support!

Kupferberg Holocaust Center

Fall 2021 Programming Summary:

• During the Fall 2021 academic semester, the KHC presented 14 public programs including lectures, panel discussions, performances, and special commemorative events.

• There were three (3) thematic program initiatives this semester, the Scholars in Conversation series, the Human Rights and the Museum series, and the KHC/NEH 2021-22 Colloquium - Incarceration, Transformation & Paths to Liberation during the Holocaust and Beyond.

• The Center was honored to have partnerships with 12 outside institutions who focus on the Holocaust and other human rights issues, including: Harriman Institute at Columbia University; the Sam and Frances Fried Holocaust and Genocide Academy at the University of Nebraska at Omaha; the Center for the Study of Genocide & Human Rights at Rutgers University; the Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan College; and the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust and Humanity Center.

• There were five (5) QCC partnerships including the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), the Welcome Read Committee, and the departments of English, Art and Design, and Music.

• Public programs ranged from our Annual Kristallnacht Commemoration with keynote speaker, Dr. Peter Fritzsche, whose presentation was entitled - “BOYKOTT April 1, 1933: Spectatorship and the Exclusion of Jews from the German Community” (168 registrants), to a discussion about work in the field in “Museums as Places of Trauma and Healing: Processing Visitor Experiences” with Dr. Ereshnee Naidu-Silverman of the International

• Coalition of Sites of Conscience, to scholars and survivors in conversation for “Narrating Srebrenica: Conducting Oral Histories with Genocide Survivors” that featured Hasan Hasanović, Genocide survivor and Head of the Oral History Project at the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial (144 registrants).

• The KHC had 1,000+ attendees participate in our virtual programs during the Fall semester.

To view recordings of all the Fall 2021 Kupferberg Holocaust Center public programs, visit:

http://khc.qcc.cuny.edu/events-2/

KHC ORIGIHNAL EXHIBITION

The Concentration Camps: Inside the Nazi System of Incarceration and Genocide

On View and Online:

khc.qcc.cuny.edu/camps

This original exhibition at the Harriet & Kenneth Kupferberg Holocaust Center surveys the scope and brutality of the Nazi system of incarceration and genocide, underscoring the horrific consequences of intolerance, racism, and authoritarianism. In addition to the exhibit’s text, images, and artifacts, personal testimonies from local Holocaust survivors offer painful insights into these excruciating landscapes of degradation and dehumanization. This exhibit is curated by Dr. Cary Lane, KHC 2020-21 Curator-in-Residence and Associate Professor of English at QCC.

Department of Creative Services

QCC Fund, Inc. Rebranding:

Tony Gamino is working with Charlene Prounis and Ron Appel from the QCC Fund to create a new logo and branding identity for this critical partner organization.

Five-Year Strategic Plan:

Creative Services is working with VP Di Dio, Amaris Matos, Dean Corradetti and Mike Donahue on the College’s new Five-Year Strategic Plan. The Queensborough Community College Five-Year Strategic Plan is the outcome of a deeply collaborative, inclusive, from the ground-up process among students, faculty, staff, alumni, business partners, and many other valued members of our community.

January’s State of the College Address:

Before the Senate meets on the 14^th, work will be well underway on developing President Mangino’s January 2022 address to the campus community on her vision for Queensborough in the new year.