President's Report for February 2023

Enrollment Management Update

The Office of Academy Advisement has assisted a high volume of new and continuing students with registration as we prepare for the start of the Spring 2023 semester.  We have been running a Virtual Office for new and continuing students seeking walk-in advisement, Monday – Friday during the month of January.  In addition, we are operating with 100% in-person services all of January, until the end of the enrollment cycle. We participated in a workshop on Academic Advisement for incoming students on Thursday, January 19 to discuss the role academic advising has in their journey at QCC, and to address frequently asked questions.  Academy Advisement plans on participating in several events for the start of the Spring 2023 semester to market the importance of early advising and registration.

 

ASAP students will continue to receive highly personalized advisement and support services for a caseload of over 2,200 for Spring 2023. In their focus to increase student engagement, they are launching the ASAP Café: Career, Advisement, Financial Aid, and Engagement. This is an in-person event to be held every month where students will have the opportunity to interact with the ASAP Team in a social setting and see first-hand the many resources available to them.  Their group meetings have expanded to include over 20 workshops throughout the semester with topics ranging from “Effective Note Taking & Study Hacks” to “Missed Deadlines, Missed Opportunities”.  As we continue to address the needs of students who are on academic probation, ASAP staff are expanding their academic success workshop initiatives to include their ASAP Peer Mentors. The Faculty Mentoring program continues to thrive, beginning with an Information Session for students scheduled during the first full week of the semester.

 

 

 

Student Athletics Update

 

• As of January 27, 2023, the QCC Men's Basketball Team record is 11-6 overall, ranked in second place in the CUNY Athletic Conference, and ranked third place in Region XV.  The team is led by freshman student Mr. Anthony Walters, who is currently leading the country in points per game (25.5).
  
• The Women’s Basketball Team record is 6-9 overall as of January 27, 2023, in their first season back playing intercollegiate sports since the 2019-2020 season.

Personnel Announcement

The Division of Student Affairs is happy to announce the appointment of Mr. Jamal Biggs as the Acting Program Manager of the Queensborough Male Resource Center (QMRC).  Funded with a $450,000 grant from the Robin Hood Foundation, the Queensborough Male Resource Center is an initiative dedicated to increasing the retention and graduation rates of male students, with a particular focus on self-identified Black and Latino males who are disproportionately impacted by equity gaps in student outcomes.  As Program Manager, chief among his duties, Mr. Biggs will develop and implement a systemic strategic outreach and engagement plan that fulfills program enrollment targets and improves the retention of students engaged in the program.  Jamal’s educational credentials include a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Stony Brook University and a Master of Arts Degree in Urban Affairs from CUNY Queens College.  Please join me in welcoming Mr. Jamal Biggs to this role!

 

Student Support 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 are not limited to) public benefits screening, financial coaching, legal assistance, tax preparation services, housing assistance, food pantry referrals, and more.

 

• Representatives from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance will  help students prepare and e-file their income tax return.  Pre-registration is required.  As such, students should call the Advocacy Resource Center at (718) 631-6347 or e-mail ARC@qcc.cuny.edu.  Tax sessions will be offered both virtually and In-person as follows:
  • Virtual Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Day  - Friday January 27, 2023 from 11AM-2PM
  • Virtual sessions will be held every Wednesday from 11AM-2PM and 3PM-6PM beginning February 1st, 2023 and ending on April 14, 2023 
  • In-person sessions (Library Building, LAB Room 117)  - will be held every Friday from 9:30AM-12:20PM and 1:30PM-4PM beginning February 3, 2023 and ending on April 14, 2023.
• 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. Amawati Gonesh, Advocacy Resource Center Program Manager, via e-mail at AGonesh@qcc.cuny.edu.  Additional information can be found online at QCC Scholarships.

 

• The Community College Global Affairs Fellowship (CCGAF) is a new paid summer enrichment and mentorship program that seeks to expand access to global education opportunities and international affairs careers to community college, transfer, and non-traditional students.  Participants must be U.S. citizens who are community college, transfer, or non-traditional students from historically underrepresented groups, such as first-generation and low-income, as well as overlooked regions of the country. Applicants must have or will be receiving an Associate’s Degree by August 2023 AND/OR plan to be starting at a 4-year university by Fall 2023.  The deadline to apply is Wednesday, March 1, 2023.

 

• The Center for International Affairs, Immigration & Study Abroad will be offering the Spring 2023 Global Leaders Program (GLP), which is a 6-week certificate training program designed to build student career readiness competencies in career and self-development, communication, critical thinking, equity & inclusion, leadership, professionalism, and teamwork. These competencies have been identified by the National Association of Colleges and Employers as necessary for success in today’s global workplace (NACE, 2022).Students from all academic majors can gain global knowledge and develop marketable skills in cross-cultural communication, public speaking, and collaboration integral to job placement and professional advancement.  The program will meet on Wednesdays from 1-2pm in The Kupferberg Holocaust Center classroom on the following dates:

 

• • 2/15/2023 Week 1 Meet & Greet
  • 2/22/2023 Week 2 Transformational Empathy (onsite): Presenter/Facilitator Tony Monahan with PowerPoint, Quiz, Group Activity
  • 3/1/2023 Week 3 Intercultural Communication: (onsite): Presenter/Facilitator with PowerPoint, Video, Group Activity   
  • 3/8/2023 Week 4 Active Listening (onsite): Presenter/Facilitator Franca Ferrari with PowerPoint, Group Activity
  • 3/15/2023 Week 5 Globalization (onsite): Presenter/Facilitator Peter Bales lecture with Group Activity
  • 3/22/2023 Week 6 Group Presentations on Future of Globalization after COVID (onsite)
  • 3/29/2023 Week 7 (if needed) Extra time for Group Presentations on Future of Globalization after COVID (onsite)

 

Students must actively participate in all sessions and group presentations to receive a GLP certificate from The Center of International Affairs, Immigration, and Study Abroad.

 

• TheDream.US Scholarship program provides college scholarships to highly motivated students who entered the United States as minors under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary Protect Status (TPS), and who, without financial assistance, cannot afford a college education. All funding is provided by private donations to The Dream.US organization.  Full details, including eligibility requirements, can be found HERE.  The application opened on November 1, 2022 and closes February 28, 2023.

 

• 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, 2023.

 

• The Belle Zeller Scholarship Trust Fund is now available for eligible students to apply. The award shall consist of the yearly undergraduate tuition for in-state students as set by the university. For additional information, including eligibility requirements and deadline date, please visit their website.  The deadline to apply is March 3, 2023.
• The American Chemical Society (ACS) Scholars Program awards renewable scholarships of up to $5,000 to underrepresented minority students who want to enter the fields of chemistry or chemistry-related fields, such as environmental science, toxicology and chemical technology. High school seniors and college freshmen, sophomores, or juniors are eligible to apply.  The ACS Scholars Program was established in 1994 to attract African American, Hispanic and American Indian students considered underrepresented in the chemical sciences by the National Science Foundation to pursue careers in the field.  The program also aims to help build awareness of the value and rewards associated with careers in chemistry and assist students in acquiring skills and credentials needed for success.  The deadline to apply is March 1, 2023.

 

Upcoming Events

• The Queensborough Student Government Association (SGA) invites all students to their “Breaking The Ice” Skating Event on Wednesday, February 1 from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm in the Humanities Quadrangle.  This fun event will feature an Iceless Skating Rink for students to try.  Ice skates in various size will be provided.

 Hot chocolate and croissants will be served (while supply last). This is a FREE event brought to you by your Student Government Association (SGA)

 

• The Office of Student Activities will host the Spring 2023 Club Fair on Wednesday, February 8 from 12:00 – 2:00 pm in the Student Union Building Lounge for students interested in joining a student club/organization.  At this event, you will learn about the more than 40 student clubs and organizations on campus. The event will feature fun giveaways, music and refreshments!

 

• Students who anticipate graduating at the conclusion of the Spring or Summer 2023 semester are invited to take their 2023 Aurora Yearbook Portraits on Wednesday, February 8 or Thursday, February 9 from 10:00 am – 5:30 pm in the Student Union – Lower Level.  For additional information, visit https://www.qcc.cuny.edu/studentActivities/yearbookPortraits.html.

 

• February 23, 2023: “Either You’re In Or Out: Understanding the Power of Belonging”.  In this 1-hour workshop, participants will explore how belongingness impacts them and learn ways to change the status quo.

 

• March 1, 2023: “Creating A Winning Professional Profile”.  This workshop will address the networking tools that can be used to successfully build a winning profile that meets your personal, professional, and career goals. The following tools will be discussed: LinkedIn, digital contact cards, and soft skills.

 

• March 7, 2023:  “America Needs You: Info Session”.  This is an information session about a two-year program that empowers low-income, first-generation college students with the tools they need to graduate college, succeed in their careers, and compete at the highest level by providing one-on-one mentorship, intensive career development, robust networks, and holistic support.

 

• March 8, 2023: “NYCDAS: Info Session on Job Opportunities & Internships”.  A representative from the New York City Department of Administrative Services will present tips and tools for students to take advantage of job and internship opportunities.

 

Office of Center for Excellence in Teaching and learning (CETL) and the Office of Educational Technology (OET)

 

 

The Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL) will continue to conduct teaching observation workshops in Feb/March in order to highlight the components of QCC's revised peer observation form. The workshops will include information on student-centered pedagogy and best practices of preparing an observation report on the following aspects of teaching and learning: Classroom / Environment, Content & Delivery, and Student Engagement. On March 3 & March10, CETL will host the Teaching Excellence Forums and Speaker Series funded by CUNY's TLH (Transformative Learning in the Humanities) grant. A guest lecture by Nancy Hansel (author of Undergraduate Research at Community Colleges: Equity, Discovery, and Innovation) has been scheduled. These virtual sessions will include facilitated conversations, interactive activities, and faculty presentations for fostering a greater understanding of teaching methods in the student-centric pedagogical model. CETL will continue to offer the workshop series ("Creating Teaching ePortfolio") in Spring 2023 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. All Faculty are encouraged to visit the CETL and OET homepages to see a complete listing of all upcoming events and professional development opportunities.  

 

 

Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs

 

Grants Awarded – November 30, 2022 through January 24, 2023

 

Informational Table, February 2023 President's Report

Institutional Advancement
	New York Jobs CEO Council: $4,076, Corradetti, Arthur; “Apprenticeship – January Microcredential”

 

Informational Table, February 2023 President's Report

Office of the President
	Robin Hood Foundation: $450,000, Matos, Amaris; “Black and Latino Males Initiative”

 

Events Report – February 14, 2023

 

 

Office of Institutional Advancement

 

Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our campus community, Queensborough raised a record $105,000 for our students as part of our 2022 #CUNYTuesday campaign! What a wonderful demonstration of the special care, support, and encouragement our community extends to our students. Thank you!

 

The Podus family donated $75,000 to the Business Department in honor of Arlene Podus who was a professor in the Business Department at Queensborough Community for 30 + years. The funds will be used to award scholarships to students studying business and computer information technology at the College. In honor of this gift, a classroom in the Business department will be named The Professor Arlene D. Podos Business & Computer Information Systems Classroom.

 

Johnson Chen awarded $50,000 to the Engineering Technology department for the purchase of 25 State-of-the-Art computers for the 3D Lab. These computers will be equipped with professional computer-aided design software such as AutoCAD, Solidworks, Predator, and MasterCam, which are essential for: (a) designing and creating advanced 3D models and (b) computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software programs that will drive machine tools to turn designs into physical parts.

 

The Schmeller family donated $50,000 to the QCC Art Gallery endowment. Kurt Schmeller served as President of Queensborough for 32 years (from 1966 to 1999). He was just 29 when he was named the College's third President. David Ross donated $20,000 to the QCC Art Gallery endowment to help maintain and preserve the Gallery’s permanent art collection. 

 

Alliance Bernstein awarded $30,000 in grant funds for Queensborough’s Black and Latino Male students. The grant funds will be used to equip the new Queensborough Males Center on campus.  

 

 

Con Edison awarded a $15,000 STEM Support Program Grant to cover the cost of the summer and winter STEM Tuition Waiver for undocumented students enrolled at Queensborough.   

 

SKANSKA USA CIVIL awarded $10,000 in merit scholarships to the Engineering Technology students at Queensborough.  

 

East West Bank donated $5,000 to Queensborough’s Black Male Initiative and their suite at the Barclays Center as a raffle prize for #CUNYTuesday valued at $5,000. 

 

Ann Bertorelli donated $10,000 to the Mathematics & Computer Science Fund in honor of her husband, Dr. Joseph Bertorelli, former Chair of the Math & Computer Science Department. 

 

Ponce Bank awarded $5,000 in scholarship funds to Queensborough students for the 2022-2023 academic year. 

 

 

 

Grubhub donated $5,000 to the Lucille A. Bova Food Pantry. The funds helped purchase turkeys and perishable and non-perishable items for the Give Thanks, Give Back food distribution event. 

 

Annual Fund Campaign

Click here to make an online donation to Queensborough’s Annual Fund Campaign. Please make checks payable to the QCC Fund, Inc. and mail to Queensborough Community College, Office of Institutional Advancement, Room A-508, 222-05 56 Avenue, Bayside, NY 11364.  

 

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

Thank you for always caring!

 

Art Gallery

 

The Art of the Yaka and Suku opened on November 17, 2022 and will be on display until March 30, 2023. 

CUNYTV filmed a segment for the show Arts in the City featuring the exhibition including an interview with the curator, Scott Rodolitz. The segment begins at the 13:18 mark: Arts in the City – CUNY TV

The exhibition features a wide collection of objects produced by the Yaka and Suku people who reside in the Kwango region, the southwestern area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The exhibition presents some of the finest examples from a major donation by the Dr. Arthur P. Bourgeois estate with contributions from international private lenders. 

An appreciation for the works will be enhanced by the inclusion of Dr. Bourgeios' archival documents including field notes from (then) Zaire, films, photographs, letters which informed his dissertation, as well his many monographs and articles published throughout his career. Scott Rodolitz curates this exhibition.

Tours can be scheduled by visiting our website:

https://artgallery.qcc.cuny.edu/education/class-and-group-visit-request/

Purple Sins also opened on November 17, 2022 in the Community Gallery.

The Purple Sins exhibition features 20 photographs by Eleanor M. Imperato, a writer, poet, and photographer. A hint of mystery, and even danger, suffuses these photographs: tall trees hiding secrets behind their slim trunks, their crowns splashed with sunlight; mushrooms growing strong and glowing in the darkness. 

 

Viewers are invited to delve deeper into these mysteries through Imperato’s poetry book of the same name, Purple Sins, which accompanies this exhibition. The poetic images conjured by the 

 

poems, as well as the poetry evinced by the photographs that illustrate them, arouse our own sentiments and beliefs. 

A publication is available for this exhibition. In her second collection of poetry, Purple Sins, Eleanor M. Imperato melds both her poetry and her photography into one splendid, impressive creation. 

QCC Art Gallery Press - Purple Sins, 2022 - ISBN:  978-1936658527 

Softcover: 138 pages  - Purchase Purple Sins on Amazon

Transporting the Spirit 

A virtual walkthrough was produced for this and can be viewed at:

360 Tour - QCC Art Gallery: Transporting the Spirit (cloudpano.com)

The exhibition presents works from the collection of Marc Seidler and displays the power associated with the objects made by the people of the Papuan Gulf, Papua New Guinea. Scott Rodolitz curates this exhibit.

Internship Program:
The Gallery begins the Spring 2023 internship program. The program continues to support the students with undergraduate research by providing unique opportunities that develop practical experience in the art administration field. The participating individuals continue to assist with the documentation of the permanent collection and incoming donations. 

• The Gallery’s internship program, with Bayside High School, is in full swing, and currently there is one (1) intern.

 

 

Kupferberg Holocaust Center

 

 

KHC ORIGINAL EXHIBITION:

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

On View and Online

https://khc.qcc.cuny.edu/camps/

This year, the KHC will be offering self-guided audio tours of its original exhibition which surveys the scope and brutality of the Nazi system of incarceration and genocide, underscoring the horrific consequences of antisemitism, 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.

 

 

 

PROGRAMMING:

For list of all public programming offered in the Spring 2023 semester, visit: https://khc.qcc.cuny.edu/events-2/

KHC-NEH Faculty Workshop

 

Teaching The Beauty in Breaking: A Workshop for Educators

Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. EST

QCC professors Dr. Angela Ridinger-Dotterman and Dr. Ilse Schrynemakers

 

KHC-NEH Lecture:

Surviving the Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan 

Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. EST

Sohaila Kakar, Survivor and Refugee

 

KHC-NEH Lecture:

 

Dramatic Engagement: The Arts and Holocaust Education

 

Wednesday, March 15, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. EDT

 

Dr. Janet Rubin, Eastern Florida State College 

 

PLEASE NOTE:

 

Visit the Education page of the KHC website at https://khc.qcc.cuny.edu/education/ for a complete listing of our comprehensive library guides and to view recorded events from our past NEH colloquia.

 

 

Queensborough Performing Arts Center (QPAC)

 

 

CASA (Cultural After School Arts Initiative) – March 14, 2023

PS 139Q (Sponsored by Councilmember Schulman)

As part of its efforts to provide cultural and artistic opportunities to students, for which a lack of arts programming is evident, QPAC provides performance workshops in which participants learn acting, dance and musical theater techniques from degreed professionals and Broadway performers. The workshops are designed to connect professional artists with young audiences throughout the year in the hopes of developing a life-long appreciation of the arts.

 

 Our workshops are shaped towards the interests and level of each group. Students receive individual coaching and feedback from the instructor. Teaching artists hired reflect New York City's multi-ethnic communities.

 

QCC Enrichment – March 1, March 8, 2023

As part of its efforts to provide cultural and artistic opportunities to students who are currently attending Queensborough Community College, QPAC produces a series of workshops in which participants study dance and/or singing from degreed professionals and Broadway performers. QPAC strives to ensure that all students have access to a comprehensive and high-quality education and to encourage students to go beyond the boundaries of the classroom.  Our workshops are designed to serve the unique needs of the education and theatre communities, by connecting professional artists with emerging artists throughout the year in the hopes of developing a lifelong appreciation for the arts.  Our workshops are shaped to the interests and level of each group. Participants receive individual coaching and feedback from the instructor.  Teaching artists hired reflect New York City's multi-ethnic communities.

Through June 30, 2023

QPAC’s From Page to Stage (On-Going Faculty Collaborations):

Virtual reenactments of classic novels and plays, historic events, and dramatic readings. An ongoing series of educational presentations (done live and recorded for continued use). These virtual renditions of great works will be available in perpetuity for use by the collaborating department (English, Theater, History, Language, Media classes, etc.). Any work can be researched, rehearsed, and presented. Historic speeches can be recreated. There is NO fee for this service. After the initial live presentation, these works can be utilized in the classroom over and over. Special in-person live events can be accommodated for which classes can be invited.

 

THE Submission Process is On-Going:

• Requests for adaptations will be reviewed on an on-going basis.
• Faculty can request specific works by sending an email to Susan Agin, Executive & Artistic Director, QPAC (SAgin@qcc.cuny.edu). 
• Assuming the availability of the material and copyright permissions, a performance/recording schedule will be submitted within two weeks following each proposal received. 

 

We encourage submissions and we are available to answer any questions.

 

Creative Services

 

 

New AI Virtual Assistant to Replace the Chat Bot
The Office of Marketing and Communications is working on setting up an AI Virtual Assistant within the college's texting platform that would enable students to receive general Q&A support around the clock. 

 

Black History and Women’s History Months

The Department of Creative Services is working on creating media, promoting events, and highlighting stories to honor both the 54^th (Black History Month) and 33^rd (Women’s History Month) annual celebrations of the cultural, social, and historical contributions of these populations.

 

Updating the Brand Manual and Campus Resources for Faculty & Staff

 

For the first time since 2018, the College’s Brand Manual is being revised and updated and will now, and for the first time, define Queensborough’s voice. A brand’s voice is an organization’s 

personality and a unique way to present our values, including our focus on a culture of care for our students and their success. Along with this important update, we are adding guidance on the use of the College’s brand across digital and social medias. Most excitingly for faculty and staff will the development of a Resources and Tools Page that will include approved logos, presentation templates (PowerPoint, Keynote and Canva) and other assets.

 

Continuing Education and Workforce Development (CEWD) 

As part of a relaunch under the guidance of Interim Dean Ellen Hartigan, Queensborough’s Division of Continuing Education and Workforce Development is working with Creative Services on an exciting reinvention of its annual catalog and a new 360 marketing campaign—meaning synergistic messaging across platforms such as digital, print, and social—to promote the Division’s diverse course offerings with the hope of converting many of these lifelong learners into matriculated students.

 

The Collective

Work is beginning on Collective, the QCC Student Literary Journal. This expansive compendium, spanning roughly 100 pages, shines the spotlight on the creative writings and drawings of Queensborough’s talented student authors and artists.