New Year Message 2024
Dear Colleagues,
A happy new year to you all! I hope you celebrated the start of 2024 safely and in
good spirits with family and friends. My wish for you is that the coming year be filled
with joy, love, peace, and much success.
As we look ahead to spring 2024 and subsequently to fall 2024, I want to highlight
a number of initiatives that are underway and share some updates regarding the rollout
of our FYE course to all first-time, full-time students beginning in the fall semester.
First, Dr. Meegan Rogers and Dr. Jazon Lotz have been working with our Distance Learning
team to teach one of their courses in a hyflex format. This opportunity was made possible by a SUNY grant and allows for FSC to pilot this
type of teaching modality to enhance student flexibility. The modality requires that
a single section of a course be offered in three formats at the same time (in-person,
online synchronous, and online asynchronous) allowing students to choose how they
want to participate for that particular class session. Once the pilot is over, FSC
will be in a better position to determine the future use of hyflex sections for our
campus.
Next, our first 7-week term is being constructed with the intent to offer programing
in this format for the fall 2024 semester, beginning with our new degree completion
program in Artificial Intelligence Management. This type of term is not new to higher
education but it is new to FSC and requires the collaboration of multiple areas on
campus to ensure that our processes and policies align with the new course offering
timeline. It is anticipated that this accelerated-type session will support degree
persistence and further enhance degree attainment, especially among our adult learners.
Thanks to the work of Dr. Marya Carter, our FYE course was successfully rolled out
to all first-time, full-time students in academic programs within the School of Arts
and Sciences this past fall semester. Drs. Carter and Jorgenson are working diligently
to assess the course curriculum and are preparing to launch the course to ALL first-time,
full-time students beginning this upcoming fall term. As you know, this course sets
the tone for what it means to be a Farmingdale State College community member and
shares with students our expectations regarding conversations related to Diversity,
Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice.
Along with the FYE course, the DEISJ committee, co-chaired by Drs. Freaney and Cesar,
have done a remarkable job in putting forth and approving a number of courses that
satisfy the general education category. In support of student advisement related to
DEISJ course selection, Pam Shovelson in my office will be preparing an inclusive
advisement sheet that highlights the focus area for this course i.e. LGBTQ issues,
race equality, gender discrimination etc. This document will be updated and shared
with academic departments and advisors as new courses are developed and approved to
inform students of the course focus areas prior to enrolling.
Lastly, the following are upcoming event dates to be mindful of as you plan your calendars:
- Friday, February 23, 2024: 13th Annual Faculty Center Conference: "Supporting Your Teaching with Research: The
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning"
- Thursday, April 18, 2024: 2nd Annual Day of Service
- Friday, March 29, 2024: 2nd Annual IGNITE Symposium
All the best for a great 2024!
Laura Joseph, EdD
Senior Vice President and Provost
