President's Monthly Report

December 2022

Dear College Community,

I could not begin my first email of 2023, without saying thank you for another year supporting students to achieve their goals.   Although this is a new year, we enter with the same mission we have had for 59 years.  Unfortunately, we do so with heavy hearts because of the members college community as well as loved ones that have passed away.  Although we miss them, let us reflect on all the good they brought to us and honor them by living vibrant lives where we are good to ourselves and others.

Kingsborough has always been synonymous with not just goodness, but greatness.  In the midst of the pandemic, we continued to not just survive, but thrive in our work.  Now, as the city continues make its way back from the pandemic, we face new challenges, but colleagues these challenges are nothing we cannot overcome together.   No one should be surprised that last month, Intelligent.com voted Kingsborough Community College as THE BEST community college in New York.  Their narrative states: Routinely ranked among the best community colleges in the entire country, CUNY Kingsborough offers first-rate academics at an affordable price and in a flexible, accessible atmosphere.

I want to take this opportunity to update you on a number of items.  With regards to the Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Senior Staff and I interviewed four candidates in November.   Of the four, we selected two as finalists.  To ensure we had a larger pool of candidates, I asked the committee to review additional candidates.  We are scheduled to interview two more candidates and I hope we will be able to schedule an open forum in January/ early February with all finalists.  I will keep you updated.

I met with the GRAC Facilitators in mid-December.  As a result of their feedback Nadine worked with IT to set up a central place to upload, store, communicate between committees and or view resources. The GRAC Ad Hoc TEAMS Channel in Microsoft 365 will provide committee members with this capability.  In addition, the following resources have been uploaded to the site:

  • College Council Constitution & Bylaws ~revised September 2018
  • College Council Members List 2022-23 – this includes the standing members for established committees in which you may have questions for and/or may want to consult
  • Robert’s Rules of Order Resources
  • Shared Governance Review & Recommendations, dated 12.19.
  • College Council Minutes for 10.13.2022
  • GRAC Ad Hoc Committee

We are in the process of finalizing appointments to the Commencement Committee. I will share this information with the college community once it is complete.                                                                                                                                                         

In December the Senior Staff conducted our annual holiday toy drive for our littlest learners in the Child Development Center.   We were also grateful for the donations of gifts by Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated, Kappa Beta Sigma Chapter (#BrooklynSigmas) for the children of the fathers enrolled in The CUNY Fatherhood Academy at KCC.  Although the came bearing presents, their presence was the real gift as they spent time listening to, talking with, inspiring and lifting up our young fathers.

Last year I received an email from a January graduate expressing dismay that although they walked in Commencement in June, January Graduates do not receive any accolades regarding the completion of their studies.  I asked VPs Todmann and Rivera, COS Brown and Registrar Mullen to develop a plan where we can provide special acknowledgement to January and August graduates.  I am excited to share that the plan will be implemented this coming Spring.  

I am excited to share that we have received a CUNY Campus Climate Support Grant of $24,000 from to advance our efforts in cultivating a college community of trust, understanding and inclusion.   In the coming weeks we will be reaching out to the campus community to get more feedback and input regarding how our funded effort can address the most pressing issues of discrimination at KCC.

Finally, I am pleased to share that thanks to the work of the faculty in the department of Communications and Performing Arts that NYS has approved KCC to offer our AS degree in Speech Communication as a fully online degree program.  It will make a great addition to our KCC FLEX program. The program will continue to be offered in person and in a hybrid modality.  

Like the sunrise I often catch on my drive to campus in the morning, I can’t wait to see what the next 365 days bring. Let’s make each day count as we resolve to continue to:  support student, institutional and our professional success, work together, build bridges, resolve conflicts, open ourselves to new ideas, use data to inform our practices; forge new and productive relationships and give the best of ourselves by rising and shining to the occasion of this incredible work that we do. Let’s make it a great one!!

Happy New Year!

Claudia V. Schrader, Ed.D.

President