Update from Farmingdale State College President John Nader, PhD |
February, 2019 |
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February, 2019 Centennial Commencement Events - Thanks to the Centennial Commencement Working Group which has planned several weeks of events leading up to our 100th graduation ceremony in May. FSC's Centennial Commencement is this spring, but the celebrating begins Monday, 2/11, with a kick-off event in the Campus Center Ballroom from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. Please RSVP. The event will feature giveaways, raffles, music, surprise announcements, and carnival-style food. Following is a list of Centennial Commencement events planned for the spring semester: Tuesday, 2/19 – African-American History Month celebration, sponsored by NYS Assemblywoman Kimberly Jean-Pierre, 6 – 8:30 p.m., Roosevelt Hall Little Theater Tuesday, 3/12 – Kathryn Freeman Phenomenal Womyn Luncheon, 10:45 a.m. - 12 p.m., Campus Center Ballroom A Wednesday, 4/10 – Can Castle, Drop off 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Castle building contest 12 p.m. – 1 p.m., Roosevelt, MPR Sunday, 4/14 – Ram Run 5K, 8 a.m. registration, 9 a.m. start, beginning at Great Lawn Tuesday, 4/23 – Fountain Fest and Earth Day Fair, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Ralph Bunche Plaza (in case of rain, the Earth Day Fair will move to the Campus Center Lobby and Fountain Fest will be rescheduled) Friday, 4/26 – RamChella: Carnival, 3 – 6 p.m., and Concert, 8 p.m. – midnight, Nold Athletic Complex Thursday, 5/2 – Farewell to Farmingdale, time and location to be announced Tuesday, 5/21 – Centennial Commencement, 7 p.m., Nold Athletic Complex Track The Working Group will also be sharing articles about significant and interesting aspects of the College's history. For example, did you know that the New York Nets practiced here and used Roosevelt Hall as their practice facility? We have photos of the legendary Dr. J. and others. Laffin Hall - We are exploring converting the first floor of Laffin Hall into a true welcome center for prospective students and their families. In an increasingly competitive environment, it's important that the College offer a welcoming and attractive setting where students can begin tours, ask questions, meet admissions counselors and have financial aid questions addressed. This is part of the College's effort to implement recommendations from the Space Utilization Task Force of May 2018. Aramark and Freshens - The College has added an additional food option. Freshens, a national chain, is now open in the Campus Center. Freshens fresh food studio will have its Grand Opening on Tuesday, February 5 at 11:15 a.m. in the Campus Center Market. Freshens offers classic dishes such as rice bowls, mac and cheese bowls, fresh salads, and 15 different smoothies with vegan options. We opted to bring Freshens to campus, in part, as a way to offer our staff and faculty more food choices. Also, Aramark has expanded its dining options for students. Thanks to Aramark for listening to students input and making improvements. Technology Procurement - Thanks to our Committee on Institutional Technology Strategy (CITS) which has made great strides in establishing a clear and streamlined process for purchasing technology throughout the campus. We have also delegated approval authority for all technology purchases in academic departments to the School Technicians and have established a revised approach to the use of Technology Fee. For those in academic departments, you should consult with your School Technician on all technology purchases from here forward. The Technician, in consultation with your Dean, is empowered to complete these purchases using departmental accounts, including purchases using Technology Fee. Our goal is to give academics and other functional areas greater flexibility and latitude in the use of tech fee and other funds. Scholarships - Thanks to the College Foundation and Admissions for working to improve our process of awarding scholarships to students of merit and need. We are now at a point where the Foundation will make scholarship funds available in a way that Admissions officers can recruit and retain students in all academic departments. We will focus additional scholarship support for transfers from Nassau Community College and Suffolk County Community College, who have been important to our success. Given the current enrollment environment, these students are being heavily recruited by many colleges. In some cases, donor restrictions make it a bit difficult to use funds consistent with our recruitment and retention goals. Where prudent, we will continue to work with donors to revisit some of these restrictions. All of this is a step forward. Student Mental Health Issues - The lecture and discussion by Carolyn Reinach Wolf on "Student Mental Health Issues on Campus: Best Practices, Scope of Practice, Liability Control and Risk Management" scheduled for 1/29, has been postponed until 3/26, and moved to Roosevelt Hall Little Theater. Many people have expressed an interest in attending the lecture. State of the University - Chancellor Johnson's State of the University Address specifically cited FSC for its growth, applied learning options, partnerships and employment outcomes. Thanks to all of you for your vision and work. Upcoming Events - For the second consecutive year, we will be co-hosting a Black History Month program with Assemblywoman Kimberly Jean-Pierre. That event will be held on Tuesday, February 19 at 6 p.m. Also, our second International Mother Language day will be held on Thursday, February 21 at 11 a.m. Last year's events were fascinating; both will be held in the Little Theater. Please join us.
John Nader |
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