Provost & Faculty: Shaping Our Future Together

As we reach the close of another academic year, I want to take a moment to reflect on all that our faculty, staff, and students have accomplished together. This year brought both challenges and opportunities, and through it all, our college community continued to demonstrate resilience, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to student success.

This year, we made significant progress in several important institutional initiatives. Our involvement with the Gardner Institute’s Curricular Data Analytics Project created opportunities for departments to examine student success data in new and meaningful ways. One of the most encouraging aspects of this work has been the collaboration across all departments as faculty and staff work together to identify interventions and strategies that support student achievement.

We continued our Spotlight on Student Success meetings, which have provided faculty and staff with regular opportunities to learn about new initiatives, share ideas, and offer valuable input into the work of the college. These conversations have strengthened communication and reinforced our shared commitment to continuous improvement and student-centered decision-making.

Another major accomplishment this year was the Foundation of Excellence project. Approximately 54 faculty and staff members participated in this important initiative, working collaboratively to develop recommendations for college improvement across nine foundational principles. The level of engagement and thoughtful collaboration demonstrated throughout this process reflects the deep commitment our campus community has to institutional excellence and student success.

Our academic events programming continued to expand and thrive. This year, the college hosted 36 academic events with more than 1,000 students participating. These events enriched the student experience by creating opportunities for engagement, exploration, dialogue, and community building beyond the classroom.

Throughout the year, I also had the opportunity to attend a number of departmental meetings and campus gatherings, which provided valuable insight into the work taking place across the college. I especially appreciated participating in the Business Advisory Board event, where faculty, staff, and industry partners came together to discuss AI.

I was also grateful for the opportunity to work with our college readiness programs, including STEP, CUNY Explorers, and College Now. These programs continue to do outstanding work preparing high school students for college-level learning and helping students envision themselves as future college graduates.

A key strength of our institution continues to be our commitment to faculty development and advancement. Our Dean of Faculty, Linda Bastone, continues her important work mentoring faculty and strengthening opportunities for promotion and tenure. We continue to offer workshops designed to support faculty through the tenure and promotion process, as well as support for fellowship-level recognition. This year, we were pleased to welcome 12 candidates to the rank of Full Professor.

We also recognize the work of our Dean of Institutional Effectiveness, Reem Jaafar, whose leadership is strengthening data-informed planning across the college.  In a few short months, she has developed an Assessment Effectiveness Framework (AES) and a reimagined Assessment Institute which will launch next fall.

While we celebrate these accomplishments, we also recognize the importance of faculty morale and well-being. Higher education continues to evolve rapidly, and the demands placed on faculty are significant. As we move into the next academic year, we remain committed to fostering a culture of collaboration, respect, support, and shared purpose. A community of care is essential.

Looking ahead, next year promises exciting opportunities in student success initiatives, curriculum innovation, and professional development.

We are preparing to launch CUNY Beyond, a cuny-wde effort deigned to improve the career readiness and success of our graduates.  This effort will be led by a team which comprises Christi Saindon, Gail Lewis, Gail Patterson, Rodney Shannon, Punita Bhansali, Jennifer Maloy, and Karen Alleyne working with me and a new Assistant Vice President.

This blog will include updates on initiatives, faculty spotlights, student success work, and campus culture.

At the end of the year, I am most proud of our collaborative spirit and commitment to student success. We must also care for ourselves and each other as part of a true community of care.

Thank you for your contributions this year. I wish everyone a restorative summer and look forward to the year ahead.

         The Provost's Summer Reading List

1. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
2. The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown
3. Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory
4. Anna In-Between by Elizabeth Nunez
5. Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
6. Villette by Charlotte Brontë
7. Transforming the Gateway Course Experience by Drew Koch
8. The Opposite of Cheating: Teaching for Integrity in the Age of AI by Tricia Bertram Gallant and David A. Rettinger
9. Souls Looking Back by Andrew Garrod