Message to the Campus

Message to the Campus

From:  President
Sent: Thursday, September 9, 2021

Coming Back to Go Forward

Dear KCC Community!

Welcome back! You’ve probably heard me say this before, but the first day of school (and commencement day) are my favorite days of the year.  And today, (especially today) after so many months, weeks and days existing in a new reality, it feels so good to be able to say Welcome Back.   It’s raining  lightly now, and while many may curse this kind of weather, I have always viewed it as a blessing. We are blessed to do this work and I am so grateful to do it alongside you at this special place we call Kingsborough.

In some ways, the college is the same as we left it in March 2020, but in other ways it is not; and given everything we have experienced as a college and in our own lives, we are different too. There are new protocols at the gate and for the campus, and classrooms may feel and look different.  And although we are familiar with our space, many of our students are not.

I had the opportunity to chat with a student yesterday.  She sent me a message via Instagram, and while it is my practice to redirect students to email me at my president@kbcc address, given her question, I thought I could give a quick reply.  She wanted to know if it was possible to use a computer on campus for her online class today because she has an in-person class immediately prior to her online class.  I told her sure and that she could sign up in the Library.  She asked if I can send her a map so she can determine the distance between her class and the Library.  I asked her if she was a freshman and she told me no and that she is going into her second year, but this would be her first time on campus and that she was so excited! I was reminded that she and many others have never been here before and collectively, we- our students, our community- we have never been in this place.  I ask that you stoke their excitement with your own and exercise patience with all the changes will confront as we come back and move forward together.   

Members of the Senior Staff and I will be making our rounds around campus today and in the coming week to not only enjoy the renewed vibrancy of the campus, but to note and address concerns, and ensure that we continue to adhere to the protocols outlined in our reopening plan.  As I have indicated, no one should inquire about another person’s vaccination status.  If you are on campus, it means that you are either vaccinated, or have tested negative in the past 7 days.  Given all that we know about COVID, it is important that we continue to practice social distancing and wear our masks as outlined in the guidance that has been shared.  As always you can reach out to me or anyone of the members of the Senior Staff with concerns or questions. I urge you to do so.

Thank you again to the Forward Committee for bringing us forward.  And thank you all for your unmatched commitment to the mission of the college and to our students over these past months.  Let’s continue to be a blessing to them and each other.

Schrader