email : Webview : Welcome from President Donald Christian

Dear Students,

It’s great to have our campus alive again with students! Welcome! Thanks for your patience with the weather-related delays in moving in and starting classes.

National Events Impact
Our Campus Community

I want to acknowledge that events beyond the boundaries of the campus deeply affect members of our community – the national discourse about immigration, lack of action on DACA and the recent Supreme Court decision banning transgender people from military service, the federal government shutdown, and more. These are times for us to support friends and fellow students who may be affected by such actions and by the uncertainty they cause. This is a time for building and reinforcing community and exercising empathy.

Spring Events/Activities to Build an Inclusive Campus Culture

My first “Hot Chocolate with the President” in the residence halls is February 13; stay tuned for location;
The Diversity and Inclusion Council is undertaking a “listening tour” this spring to learn more about how students, faculty, and staff perceive our campus climate; please participate. Your voice matters. Watch for more information.
Campus leaders and student leaders from several student groups are planning to meet to discuss campus climate and how we can improve communication with each other;
I will continue my strong advocacy with the College Council to vote to change the names on Hasbrouck Complex buildings when the Council meets on February 21. Thank you for participating in the survey about alternate names should the Council take that step.
We are forming a committee of faculty, staff and students to develop ideas for how to more completely portray the history of our campus and region, including indoor plaques in the Hasbrouck buildings and a contemplative space that tells the story of Huguenot, the Esopus-Munsee and African Americans in our community.

Spring Presentations Related to Our Values of Inclusion

February 5: Dr. Virginia Eubanks, University at Albany, will present “Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor.” This talk will highlight how automated systems control which neighborhoods get policed, which families attain needed resources, and who is investigated for fraud. This presentation is part of the series “Without Limits: Interdisciplinary Conversations in the Liberal Arts,” sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the Benjamin Center.

February 12: Dr. Jelani Cobb, Ottaway Visiting Journalism Professor. He will speak on “The Half-Life of Freedom: Race and the Evasion of American History.” Dr. Cobb grew up in Jamaica, Queens, is a staff writer for the New Yorker, and Professor of Journalism at Columbia. He writes about race, politics, history, and culture. Topics of his books have included Barack Obama and Hip Hop Aesthetic;
April 11: I will interview Dr. Cobb in the Honors Center, an opportunity for him to share more of his ideas and analyses;

April 1: Dr. Rosie Phillips Davis will present in our Distinguished Speaker Series. She is President of the American Psychological Association, and her scholarly focus is on the power of inclusion, living well in a diverse society, and similar topics;

Mid-April (TBD): Dr. Laura Dugan, professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland will present the Gary A. King Lecture, sponsored by the Benjamin Center. Her work focuses on the link between federal government actions and the occurrence of hate crimes.

Why College Is Worth It

Here’s a thought to motivate you this semester: a recent study showed that strong majorities of executives (82%) and hiring managers (75%) believe that it is very important or absolutely essential for people to complete a college education. And they want to hire graduates who can communicate, think critically, locate and organize information, and be adaptive and flexible to succeed in a diverse, interdependent global society. Engaging with different perspectives and people and the work you put into your education while at New Paltz is worth it!

I wish everyone a successful, productive and safe semester. Treat yourself and others well. And please say hello or stop to visit when we cross paths as I am out on one of my campus walkabouts!

Sincerely,

Donald P. Christian