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Office of the Provost: This Week at Lehman

Spring 2019 is here!

Dear Colleagues:

I write to welcome you to the Spring 2019 semester! I also want to thank each of you for the opportunity to serve with you at this historic institution as your new chief academic affairs and student success officer. I look forward to working with you to enhance our triple objectives of engaging, educating, and empowering our students, and strengthening our role as the intellectual, economic, and cultural hub of the Bronx, consistent with our mission and the priorities of our President.

While today (January 28) is my first official day, I took some time last Friday (the first day of classes) to spend the day at the College. I met with President Cruz and several members of the campus community, and in particular the team in Academic Affairs with direct report to the Provost. I met many faculty and staff in our five schools, and visited with staff in Enrollment Management, Research and Sponsored Programs, Leonard Lief Library, and Student Affairs and Campus Life, including units that support special populations such as veterans and military affairs, disability services, and international students. It was a great opportunity to listen and to learn and to meet with the so many wonderful and talented people who drive the work we do at Lehman. Over the course of the semester, the staff in the Provost’s office will be reaching out to you to set up individual and/or group meetings with me to discuss how best we can work together to continue to advance our mission and strategic priorities.

I want to express my deep appreciation to the faculty, staff, and students, who have sent notes of welcome, and to the staff and leadership in both the offices of the President and the Provost, as well as Information Technology, who have taken the time to ensure a smooth transition. During the last one month, I have also had telephone and email conversations with some members of the campus community on several topics and issues critical to advancing our campus mission.

In particular, I commend the work done by the team working on our Self-Study for Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). That Self-Study, which the President and I have reviewed, is now in circulation for review by multiple campus stakeholders. Last week the MSCHE Steering Committee led by Professor Bloom discussed and approved the Self-Study. On February 6, the College Senate will meet to consider and endorse the document. As you know, the final Self-Study is due to MSCHE February 17, with the Commission’s Site Visit for our decennial review regarding reaffirmation of institutional accreditation, scheduled for April 7-10, 2019. President Cruz sent a message to the College community Wednesday last week about expectations as we begin the count down to the Site Visit: “to raise awareness on campus of how the reaccreditation process affects the Lehman experience.” I join him in encouraging each of you to visit the following site to learn more about the Middle States process and be prepared to engage with members of the team when they visit the campus: Lehman Middle States reaccreditation webpage. I also encourage you to read more about our mission statement, vision, and values here; these words are the foundation of all the work we do here at Lehman and should be familiar to everyone in the campus community. This is an exciting time for Lehman College, and the process for reaffirmation of accreditation every ten years provides an excellent opportunity for institutional self-reflection and renewal, as well as a re-commitment to our mission and values.

Again, I welcome you to the Spring 2019 semester, and look forward to working with each of you to advance our strategic priorities on behalf of Lehman, our students and our community. You have my high personal regards.

-P

Peter O. Nwosu, Ph.D.
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Success
Lehman College
The City University of New York

 
The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs & Student Success oversees all educational programs; faculty matters; accreditation reviews; strategic planning; and the review of division and departmental budgets. Questions? Email provost.office@lehman.cuny.edu or call 718-960-8222. For submissions or issues relating to the eDigest, email edigest.provost@lehman.cuny.edu.