Dear Colleagues:

I confess that I have always looked forward to the beginning of each academic year. As a child, I got excited in August at the prospect of shopping for school supplies, meeting my teacher, and finding out who was in my class. As a teacher, the closer it got to Labor Day, the more I felt, in equal measure, a growing sense of anticipation and anxiety about how I was going to make my classes come alive for all of those high school, undergraduate or graduate students on my class rosters. As an administrator, every fall engenders in me a sense of optimism and an eagerness to “get started.”

This year is no exception. I expect 2017-2018 to be a banner year, full of “news.”

New and Newly Appointed Faculty

Let’s all welcome this year’s cohort, many of whom are no strangers to Lehman because they served in adjunct or substitute positions in prior years: Andrew Alto (Health Sciences), Mila Burns (LALPRS), Ileana Carillo (Health Sciences), Melissa Deri (Chemistry), Jonathan Ehrenberg (Art), Michelle Ehrenpreis (Library), Joseph Fera (Math), David Font-Navarrete (Music, Multimedia, Theatre, and Dance), Jack Henning (Biology), Andrew Kim (Health Sciences), Richard Lahijani (Economics and Business), Sandra Maldonado (Nursing), Nicole Saint-Louis (Social Work), Umrao Sethi (Philosophy), Sean Stein Smith (Economics and Business), Stephen Walker (Library), and Liang Zhao (Computer Science).

On August 25, we have a full-day new faculty orientation with a series of follow-up sessions throughout the academic year. What we have added this year is a mentoring program organized and supervised by Vice Provost Stefan Becker.

New Tenured and CCE Faculty

After a rigorous review process, the following individuals have earned tenure or CCE at Lehman College: Orlando Alonso (MHSE), Jane Cleland (English), Alexandra Coller (Languages and Literatures), Juan De La Cruz (Economics and Business), Danna Ethan (Health Sciences), Sameh Fakhouri (Computer Science), David Hyman (English), Thomas Kurtzman (Chemistry), Rosa Rivera-McCutchen (CLLSE), Cameron McNeil (Anthropology), Rossen Petkov (Economics and Business), Penny Prince (Music, Multimedia, Theatre, and Dance), and Delfina Evelyn Duran Urrea (Languages and Literatures).

New Full Professors

Join me in congratulating six distinguished faculty members who have been promoted to the rank of Full Professor: Cecelia Cutler (MHSE), Elhum Haghighat (Political Science), Thomas Ihde (Languages and Literatures), Andrei Jitianu (Chemistry), Julie Maybee (Philosophy), and Christa Salamandra (Anthropology).

We all know how difficult it is to achieve the rank of full professor. I plan to hold office hours for associate professors this year to hear more about how the Office of the Provost can make the “path to full” more navigable.

New Departments

As a result of campus prioritization efforts, we now have three new departments:

• Computer Science (Brian Murphy, Chair)
• Journalism and Media Studies (Thomas O’Hanlon, Chair)
• Music, Multimedia, Theatre, and Dance (Janette Tilley, Chair)

• Kofi Benefo (Sociology)
• Janet DeSimone (CLLSE)
• Danna Ethan (Health Sciences)
• Nicholas Hanges (Mathematics)
• Hari Pant (EEGS)

In addition to the words of advice shared during individual lunch meetings (entitled “welcome to chair land” by Maria Camaj), I will have the opportunity to work formally with new as well as returning chairs at a half-day workshop on August 25th. The afternoon workshop, chock full of expertise provided by peers as well as administrators from across the campus, culminates in a “meet and greet” with our new faculty. Deb Rhem-Jackson, in collaboration with Alison Abreu, have masterminded what should prove to be an informative and upbeat start to the year for academic leaders.

New Technology

CUNY Unified Login

CUNY has launched a new unified login for Blackboard, DegreeWorks, and FACTS (Financial Aid Certification and Eligibility Tracking System). Additional systems will use this new login in the future. For assistance on how to use the new login, please visit the unified login page or refer to or contact the IT Help Desk.

New Blackboard App

Blackboard has released a new mobile app, Blackboard Instructor, that provides complete access to your courses on your smartphone or tablet. The app is available as a free download from the Lehman mobile app or from the App Store or Google Play Store. A new Blackboard Student mobile app is also available - please alert your students.

Computer Center Faculty Lab

We are pleased to announce that enhanced faculty and student support will soon be available at the Carman Hall Academic IT Center. The faculty lab will feature new computers and newly co-located resources including Blackboard, CUNYfirst, and professional development support staff. Please speak with IT Center staff for an orientation to the redesigned space.

New Space

You are invited to meet with architects as we imagine a home for the Center for Innovation in Research and Pedagogy (a hub for innovation and professional development) on Monday, September 25 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. in Shuster 336. Please RSVP to Maria Camaj (maria.camaj@lehman.cuny.edu) if you are interested in getting in on the ground floor of planning this new Center.

New Directions

President Cruz, in his August 15th message, outlined some of the initial work that has helped to socialize core components of Lehman’s 90 x 30 Challenge. We will have an opportunity to both inform and involve all faculty now that we are back for the beginning of the 2017-2018 year. We start with a “90 x 30 Jigsaw: Putting the Pieces Together” retreat for department chairs and school deans on September 19th from 5:00-9:00 p.m., facilitated by Jolene Koester, former President of CSU-Northridge and currently a consultant with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Penson Center. After what should prove to be a lively and productive session focused on the theme, “We own what we help to create,” all faculty will have an opportunity to make their voices heard using a crowdsourcing platform (more on this in future eDigests), at school meetings, faculty meetings, and the second annual faculty retreat planned for January 2018.