Welcome to the Office of the President

Dear colleagues, 

Welcome to a new academic year at Queensborough Community College! I hope you had an enjoyable and restful summer and are excited to greet the opportunities that await us this fall. 

It has been a busy and productive summer on campus, and I thank our colleagues who worked through these months to prepare for the extraordinary year ahead. On August 1, we welcomed a new Dean of Faculty, Dr. Linda Bastone. Dr. Bastone joins Queensborough from Mercy University where she served as Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs. Additionally, we were fortunate to welcome three new full-time faculty who will join our caring community of educators. Please join me in welcoming Christopher Adams, Communications, Theatre, and Media Production Department; and Francoise Apollon-Dutreuil and Mara Loren Poljak, Nursing Department. To all our new colleagues, we are happy you are here! 

I am pleased to share that we are close to meeting our overall fall 2024 enrollment goal and exceeded our goal in the area of new international students. We have also made progress on our Five-Year Strategic Plan, which continues to guide our work. In support of our Strategic Plan’s focus on digital culture, we’ve launched the newest version of the QCC Connect App, which includes an interactive campus map, easy access to the campus directory, and a comprehensive listing of support services and campus resources. We hope introducing this new technology will help students feel more informed, engaged, and connected.  

This summer has also been busy with changes to instructional and student success technologies. As you know, CUNY transitioned its learning management system (LMS) from Blackboard to Brightspace. CUNY also introduced a new University-wide early alert system to replace EAB Starfish called EAB Navigate 360. EAB Navigate 360 will be discussed at this afternoon’s Fall Convocation and highlighted at tomorrow’s Welcome Back.  

Our Building and Grounds team has also been busy this summer, completing several noteworthy projects, including upgrades to our accessibility ramps on the north side of campus and critical repairs to the swimming pool in the RKF Building. The College has been working to address the frustrating ongoing issues with our elevators in the Medical Arts, Science, and Humanities buildings, and we have implemented a protocol for timely notification of outages and updates from the vendor responsible for maintenance and repairs. We will have more on that at this afternoon's Fall Convocation.  

Last semester, the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) green-lit the second phase of construction to begin on the Science Atrium and Cafeteria. As you might recall, the project has been in the works for several years but has been delayed multiple times due to factors outside of the College’s control. We were notified yesterday that the project will begin in mid-September. As with all major CUNY construction projects, DASNY will manage the timeline and day-to-day operations, and we will provide updates to the campus community as soon as they become available. While we wait for the work to officially begin, the Science Cafeteria has been taken offline, and a new “Hilltop Kitchen” was opened in the Oakland Building for the enjoyment of our students, faculty, and staff. 

In keeping with Queensborough's Strategic Plan commitment to fostering a Culture of Care, our LGBTQ+ Resource Center will open this fall on the second floor of the Administration Building. The data reveals that 17% of Queensborough students identify as LGBTQIA+ and nine percent identify as non-cisgender. Students who indicated a gender other than cisgender man or woman had the lowest sense of mattering. This new center will create a reaffirming space that supports our students and reminds them that they belong here. A search for a center coordinator is underway, and I will share more once someone is selected.  

Last semester as part of our ongoing work with Achieving the Dream (ATD), we hosted a college-wide Capacity Café to deepen our understanding of our strengths and improvement areas in policies and processes, teaching and learning, data and technology, and communications. We heard from many of you and your feedback will help us grow and improve in these areas. One of the things you told us, was that you wanted more opportunities to engage. So, this fall we will introduce Conversations with Christine, an informal way for me to connect with you each month, provide critical updates, and support transparency around administrative updates. Soon you will receive information on the date of our first session and how you can join the conversation.  

Finally, as we begin this new academic year, I am mindful of global and national issues and heightened tensions surrounding the upcoming presidential election. We are committed to ensuring a safe and respectful environment for everyone. Queensborough is a community that centers care, and we must remain focused on our values as a community. We know these are unprecedented times, and we will provide resources to help the campus engage in dialogue about these issues in an inclusive and respectful way. 

What I have shared are just a few highlights from the summer and things to look forward to this fall. I look forward to seeing you all this afternoon for my Convocation in the Humanities Theatre (QPAC) at 3:30 p.m. and tomorrow’s Welcome Back for Faculty and HEOs, hosted in M136. As always, I am grateful for your commitment to our students and all that you do to foster a culture of care and academic excellence. Here is to a successful academic year!  

Sincerely,
Christine

Dr. Christine Mangino
President