Provost Monthly Report: September 2019

This September 2019 Provost’s Monthly Report provides highlights of progress on a select number of strategic initiatives and activities within the Division of Academic Affairs and Student Success and across the College to advance our institutional mission and strategic priorities.

STUDENT SUCCESS

We continued our efforts to strengthen student success for both undergraduate and graduate students with a number of key initiatives:

• Held an all-day Lehman Student Success Summit (LS³) on September 3, attended by many faculty, staff, and administrators at the Music Building’s Faculty Dining Room (FDR). The room-filled audience of campus participants received presentations on innovative practices for improving student success, focused on techniques for engaged student learning, strategies for improving retention, closing achievement/equity gaps, textbook affordability through Open Educational Resources (OER), and ensuring timely graduation of our students. Among the presenters were: Stacey Katz (Library), Alexander Nunez-Torres (Economics & Business), Jennifer Van Allen (CLLSE), Dhipinder Walia (English), Anne Rice (Africana Studies), Vani Kannan (English), Bret Maney (English), Christine McKenna (Journalism & Media Studies), Merrill Parra (Disability Services), Chris Buonocore (Enrollment Management), Esther Wilder (Sociology), Pam Mills (NSS), Reine Sarmiento (Enrollment Management), Ronald Banks (Enrollment Management), Richard Finger (Enrollment Management), Ron Bergmann (Information Technology), Stanley Bazile (Student Affairs), Karen Smith Moore (Counseling Center), Dugeidy Ortiz (Childcare Center), Suzette Ramsundar (Campus Life), and Conrad Walker (Student Affairs). The Keynote Speaker was Dr. Timothy Renick, Senior Vice President for Student Success and Professor of Religious Studies at Georgia State University (GSU) in Atlanta. Georgia State, with its diverse student population of 53,000 students, has garnered national attention as a model of student success for its innovative student engagement practices and support services, and for increasing retention and graduation rates, and closing achievement gaps among all racial groups within a relatively short period. Dr. Renick has led GSU’s student success efforts since 2008. His thoughtful and stimulating PowerPoint presentation titled: “The Journey of Georgia State University: Transforming Student Outcomes Through Data and Institutional Change” can be found at this link. President Dan Lemons provided both the opening and closing remarks at the Summit, and presented a framework for the ensuing conversations guided by our 90x30 initiative, while Provost Nwosu spoke on the following themes: people, process, technology, and data, as organizing principles for advancing our student success agenda. He also highlighted several of our student success accomplishments during the past three years, and extended appreciation to staff in the offices of the President and Provost, as well various campus units who helped to organize the Summit. Dr. Jonathan Gagliardi served as the Summit’s moderator. Prior to the day’s event, which began at 8:30am and concluded at 4:15pm, President Lemons and Provost Nwosu had an early breakfast meeting with Dr. Renick.


• The 2019-2020 Student Leadership Weekend Retreat took place in September at The Edith Macy Conference Center, in Chappaqua, New York. More than 30 Student Government Association (SGA) leaders led by Student Government Association (SGA) President Tarialy Hernandez (Biology major) participated in the two-day convening held from Saturday, September 21 to Sunday, September 22. The retreat, organized by the Herbert H. Lehman Center for Student Leadership Development in the Office of Campus Life led by Director Michael Sullivan and Associate Director Suzette Ramsundar, focused on building strategic leadership strengths and skills and included immersive, intensive, and interactive leadership learning experiences and exercises for participants. I was pleased to join President Lemons and members of the President’s Advisory Board (PAB), comprising of Cabinet officers and Deans, and several members of the senior leadership team in Academic Affairs, on Saturday, September 21, to participate in a series of panel discussions with our student leaders on issues of interest and concern to students. Earlier in the day, Dr. Stanley Bazile, Dean of Students and Executive in Charge of Student Affairs, facilitated a panel discussion with Lehman senior administrators, where they discussed their roles and responsibilities at the College and the impact on student life. It was a wonderful opportunity to engage with our student leaders, and to enhance their understanding of how the College functions. Kudos to the staff in Campus Life for organizing a successful convening. The Weekend Leadership Retreat is now in its 15th year.


• The Office of Prestigious Awards (OPA) hosted Lehman’s 3rd Prestigious Awards Day on September 6th. The event allows students to learn about nationally competitive awards that fund scholarly opportunities such as: graduate school, summer research projects, internships, study abroad, language acquisition, among others. I was thrilled to participate in this year’s event and to offer opening remarks on behalf of the President and the Lehman College family. OPA was established three years ago to prepare tomorrow’s leaders. Led by Professor Alice Michelle Augustine, OPA has received 162 awards totaling more than $5 million since its inception. This past academic year was a record-breaking season. Students working with the office won more than 70 awards, totaling more than $2.3 million. Among them, four Fulbright Fellowships for study in Bulgaria, Mexico, and Poland, the highest such award for the College. Other awards include: The Boren Scholarship for study in Japan, and The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans. Fifteen students received funding to pursue graduate education at some of the finest colleges and universities in the nation. Eleven students received the Teach for America Fellowships. Two students received summer research development grants from the National Institutes of Health. Twelve students received Pre-Health Internship Awards. And two students received the Jeanette K. Watson Fellowship to intern at IBM Watson and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, respectively.


• I was very elated to join College Now Director David Gantz and several Lehman staff and faculty at the Lovinger Theater on Saturday, September 6 to welcome more than 400 public high school students and their families to the Lehman College Now (CN) Fall 2019 Orientation Program. College Now is a free college transition/dual enrollment program sponsored by the New York City Department of Education for public high school students. Students have the opportunity to take college credit courses, participate in pre-college workshops, and enroll in full day summer programs at any of the CUNY colleges. Students enrolled in the program at Lehman come from 60 different New York City public high schools; many of these schools are in the Bronx. More than 80 percent of the students complete their coursework with grades of “C” or above. Students who participate in College Now program accumulate more credits at the end of the first semester in CUNY than non-College Now students: 16.23 credits (CN) vs. 9.43 credits (Non-CN). They also have a greater likelihood of graduation from college (higher Associate degree or Baccalaureate degree 3-year and 6-year graduation rates respectively) than non-College Now students. In his welcome remarks to students, Provost Nwosu highlighted the value of coming to Lehman College for their educational journey (e.g. the college’s location as one of the most beautiful campuses of CUNY, its strong faculty and academic programs, its affordability as one of four public colleges in the nation that belong in the top 25 of “low-debt/high-income schools,” and its top ranking among public colleges and universities in the nation with the highest “mobility rate,” moving large numbers of low-income students into the middle class and beyond. He also spoke about his own educational journey to the United States as an immigrant student (many of the College Now students are immigrants and first generation students), and he urged the students to see Lehman College as a welcoming home for them—with a diverse community of teachers, scholars, artists, activists, and students dedicated to advancing learning and educational attainment in the Bronx and the region, and pushing the frontiers of economic mobility and social justice for all.


• Participated in the first meeting of the Provost Committee on Re-Entry held on September 9 in Carman Hall. I was privileged to meet with the group on August 28 where I had charged them to develop a well-coordinated system of college care and support services to assist previously incarcerated men, women and youth to successfully participate in college at Lehman. The group’s work is consistent with Lehman’s mission of social justice and expanding access and opportunity in our region. The committee is co-chaired by Dr. Penny Prince (Music) and Dr. Jane MacKillop (SCPS), and has 45 days to complete and submit its report to the Provost. Other committee members include Carl Mazza, Anne Rice, Peggy Conner, David Fletcher, Stanley Bazile, Dugeidy Ortiz, Jaye Jones, Bascillia Toussaint, and Gregory Harvey, who is an alum of the college. The committee’s work expands on ongoing faculty-led efforts at the College to support previously incarcerated students in their academic endeavors. On September 5th, Dr. Peggy Conner presented a synopsis of these efforts to members of the Provost and Deans’ Council (PDC). Drs. Mazza, Prince, and Rice attended the meeting and joined Dr. Conner in answering questions from PDC members.

• President Lemons approved the recommendation from the President’s Advisory Board (PAB), comprising of the President’s Cabinet, School Deans and the Associate Dean and Chief Librarian, to establish The Lehman Chairs of Excellence (TLCE), effective fall 2020. Funding for the initial slate of four TLCE awards in the amount of $80,000 has also been approved. Each awardee will receive $20,000 with $10,000 as additional amount in annual salary for the duration of the award, and $10,000 to go toward the awardee’s OTPS. The Lehman Chairs of Excellence designation is intended to foster superior accomplishments in teaching, research, and service at the College and serves dual purposes: a) To recognize and retain faculty members of outstanding merit and national and international reputation whose works enrich the College, and b) To attract and bring eminent scholars and research initiatives and creative activities to the College, that help focus and/or enhance excellence in a priority area of study/creative activity. TLCE is separate and distinct from the CUNY Distinguished Professorships, and is intended only for retaining and recruiting excellent faculty of diverse backgrounds, gender, race and/or ethnicity at/to Lehman College. Institutional funding is being dedicated initially to support TLCE. Thereafter, external funding will be pursued. A Committee on Guidelines and Expectations, comprising of mostly faculty, has been established to develop the draft guidelines and criteria for the selection and review of candidates for TLCE. The committee is expected to submit its recommendations to the Provost within 45 days.
  

• This year’s Convocation, which took place on Wednesday, September 18, was my first at the College in my role as Provost. I was also the master of ceremony. What a joyful event held at the Lovinger Theater as the college paused for an hour to mark the traditional opening of the academic year. The occasion was followed by a reception at the Faculty Dining Room attended by faculty, staff, students, and administration. The reception also provided another opportunity to celebrate the full re-affirmation of institutional accreditation at the end of June by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). President Lemons and SGA President Hernandez also gave inspiring remarks at the convocation. Several faculty and staff were honored for their extraordinary contributions to the College: David Hyman, associate professor in the Department of English (Teacher of the Year Award); Richard Birrittella, adjunct assistant professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy (Adjunct Faculty of the Year Award); Alice Michelle Augustine, Office of Prestigious Awards (Outstanding Contribution to the College Award); Elkin Urrea, Information Technology (Outstanding Contribution to the College Award); Alicia Cruz, Public Safety (Outstanding Contribution to the College Award); and Valerie McQueen, Buildings and Grounds (Outstanding Contribution to the College Award). Professor Anne Rothstein of the Department of Early Childhood and Childhood Education served as Grand Marshall, while Professor Herbert Broderick of the Department of Art served as Deputy Grand Marshall. Two faculty marshals, Associate Professor David Hyman of the Department of English and Associate Professor Prabodhika Mallikaratchy of the Department of Chemistry, were also present to guide the celebration. Much appreciation to the many staff from multiple units at the college who worked behind the scene to ensure the success of this year’s traditional opening.

• Incredible news for Lehman College Accelerate Complete Engage (ACE) program! Four million dollars received this month from Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust to support another cohort of 300 students for our (ACE) program, with the goal of on-time completion. The grant will be payable over four years beginning in the 2020 academic year. This year, the College began implementation of the ACE program for more than 250 Lehman students across multiple academic programs, funded through a separate grant of $4 million grant from the Robin Hood Foundation. In total, we now have $8 million to support our students as they make progress toward their degrees. ACE is a comprehensive program designed to help students complete their academic journey to the bachelor’s degree within two years (transfer) or four years (freshmen). The program offers a range of financial, academic, and personal support, including intensive academic advisement and career counseling, as well as tuition, textbook, and transportation assistance to participating students. Dr. Donna Linderman, CUNY’s Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs has been a key partner of our ACE program, administered through our Enrollment Management unit led by Vice President Reine Sarmiento.


• Lehman College joined 9 other CUNY Colleges to participate in the Fall 2019 meeting of the Transfer Opportunity Project (TOP) held at the Central office on September 10. At the meeting, Chris Buonocore of our Enrollment Management unit, gave a demonstration of TWIF (Transfer What If), a new feature of DegreeWorks being implemented at Lehman. The feature helps students see what will happen to their credits if they transfer to a different major at a different college. Dr. Alexa Logue of the Center for Advanced Study in Education at the CUNY Graduate Center hosted the TOPS convening. Another meeting will take place in spring 2020.


• We finalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to guide the implementation of a three-way career partnership among Braven, CUNY and Lehman. The partnership, initially funded through CUNY, will provide Career Accelerator Services to enrolled students through a credit and degree-bearing course with credit comparable to other core academic courses. The specific course to be utilized for this partnership has been approved through our College curricular approval process. President Lemons, Vice President Reine Sarmiento, Vice Provost Vincent Prohaska and Provost Nwosu participated in a conference on September 5 with Braven Chief Executive Officer Aimée Eubanks Davis and the New York City Executive Director Kilsys Payamps-Roure to finalize the MOU.


• Participated in the CUNY Academic Council meeting of chief academic officers on held on September 11 at the Central office.


• New EVC and University Provost José Luis Cruz shared his thinking about the organizational changes underway in the Office of Academic Affairs at CUNY: aligning central resources to serve the colleges more effectively; aligning the agendas of the three major councils (Academic Council, Student Affairs Council, and the Enrollment Management Council) convened by the EVC to better serve the University’s student success focus; moving Career Services from Student Affairs to Workforce Development and Continuing Education, and moving Athletics from Academic Affairs to Operations. These changes in structures at the central office are not intended to influence existing structures at CUNY colleges.


• Dr. Cruz also announced the following additional initiatives underway: formation of an organizational alignment and institutional effectiveness committee, which will recommend additional changes in the Office of Academic Affairs; release of the new CUNY proficiency index policy brief and technical guidance memo; and the plan being developed by his office to advance proposals for campus-based centers and institutes and their operations.


• EVC and Chief Operating Officer Hector Batista also attended the meeting, and spoke about five areas of focus to support CUNY’s academic mission: HR, Procurement, CUNY First, Financial processes, and Facilities, including deferred maintenance. The bulk of the meeting was devoted to planning council meetings and focus for the balance of the year, with emphasis on the following key areas: Faculty development & pedagogical innovation; Faculty workload; Academic and resource planning; and Academic momentum.


• Participated in the September 11 meeting of Chief Academic Officers (CAOs) of the CUNY consortia institutions of the Ph.D. program in Nursing housed at the Graduate Center. University Provost José Luis Cruz hosted the meeting, which was held at the Central office. The consortia institutions and CAOs are Lehman College (Peter Nwosu), Hunter College (Lon Kaufman), College of Staten Island (Michael Parrish), and the Graduate Center (Julia Wrigley). Under consideration is a well-grounded external study of the Ph.D. program in Nursing at CUNY to assess demand, program needs, resource support, role of consortia members, program marketing, and identification of research partners.


• Participated in the monthly meeting of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Chief Academic Officers (ACAO) as a member of the board. Also participated in the meetings of the Membership and Outreach Committee as well as the Committee on Digital Learning as a member.


• We are pleased to learn that the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) has extended Lehman College’s participation with the association’s Student Success Pilot Academy through 2021. Lehman is one of six institutions first selected in spring 2019 by AASCU to participate in the 15-month Collaborative on Student Success. The project’s goal is refine and validate an institutional transformation process that advances students’ success through information sharing and data exchange. In summer 2019, President Lemons led the Lehman Team (Provost Nwosu, Associate Dean Karin Beck, AVP John Gagliardi, Director Bascillia Toussaint, and Vice President Reine Sarmiento) to the AASCU Student Success Academy in Orlando, Florida.


• The Lehman Team, which now includes Dean Stanley Bazile, has been meeting to refine its goals and develop key performance indicators (KPIs). During its September meeting, the team recommended a focus on two areas:


• Academic Readiness and Pedagogical Innovation, which includes investing in initiatives to expand active learning, digital learning, and online learning


• Advising, which includes investing in initiatives that support students’ transitions into Lehman from undergraduate to graduate, enhancing the students’ experiences during their time at Lehman, as well as strengthening their career readiness and workforce outcomes. The team will continue fleshing out these areas and will begin discussions about broader campus engagement and implementation around these two focus areas.


• Joined President Lemons and Executive Director Teresita Levy on September 17 for a meeting with the President of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), Arecibo, Dr. Carlos Andújar Rojas, to continue discussions begun last year for a system-wide exchange agreement between CUNY and UPR. Lehman and UPR, Arecibo will serve as lead institutions for the agreement for both systems. During his visit, Dr. Rojas also held meetings with CUNY officials, including University Provost Cruz and Chancellor Matos Rodriguez.


• Attended the 55th Anniversary Gala of R.A.I.N. Total Care Inc. on September 19 (with Dr. Alicia George’s, Nursing chair). The well-attended event was held at the Marina del Ray conference facility in the Bronx. R.A.I.N. is a major employer of Lehman graduates, in particular nursing graduates. The organization was founded to offer in-home and personal care services for the elderly, disabled and homebound individuals of any age.


• Completed review and submission of this year’s annual report of the NYC Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP). Provost Nwosu serves as Principal Investigator on the grant (replacing former President Cruz), while Professor Laura Oliveira (Chemistry) serves as project director. The $4.2 million grant involves 12 partner institutions across CUNY, and is designed to broaden minority participation in STEM. The institutions are: Lehman (as lead), Guttman Community College, City College, Hunter College, Baruch College, Brooklyn College, College of Staten Island, Medgar Evers College, New York City College of Technology, Queens College, Bronx Community College, and Hostos Community College. More than 130 students from across the partner institutions were involved during the first year of the grant’s implementation. CUNY is also providing funding support for the program. During the month, the grant’s Leadership Team comprising of Provost Nwosu (PI), and four Co-PIs Scott Evenbeck (Guttman), Gilda Barabino (CCNY), Gustavo Lopez (Lehman College), and Sarah Bonner (Hunter College), along with Dean Pamela Mills, and Laura Oliveira, as well as the Evaluation Team met at Lehman to discuss lessons from the first year of implementation, and plans for year two. External partners for the project include: American Museum of Natural History, Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York Botanical Garden, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Project Kaleidoscope.

• Faculty Engagement
  

This semester, I began an important new initiative designed to strengthen my engagement with full-time faculty and provide an opportunity for closer conversations about campus initiatives to advance our mission and strategic priorities. As a new member of the Lehman family, this initiative has been a meaningful learning opportunity, and builds on my January 25 visit to the college to meet with students, as well as faculty and staff across various units in the Division of Academic Affairs and Student Success. With support from staff in the division’s Office of Academic Personnel, I am pleased to announce that we have made progress on this new initiative, with three meetings held in September.

• Met with the faculty and staff of the Leonard Lief Library on August 27th and faculty of the Department of History on September 9 as part of the “Provost’s Meeting with Academic Departments.” The get-to-know you meeting also provided an opportunity to explain the college’s Strategic Growth and Investment Plan (SGIP), respond to questions regarding the plan, and speak on other issues of interest to faculty. Dr. Kenneth Schlesinger, Associate Dean and Chief Librarian, facilitated the library meeting, while History department chair, Dr. Marie Marianetti, facilitated the department’s meeting.


• Hosted the “Provost’s Conversations with Faculty,” an informal meeting of a mixed group of faculty from across the College. During the meeting, which took place in the Provost’s Office, I provided an overview of current initiatives, and responded to questions from faculty members. Faculty members also spoke on issues of interest and concerns to them, with the Provost providing responses that help illuminate on these issues; and in some cases, noted areas that needed further consideration, attention or support. For the faculty members, while it was not their first time visiting Shuster Hall, it was the first time, for most of them, visiting the Provost’s Office.


• I will continue these engagements through the academic year as we finalize meeting plans with each academic department and with each of our full-time faculty. The Office of Academic Personnel led by Ms. Debbie Rhem-Jackson is coordinating these efforts.


• Launched the Taskforce on Innovation, Research and Creative Activities on September 12 to identify and assess the barriers and drivers of success in research and creative activities at Lehman College, and develop a comprehensive set of recommendations to remove barriers and enhance drivers to improve institutional success in research and creative activities at the College. The Taskforce is co-chaired by Dr. Susan Markens, Associate Professor (Sociology) and Brandon Begarly, Director, Research and Sponsored Projects. Other members include: Mary Phillips (Africana Studies), Amanda Sisselman (Social Work), Alexander Nunez-Torres (Economics and Business), Alice Michelle Augustine (Office of Prestigious Awards), Jennifer Laird (Sociology), Lawrence Fauntleroy (CUNY2X), Prabodhika Mallikaratchy (Chemistry), and Dugeidy Ortiz (Student Affairs).


• Met with Interim Dean Elin Waring (HS2N) and Justine McGovern, Interim Director, CUNY Institute for Health Equity (CIHE) to discuss institute’s annual plan.


• Held meeting on September 25 with Lehman Communications and Media Relations specialists Joshunda Sanders and Colleen Lutolf to discuss regional/national level story placement related to academic and student accomplishments at Lehman.


• The Grand Opening of the Library’s Reflection Space was held on September 12, at the Third Floor North of the Library. I was pleased to join President Lemons, former President Ricardo Fernández, and former Vice President for Student Affairs José Magdaleno, and many other colleagues at the college in attending the event.


• Met with José Higuera, Deputy Director, Mexican Institute at Lehman on September 24 to discuss the institute’s initiatives and strategic direction.


• We were very delighted to host on September 26 a delegation of the City Council Committee on Higher Education, chaired by Councilwoman Inez Barron. President Lemons welcomed the team to the College, while Provost Nwosu provided highlights of the NYC Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Grant of $4.2 million, which involves 12 partner institutions within CUNY to broaden minority participation in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Lehman is the lead institution on the grant. Interim Dean Pamela Mills provided an overview of the college’s STEM initiatives. The committee was at the College to examine our STEM programs and determine how best the Council might provide additional support to help further broaden the participation of underrepresented faculty and groups in STEM. The committee also toured Lehman’s facility, including the 3D printer.


• I was so pleased to host a reception on September 26 for the students and faculty that I traveled with for a study tour to Cuba in spring 2019. We shared lessons learned and experiences to further advance the college’s vision to provide opportunities to promote international understanding and social justice. The reception was attended by the following faculty who led the team (Teresita Levy, Vani Kannan, and Bertrade Ngo-Ngijol-Banoum) and the following students: Bibi Khan, Sierra Lebron, Danielle Moorer, Greidy Batista, Reynely Mario Morillo, Niya Capote, Chanta Palmer, Alan Carino, Ivan Waldo, Amorita Jones, and Sabrina Taylor


• Joined President Lemons and the President’s Advisory Board (PAB), comprising of Cabinet officers and Deans on September 27 to participate in an all-day Leadership Retreat focused on student success and our 90x30 goal. AVP Jonathan Gagliardi facilitated the retreat.