President’s Report and Updates
November 2022
Dear College Community,
November is a month traditionally dedicated to reflecting on what we are thankful for and expressing generosity. As you may know, I embrace the idea that we should be thankful and express gratitude every day. With that, I want to express my gratitude to our KCC community for all that you do as individuals and as a collective to advance the mission of the college. I especially want to thank the staff in the Division of Institutional Advancement for their fundraising and fun-raising efforts in planning our Spirit Day and all those who made donations on CUNYTuesday. Because of your generosity and the generosity of friends and supporters, we raised $40,000 that will fund scholarships and provide financial assistance that benefit KCC students! Remember the giving continues until December 31, 2022, you can still donate HERE!
Thank you to the many faculty and staff who responded to the Governance Review Ad Hoc Committee (GRAC) Interest survey. As I indicated in my initial communication, I endeavored to ensure that everyone was placed on a GRAC they indicated was of high interest, but that such placement could not be guaranteed and given the results of the survey, it was difficult to achieve. We know that each aspect and area of this work is important and I trust that you would embrace your GRAC assignment as an opportunity to provide input into this critical process and our Governance Plan. There are a multitude of ideas, and I know there are passionate positions and beliefs regarding Governance and I want to take this opportunity to remind us all that we all have ownership of Governance at KCC. These committees are to be spaces for productive and inclusive discussion. True shared governance recognizes and needs the rich diversity of our campus community and understands its role is to advance the mission of the college. Let us continue to keep this front and center as we engage in the work ahead.
I appointed a facilitator for each GRAC and as I shared previously, each GRAC is responsible for selecting a co-facilitator from among its membership. Lead and co-facilitators should work collaboratively to coordinate/set committee meetings, facilitate discussions, ensure the committee keeps on task to complete its charges, and provide updates on progress and reports as requested.
Please note, the original timeline has been adjusted. Each GRAC should have a meeting this month (December). A brief status report will be due in February. The target date for completion of this work is May 1st. GRACs are able to meet via Zoom.
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Committee on Elections Facilitator: Elizabeth Dill, English
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Constitutional Committee Facilitator: Stuart Parker, Behavioral Science
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Facilitator: Alissa Levine
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Facilities Facilitator: Gila Rohr, Human Resources
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Parliamentarian Facilitator: John Mikalopas, Physical Sciences
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Shared Governance Facilitator: Jeffrey Delgado, Library
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Student Committee Facilitator: Grace Trotman, Behavioral Sciences |
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1. Nefer Bovea, ASAP 2. Valerie Sokolova, Art 3. Laura Scheiber, Behavioral Sciences 4. Jeremy Sawyer, Behavioral Sciences 5. Michael Smith, Allied Health |
6. Bruno Gulli, History 7. Kamili Posey, History, Philosophy and Political Science 8. Robert Ramsey, Tourism & Hospitality 9. Sharon Warren-Cook, Student Affairs |
In November, we came together to express our gratitude during our SGA-sponsored Thanks4Giving Lunch where we served lunch to our student body; at our Seasons of Thanks Luncheon for staff and at our Veterans Day Luncheon where we honored brave members of our community who served our country.
Our DEI search is still actively ongoing with plans for an opportunity for the college community to engage with finalist and provide feedback. We are taking the necessary steps to ensure a competitive search that will result in a qualify professional who can lead our campus’ DEI efforts.
I want to acknowledge calls for sharing of information regarding the November 3rd incident in the cafeteria. Please be reminded that we are held to FERPA laws that prohibits the disclosing of student records and information. There are aspects to the investigation that are still ongoing. I can share that the policies are outlined in the Henderson Rules to Maintain Order, and can be found here; https://www.kbcc.cuny.edu/studentaffairs/student_conduct/henderson_rules.html. We remain committed to creating these spaces for our college community to have fruitful, productive and respective discourse.
With regards to enrollment, our freshman enrollment is behind where we were last year, but we continue to outpace our year-to-year fall semester enrollment. Currently we are 10.7% ahead of where we were last year at this time with 2,057 continuing students, compared to 1,858 last fall. For more detailed information, review VP Johana Rivera’s weekly Enrollment update.
We ask everyone to encourage students to register early and secure their preferred schedule. We continue to work to not only recruit new students, but ensure that our students are engaged in the life of the college. I want to thank Profs. Stuart Parker and Vanda Seward for facilitating our partnership with Project Thrive. As part of the program, the college will offer a training to the college community that will help make the college more welcoming and responsive to the needs of justice-impacted individuals.
Thank you to Prof. John Acosta as well for mentoring students by giving them the opportunity to demonstrate their skills at a recent meeting of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE).
As you know throughout this semester, faculty and staff who were awarded funds through the Sense of Belonging Initiative had the opportunity to host a variety of engaging and interactive programs for students. Thank you to all those who participated. A second call for proposals will be issued in the Spring.
Lastly, you all are cordially invited to our KCC Holiday Party on December 13, 2022 at 4:00pm; please remember to RSVP by Thursday, December 8, 2022.