A message from the President
August 17, 2020
Dear Esteemed Colleagues,
Today is my first day as President of Queensborough Community College! I wish to thank all of you for your trust and support as I begin my tenure.
During the past several weeks, I’ve had the privilege of meeting students, faculty, staff, and community partners to introduce myself and learn more about your interests, hopes and aspirations. I am so impressed by your passion and dedication to our college community. I look forward to meeting with many more of you in the weeks and months ahead.
Dr. Lynch and I have been working closely during the transition, and he has been generous with his time. We are very fortunate to have Tim continue here as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, as we are to have Dr. Palmer continue in her former role as Dean of Faculty. I had the pleasure of working with Sandra as a fellow community college Provost over the past two years, and I look forward to collaborating with her at Queensborough.
I have been a part of CUNY for 16 years, and I am familiar with Queensborough’s excellent reputation for academics, student services, and undergraduate research. Learning more about these accomplishments shows me that the future for our students is one of great promise. I want us to build on these strengths and continue our focus on student success and equity. For example, how can we as educators help to close achievement gaps in gender and ethnicity in higher education?
One of my top priorities will be to make sure our students’ journeys remains clear and unobstructed. This is particularly important as we prepare students for online instruction in the vast majority of classes this fall. Like me, many of our students are the first to go to college in their family. We must do our best to make their first college experience a rewarding one – and one that will provide clear paths to success even in this new, challenging environment.
Student success and equity will inform our thinking and every decision we make across the college, especially as we take steps to build enrollment, improve retention, and increase graduation rates. By propelling more students into bachelor programs and more rewarding careers, we will advance Queensborough’s reputation as a robust engine of economic mobility.
As we prepare for an online semester, please consider how important it is for our students to feel connected. We will need to work together so they transition effectively, connect with their faculty and classmates, and feel a sense of community with the college. As a former community college student myself, I know how vital these connections are. First-year students, especially, often struggle with the transition and making it through the semester. Their challenges will be great, and they will need more intentional support from all of us.
Together, we can ensure all of our students have what they need to succeed.
I could not be more grateful for the warm reception. Thank you for your fall preparation, for welcoming me, inspiring me, and showing me what Queensborough is all about.
I am excited to get to know each of you, and to call Queensborough home.
Dr. Christine Mangino
President
Queensborough Community College
The City University of New York
