President's Report for October 2020

Enrollment Management Update

The Office of Admissions is currently recruiting for spring 2021 by hosting online virtual information sessions via Zoom and is awaiting the first recommendation file of applicants from the Central Office. The Office of New Student Engagement continues to support new students by providing opportunities for interaction through our “Ask an Ambassador” portal.

The Office of Academy Advisement began remotely advising for the fall semester utilizing technologies such as Starfish, Blackboard Collaborate and Zoom. Academy Advisement caseloads have been settled and advisers were following up with students in Starfish that have received flags raised for attendance or academic concerns.  Academy Advising began utilizing Blackboard Collaborate on a weekly basis to offer real-time, walk-in services to students in a virtual office, in addition to hosting advisement appointments. The virtual office allows students to engage easily with Academy Advising and increase the accessibility of our services.  The department hosted various events in September to further engage students:

• Tuesday September 22^nd:  “Helping Students be Successful with Remote Learning”.  Presenters included Dr. Kimberly Riegel from the Physics Department and Ms. Asia Khan, President of QCC Student Government.
• Week of September 28^th:  Instagram live session for first semester students to answer advisement questions and discuss successful tips when using important tools such as student e-mail, degree audit, and Starfish.

October officially marks “Advisement Month” and the department will be hosting several Instagram Live sessions pertaining to advisement. In this forum, several advisers will be answering live questions from students on their degree programs and spring 2021 registration.   They are also planning to collaborate with academic departments, chairs and faculty, as well as student services, to host numerous virtual training and information sessions for the advising community.

Faculty & Staff Resources

The Counseling Center is offering Virtual Faculty and Staff Consultation Hours via Zoom in lieu of departmental visits. They will share counseling center procedures, discuss your concerns, and explore ways to support students.  Their schedule for the Fall 2020 semester is as follows

October 19^th at 10:00 am, November 4^th at 2:00 pm, November 18^th at 11:00 am, and November 30^th at 10:00 am.  To register, please send an e-mail to Dr. Wilma Fletcher-Anthony, Professor and Senior Director of The Counseling Center, at WFletcherAnthony@qcc.cuny,edu indicating the session you would like to attend.

Student Resources

• With the advent of the pandemic and concern for our students, Queensborough Community College created the Coronavirus Community Fund. The project was designed to assist students who were facing financial challenges due to Covid-19.  The fund was established from the generous donations of the campus community totaling $42,000.  An additional $150,000 was received from the Robin Hood Foundation.  To date, the Coronavirus Community Fund has awarded 380 grants, at $500 per student, for a total of $190,000.   Additional information can be found at QCC Student Affairs.
• Faculty and staff are asked to encourage our students to avail themselves of the valuable and free resources through the QCC Single Stop Program. Services provided include (but not limited to) public benefits screening, financial coaching, legal assistance, tax preparation services, housing assistance, food pantry referrals, and more.
• Black Mental Health Group – presented by Dr. Wilma Fletcher-Anthony on Thursdays at 2:00 pm. The groups focuses on current and historic events that impact the mental health and wellbeing of Black QCC students. Associated issues pertaining to social justice, systematic racism and segregation, disparities in healthcare, socioeconomic status, and unequal opportunities to education, along with the impact of the pandemic are also discussed. Interested students should contact Dr. Wilma Fletcher-Anthony via e-mail at WFletcheranthony@qcc.cuny.edu for information on how to join the group.
• LGBTQ+ Support Group– This group is facilitated by Dr. Dorith Brodbar on Thursdays from 3:10-4:30.  The group deals with issues that impact students who identify as LGBTQ+ or may be questioning their sexual and/or gender identities.  The goal of this group is to be able to provide a safe space where students can share and discuss their experiences and/or concerns among their peers.  Further discussion may focus on the COVID19 Pandemic as it presents uniquely difficult social, emotional and health challenges particular to this marginalized group.  Interested students should contact Dr. Dorith Brodbar via e-mail at DBrodbar@qcc.cuny.edu for information on how to join the support group.
• 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. Periodic e-mail reminders to the college community outlining the grant eligibility and encouraging faculty and staff to refer students to apply. Please refer students with short-term financial emergencies to Ms. Amawati Gonesh, Program Administrator, via e-mail at AGonesh@qcc.cuny.edu.
• 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 CUNY Ethics and Morality Essay Contest is funded by an endowment gift of $100,000 to the City University of New York by Dr. K. York Chynn and his wife Noelle Chynn. This annual award is intended to promote and stimulate thinking by college students at CUNY about the topic of ethics, morality, and virtuous behavior in their lives. More than ever, these issues arise not only in the personal relationships of individuals and family and friends, but also in the context of corporate, government, and social responsibility, whether it is about treating others fairly and honestly, or food safety. The topic of this year's essay is Virtueand the deadline to apply is November 16, 2020.
• The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship makes 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 6, 2021.
• 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, 2021.
• The deadline to apply for The Guttman Scholarship for High-Achieving Community College Graduatesis November 11, 2020. Faculty and staff are asked to encourage our students to apply. To be eligible for a Spring 2021 scholarship, students must earn an associate degree from a CUNY community college during the Winter 2019, Spring 2020, Summer 2020 or Fall 2020 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 2021, 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 Guttman Transfer Scholarship will receive up to $4,000 paid over two years (four semesters at up to $1,000 a semester).

Upcoming Events

Employer Information Session:  Wednesday, October 21^st 12:30 - 1:30 PM; hosted by Ms. Constance Peluso, Director, Office of Career Services. Guest Speaker:  Ms. Jasmin DeFranco, Queens Junior Generalist, YAI.  Ms. DeFranco will be speaking to students about job opportunities at YAI and providing advice for successful interviewing, through the lens of a recruiter. Interested students must register for this event by clicking here. To join the session the day of, students can click here to join using the following Zoom credentials:  

• Meeting ID: 886 4942 1038
• Passcode: 48ezkd

Drop In/Take-Out Session: Dreaming of a Career in Journalism/Media?: Learn from a Professional Journalist How She Landed Her First Job; Friday, October 30^th from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm; ​hosted by Ms. Sandra Strauss, Career Advisement Coordinator/Placement Adviser, Office of Career Services. Guest Speaker:  Ms. Victoria Zunitch, Professional Writer, Journalist & Queensborough Community College Student. Ms. Zunitch will be speaking about her varied career trajectory and providing concrete resources for students to help them launch a career in journalism and media.  Interested students must register for this event by clicking here. To join the session the day of, students can click here.  

Virtual Internship Event: Wednesday, November 4^th 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm; hosted by Ms. Susanne Grossman, Internship Coordinator/Placement Adviser, Office of Career Services 

Internship recruiters will be speaking about internship opportunities at their companies: Lighthouse Guild; Plitzs Fashion Marketing and Reading Partners will be presenting at the event.  Interested students must register for this event by clicking here.  To join the event the day of, students can click here.

Academic Master Plan

The complete draft of the Academic Master Plan (AMP) has been distributed to the campus community, and the College Advisory Planning Committee (CAPC) met on September 16 to discuss and to provide feedback. To allow ample time for campus discussion and participation by the new president during this process, the final version of the AMP will be submitted to the Academic Senate for approval at the May meeting rather than during this semester at the December meeting. Updates on progress will be provided to campus constituencies throughout the academic year.

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL)

The Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL) and the Office of Educational Technology continue to offer virtual professional development opportunities and individual consultations regarding  instructional practices and strategies for using educational technology. Upcoming workshop series on Digication ePortfolio platform has been designed to engage faculty in creating Digital Presence as instructors and professionals. The Office of Educational Technology offered two Cohorts of eLearning Institute through the summer (July & August). Sixty-five instructors successfully completed the eLearning Institute and received their Certificate of Completion. More recently, OET offered 6 live webinars on Instructional Technology and Distance Learning topics. Our reports showed more than 140 registrations for these webinars.  All faculty are encouraged to visit the CETL and OET homepages to see a complete listing of all upcoming events , webinars, and professional development opportunities.

Currently, 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.

A Tribute to Dr. Joseph Bertorelli

The Queensborough Mathematics and Computer Science Department is raising funds in honor of their former Chairperson, Dr. Joseph Bertorelli, who passed away on April 2, 2020, from health complications related to COVID-19. All funds raised in honor of Dr. Bertorelli will be awarded to Queensborough students participating in quality undergraduate research in mathematics, mathematics education, and computer science. The departmental goal is to raise $25,000 in order to name a small classroom at Queensborough in his honor. Thanks to an outpouring of support for Dr. Bertorelli from the campus community, the department is very close to reaching their goal. Faculty and staff who would like to make a donation online, please right click here, open the hyperlink, and select A Tribute to Dr. Joseph Bertorelli from the drop down menu. 

Coronavirus Community Fund

The Coronavirus Community Fund was set up in April 2020 to raise emergency relief funds for Queensborough students impacted by COVID-19 to cover expenses such as rent, utilities, technology, medical care, groceries and other essentials. A total of $41,000 was raised between April and July using the crowdfunding platform, Give Gab. An additional grant of $150,000 was awarded by the Robin Hood COVID Relief Fund to support Queensborough students impacted by COVID-19. The cash funds awarded will be distributed to Queensborough students using the existing procedures and processes in place at the College for the Coronavirus Community Fund.

Art Gallery

The QCC Art Gallery’s virtual internship is in full swing.  The Department of Art & Design works closely with the students enrolled in the Gallery and Museum Studies students will be hosting a virtual takeover of the Art Gallery’s Facebook page throughout the end of October and November 2020.  Follow us on Facebook!

Facebook Virtual Film Series

October 15, 2020 – 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.  

CUNY-TV SWTB Interview: Jules Allen and Marching Bands

A few thoughts, shared in dialogue, with Abimbola Ishola-Ayodeji, producer CUNY-TV, on the campus of Queensborough Community College, about the creation of "Marching Bands."

October 22, 2020 – 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Rudy Ernst 83rd Birthday Waltz Action Painting

Artist Rudy Ernst’s special performance for his 83^rd birthday blends his creativeness and love for dada genre, Art for the sake of Art.

Kupferberg Holocaust Center

NEW KHC ORIGINAL EXHIBITION

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

Launched Virtually on August 26th, 2020

This new, 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. Approximately 44,000 concentration camps and ghettos existed across Nazi-occupied Europe and North Africa during World War II.

These incarceration sites, which Adolf Hitler used as a mechanism to terrorize and eliminate non-Aryan groups (those seen as “subhuman,” “useless eaters,” and not part of the pure, white, Germanic race), ranged from small barns to compounds with populations of a medium-sized city.

These extensive networks of ghettos, transit camps, women’s camps, forced labor camps, and extermination camps, to name a few, played a central role in the Holocaust—the annihilation of six million Jews—as well as the mass murder of millions more Poles, Roma and Sinti, homosexuals, people with disabilities, social outcasts, Jehovah’s Witnesses, as well as other political and religious opponents. 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. Dr. Cary Lane, KHC 2020-21 Curator-in-Residence and Associate Professor of English at QCC, curates this exhibit.

Visit here to view the virtual exhibit.

Launch of the 2020-2021 KHC/NEH Colloquium 

Internment & Resistance: Confronting Mass Detention and Dehumanization

The 2020-21 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) colloquia series consists of six (6) events that focus on global constructions of concentration camp systems and the challenges that they present. Engaging comparative and multi-disciplinary perspectives, these events examine the processes, mechanisms, forms, and functions of mass detention without trial. They also highlight acts of personal, spiritual, psychological, and social resistance to mass detention. Organized in dialogue with contemporary issues, the series is aligned with the current KHC exhibit, The Concentration Camps: Inside the Nazi System of Incarceration and Genocide, and QCC’s 2020-21 official Common Read text, George Takei’s They Called Us Enemy, a graphic memoir about the internment of Japanese-Americans in the United States during World War II.

The Center welcomes back three (3) faculty members who led past colloquia to join together in creating this provocative series of timely and thought-provoking programming:

• Dr. Steven Dahlke, Associate Professor of Music
• Dr. Susan Jacobowitz, Professor of English
• Dr. Amy Traver, Professor of Sociology

Event 1: 9/30/2020 at 12:00 p.m.: Creating a Concentration Camp Society: How Governments Push for Mass Detention and How People Resist (ONLINE EVENT)

• The development of the German concentration camp system reveals how ruling parties engineer mass detention of civilians without trial. While the horrors of Nazi extermination camps remain unique in history, the first several years of German concentration camps parallel how governments in other places and times have adopted mass detention for similar political purposes. What gives rise to camps, why has their use expanded exponentially in the last decade, and what strategies have been successful in opposing them? Lecture by Andrea Pitzer, author and journalist.

Details to follow about viewing the premiere.

PLEASE NOTE:

The KHC is physically closed and all programming will be held virtually for fall 2020.

Visit the Education page of the KHC website for a complete listing of our comprehensive library guides and to view recorded events from our past NEH colloquia.

Queensborough Performing Arts Center (QPAC)

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, QPAC moved to online programming in March 2020. It quickly became apparent that we were not going to have access to the campus, nor were the students or our customers. Thankfully, we could access our creativity, content and the mechanism to communicate with our supporters.

QPAC expedited a seamless transition to all-virtual programming on April 3rd with free access to pre-recorded events on its website. On April 17th, QPAC launched QPAC LIVE!, a live-streaming weekly entertainment broadcast. While the medium has changed, the mission remained the same: connecting communities through live experiences.  Through moderated performances, sessions and workshops, QPAC LIVE! offers the global community - free of charge - a dynamic, live creative atmosphere.  QPAC LIVE! can be seen on Facebook & YouTube. In the short time that we have been producing this program, the program has earned over 20,000 views with over 1,600 post engagements. On September 1^st, we will expand our programming to celebrate our students' academic accomplishments as well as showcase the work of our distinguished faculty.  The broadcast will continue throughout the fall, and is open to QCC Faculty & students and the online community. We believe this will be a very beneficial and worthwhile series. With the opportunity to connect with a broader demographic, the better we can serve our community. All future programming (beyond the fall) will feature a hybrid design, utilizing a blend of digital and in-person performances in order to reach the maximum number of individuals from multiple locations. Additionally, some programs will be monetized in the fall, to help begin the process of normalizing internet content. The arts does not have to be completely online or completely in-person; it can be a combination of both, which could allow us to serve a larger number of both students and community members.

Upcoming Programming (please refer to QPAC’s website for programming scheduled prior to 9/1):

Tuesdays, September 1 & September 8, 2020 7:00 p.m. EDT - Free

QCC Student Film Premiere

 Department of Speech & Theatre

Faculty: Daniel McKleinfeld

 Friday, September 4, 2020 – 7:00 p.m. EDDT - Free

Steven Brinberg and Simply Barbra

 Steve Brinberg is the premier Barbra Streisand impressionist, performing his incredible show Simply Barbra, to international acclaim both on stage and on television. Join us as we celebrate Barbra, and the 50^th anniversary of the film Hello Dolly. While, there are a number of performers who imitate Barbra, what sets Brinberg apart from his peers is his ability to deliver a performance that embodies the voice, style and grace of this superstar.  Music & live Q&A

Sunday, September 13, 2020 – 7:00 p.m. EDT

SPECIAL EVENT: BEN VEREEN 

 Singer, dancer and actor Ben Vereen is an entertainment legend. From humble beginnings, he graduated from the High School of Performing Arts, made his theater debut at 18 and gained prominence for his performances in the original Broadway productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, for which he received a Tony Award nomination, and Pippin for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. His film credits include Funny Lady and All That Jazz and starred in numerous television programs including Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Nanny, Law & Order and is well known for the role of “Chicken” George Moore in Alex Haley’s landmark TV miniseries Roots for which he received an Emmy nomination. Music & live Q&A, Streaming, Donation Ticket

 Tuesday, September 15, 2020 – 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. EDT - Free

Name That Tune with the American Pops Orchestra

 A  Support the Arts Fundraiser

Friday, September 25, 2020 – 7:00 p.m. EDT – Free

George Bugatti

George has been dubbed “Hollywood’s Hippest Crooner,” and Tony Bennett says that he is one of his favorite singers! Bugatti is one of the most sought after entertainers in Las Vegas. Singer/Songwriter/Pianist and show producer, he is an international powerhouse. In addition to singing Jazz and Broadway standards, George also performs great standards from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Music & live Q&A

Tuesday, September 29, 2020 – 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. EDT - Free

Name That Tune with the American Pops Orchestra

A  Support the Arts Fundraiser

Friday, October 2, 2020 – 7:00 p.m. EDT - Free

REZA! Edge of Illusion Preview

Reza takes the art of illusion to new extremes, delivering incredible cutting-edge magic, masterful comedic timing, and interactive and inspirational moments with a rock-concert style feel.  This streaming event will appeal to magic fans of all ages! Magic & live Q&A

Sunday, October 11, 2020 – 7:00 p.m.

SPECIAL EVENT: GUNNAR & MATTHEW NELSON

Gunnar Nelson and Matthew Nelson, twin sons of Ricky Nelson, and grandsons of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, enjoyed enormous success as Nelson. Their 1990 album After the Rain was released on June 26 of that year and, within three months, its first single (Can’t Live without Your) Love and Affection, went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Singers, songwriters, and guitarists, these rock royalty artists are in the Guinness book of world records, for being part of a family of 3 generations of number one hit makers! Join us as we share the music, the stories and the laughs! Music & live Q&A, Streaming, Donation Ticket.

Workshops:

VIRTUAL GOTTA DANCE – KIDS EDITION! - $5

QPAC’s Broadway Dance-Along Workout Challenge for Kids!

Saturday, September 26, 2020 - 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 3, 2020 – 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 10, 2020 – 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

VIRTUAL QCC STUDENT DANCE ENRICHMENT - FREE!

Wednesday, September 30, 2020 - 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, October 7, 202 - 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. 

QCC COVID19 Reopening Plan 

• The QCC Emergency Management Team, in consultation with the Emergency Management Advisory Group (EMAG) comprised of faculty, student and governance representation, met throughout August and September and completed a plan to ensure the safe return to campus of all faculty, staff and students as conditions warrant. The QCC plan approved by CUNY and NYS can be found at QCC Reopening Plan.  ​