"Campus Update" is a weekly e-newsletter published by LaGuardia's Division of Communications and External Affairs to provide news and information to the college community.

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NEWS

LaGuardia Summer Youth Employment Program Gives High School Student Work When Barista Jobs Didn’t Hire

More than 3,200 youth ages 14–24 will get their first job and valuable professional experience this summer, through LaGuardia’s NYC Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). One of those individuals is Jahsani Peters, 17, a senior at Forest Hills High School. He’d imagined spending his summers working as a barista, like many teenagers, but when that didn’t pan out, Jahsani was thrilled to find SYEP. SYEP, a program of the New York City Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD), is the nation’s largest youth employment program, with providers in all five boroughs—LaGuardia’s SYEP is the largest in Queens. This summer, Jahsani is working at Community Capacity Development (CCD) in Woodside, which supports the community of Woodside Houses/NYCHA, for the second summer in a row. He also worked at CCD throughout the 2023–2024 school year through SYEP’s Work, Learn and Grow program. “I’m so grateful to SYEP. It makes me want to do everything in my abilities to do a good job,” said Jahsani. “SYEP motivated me to want to work, so I can get good pay and be more satisfied with life.” 

Summer Youth Art Expo Showcases Student Creativity in the LPAC Corridor

Originally scheduled to take place on the LaGuardia Community Greenway, the Summer Youth Art Expo was moved indoors to the LPAC Corridor in the E-Building today, due to the inclement weather. The expo was presented by the Summer Youth Employment Program, showcasing the artwork of past and present students. Attendees also had the opportunity to make art of their own in interactive art sections for drawing, origami, collaging, and more. Although the Summer Youth Art Expo was moved indoors, there are still a handful of events scheduled to take place on the Greenway later this summer — the next is Community Capacity Development’s Safe Summer on Thursday, July 25 from 1 to 5 p.m. Click here to learn more about upcoming programming on the LaGuardia Community Greenway.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

July: Religious and Ethnic Holidays and Observances

LaGuardia aims to be an inclusive and welcoming environment with an appreciation for celebrations and observances that are important to a wide range of cultures and religions. Here are just a few of the religious and cultural observances recognized in our community throughout the month of July: 

  • July 7: Muharram
  • July 21: Dharma Day 
  • July 26: Americans With Disabilities Act Day 


For a full listing of holidays and observations celebrated this month and throughout the year, please visit the CUNY Religions & Ethnic Holiday Calendar

College Closed on Fridays Through August 9 

As a reminder, LaGuardia is participating in CUNY’s Summer Four-Day Workweek Program, which remains in effect through August 9. This means that the college will be closed July 19, 26, August 2 and 9. Please keep this adjusted summer schedule in mind, and be sure to check individual office hours when seeking assistance from your colleagues in other departments and divisions.

Introducing Navigate, LaGuardia's Student Portal  

Navigate is a platform for you to meet with advisors and connect with other members of the campus community. It replaces My LaGuardia, which shut down earlier this summer. Navigate offers a user-friendly experience for appointment booking, messaging campaigns, shared student notes, and more. Please visit our Navigate landing page to access the portal and for more information, or contact navigate@lagcc.cuny.edu

Annual and Fall I Parking Permits on Sale July 22

On Monday, July 22 at 10 a.m., reservations will be accepted for Annual and Fall I parking passes through TicketLeap. Annual permits are effective from Aug. 8, 2024 to Aug. 27, 2025 and cost $500. Fall I parking passes are effective from Aug. 28 – Dec. 26, 2024 and cost $242. Once a reservation for a pass has been made, payment must be made in person at the Bursar’s Office (C-110) July 23 – 25. Please see detailed instructions here and visit the Parking Operations webpage for more information.

Walk-in Tutoring Available in the Writing Center 

Please remind your students that they can get Writing Center tutoring without an appointment, simply by walking in before the beginning of any period that the center is open. Students can visit the Writing Center in sunny B-200 for walk-in sessions Monday through Thursday from 9:15 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., except the 3:25 period. Click here for more information about Writing Center tutoring or direct any inquiries to WCLab@lagcc.cuny.edu or (718) 482-5688. 

July Operating Statements Now Available

The FY 2025 Tax Levy Start-up July 1, 2024, Operating Budgets by the department are now available for viewing

GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY

Fatherhood Academy Honored by City Council 

On June 26, Raheem Brooks, program director for the CUNY Fatherhood Academy at LaGuardia, gave remarks and accepted a proclamation from the City Council honoring the program. 

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Professor Fern Luskin Publishes Article in Renaissance Studies Journal 

LaGuardia Humanities Professor Fern Luskin, recently had her article, "Titian's Bacchus and his Two Loves" published by Renaissance Studies, a prestigious journal sponsored by Oxford University. In the article, Professor Luskin argues that Titian represents not only Bacchus’ attraction to Ariadne, as has long been recognized, but also his infatuation with a boy-satyr, Ampelos, who struts at the center of the composition, as well as the boy’s transformation into a grapevine. Ampelos' metamorphosis prompted Bacchus’ discovery of wine, which precipitated his identity as the god of wine, hence his prominent position in the painting. In 2023, Professor Luskin also had a book review of Machtelt Brüggen Israëls' Piero della Francesca and the Invention of the Artist, published online in Renaissance Quarterly, a journal published by Cambridge University Press.

Lecturer Luis Guzmán Valerio’s Essay to Be Published in Latino Book Review Magazine 

On July 9, the Latino Book Review announced the authors and works selected for publication in its 2024 magazine issue. Lecturer Luis Guzmán Valerio’s autobiographical essay “Mr. Greenberg” is among the works to be included in the magazine. The Latino Book Review is an independent platform specializing in Latin American literature; since 2019, it has published a yearly literary magazine that has featured interviews with authors such as Sandra Cisneros and Isabel Allende. Dr. Guzmán Valerio’s literary translations have appeared in Latin American Literature Today, Delos, Translators’ Corner, Alchemy, Sargasso, BODY, and FIVE:2:ONE. His creative writing has been published in Chiricú Journal and in the anthology Una visa por tus sueños: Finessing the Dominican Dream.

ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

Virtual Office Available Every Thursday for Enrollment Assistance

Students looking for enrollment services support can now access virtual office hours every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Virtual One Stop takes place on Zoom and allows students to drop in and meet with staff from the Admissions, International Student Services, Registrar, Student Financial Services, Student Information Center, Transfer Credit Evaluation and Testing offices.  

STUDENT AFFAIRS

Announcing the Winners of the Black Lives Matter Summit Creative Writing Contest 2024 

The Black Lives Matter Summit Committee was pleased to receive several submissions of prose, poetry, and creative non-fiction from student writers engaging with this year’s theme of “Black Creative Expression, Politics, and Social Change.” These writers used their voice to address topics such as racial justice/injustice, inequality, resistance, resilience, and the politics of social change. After careful review, the committee selected the following three pieces as winners of the competition — read their work below: 



 Congratulations to Rubi, Miguelangel, and Aliya for their outstanding work!


RED HAWK ATHLETICS

LaGuardia Athletics Signs Three New Red Hawks 

On July 3, LaGuardia Athletics welcomed three new students to join the Red Hawks Women’s Basketball team. The three students who signed with LaGuardia include Maya Morrison, who graduated from Achievement First High School. Maya will be a combo guard. Goldie Gilbert, graduated from the Mott Haven Educational Campus, and she will also be a combo guard. Renayah Fernandez graduated from Brooklyn Collaborative Studies High School and will be the small forward. 

LIBRARY NEWS

Updates from LaGuardia’s Library

  • The Library will be closed Friday, July 19, as part of CUNY Summer Fridays. Please make sure to check our calendar before heading in. 
  • Group Study Rooms are open! Students can reserve a room here.
  • Not sure what to read for fun next? Let the LaGuardia Librarians make some recommendations (for you or your child). Complete this form and a LaGuardia librarian will email you a list of five titles (from our collection, and within CUNY and SUNY) we think you might enjoy borrowing and reading. 


HUMAN RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL UPDATES

Need Help? Have Questions? Contact Us!  


The Human Resources Department is here to support employees while they carry out the mission of the college. In order to best serve you, we want to be sure that you have the contact information where you can get answers for your most frequently asked questions. 


Please make a note of our email addresses and phone numbers.


Executive Director 


Benefits


Payroll – Main Office Number (718) 482-5518


INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

IT Update: Mandatory CUNY Cybersecurity Awareness Training Course

 

CUNY has announced that the 40-minute Cybersecurity Awareness training course, designed specifically for faculty and staff, is now mandatory annually, beginning this year. This course will help safeguard the security of our data against increasing cybersecurity risks, such as phishing attacks, spam, and hacked accounts, while providing best practices for safeguarding your data. You can view the course on Blackboard. All LaGuardia faculty and staff are required to take this course and we encourage you to take it as soon as possible to protect your own and the University's data. If you have any questions regarding the training, please contact Maritza Acero.

Security Alert: Guard Against Increasing Phishing Email Attacks  


There has been an increase in phishing attacks directed at CUNY from a variety of Gmail accounts. Most are of the familiar job scam variety which students are prone to acting on. CUNY/CIS teams are working with Microsoft to block these attacks, which are not “spammy” or “phishy” in nature so they aren’t automatically blocked by email security measures. CUNY/CIS urges all to guard against responding to potential phishing emails, as well as to communicate with colleagues and students to generate greater awareness about the scam increase. 


Recommended User Actions Include: 


  • DO NOT reply to unexpected or unusual emails. 
  • DO NOT reply to emails with personal information or passwords. 
  • DO NOT click links or open attachments in unsolicited emails.  
  • DO read the CUNY Ransomware and Phishing Advisories.  
  • DO complete security awareness training at security.cuny.edu


If you suspect you’ve received a suspicious or phishing email, please forward it to spam@lagcc.cuny.edu. Do not forward it to the LAG Information Technology Division or other group distribution lists or employees, including IT personnel. If you already responded to a phishing email, immediately contact our IT HelpDesk by submitting a ticket through the Faculty & Staff Portal or by email at ITHelp@lagcc.cuny.edu, or call 718-482-6134. If you have questions, please contact LaGuardia's Information Security team

LAGUARDIA IN THE HEADLINES

TECHNEWSWORLD: Caridad Muñoz, a new media technology professor at LaGuardia, comments on Meta’s recent interest in small AI models and how it reflects a broader industry focus on efficiency and accessibility in AI, addressing practical and environmental concerns.


INSIDE HIGHER ED: Since launching at LaGuardia in 2012, the CUNY Fatherhood Academy has helped roughly 1,400 fathers, mostly Black and Hispanic first-generation students, earn their GEDs and figure out how higher education can help them reach their goals as parents. "It’s about generational change," said Raheem Brooks, program director of Fatherhood Academy at LaGuardia.  


QNS: LaGuardia Community College Celebrates Class of 2024 at 52nd Commencement  


QUEENS GAZETTE: LAGCC Graduates 1,909 at 52nd Commencement, Class of 2024 


QUEENS GAZETTE: LAGCC Fine Arts Major Named 2024 Queens Creator by Mets & New Balance 

EVENTS

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"Campus Update" is produced and published by the Communications and External Affairs Division. Faculty and staff who wish to submit items for publication can email CampusUpdate@lagcc.cuny.edu. Submissions must be received by 5 p.m. Monday to be considered for publication on Wednesday.