#37 October 2004 Former Student Gives Graduation Keynote Address and Receives Degree By Staff For Andre Taylor, a former LaGuardia stu - dent who 24 years ago had to leave the college short of graduation, the college’s recent thirty-second commencement exer - cises held special meaning. It was there that he stood before the Class of 2004 to give the keynote address and where he walked among his fellow graduates to finally receive his long-awaited associate degree in business administration. “It’s taken me a little time,” Mr. Taylor, a nationally recognized entrepreneur whom Black Enterprise Magazine named its 2002 Business Innovator of the Year, said to the 700 graduates who attended the September 23rd event at Madison Square Garden. “It’s not unusual for a student to take a little longer than two years to go through a community college, but what you may not know is after 24 President Gail Mellow with Andre Taylor, a former LaGuardia student who gave the years you get to be the keynote speaker.” keynote address at commencement. Also recognized at graduation was New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, who received the coveted President’s Medal for his inspiring leadership in LaGuardia’s Fall Enrollment advancing the cause of education and the welfare of the city’s residents. On the Increases 8 Percent student’s side, Timothy Rodriguez, a liber - al arts graduate who is now attending Cornell, received the LaGuardia By Staff number of applications submitted by Memorial Association Scholarship for prospective students. LaGuardia has seen an 8 percent jump in community service. “The numbers confirm that LaGuardia its fall enrollments. The event attracted a host of local politi - offers the rich educational experience that The latest figures collected by the cians, City University of New York repre - students are seeking,” said President Gail Division of Enrollment Management indi - sentatives, and friends of LaGuardia, who O. Mellow. “Graduates have the option cate a 12.6 percent increase in freshman came to extend congratulations to the of continuing their studies to earn a and transfer students over last year-–from graduates. Among the well-wishers were Bachelor’s Degree at the college of their 3,095 to 3,488. In addition, the number Helen Marshall, Queens borough presi - choice or immediately entering the work - of continuing students went from 7,309 to dent; Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat; force.” 7,747, a boost of 6 percent. Wellington Z. Chen, member of the In evaluating the increase in enrollment In addition to the hike in enrollment, the Continued on page 17 college saw a10 percent increase in the Continued on page 18 www.laguardia.edu critical institutional initiative to support our President: 2004-05 a Year of students.” Along with the new activities spelled out New Challenges, New Vision by the president and vice president, President Mellow announced that with the first three-year visioning process coming to By Staff make sure that the black men in our com - a close, a second visioning summit will be munity are identified, supported, and held in early 2005. At the traditional kickoff of the new aca - made future leaders,” she said. “Through this inclusive experience we demic year, President Gail O. Mellow Other initiatives include an assessment will shape our future by envisioning and officially welcomed the 63 new faculty of the academic calendar, implementation setting goals,” she said,”and then work and staff members and urged both new of the recommendations made by the task together to accomplish them.” and senior colleagues to work together to force on student advisement, the establish - For the past three years, the college meet new challenges and to define a ment of faculty leadership development community has been working together to new vision for the college. and relationship training, and the launch - fulfill the nine goals set by 150 faculty, “It is crucial that the work, which takes ing of the Student Government’s GPA staff, administrators, alumni, and represen - place because of the dedication and bril - Jump Off initiative. (See story on page 7) tatives of employers, four-year colleges, liance of the people in this room, contin - Looking at the academic area’s future, and the community who attended the ues at full force,” the president said to the Vice President John Bihn said that several 2001 three-day event. Reflecting upon over 200 audience members who successful fledgling programs will be the work accomplished around the recom - packed the Little Theater at the September expanded this year. The ePortfolio pro - mended priorities, President Mellow said, 1st Opening Sessions event. gram, which had 1,400 students design “We did not accomplish everything but During the two-hour plenary session, their own portfolios in the first year, will we made major progress.” which was followed by a full day of be extended to more students. To give new faculty a sense of the insti - workshops and a guest speaker, President The vice president pointed out that stu - tution, the president acknowledged some Mellow briefly described several future dents’ positive response to the new of last year’s highlights and several recent projects on her agenda, including the col - Business and Technology Academy has accomplishments. A video produced by lege’s next visioning summit. She then spurred the college to register all students William Kelly of the Office of Marketing stepped back to boast about some of the in an academy, adding liberal arts and and Communications, spotlighted such last year’s highlights and recent accom - allied health. major events as the Melba Moore con - plishments. Also being expanded this year will be cert, the commemoration of the birthday Among the activities for the coming professional training for faculty members of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a reception year, the president said that the college participating in advisement. “Each honoring service staff, recognition of long- will continue its effort to improve black department will codify its current advise - time faculty and staff, a theater workshop male recruitment and retention, one of the ment practices and/or prepare a depart - conducted by actress Anna Deveare priorities that came out of the college’s mental advisement plan,” Dr. Bihn said. Smith, and the Asian Heritage celebra - last visioning summit. “It is critical to “We need all faculty to be a part of this tion. The president gave special recognition to the staff of Enrollment Management and Student Development who she said is responsible for transforming a registration process that was “broken and chaotic.” She pointed out that a process that once took three frustrating days to complete is now done in an hour and a half. Other statistics showed that, as of that day, 94 percent of continuing students were regis - tered and 80 percent of the new students were ready to start classes. “That is unheard of,” she added. “It’s not perfect, but it sure is right,” she said. “It is a tribute to the people.” After she praised the division she clicked on a slide presentation showing the division’s President Gail O. Mellow chats with Kevin Lerner, English Department lecturer, left, and staff and faculty busy helping students go Scott Sternbach, commercial photography lecturer, at the Opening Sessions breakfast. Continued on page 3 2 www.laguardia.edu opportunity to review programs, services and activ - 2004 Opening Sessions ities that are designed to improve the student’s overall experience at the college. Program The plenary session began with opening remarks and a special presentation on the theme and program activities from the Co-Chairs, Clementine Lewis and Wen Juan Fan. Special By Clementine Lewis and Wen Juan Fan, welcoming remarks, an overview of current admin - Co-Chairs for Opening Sessions 2004 istrative initiatives and highlights from 2004 pro - grams and activities for students and faculty were On September 1st, more than 250 people attend - presented by President Gail O. Mellow and Vice ed the 2004 Opening Sessions Program. The President John P. Bihn. After the plenary session, theme for this year’s program was “Our Evolving more than sixty new faculty and staff members Campus: Moving Toward a New Educational attended a special luncheon hosted by the Human Ecology.” The program included a plenary ses - Resources Department. In addition, one of the sion, a keynote speaker, twenty-six workshops highlights of this year’s program was a new lunch - offered in two concurrent sessions and a reception. eon for more than two hundred Opening Sessions Opening Sessions has always been a tradition participants. at the college that marks the beginning of a new Dr. Henry A. Giroux, an internationally academic year for faculty and staff. It has provid - renowned educator, an author of more than 300 ed a forum for faculty and staff to exchange new articles and 40 books, and a recipient of numer - ideas and examine new initiatives throughout ous awards, was the keynote speaker. Dr. Giroux LaGuardia, which are of significant importance to is also considered “one of the 20th century’s top the college. This year’s program focused on col - Internationally renowned educator, Dr. contributors to the history of educational thinking.” lege initiatives that are transforming the educational Henry A. Giroux, made the keynote environment on campus. Faculty and staff had an address at Opening Sessions. Continued on page 16 that the $21.6 million in the New York The vice president also said that the col - Opening Sessions ... State legislature budget, which was lege is expanding its academic offerings Continued from page 2 vetoed, will be received. “That money with the approval of its practical nursing through the multi-stepped registration translates into the renovation of an entire program and expected approval for an process.