Hi guys, ' I am sorry if this is a duplicate posting but I feel that you should be kept up-to-date. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <President_James_Muyskens/Queens_College.QC@qc.cuny.edu> Date: Tue, Jan 25, 2011 at 3:15 PM Subject: Welcome back To: Thomas.Surprenant@qc.cuny.edu Welcome back. The beginning of a new semester is always an exciting time, a time to embrace new challenges. I am grateful to everyone who worked so diligently over the intersession to prepare the college for the new semester, including our Building and Grounds staff, which has been kept unusually busy with the frequent snowstorms. With their help, our campus remains safe and remarkably attractive. For some of you, the process of registering for spring classes has been daunting due to our transition to a new system. If this system has in anyway dissuaded or prevented you from taking all the courses you wish to take, please visit or call the Academic Advising Center (Kiely Hall 217; 718-997-5599) or the academic departments and they will help you. I am sure that in the future you will find our new registration process to be much more student-friendly. As we embark on the spring semester, we have a major challenge: our budget. New York State—upon whom we depend for much of our funding—continues to be in serious financial distress. Because of this, our state and city officials see no alternative to making yet another cut in the CUNY budget. These cuts will require us to make painful decisions. Even though we have already been on an austerity budget for some time, within a few days I will be issuing a directive to the vice presidents, deans, directors, and department chairs asking for additional sharp cuts in our personnel, equipment, and supplies budgets. To make these cuts as judiciously as possible, I need your help. Specifically, I ask that we engage in a conversation on two questions: Do you have a good idea about how the college can cut costs or generate additional revenue? If so, please send your ideas to President@qc.cuny.edu. I promise that every reasonable idea will be given serious consideration. With a reduced budget, it is crucial that we avoid redundancy, redeploy our resources, and work more efficiently. Have you encountered a practice or requirement at the college that seems unnecessary or might be done better? I invite you to attend a town hall meeting on Monday, February 14 at 12:15 pm in Rosenthal 230. At this meeting I will outline the budgetary challenges that we face and share with you my thoughts about how best to meet these. I will also welcome your suggestions. These are difficult times for public higher education across the nation and the world. But I know that, with your help, the college’s leadership team will make decisions that put us in a very strong position when better times return. Jim Muyskens -- chirp elt Dr. Thomas T. Surprenant Professor & Acting Chair/Director Queens College Graduate School of Library & Information Studies