Queens College President Speaks on State of the College and Recognition of Campus Staff Service During Pandemic

Queens College President Speaks on State of the College and Recognition of Campus Staff Service During Pandemic

View of the Rosenthal Library at Queens College in New York City. – Queens, NY – March 2, 2014 (Shutterstock)

By QC CUNY

— New Business and Arts Schools Further Expands Student Opportunities and Career Paths —

QUEENS, NY, March 10, 2021—President Frank H. Wu delivered his first State of the College address today, Wednesday, March 10, at 11 am. He addressed the experience of a year shaped by COVID-19—including adjustments by faculty and students to distance learning, the lessons of his own first year in office as president, and plans for the college going forward. This occasion featured Wu’s vision for the college, and was immediately followed by a tribute to staff who have continued working on campus through the pandemic.
 
Among his announcements was the creation of business and arts schools building on current faculty expertise and new collaborations with community and corporate partners. The new Queens College School of Arts will offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in art, music, drama, theatre, and dance, and will partner closely with key QC and CUNY faculty and institutions such as the Kupferberg Center for the Arts, the Godwin-Ternbach Museum, the Louis Armstrong House and Museum, and the CUNY Dance Initiative. Community partners will include the Flushing Town Hall, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, Queens Botanical Garden, Queens Museum, and Rubin Museum of Art. QC students benefit from studying in a world-class culture capital, and the new School of Arts will consolidate those advantages while building on the strengths of the college’s exceptional arts faculty and facilities.
 
Similarly, the new Queens College School of Business will enhance the advantages of studying in the world’s preeminent financial, business, and arts capital. Undergraduate and graduate students will select from several paths to degrees in finance, business, business administration, international business, accounting, economics, quantitative economics, actuarial studies, risk management, and business and the liberal arts. New degrees in taxation and in business and policy analysis will be introduced in 2022. The new School of Business will emphasize critical and technological skills at the forefront of evolving business and management practices.
 
Together with Queens College Provost Elizabeth Hendrey, Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities William McClure and Interim Dean of the School of Social Sciences Ekaterina Pechenkina are working with QC faculty from across many disciplines on the curricular offerings.
 
President Wu saluted those workers who have worked on campus over the past year to keep its facilities, services, and core operations running. Through their efforts, Queens College has been able to persevere despite this past challenging year. 
 
A major part of Wu’s vision is “coming together,” he said.  A broadly based and highly inclusive Strategic Planning process is underway involving faculty, staff, students, alumni, and members of the Queens College Foundation. Wu explained in his address how the new schools tie the college even more closely to both the needs of its diverse student body and the learning and career potential offered by working with community partners. In addition, the work of reflecting on the pandemic and moving forward has just begun. “At this time, it is crucial that we acknowledge the staff members among us who have worked to keep our beautiful campus open,” he believes. “Though 99 percent of our courses are online, there is still a physical campus that must be preserved and kept ready for use according to safety protocols. It is through the dedication of members of our staff that this has been made possible.” He adds that the campus community owes them “a debt of gratitude.
 
The State of the College address was live-streamed to the campus community and public on YouTube. Watch the presentation here.   

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