Strategic Plan Update New Theatre Collaboration 2... 4... October 2008 TV Ad Campaign Returns 6...Stephen Rea to Visit Campus 7 A Day of Chinese Art click here Queens College Faculty & fyfyStaff News ii Keeping a Close Eye on the Budget Even before the seismic economic events year, and we have a several-million-dollar will have to be obtained through a cut- liorated by financial aid. With respect of recent weeks, the Queens College budget cut. back in hiring. Right now we have a hir- to the proposal recently floated to allow administration, prompted by earlier “Fortunately,” she continues, “we were ing pause. We don’t know how long that individual CUNY schools to determine announcements of cuts in the CUNY able to move some of the projects we will last. their own tuition rates, Cobb says, “I budget, was implementing measures to intended to do this year to last year so we “This year we need to protect the believe a rational tuition policy is very help minimize their effects—at least, in could take advantage of those reserves.” core mission, to make sure that our stu- much on the table. We don’t want to the short term. Going forward, Cobb expects to see dents’ education and our faculty’s sala- wait X number of years and then have “Last year we had a good budget, and substantial cuts in funding available for ries are not impacted. But other areas to do a substantial increase. That’s just we had some reserves,” says Kathy Cobb OTPS (other than personnel services) will be affected.” not right. The idea is to have modest, (VP Finance & Administration). “But spending. “We’ll also have to see some One area may be tuition. Any incremental increases.” those reserves are not available to us this personnel services reductions and that increase there, Cobb notes, can be ame- continued on page 3 At the Head of Their Classrooms Incoming freshmen and transfers are not the only fresh faces on campus; nearly 50 faculty members are making their first QC appearance this semester. Here are miniprofiles of four of these professors, one from each division. Humanities newcomer MICHAEL NELSON (Art) specializes in Mycenaean art and archaeology. He earned his mas- ter’s degree and doctorate at the University of Toronto; then he became an adjunct at a small liberal arts college in st. Paul, Minnesota. “a large East Coast school was appealing to me, with its economic and ethnic diversity,” says nelson. a resident of Manhattan’s Yorkville neigh- A New Tradition for Freshmen borhood, he commutes by subway and bus to QC, but Some 800 freshmen participated in the Jefferson Gateway Procession, the first exercise regularly travels farther with students on excavations and of what will become a QC tradition, when they entered campus en masse through the study abroad trips, which are critical to his research and new gateways leading to Jefferson Hall. They were then welcomed by Pres. James teaching. He’s already led trips in Greece, Italy, Turkey, Muyskens and other officials. A similar ceremony, the Jefferson Gateway Recessional, Nelson and israel. “i’m thinking now of Libya,” he says. will take place as part of future commencement exercises when graduating students will continued on page 2 leave campus through the same gates. “The journey,” says Muyskens, “takes students full circle, and they leave with far more than they brought.” Classrooms from page 1 In the Social Sciences, ALEXANDER BAUER (Anthro- pology) explores related academic territory. “i work in Turkey, on the Black sea,” says Bauer, who studies cultural interactions in the area, going as far back as 5000 BC. As editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Cultural Property, an interdisciplinary academic journal, he also addresses present-day topics involving the treat- ment and ownership of artifacts. “i love teaching at the undergraduate level,” notes Bauer, who held positions at the University of Pennsylvania (where he got his PhD), African Adventure George Washington University, and Princeton University. On a trip this summer to Ethiopia to study baboons, QC biologist Stephane Boissinot (far “i enjoy teaching classes that aren’t necessarily the ones Bauer right) was accompanied by (l to r) Mahmoud (Guide at Bale National Park), Christine majors would take. If you take only one class outside Tuaillon (Nassau Community College), and QC students Pamela Sanchez, Ronald Fikes, your major, it should be anthropology.” Juliana Giraldo-Ramirez, and Lauren Alvarez. ASHAKI ROUFF (Earth & Environmental Sciences) is among 13 professors joining the Mathematics and Natural Sciences division. Rouff holds a doctorate in geosciences from SUNY Stony Brook. She spent the last two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Laboratory for Strategic Plan Placing Emphasis on Community Energy Materials at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Swit- zerland, where she conducted high-temperature, high- The greater emphasis on community that “The Strategic Plan,” Bertolino pressure lab studies aimed at transforming biomass into President James Muyskens called for in observes, “gave us an opportunity to a source of clean-burning fuel. Rouff’s first assignment the Strategic Plan can be seen coalesc- take a good look at ourselves, to set at QC is teaching a graduate-level introductory course, ing in a number of changes taking place some benchmarks in comparison to Principles of Environmental Geochemistry. “i’m interested both on and around the Queens College other institutions, and to raise the stan- in outreach and working with underrepresented groups,” campus. dard of the services we provide for our she adds, noting that she feels at home in the multiethnic Rouff A principal driver is the creation of students.” United States. The Summit, QC’s first student housing The college’s new Asian Initiatives complex, with an anticipated August program shows the academic side of encouraging the development of future scientists—partic- 2009 opening. QC’s focus on community. Its acting ularly among minority and immigrant students—is one of “The Strategic Plan has really laid the director, Marleen Kassel, says, “The the long-term goals of a new faculty member in Education, groundwork for us to improve the stu- program is responsible for coordinating ASHRAF SHADY (EECE). He has extensive experience with dent life of our campus and to continue existing Asia-related activities across public institutions: He got his doctorate in science education to create a campus that has a residential campus, and expanding and institution- at the CUNY Graduate Center and logged 17 years with the feel,” says Joe Bertolino (VP Student alizing them.” And, noting the Flushing New York City Department of Education as a science teacher, Affairs). “We’ve now broken ground area’s large Asian population, she says, science coordinator, and science director. shady’s work for the residence hall; we’ve built a new “It will also forge stronger bonds and concerns ways to address the impact of race, class, ethnicity, fitness center, a recreation center, and a create greater visibility for the college and identity issues in science education. “science education is series of student lounges around campus. locally and in different Asian countries. not only about the delivery of content,” he explains. “unless We’ve also updated our dining facilities. “Queens College,” she continues, “is We’re creating warm welcoming spaces home to what is arguably the largest and Shady you change the culture of the classroom, it’s impossible to get better results.” that meet not only students’ academic most comprehensive East Asian Studies needs but their social and personal needs program in the City University system. as well. continued on page 5 2 Budget from page 1 QC PEOPLE Reflecting on the possible impact of the It is my pleasure to recent Wall Street upheavals, Cobb says, On April 26 MAGNUS O. BASSEY (Sec- be published by Princeton University “We all have to ask ourselves if we think the invite“ you to the annual ondary Ed.) presented a paper entitled Press). Selected this fall to be a Ful- city and state are going to be in a better or a FACULTY AND STAFF ASSEMBLY “Service—Learning for Social Justice: bright Senior Specialist, Heilman will ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16 An Ongoing Research,” at the second give a series of lectures at Nanjing and worse position in terms of their revenue. The AT 3:30 PM IN LEFRAK CONCERT Equity & Social Justice in Education Shanghai Universities in China as well New York economy is very dependent on HALL. At that time, awards will be Conference held at the Richard Stockton as at Kaifeng University . On Sept. the banks and financial services industries. presented for Innovative Teaching College of New Jersey . ZOE BELOFF 27 RICHARD MCCOY (English) appeared We have to think about how that’s going to (Media Studies) pre- as a noted Shakespeare scholar at the change next year.” Projects, Excellence in sented her second Classic Stage Company’s Prudence and caution are the watch- Teaching, Grant Winners, solo exhibition, The Saturday symposium fol- words, she says, concluding, “Next year is Entrepreneurship, Somnambulists, at lowing a 2 pm matinee going to be challenging.” outstanding CUNY Office Bellwether Gal- performance of Shake- Assistant, outstanding lery in Manhattan, speare’s The Tempest FOCUS ON PRIVATE FUNDING HEO, and Office of the Sept. 6–Oct. 4. It’s starring Mandy Patinkin. Despite the gloomy economic prospects, Sue Year. We will introduce new faculty Henderson (VP Institutional Advancement) comprised of five With partial support and I will outline what we have Beloff, History of a hand-painted from the English Depart- notes some continuing bright spots for the Fixed Idea, 2008, accomplished over the past year miniature wooden ment’s Alumni Fund, 15 college.