Convocation Program 2015

CONVOCATION

ACelebration of

Accomplishments

CONVOCATION

A Celebration of Accomplishments November 12, 2015 During the year since our last Convocation, the College of Staten Island continued to make impressive and noteworthy strides culminating in unprecedented institutional recognition. National publications and rankings cited the College’s Quality of Education, Student Satisfaction, Student Success, and Career Success as characteristics befitting this laudable distinction. The following accomplishments, set forth under these measures of success, have all been commended locally, regionally, or nationally, and are emblematic of the achievements of the past year.

Convocation is defined as the action of calling people together. All of our accomplishments are the result of the “coming together” of our College community—our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends—to advance our Mission of academic excellence. Because of your efforts, we have much to celebrate this year.

INSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITION CSI Named One of the Nation’s Best-Bang-for-the-Buck Colleges

by Washington Monthly Washington Monthly has named the College of Staten Island (CSI) one of “America’s Best-Bang-for-the-Buck Colleges” for 2015. Based on the rankings published in their book The Other College Guide: A Roadmap for the Right School for You, the rankings highlight schools in the Northeast that offer a best value-based on “net” (not sticker) price, how well the institution performed in graduating the students that they admit, and whether those students go on to earn at least enough to pay off their loans.

Forbes Names CSI One of “America’s Top Colleges” The “America’s Top Colleges” list by Forbes, which includes the College of Staten Island, showcases colleges that offer a high return-oninvestment education with a focus on just one measurement: outcomes.

Ranking criteria include low student debt and high graduation rates, as well as student satisfaction and career success.

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CSI Tops Money Magazine’s “Best Colleges” List for 2015-2016 The College of Staten Island has been selected for Money magazine’s list of the “Best Colleges” for 2015-2016, identifying 736 schools, out of approximately 1,500 nationwide, that provide the best value per tuition dollar. Criteria included educational quality, affordability, and alumni earnings, as well as a “special value measure,” which “considered how well students at each school did versus what would be expected given their economic and academic backgrounds, and the institution’s mix of majors.”With a “Value Added Grade” of A-, the College is ranked third for public institutions in New York State behind CUNY Baruch and SUNY Maritime, and eighth among public institutions in the Mideast region.

This is the second year of growth for CSI in the rankings.

U.S. News & World Report Includes CSI in Its “Best Colleges” List For the third consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” list for Regional Universities (North) has highlighted the College of Staten Island. According to the publication, the ranking model offers “reliable and consistent data on nearly 1,800 schools to allow [parents and students] to compare them.”

QUALITY OF EDUCATION New Academic Programs In an effort to raise our level of academic excellence, the College has introduced a new MSEd degree for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, and the MS in Business Management program has new tracks in Strategic Management and Large-Scale Data Analysis. There are new Bachelor of Science degrees in Information Systems and Informatics, Physics 7-12, and Electrical Engineering. The BS in Biology has new concentrations in Ecology; Evolution and Behavioral Biology; Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology; Neuroscience; and Health Science. There is also a new Advanced Certificate program in Autism-Spectrum Disorders, and new minors in East Asian Studies, Ethics, and Legal Studies.

Geraldo Rivera Creates Fund for Social Work and Disability Studies As a result of his visit to the College of Staten Island campus in May 2014, Geraldo Rivera has established The Geraldo Rivera Fund for Social Work and Disability Studies at the College. The Fund will provide support for public conferences, symposia, lectures, and new publications that will inform the public and continue the legacy of empowering people with disabilities, and influencing public policy.

CSI Receives $500,000 Grant for CSI Technology Incubator Center in St. George Experiential learning at the College and the Borough’s economy will benefit from a $500,000 grant, sponsored by City Council, to establish the CSI Technology Incubator center in St. George. Designated as the only START-UP NY “tax-free zone” in the Borough, the CSI center will 2

enlist eligible tech companies and other start-up businesses. Womenand minority-run business enterprises are included in the recruitment process. Currently, the College is vetting inquiries with more than 20 technology-based companies, which could generate 100 to 150 jobs.

This project is congruent with the Borough President’s vision to create “an innovation cluster or innovation district” to foster creativity and reinvigorate the North Shore’s economy.

STUDENT SATISFACTION G.I. Jobs Magazine Names CSI a “Military-Friendly School” for the Sixth Year in a Row The College again received recognition of its exemplary programs for its student-veterans, as G.I. Jobs magazine named CSI a “Top MilitaryFriendly School” in the country. This ranking is based upon the College’s commitment to serving the needs of students with military experience and its wide array of services designed for student-veterans. This is the sixth year in a row in which CSI was ranked in this list of militaryfriendly colleges, universities, and trade schools in the nation.

CSI Receives 2015 LGBT Community Enrichment Award CSI’s continued attention to diversity and inclusiveness resulted in the Staten Island LGBT Community Center honoring the College with its 2015 Community Enrichment Award. The award is in recognition of the College’s continued dedication and contributions to the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and /or Queer) community, and in acknowledgment of its commitment to providing a welcoming atmosphere for LGBTQ faculty, staff, and students on campus.

STUDENT SUCCESS 30,000 Degrees Program Is Launched to Increase the Percentage of Borough Residents with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher In an effort to improve Staten Island’s percentage of residents with a Bachelor’s degree or higher, and increase the level of civic prosperity and economic development on the Island, the College of Staten Island has become a founding anchor higher education institution of the Staten Island Educational Partnership (SIEP), along with St. John’s University and Wagner College, in the 30,000 Degrees initiative.The SIEP is taking a multifaceted approach, working on many levels, from early childhood through K-12 and higher education. Programs will focus on college awareness and affordability, college readiness and completion, and business collaborations including internships, job placement, and networking. The initiative will build collaborations with educational institutions, community and faith-based organizations, and not-for-profits, as well as businesses to coordinate and foster successful programs.

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CUNY Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) Is Launched at CSI Student success has been a primary goal at the College of Staten Island, and this focus has been strengthened through CSI’s participation in ASAP. The program, which is designed to help students get their degrees as soon as possible, provides participating students with assistance in earning both their associate and baccalaureate degrees in four years with financial, academic, and personal support. Features include a tuition waiver for the amount not covered by financial aid, a free monthly Metrocard, funding toward textbooks, and enhanced career development and academic support services.

CSI Announces the Lehmann Scholarship The success rate of CSI graduate students in the humanities and social sciences at the College of Staten Island is also a priority. These students will benefit from the recently established Kurt and Marjorie Lehmann Scholarship, which will provide them with much-needed tuition relief.

CAREER SUCCESS CSI Ranks in Top 15% Nationwide for Alumni Salary Potential It is not only important for students to succeed during their academic careers, but in their professional ones, as well. In recognition of the career achievements of CSI alumni, PayScale’s 2015-2016 College Salary Report has placed the College of Staten Island in the top 15%, nationwide, in its rankings of more than 1,000 colleges and universities by the median salaries of their alumni. The report ranks the best universities and colleges by salary potential.

CSI Ranks Sixth on CollegeNet’s “Social Mobility Index” In another reflection of the value and impact of a CSI education, the College was ranked sixth in the nation on the Social Mobility Index (SMI), published by CollegeNET, a Portland, Oregon-based, privately held company whose rankings focus directly and broadly on the issue of economic mobility. CSI also ranked third in New York State on the SMI, topped by only Baruch and City colleges. The SMI differs from most other rankings in that it determines to what extent a college or university educates more economically disadvantaged people (family incomes below the national median) at lower tuition so that they graduate into good-paying jobs. The SMI is computed from five variables: published tuition, percent of student body whose families are below the U.S. median income, graduation rate, reported median salary zero to five years after graduation, and endowment.

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