Annual Report 2023-2024

Prof. Changiz Alizadeh, Mathematics and Computer Science (2025)

Prof. Parisa Assassi, Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Secretary (2026)

Prof. Jillian Bellovary, Physics (2026)

Prof. Dorith Brodbar, Counseling (2025)

Prof. Noelia Diaz, English, Co-chair (2024)

Prof. Edward Diller, Health, Physical Education, and Dance (2025)

Prof. Yusuf Gurtas, Mathematics and Computer Science (2024)

Prof. Elizabeth Mauro, Nursing (2026)

Prof. Tanya Zhelezcheva, English, Co-chair (2024)

Sub-Committee

Accessibility Committee

Chair: Prof. Angela Dotterman-Ridinger, English 

Vice-President Gissette Forte, Liaison, President’s Designee

Mr. Benami Freier and/or Andrew Muller, Liaison, Office of Accessibility Services 

Mr. John Triolo, Liaison, Office of Campus Safety

Prof. Anthony Monahan (Health, Physical Education & Dance, Liaison), Steering Committee

Mr. Mel Rodriguez, Liaison, Environmental Health and Safety

Ms. Isabel Hocevar, R.N., Liaison, Office of Health Services

Prof. Clara Wajngurt (Mathematics), Chair, PSC Health and Safety

Student members

Vacant

Prof. Changiz Alizadeh, Mathematics and Computer Science (2025)

Prof. Parisa Assassi, Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Secretary (2026)

Prof. Dorith Brodbar, Counseling (2025)

Prof. Edward Diller, Health, Physical Education, and Dance (2025)

Prof. Elizabeth Mauro, Nursing (2026)

Prof. Jillian Bellovary, Physics (2026)

Prof. Emily Epple, Engineering Technology (2027)

Gisela Rivera, Student Activities (2027) 

Lucy Shi, Accounting, Related Entities, Asset & Risk Management (2027)

Prof. Jillian Bellovary, Physics (2026), on leave 2024-2025, returning 2025-2026

Prof. Noelia Diaz, English, Co-chair (2024)

Prof. Yusuf Gurtas, Mathematics and Computer Science (2024)

Prof. Tanya Zhelezcheva, English, Co-chair (2024)

Prof. Emily Epple, Engineering Technology (2027)

Gisela Rivera, Student Activities (2027) 

Lucy Shi, Accounting, Related Entities, Asset & Risk Management (2027)

Fall 2023 

 September 19, 2023 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

 November 8, 2023 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

 Spring 2024 

 March 15, 2024 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm 

 May 15, 2024 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm 

Through a process that involves the administration, formulate and recommend to the Academic Senate policies and practices pertaining to the College environment in matters of health, safety, security, maintenance and allocation of facilities;

Not Completed: Procedures for assigning first-floor classrooms were discussed but not finalized.

Evaluate and report to the Academic Senate on the administrative response to problems in the College environment; 

Completed: The Steering Committee has been informed of efforts taken to resolve the persistent elevator failures.

Receive all proposals concerning naming and renaming campus facilities and make appropriate recommendations to the Academic Senate;

Not Completed: During this academic year, the committee was not commissioned to engage in the above activities. 

Participate when commissioned to review and report on College Master Plan regarding facilities and the campus environment including naming and renaming facilities;

Not completed: During this academic year, the committee was not commissioned to engage in the above activities. 

Review the assessment of the campus with regard to services for students with disabilities and accessibility issues as the assessment relates and pertains to the campus environment and campus facilities and make appropriate recommendations to the Academic Senate.

Completed: The Accessibility Subcommittee has drafted a survey which is to be distributed in the future. 

Facilitate Student participation – A Committee Representation Preference Form will be sent to already-elected student senators during the first week of the semester, and to the remaining roster of senators culled from Club officers by the end of September. Students will be given a link to your committee's webpage, so make sure the webpage has chair/secretary contact information on it, including meeting times where possible.

Completed: The committee has made itself available for any student to reach out to the chairs. The committee’s webpage is updated and provides the contact information of the co-chairs and secretary. Meeting times are subject to variation and therefore not provided.

Assessing need for sub-committee on Child Care Center issues

Not Completed: Progress on the Child Care Center project has been postponed due to budgetary constraints; however, once construction advances, the committee will reconvene for further deliberation.

ENVELOP funding and Humanities Building mosquito screens progress

Not Completed: Funding has been allocated for a four-year period. It has been concluded that installing screens on all windows is impractical, and the replacement of window frames is not viable.  

ADA restroom renovation alternative that is within budget and avoids relocating equipment risers

Not Completed: The renovation funding was secured and has commenced in October 2023.

Any planned student surveys including regarding SSD

Not Completed: The survey has been drafted but has not been distributed to students.  

Braille signage 

Not Completed: Due to budget constraints and the absence of a printing machine, the installation of signage is currently not feasible.

Melissa Reggio program assessment and progress on naming a liaison

Completed: The program evaluates its progress by reviewing individual success stories.

Gender identity signs for restrooms

Completed: Signate was installed in some bathrooms, while others were initially placed but subsequently went missing.

Progressing on implementing Comprehensive Learning Support Program at QCC.

Not Completed: The committee is currently awaiting the delayed model from Hostos Community College.  

Campus Elevators

The committee investigated methods to resolve the frequent malfunctions of the campus elevators along with developing a protocol that accommodates students with physical disabilities at the beginning and throughout the semester. The committee drafted and approved a letter requesting information pertaining to all elevator work orders received by relevant offices. 

Campus Ramp, Library and CTAS building

The committee initiated discussions regarding the compliance of campus library ramps and the student response to their usage. It was reported to the committee that a new ramp, compliant and functional, will be installed.

Committee Name Update

The committee approved the change of the name internally and submitted the change of name report to the Bylaws Committee for approval.

• Continue discussion on the necessity for a liaison from the Melissa Riggio Program
• Maintain monitoring regarding bathroom signage.
• Continue monitoring bathroom ADA compliance. Should the signs go missing again, the committee will need to convene to strategize on securing them more effectively, efficiently, and permanently.
• Follow up on the progress, completion, and results of the OAS survey and conduct a discussion to determine appropriate course of action.
• Explore the potential need for a dedicated committee or a relevant subcommittee specifically for matters concerning the Child Care Center.
• Continue monitoring the placement of the Braille signs through the campus.
• Continue monitoring the proper functioning of campus elevators
• Continue monitoring the progress on the replacement of the library ramp
• In collaboration with the appropriate designees, work on developing campus-wide protocols, including timely posting of signage, to inform the campus community regarding malfunctioning water fountains, elevator, and other facilities
• Explore the possibility of forming an Elevator Reliability and Safety Task Force to address the ongoing issues related to the malfunctioning of the elevators and the inoperability of the Humanities elevator. Rationale: The purpose of the Task Force is to focus exclusively on the elevator issues. The EQLD committee is responsible for a broader spectrum of issues, and a dedicated task force would ensure focused attention and solutions to the elevator problems.
• Discuss faculty accommodation requests to teach in first-floor classrooms and being provided first-floor office space. Rationale: The EQLD Committee dedicated time to discussing the impact of the elevators on students, but we spent less time considering how faculty are affected by the elevator disruptions. This oversight could be addressed next year. While student office hours may be conducted remotely, this practice deprives faculty requiring accommodations of valuable social interaction with colleagues. Providing accessible office and classroom spaces for these faculty members fosters a more inclusive and supportive work environment.
• Continue to monitor water safety throughout campus. The committee was made aware at the end of the term that a 2017 resolution (link) stated that this Committee should receive water quality reports but to our knowledge none have been available. Through independent research we found the following report, but we do not know if others exist for the additional buildings on campus (link). One site in this report indicates lead presence. We don’t know if there is documentation that proves that it was resolved.
• Continue developing a protocol to preemptively allocate classrooms for faculty or students on a ground floor. Below is a summary of some the issues: 
  • 1. Labs are located on upper floors, so certain classes can't be moved, unless the school decides that investing on relocating all labs to a ground floor is worth pursuing.
  • 2. Any student can add or drop a class at any time, so if a protocol is established to preemptively assign classrooms on a ground floor, it should be done as close as possible to the beginning of the semester.
  • 3. Allocating the classes on campus is a collaborative process between departments and the Registrar's office, not a centralized one like on other campuses. At John Jay, for example, the Registrar's office allocates all classes throughout campus, so once the Accessibility office knows which students require a ground floor, only one office would be in charge of following up. On our campus Departments "own" a certain number of classrooms, so it's unclear how logistically the protocol would be implemented throughout.
  • 4. It's unclear if faculty with offices on the fourth floor, for example, would agree to teaching on a ground floor, further away from their departments.

The committee chairs wish to extend their graditude to Parisa Assassi, the committee secretary for her dedicated work and diligent efforts.

 We express our deep gratitude for the dedicated service of Joseph Cartolano, who regularly attended committee meetings and passed away in the Spring 2024 semester. His commitment to providing a safe environment on campus and his extensive knowledge on the matters related to this Senate Committee were invaluable. We wish to commemorate his passing and honor his valuable contributions to our work.

Noelia Diaz and Tanya Zhelezcheva