28 October 2024 News Editor Jane Weiss
Transitions and Transactions: Literature Pedagogy CUNY Committee
A message from Rob Cowan:
Some of you may have participated in the bi-annual Transitions and Transactions: Literature Pedagogy in Community Colleges Conference that has been hosted at BMCC since 2012 by English Professor Margaret Barrow. Margaret Barrow contacted Rob Cowan in the hope of meeting to discuss the creation of a CUNY-wide committee for the conference and to share the hosting at different CUNY locations. Rob hasn’t written about literature pedagogy for several years, however, so he’d like to pass on this invitation to see whether there is anyone in our department that is working this and would like to meet with her. Please let Rob know. He’s also happy to talk more about it: <[email protected]>
Faculty Survey Request on Post-Pandemic Challenges
A message from Emily Schnee:
I write to request your participation in an IRB-approved research study I am conducting to better understand the challenges and opportunities facing CUNY community colleges at this post-pandemic juncture. As I am sure you are aware, community colleges nationally faced a dramatic decrease in enrollment during the pandemic which coincided with a drop in confidence in higher education that has led many young adults to question the value and purpose of a college degree. These trends, along with a demographic decline in the traditional college-age population, could have devastating consequences for community colleges and our students.
Policies to respond to these alarming developments are often generated at the state or national level under the influence and direction of powerful educational philanthropies. Rarely are community college faculty or students asked what we think and know.
This study aims to better understand the challenges currently facing CUNY community colleges, and their faculty and students, from the bottom-up. Your insider knowledge and expertise is invaluable to creating CUNY community college policies and practices that will best educate our students.
Please take 10 minutes to respond to this anonymous survey for CUNY community college faculty: https://kingsborough.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5aMocvKI91ftGDA
Sunshine Fund
Enid Stubin and Elroy Esdaille are collecting contributions for the Sunshine Fund. This fund is the means by which our hardworking and dedicated staff members receive a holiday gift, joyful and sad milestone are acknowledged, and anyone in the department suffering from a natural disaster—fire or flood—can be helped. We invite contributions of $30 from full-time faculty and $15 from part-time faculty. Cash is preferred but you can make other arrangements if needed; contact Enid at <[email protected]> or Elroy at <[email protected]> for details.
PSC-CUNY Grant Proposals
A message from Nancy Lee Sánchez-Badillo:
The Cycle 56 PSC-CUNY Grants Proposal System is now open. The Office of Institutional Advancement is here to support you in the development and submission of your application for the Cycle 56 PSC-CUNY grants. As a reminder, the deadline for Cycle 56 applications is 11:59pm on Monday, December 16, 2024. Please click https://rfcuny.org/gp/welcome.aspx to apply.
Kingsborough faculty and staff have a history of success with this process. Last year, KCC applicants had a 77% success rate (27 funded out of 35 applications), with a total of $143,562.70 awarded!
The Research Foundation is holding information sessions (details below). If your schedule conflicts with the workshops, and/or would like to get support in your application, you can arrange a one-on-one session with Raymond Fong. Please feel free to contact him at [email protected], or call 718-368-5940.
The Research Foundation will host virtual presentations on the following dates:
Thursday, November 7th 1pm EST
Friday, November 15th 12PM
Meeting ID: 247 633 649 568
Passcode: z2sPfS
As always, we urge you to apply early if possible. The sooner you submit your proposal, the more time Raymond will have to review it and help you to address any issues. Remember, the deadline for Cycle 56 applications is 11:59pm on Monday, December 16, 2023.
Please visit https://www.rfcuny.org/rfwebsite/principal-investigators/explore-pre-award-resources/psc-cuny-award-program/ for more details.
A Note about the Newsletter
A message from Jane Weiss, the Newsletter editor:
The next of the Newsletter will come out on Monday 4 November 2024. Please send newsletter items by Friday 1 November 2024 to Jane Weiss at [email protected]. Please keep items brief (preferably 100 or fewer words). Longer items will be abridged. Many faculty members would like to learn more about colleagues’ areas of scholarship, so if you would like to share what you’re working on, the Newsletter will welcome descriptions of your research and recent or upcoming presentations, publications, and performances of all kinds.
