President's Monthly Report

President’s Report July/August 2019

Dear KCC Community,

As I share the President’s Report for the month of July and the first part of August, my thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives in Dayton, El Paso, Brooklyn and across the country as a result of gun violence. It is easy to become hopeless during times like this, but it is also at times like this that we must embrace hope for the future as we focus on the work that we do at the college helping students to achieve their goals. I am proud to do this work with you.

Our commitment to this mission continues to be evident as we have worked diligently this month to enroll new and transfer students and register continuing students for the coming semester. As a result, our enrollment numbers demonstrate marked improvement over last year at this time. As we approach the start of the semester, I have asked Dr. Johana Rivera, our new Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management who started this week, to share with you a comprehensive enrollment update each week until the start of the semester. By now, you should have received a comprehensive and exciting report from VP Eduardo Rios on all the summer initiatives detailing everything from a facelift in T7 to campus wide painting projects. I would like to take this opportunity to thank VP Rios and his team for all their efforts in improving our facilities and getting us ready to welcome students on the first day of class.

It’s hard to believe we are weeks away from a new academic year. The summer went by in flash, but not before I had the opportunity to attend Culinary Art’s Final Buffet and enjoy the spread of tasty delights prepared by CA300 Garde Manger and CA2100 Patisserie students. I also had the opportunity to join the CUNY Service Corps and spend a day helping with rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico (PR). A week after my return, we doubled the number of KCC members in PR as KCC student Eliza Saudi joined CUNY Service Corps in PR as part of Cohort 5 along with Maria Patestas, Director of Student Life, who served as a Chaperone. I am proud of their participation and hope that we can continue to be actively engaged with CUNY Service Corps.

July has also been a month for planning. I received and reviewed annual reports from each division and will engage in deeper planning for AY 2019-2020 at an upcoming senior staff retreat. I can already share with you after meeting with Mickie Driscoll, Executive Director of Human Resources, that plans are underway for reinstating a robust orientation program for new staff. More information will be forthcoming. I met with members of the Commencement Committee to discuss 2019 activities and start planning for 2020. I also met with VP Richard Fox to discuss our Strategic Planning activities for the year and discuss our readiness and needs as we prepare for our next Middle States visit in 2025. I am also pleased that we can begin to increase our attention to enhancing our workforce development efforts and expanding the KCC footprint as Dr. Simone Rodriguez, Interim Vice President of Workforce Development and Strategic Partnerships, has started this week.

The results of the COACHE survey are now available. I am pleased that our faculty response rate increased from 40% in 2015 to 47% in 2019. I am committed to ensuring that this information is not only shared and discussed broadly, but that we use the feedback and the data to address areas of concern and improve the faculty experience. I am pleased that Dean Cathy Leaker will serve as the administrative liaison for this work over the next year. We are in the planning process for this work and will share more information about the next steps at Convocation on September 6th along with more plans for the 2019-20 academic year, a review 2018-19 outcomes and accomplishments and introduction of new faculty and staff members of our college community.

It saddens me, however, to enter the new academic year without the outstanding support of someone who has served the Kingsborough College Community with distinction for over 30 years. As you may know, Dr. Elizabeth Basile, Vice President of Institutional Advancement will retire from the College after many years of outstanding service and leadership in a variety of areas including her most recent role in overseeing the philanthropic activities of the college. I have been honored to work with her over the past year, and enjoyed her energy as well as her unmatched commitment to students. In her recent note to the campus, Liz notes that KCC has enriched her life, but from where I stand, it is she who has truly enriched the Kingsborough College community and all those who invest in our mission. I wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors.

Enjoy the rest of your summer. I look forward to seeing you in September.

President Schrader