Once again I’m glad to offer this update on college activities and initiatives.
Enrollment Update
Summer and Fall Registration: Registration for summer sessions and the fall semester is now open for all students, so please encourage students to schedule classes as early as possible. In addition, we still have the opportunity to improve our spring enrollment as the final “census” takes place in mid-March. Sprint (8-week) courses begin March 23, so please do everything you can to urge students to register for them if appropriate. Please see the registration calendars for more information.
NYSCOSS Outreach: As we enter a busy season of student recruitment, I hope that you will take a look at this article on the incredible importance and value of community college education. I had the opportunity to publish the op-ed in the New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS) winter newsletter, the Councilgram, which reaches nearly 900 members. I’ll be at the NYSCOSS Winter Institute and Lobby Day this week, delivering a presentation on Generation Alpha and participating in a panel discussion on workforce and education partnerships. I encourage each of you to pursue opportunities that connect the college to our community as well. Our faculty and staff are certainly our college’s greatest ambassadors.
Campus Upgrades
Facilities Master Plan: As I have mentioned, the college is embarking on a new Facilities Master Plan. JMZ, our master planning consultant, presented at the Academic Senate meeting on February 24, and last week the Board of Trustees approved the implementation of Phase 1 projects, which include renovations to the Guenther Enrollment Services Center, Lang Technical Building and Fitzgibbons Health Technologies Center.
In addition, the college is now reviewing bids for architectural/engineering firms to design a new 15,000 square-foot, two-story facility at TEC-SMART to house science labs, classroom and office spaces on our existing extension center site. This expansion is one proposed part of the Facility Master Plan. Our college steering committee will meet with JMZ on March 9, and the firm will return to campus for open meetings in April.
Classroom Technology: Information Technology Services has finished a campus-wide classroom technology overhaul, updating 231 academic spaces with the latest equipment and a new standard control system. Now, no matter what classroom you enter, you will find the same easy and smooth user experience. I’m proud to say that Hudson Valley now has the second largest fully-standardized campus on the east coast, behind only Georgia State University. However, GSU completed their standardization efforts over the course of three years, whereas we completed ours in several months. Now, as we are gaining recognition as a leader in this space, Hudson Valley and Crestron Electronics will be hosting a “Classroom of the Future” technology showcase on March 17, where technology leaders will be invited from all regional colleges to tour our new digital classroom and learn from our initiative. I’d like to thank our ITS department for their hard work in completing this project in such a relatively short time!
Upcoming Events
Meritorious Service Awards and Pinning Ceremony: The 39th Annual Meritorious Service Awards and Pinning Ceremony will be held on Monday, March 9 at 3:30 p.m. in the Bulmer Telecommunications Center auditorium, with a reception immediately following. These awards recognize classified employees at Hudson Valley Community College, the Capital District Educational Opportunity Center and Faculty Student Association who stand out, not only because they achieve the objectives and engage in the activities included in their job descriptions, but because they excel beyond expectations. I’d like to offer my congratulations to this year’s winners: Data Analysis Coordinator II Dina Farr in the Office of Human Resources; Program Assistant Suzanne Milos in the Registrar’s Office; and Custodian Daniel Vitro at the EOC. In addition, we will celebrate employees who have reached milestone employment anniversaries at the college. Please plan to join us for the ceremony if you are able.
Interfaith Community Forum: On Monday, March 16, many of the Capital Region’s religious leaders will come together for the second annual Interfaith Community Forum here on campus. This event is open to the campus community and the public, and all are welcome to join us for an engaging and interactive dialogue where we will discuss opportunities for partnership with communities of faith. We plan to share an overview of progress on initiatives since our inaugural forum; discuss education and workforce resources available through state and county networks; share career pathways data from the Department of Labor; cover financial aid opportunities and the Dream Act; and talk about STEM enrichment programs for the youth. The event will take place in the Bulmer Telecommunications Center auditorium and will run from 9:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Registration is available online through the college website.
Speakers at SUNY Board Meeting: I’m pleased to share that the Center for Access and Assistive Technology has made arrangements for a current student and recent alumna to speak at the March 17 meeting of the SUNY Board of Trustees. Jared Amuso and Melanie Hecker ‘16 will share their experiences as students with disabilities and discuss important support services and accommodations that are helping them to reach their educational goals. Jared is a military veteran now studying Entrepreneurship at the college. You may see him on campus with his service dog Athena. Melanie, who recently joined a college lobbying delegation and spoke at the Students with Disabilities Empowerment Day at the State Capitol, graduated with a degree in Human Services. She is now working on a combined BA/MS Public Administration program at the University at Albany.
Thank you for your ongoing efforts to support the college and our students, and as always, please feel free to reach out to me with any ideas or suggestions you may have.
President Roger Ramsammy
Published: Mon, 02 Mar 2020 13:20:14 +0000 by r.ramsammy