Update from FSC President Nader, PhD
November, 2022
Farmingdale’s Team at Construction Competition
SUNY Hispanic Leadership Institute- Congratulations to Bryan Garcia, Director of TRIO and CSTEP, who is among nine emerging
Hispanic leaders selected for the 2023 Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI) class.
It is a rigorous six-month experience for SUNY leaders of Hispanic descent that provides
an opportunity to further develop higher education leadership skills and proficiencies.
HLI fellows participate in training sessions and webinars, engage in conversations
with national and statewide leaders, and use personal assessment tools to improve
leadership skills. The program creates professional opportunities and expands the
pipeline of Hispanic leaders in SUNY.
Associated Schools of Construction Student Competition- Congratulations to Professor Eric Anderson, Architecture and Construction Management
chair, and his student team for taking second place in the Region 1 competition in
Albany over the weekend. This is the first year Farmingdale has sent a team. The success
was remarkable, given that many teams have participated for five years or more. Also,
Eric and a group of about 12 architecture and construction students were at a Habitat
for Humanity build site over the weekend of October 28.
CPRA and a New Strategic Plan- If you’ve not yet had an opportunity to do so, please take a few minutes to complete
the survey recently distributed by the Committee on Planning and Resource Allocation. The survey
will be useful in a number of ways and will help inform our next strategic plan. Thanks
to CPRA members for moving diligently to solicit campus input.
Enrollment Initiatives- The College’s plan to use $2 million in SUNY funding for enrollment, strategic initiatives,
and operational efficiencies has been approved. The new funding will allow us to invest
in a number of areas including enrollment technologies, residential scholarships,
supporting development of new curricula, staffing our expanded recruitment efforts,
and providing start-up funding to the First Year Experience program. FSC received
one of the single largest awards under the SUNY program.
Energy and Sustainability- Michael Cervini, Energy Manager, has already implemented a number of changes and
initiative that are expected to generate approximately $340,000 in energy savings.
Maia Roseval, Manager of Sustainability, was able to secure “Bee Campus USA” designation
for the College. The recognition indicates a commitment to sustaining pollinators
by increasing the availability of native plants.
Route 110 Safety- A FSC student was struck crossing Route 110 at Melville Road earlier in the semester.
She is recovering well. The College convened the NYS Department of Transportation,
the Town of Babylon, and Suffolk County officials to examine ways to make the intersection
safer. The DOT has provided a design for traffic calming and improved safety. The
College is exploring the addition of a fence near Orchard Hall to help guide students
to the main campus crossing which is designed for pedestrian use. Students in Professor
Eileen Kelly Merritt’s Criminal Justice classes have also visited with University
Police about ways to improve safety at the 110/Melville Road intersection.
University Police Town Hall- UP’s third town hall for the semester is scheduled for December 5. Please join us
in the Campus Center at 11AM. The topic will be “Dealing with Difficult Situations
and People”. The discussion will center on conflict resolution and safe practices
in an office setting to mitigate the risks of violence in the workplace.
Food Pantry Update- The pantry had two pick-up dates in October. Fifty visitors came on the first, and
53 on the second—a growth from the September numbers of 45 and 39. The majority of
users are under 18 years of age. There is a pick up scheduled for Tuesday, November
22. According to Carly Tribull, faculty/staff volunteers and the support from Physical
Plant staff has been great.
The Dale News- Thanks to the very engaged group of students who helped launch a new print edition
of The Dale News. Chief Editor Isiah Hilman-Smalls and others have been writing and working to build
student interest. Thanks also to Kevin Murphy, Acting Assistant Vice President of
Student Engagement, who helped the students move the paper to publication. It is hoped
that distribution of a print edition will build awareness of and interest in the student
paper.
Winter Commencement- The Winter 2022 Graduation Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, December 20 at 11:00
a.m. (snow date is December 21). RSVPs and regalia orders are requested by November 21. This will be our first in-person winter ceremony since
December of 2019. Please join us.
John Nader
President
