President's Report for May 2023

Student Affairs and Enrollment Management

Enrollment Management Update

The Office of Academy Advisement continues to advise and register continuing students for the fall 2023 semester. They began advising new, incoming fall ‘23 students on April 10. Their efforts this semester are focused on initiatives to retain more students. All first semester students from spring 2023 have an advising hold placed on their CUNYfirst account and must meet with an Academy Adviser to register for courses. All students in that group were called and assisted to make an appointment if needed. In addition, we will conduct a text campaign for all students who have had an advising appointment but have yet to register. In addition, we hosted an event on April 19th in the atrium outside of the science building assisting students with advising questions and encouraging them to come to the office for walk-in advisement help that day. We have also collaborated on two occasions in the last month to co-host an Instagram Live with Financial Aid and Bursar.

 

Student Athletics Update

  • The Men's Basketball Team won the CUNYAC Championship for the first time since 2003. Additionally, men's basketball freshman Anthony Walters was selected as CUNYAC Player of the Year and Region XV Player of the Year after leading the entire country in scoring (24.9 points per game)
  • Women's Basketball freshman Nayla Walters led the entire country in rebounding (17.5 rebounds per game).
  • Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field are both currently ranked #1 in the Northeast Region.

 

Student Honors/Achievements

Four (4) QCC students were selected as semifinalists of the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The Foundation awards community college students who have demonstrated exceptional academic ability, leadership, service, and a determination to complete their bachelor’s degrees at top four-year institutions. The students Ms. Aisha Frampton Clark, Mr. Elijah Bernard, Mr. Arafat Akon, and Mr. Hafiz Tariq, - each of which is a member of Queensborough’s Lambda Sigma Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. I wish to congratulate these students on this amazing academic achievement, while also acknowledging PTK faculty advisers Dr. Regina Sullivan and Dr. Emily Tai for their tireless work with these students.

 

QCC’s 62nd Annual Commencement Ceremony

Queensborough Community College’s 62nd Annual Commencement Ceremony will take place on Friday, June 2 on the Athletic Field (rain or shine). Outreach is already underway for fall ‘22, winter ‘23, spring ‘23, and summer ‘23 eligible candidates for graduation. All eligible candidates for graduation who plan to participate in the ceremony must RSVP via Eventbrite no later than Thursday, June 1 by 12:00 pm. The deadline for students to purchase their cap & gown online is Thursday, May 4 (students can also purchase their cap & gown in-person at the bookstore now through Friday, June 2). Additional information regarding this year’s ceremony can be found online at www.qcc.cuny.edu/commencement.

 

Student Support Resources

  • All currently enrolled students wishing to receive financial aid for the Summer 2023, Fall 2023 and/or Spring 2024 semesters were advised to complete the 2023-2024 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the Priority Filing Date of April 19, 2023. Students who miss this date are encouraged to complete the FAFSA immediately. For more information and zoom appointments for assistance, please visit the QCC Financial Aid Website.

 

  • 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.

 

  • 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 Milton Fisher Scholarship for Innovation and Creativity is not a traditional scholarship focused on rewarding academic achievement and financial need. Its specific goal is to reward and encourage innovative and creative problem solving. The scholarship aims to honor students who excel as creative problem solvers and to help make their higher education goals more accessible. The award amount is $5,000 per year and the deadline to apply is May 5, 2023. Learn more about the Milton Fisher Scholarship for Innovation and Creativity by visiting their website.

 

  • The Finch College Alumni Community College Transfer Scholarship application period is now open for all eligible female students. The scholarships, worth $5000, are awarded to second-year female community college students who will graduate from QCC at the conclusion of spring 2023 and transfer to a four-year university for fall 2023. For additional information, including eligibility requirements, visit their website. The deadline to apply is May 1, 2023.
  • The NYCHA-CUNY (New York City Housing Authority) Scholarship Program is now open and accepting applications. The NYCHA-CUNY Scholarship is a collaboration of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and the City University New York (CUNY) to help low-and moderate-income NYCHA residents attending CUNY colleges, as undergraduates, realize their full potential through higher education. Annually, the scholarship awards $1000 to eligible NYCHA residents who are enrolled at CUNY colleges. Students must have completed 24 credits and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher. The deadline to apply is June 27, 2023. NYCHA-CUNY Resident Scholarship Application

 

Upcoming Events

  • Now through the end of the spring ‘23 semester, Free HIV/STI Testing is available for students, faculty, and staff in the Office of Health Services.  Testing will take place between the hours of 11:00 am – 3:00 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Testing services will be provided by Northwell Health, AIDS Center for Queens County (ACQC), and The LGBT Network.

 

  • Yearbook Portraits for the graduating class of 2023 (fall 2022, winter 2023, spring 2023 and summer 2023) will take place beginning Monday, May 1 – Thursday, May 4 in the Student Union Building – Lower Level. To schedule a Portrait Appointment, students can call the Office of Student Activities at (718) 631-6233, email Ms. Cha Huang at chuang@qcc.cuny.edu, or visit the Office of Student Activities, located in the Student Union, Lower Level. All students an making an in-person campus appointment must comply with CUNY's COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.

 

  • On Tuesday, May 2 at 12:00 pm, the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) will offer an online Financial Literacy Workshop: Taxes. This workshop, which is open to all students, will focus on a general tax introduction; preparing taxes; guidance on paying tax debt; and developing financial habits and growth mindset. 
  • On Wednesday, May 3 at 2:00 pm, Queensborough students are invited to a “Let’s Get Artsy: Art Through Adobe Photoshop” interactive workshop, where they will learn how to navigate Adobe photoshop to create an image with a purpose. This event is open to all students and sponsored by the Queensborough Male Resource Center.

 

  • The Queensborough Male Resource Center will host a “Navigating the World Through Stereotypes and Microaggressions" workshop on Thurssday, May 4 from 2:00 – 3:00 pm in Humanities Building – Room 213. This workshop is designed to help students identify and process how perceptions and reality may differ, with a focus on how "normal" stereotypes projected onto the world are not okay and we should no longer just accept them. This workshop is open to all students and sponsored by the Queensborough Male Resource Center.
  • All students are invited to the “Let's Be Social: Speed Networking" event on Wednesday, May 10 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm in the Administration Building – Room 502 (President’s Terrace). Students will have the ability to meet and chat with representatives from a variety of professional outlets such as NBC, an NFL team, a watch brand, and much more. This event is open to all students and sponsored by the Queensborough Male Resource Center.
  • The Queensborough Counseling Center will host its annual Healthy Living Day event on Wednesday, May 10 from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm. In acknowledgement of the month of May as “Mental Health Awareness Month, the event will feature a variety of activities for students to de-stress and unwind with as the spring ‘23 semester winds down prior to the start of final exams finals. This event is open to all students.
  • To close out the spring ‘23 semester, the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs will host a Class of 2023 Graduation Fair/End of Semester Celebration on Wednesday, May 10 at 12:10 pm in the Humanities Quadrangle.  At the celebration, students as well as prospective graduates will be able to celebrate the end of the semester and upcoming graduation ceremony with free tacos from El Toro Rojo Taco Truck as well as tasty shaved ice treats from Pelican's Snoballs. In addition, prospective graduates can stop by our information table should they have any questions about this year’s commencement ceremony.
  • The Annual Spring Blood Drive will take place on Thursday, May 11 from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm in the Student Union – Upper Level. There is an ongoing blood supply shortage that strains the ability of our community to meet the critical health needs of its people. As a member of the Queensborough community you can make a difference. Every drop counts. All students, faculty and staff are welcome. To donate blood, you must be 17 years of age, or older, and weigh at least 110 pounds and have not received a tattoo or body piercings within the past year. Please be sure to eat a meal before attending the blood drive. Remember, even donating a small amount of blood can help save a life. Please consider participating in this important event, which is sponsored by the Maimonides Medical Center.

Academic Affairs

Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity

Dr. Smith has been involved in several initiatives to share the work of QCC on multiple platforms, including local and national conferences. Most recently, she presented the QCC anti-racist guidelines at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. Dr. Smith will continue to present at national conferences to share QCC’s academic initiatives around diversity, equity, and inclusivity. She also served as a facilitator for the TLH Teaching Excellence Virtual Forum on Student-Centered Pedagogy.

 

As Faculty Fellow for DEI, Dr. Smith continues to distribute a monthly newsletter to junior faculty of color. This month’s FaculTEA event featured a presentation from Profs. Connie Williams and Christine Kim, PhD. They focused on teaching faculty how to select appropriate journals for publishing their work. Attendees learned about discipline-specific journals and databases and how to understand readership statistics for various journals.

 

Dr. Smith is co-facilitating QCC’s first Teaching Excellence Pilot with AVP Amaris Matos, which features nine faculty members from various departments who are examining course outcomes and course-level data to determine interventions and solutions to student outcomes, using multivariate approaches.

 

Dr. Smith is chair of the Excellence in Teaching Award committee, which has now successfully completed the first Excellence in Teaching Award criteria, description, rubric, and webpage. The award will launch before the end of the spring semester.

 

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 be hosting High Impact Practices training workshops on August 22-24. A call for participation and details will be sent soon. Faculty who are interested in implementing a High-Impact Practice (HIP)are encouraged to sign up for the workshops in Fall 2023. Faculty who will be integrating High Impact Practices (HIPs) in their Fall courses are requested to complete the HIPs designation form to designate their courses on CUNYfirst. Please click hereto complete CETL HIPs designation form. 

Please visit CETL and OET homepages to see a complete listing of all upcoming events and professional development opportunities.

Office of Institutional Advancement

Events Report – May 9, 2023

 

 

Division of Strategic Initiatives and Advancement 

 

The 2023 Partners for Progress Gala is on Wednesday, May 24th.

 at Terrace on the Park!

 

Queensborough faculty and staff early bird discounted rate of 

$200 per Gala ticket (regularly $350) has been extended until April 30!

 

For faculty and staff who wish to be seated together please email your request to Partners@qcc.cuny.edu

 

We hope to see you on Wednesday, May 24!

 

PURCHASE TICKETS

 

All proceeds from the Gala support student success at Queensborough!

 

The Amazin’ Mets Foundation has invited all Queensborough students who are the recipients of the Amazin Mets Foundation Scholarship and a guest to a special evening at Citi Field to celebrate their accomplishments. 

Fuel Up Before Finals Food Distribution - Monday, May 15, 2023 – 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 

Fresh produce and prepacked bags of non-perishables will be distributed to students.

Celebration of ServiceThursday, May 18, 2023 – 3:00 p.m. on the Great Lawn

Each year the College honors full-time employees who have served 20, 30, 40 and 50 years at the College in a full-time title. On Thursday, May 18th, the College plans to honor those employees who have reached their 20-year milestone, 30-year milestone, and 50-year milestone of full-time service at the College. There is no 40-year honoree this year. Adjuncts who have completed 20 years of service in adjunct titles (40 semesters) will also be honored. The Celebration of Service will be held outside on the Great Lawn at 3:00 p.m. An evite has been sent to the QCC Community. 

Congratulations to all employees who have served our students and our colleagues for all these years!

 

 

 

Art Gallery

 

Juried Student Exhibition: Department of Art & Design
https://artgallery.qcc.cuny.edu/exhibits/juried-student-exhibition-2023/

The Juried Student Exhibition displays a broad range of talent from the students currently pursuing their artistic aspirations here at Queensborough Community College. This is the fifteenth annual student exhibition held in the QCC Art Gallery. This exhibition will be on display through June 6, 2022

 

 

April 20, 2023 – June 30, 2023

NYC Art Bridge: Wellness Through Art

https://artgallery.qcc.cuny.edu/exhibits/nyc-art-bridge-wellness-through-art/

 

The QCC Art Gallery in collaboration with the Taiwanese American Arts Council present the exhibition featuring contemporary artists of diverse backgrounds that respond to societal pressures, investigate the exquisiteness of the universe, and how it relates to the miracle of the human condition.

 

The selected artists were asked to create works based on their own familial experiences, family history, immigrant stories, racial discrimination, internalized racial trauma, mental health issues, parenting conflicts, and cultural identity. Disciplines will include a wide range of visual and performing art. Artists will discuss their content and reflect on community issues generated during the pandemic. 

 

Participating Artists:

Eric Chiang, Eun Young Choi, Cecile Chong, Huey-Min Chuang, Hsiao-Chu (Julia) Hsia, Hsin-Yi Liu, Lulu Meng, Carle Shi, Te-Sian Shih, Kelly Tsai, Poyen Wang, Yu-Ching Wang, Chen-Yi Wu, Chin Chih Yang.

 

Internship Program:
The Gallery wraps up the internship program serving students from both QCC and local high schools. The internship program demonstrates undergraduate research by providing unique opportunities for the individual to 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 hosted two interns from the Gallery and Museum Studies program through the Department of Art & Design. Interns assist with documentation of the collection and incoming donations and inputting the objects into the permanent collection database (Re: Proficio). 

 

  • The Gallery’s internship with Flushing International High School and Bayside High School resumed this spring semester and hosts four student interns.

 

 

 

Kupferberg Holocaust Center

 

 

SPRING 2023 EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS SUMMARY

The KHC continued to welcome QCC classes for in-person tours of the new Camps exhibit this

semester. These tours were for 14 classes, in 3 academic departments, impacting 253 students.

As part of the KHC/NEH 2022-23 Colloquium and in partnership with CETL, the KHC hosted two Professional Development workshops for QCC faculty and educators in our community impacting 47 educators.

 

SPRING 2023 PROGRAMMING SUMMARY

  • During the Spring 2023 academic semester, the KHC presented 15 public programs

including lectures, panel discussions, performances, and special commemorative events.

  • There were 2 thematic program initiatives this semester, the Human Rights and the Museum series and the KHC/NEH 2022-23 Colloquium – Trauma, Remembrance and Compassion.
  • The Center was honored to have partnerships with 10 outside institutions who focus on the Holocaust and other human rights issues, including: 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 8 QCC partnerships including the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), the Welcome Read Committee, QPAC, the Asian American Faculty and Staff Association, the Asian Heritage Month Committee, and the departments of Art & Design, Theater, and Music. There were also 3 CUNY partnerships including the Museum MA Program at the CUNY School of Professional Studies, The Department of Jewish Studies at Queens College, and the Asian American/Asian Research Institute.

 

  • Public programs ranged from our International Holocaust Remembrance Day Virtual Commemoration with keynote speaker, U.S. Department of State Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues, Ellen Germain whose presentation was entitled: The Ongoing Legacy and Impact of the Holocaust in U.S. Foreign Policy.” The event had 398 registrants and was co-sponsored by 9 Holocaust Institutions in the greater NYC area, to a new partnership with the Museum of the Moving Image and 3 Generations for a special film screening of the German Concentration Camps Factual Survey.
  • The KHC had 1,002+ attendees participating in our virtual programs during the Spring semester. *

To view all KHC public programs that took place during the Spring 2023 semester, as well as Fall 2022, and a selection of events from the 2021-2022 academic year, please visit: https://khc.qcc.cuny.edu/recordings/ 

 

*This number does not include the final 4 KHC events taking place after the submission of this report and co-sponsored events. 

 

2022-2023 KHC-NEH COLLOQUIUM 

Trauma, Remembrance and Compassion 

https://khc.qcc.cuny.edu/neh-programs/ 

What is trauma? What does it mean to remember? What is compassion? This year’s colloquium explores trauma, both historically and in our contemporary culture, and how remembrance and compassion both have and continue to offer meaningful responses to atrocities. If genocide and incarceration are crimes and practices that silence people and remove their humanity from them, then remembering is an act of restoration. In preserving the stories of those who have been dehumanized, we honor their suffering and affirm their humanity. In this colloquium, we explore remembrance as a social action that speaks back to the destructiveness and dehumanization of trauma. We also explore how to meaningfully engage with trauma, to hold space for and learn from past traumas. Finally, we seek to identify ways to respond to trauma through compassion, to consider how in the face of traumas, we can choose to act deliberately to alleviate suffering. 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. 

 

2022-23 Faculty Fellows 

Dr. Angela Ridinger-Dotterman, Associate Professor of English 

Dr. Ilse Schrynemakers, Associate Professor of English 

Dr. Jodi Van Der Horn-Gibson, Associate Professor of Communication, Theatre, and Media Production 

John Yi, Lecturer of English 

 

 

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.

 

 

Queensborough Performing Arts Center (QPAC)

 

 

CASA (Cultural After School Arts Initiative) – May 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 15th, and 16th

PS 45Q (Sponsored by Councilmember Adams)

As part of its efforts to provide cultural and artistic opportunities to students where 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 to 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.

 

CASA (Cultural After School Arts Initiative) – May 31st, June 1st, 6th, 8th, 14th, and 15th 

PS 280Q (Sponsored by Councilmember Krishnan)

As part of its efforts to provide cultural and artistic opportunities to students where 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 to 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.

 

Gotta Dance Adults – April 22, April 29th, and May 13, 2023
Sponsored by Council Members James F. GennaroLinda Lee, and Sandra Ung to assist in providing affordable, cultural & artistic programs in the community. QPAC invites children, ages 8-14, to participate in a new dance workout offered on Saturdays. Much like the popular adult version of this program, choreography as seen on Broadway is re-created to provide a fun way of working out. Students learn from Broadway Performers who reflect the diversity of the borough.

 

Sunday, May 14, 2023 – 3:00 p.m. 

Teatro Lirico D'Europa: Madama Butterfly

The most performed opera in the United States, Madama Butterfly is one of opera’s most enduring tales of unrequited love. Audiences never get tired of her, and opera companies could not survive without her. The entire opera is set from the point of view of the title character, Cio Cio San, who falls in love with American naval officer Pinkerton. Enduring both shame and sorrow, she decides to take destiny into her own hands--leading to one of the most devastating and legendary final scenes in all of opera. The drama, accompanied by Puccini’s emotionally charged musical score, portrays the dangers of misguided love, and the brave pursuit of a better life. This is a fully staged production with orchestra. 

 

FREE COMMUNITY SPRING/SUMMER CONCERTS:

May 18, 2023 – 7:00 p.m. - 80’s and Beyond, Belle Harbor

May 20, 2023 – 5:00 p.m. - Disney’s The Little Mermen, Flushing

May 21, 2023 – 7:00 p.m. - The Soul Cruisers, Bayside

May 31, 2023 – 7:30 p.m. - Solid Gold 50’s and 60’s, Fresh Meadows

June 1, 2023 – 7:00 p.m. - The Kings of Disco, Middle Village

June 8, 2023 – 7:00 p.m. - 80 and Beyond

June 13, 2023 – 7:00 p.m. - Disney’s the Little Mermen, Howard Beach

June 15, 2023 – 7:00 p.m. - The Soul Cruisers, Middle Village

June 22, 2023 – 7:00 p.m. - Disney’s The Little Mermen

June 25, 2023 – 3:00 p.m. - Richie Santa: A Tribute to the King!

June 29, 2023 – 7:00 p.m. - Satisfaction: Rolling Stones Tribute

 

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

Teacher Appreciation Week / NYC DOE Sabbatical Campaign

NYC public school teachers can earn salary differentials by completing 30 credits of coursework beyond their bachelor’s degrees. We are working with Pati Ramos in Admissions and Dean Hartigan in CEWD on a multi-channel marketing & advertising campaign to target this population. The theme of the campaign is “Because Teachers Can’t Live on Apples Alone” and that “earning credits and certifications beyond a bachelor’s degree can boost your knowledge, your confidence and your income!” The campaign will highlight our proximity to Nassau County (quite a large number of teachers work in Queens but live across the county line) as well as the variety of course modalities offered.

 

Strategic Marketing Plan

 

A working group has been put together to begin working on our first Strategic Marketing Plan, which will help guide the work of the Department over the coming year(s). The plan will be based on a thorough market analysis, a clear understanding of the target audience, a strong positioning, and an effective marketing mix. The plan will be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that it remains relevant and effective.

 

 

Akademos, the New Online Queensborough Bookstore

 

Creative Services is working with Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and IT as our bookstore is switching to a new online-only location beginning for the Fall 2023 semester. Queensborough will partner with CUNY’s exclusive online bookstore provider, Akademos, for this endeavor. Akademos currently serves 19 CUNY colleges and universities and has provided students at over 150 schools with many low-cost textbook options and significant savings through their innovative online bookstore platform which utilizes state-of-the-art technology to fully integrate with school systems. The Online Bookstore will streamline the textbook adoption process for faculty and administrators, making it easy to select course materials. For students, the new platform is designed to provide students with affordable course materials, convenience, and choice.

 

STUDENT COMMUNICATIONS: Virtual Assistant

 

Update: The Office of Marketing and Communications has programmed the AI Virtual Assistant within the college's texting platform which would enable students to receive general Q&A support around the clock. A marketing plan has been finalized but we have had to push back the rollout date due to system upgrades. These positive upgrades will allow us to promote one phone number to students instead of several phone numbers.

Office of Finance and Administration

FY 23 & 24 Budget Updates

The FY 2023 Budget has continued to be a challenge for Queensborough as the University has imposed mandatory reductions for all CUNY colleges in response to the university-wide structural deficits resulting from reduced enrollment over recent years. In addition, NYC’s continuing budget challenges and the resulting Program to Eliminate the Gap (PEG) has resulted in reduced support for QCC. The rapid decline of enrollment, tuition revenue and the PEG’s have forced dramatic reductions to adjust fixed costs and staff attritions to reduce the structural deficit. With the entire QCC community working together, we have made significant progress in minimizing staff and operating costs during FY23. While we still have much work to do increasing enrollment and streamlining our cost structure, there is reason to be optimistic as we prepare for FY24. 

During May, Finance & Administration (F&A) will be distributing budget templates to all departments to allow for our resource planning for the upcoming year. We ask that all departments only request those budget items that are essential to your operations and consider ways to minimize costs wherever possible until such time that enrollment increases. F&A will continue its ongoing consultation with the Budget Advisory Committee of the Academic Senate and with the College Advisory Planning Committee as we develop our FY24 plan over the spring and summer. 

Campus Cultural Centers

Kupferberg Holocaust Center exterior lit up at nightOpens in a new window
Kupferberg Holocaust Center Opens in a new window

The KHC uses the lessons of the Holocaust to educate current and future generations about the ramifications of unbridled prejudice, racism and stereotyping.

Russian Ballet performing at the Queensborough Performing Arts CenterOpens in a new window
QPAC: Performing Arts CenterOpens in a new window

QPAC is an invaluable entertainment company in this region with a growing national reputation. The arts at QPAC continues to play a vital role in transforming lives and building stronger communities.

Queensborough Art Gallery exterior in the afternoonOpens in a new window
QCC Art Gallery

The QCC Art Gallery of the City University of New York is a vital educational and cultural resource for Queensborough Community College, the Borough of Queens and the surrounding communities.