Lehman College

Although the Periodic Review Report (PRR) must fully address all of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education’s (MSCHE) Standards and other requirements, every standard and requirement need not be given equal time and effort. In general, greater attention should be devoted to matters important to the institution's success, strategic direction, and areas of risk, with lesser time devoted to less weighty matters.

A focused approach can be guided by among the following questions:

• What does...

On April 29, I wrote about Periodic Review Report (PRR) outcomes during the last five years. Briefly, Middle States Standards 2, 3, 7, 8, 12, and 14 have been cited most frequently in requests for follow-up reports. Furthermore, the standards should not be viewed in isolation, as there is overlap among them.

During my review of the requests for follow-up reports, I categorized elements related to each standard. There is a degree of subjectivity involved. In my grouping, 89 elements were cited...

At the end of each semester, I provide my students with a closing note about the course. That note seeks to place the course, its content, and its requirements into a larger context. I do so, because I believe it is helpful for students to have one last opportunity to understand why they took the course and perhaps better identify what they gained from the course. Such understanding can perhaps reinforce learning for the long-term.

Below is the note to my spring 2013 students:

With the semester...

On June 1, 2014, Lehman College will submit its Periodic Review Report (PRR) to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). As the College prepares to launch its effort to devise the PRR, it makes sense to highlight the major outcomes following the submission of an institution’s PRR.

Briefly, MSCHE has established the following goals for the PRR:

It has also set forth the following objectives:

During the past 5 years, MSCHE requested follow-up reports (monitoring reports or progress...

In setting major course requirements, I believe it is important to communicate the basis and context of the assignments to my students. Sometimes, the communication has to be repeated as deadlines approach. That proved to be the case with respect to the 20-page research paper I assigned my students.

On the first day of class, I explained that one of my course’s objectives set forth on the syllabus is that students would be able to write in a reasonably clear and concise fashion. The...

During April 8-10, 2013, the Assessment Network of New York(ANNY) held its first annual conference hosted by the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. ANNY is a professional network established to assist New York State’s colleges and universities in their efforts to assess student learning and institutional effectiveness. Colleges and universities outside of New York State can participate and have participated in ANNY events. Lehman College’s Assessment Coordinator, Raymond Galinski, played a key...

When talking about subtle ideas, it is best to be as clear as possible. Here I go... Lehman College has taught me something priceless.  It has taught me that if you love what you do, everything else falls into place. I am nearing the end of my Sophomore year and this has been the message that the professors and faculty have instilled. In addition, the faculty at Lehman exhibit a positive attitude - my goal is to become a Physician's Assistant and the idea I will take from Lehman is one that...

I want to drop the needle on the record so that Bernard Purdie's drums, Hubert Laws' flute, and Gil Scott-Heron's voice could carry us through this recollection together. Yeah, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" was on a lot of boom boxes and on people's minds as my generation left behind the cocoon of high school and entered the wide open world that was Herbert H. Lehman College in September 1970.

Civil Rights clashes, Vietnam, the tragic loss of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy in the...

Last fall, I conducted a survey to learn about how my students were using the library. I wanted to compare the outcomes with those of a national survey. This semester, I repeated the survey in search of persistent themes.

The major findings from my survey included:

• 86% of students who used the library said that they would be "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to use the library again (83% in fall 2012).
• 86% of students who used the library during the current semester visited the library on at...

Fifty years ago this week the Kingsmen, a band from Portland, Oregon, recorded “Louie Louie,” which should get a commemorative postage stamp if anyone mailed anything any more (actually, especially because they don’t). In many ways, that recording both launched and came to typify the genre of music roughly known as garage punk.  This genre was in full swing by 1966, faded from the scene by 1968, but refused to die.  Successive generations of bands since the mid-80s have been reviving, retooling,...

Among the principles taught in courses ranging from economics to finance is that of diversification. In general, diversification can reduce risk exposure for firms and individuals. In substance, concentration and narrow focus can amplify risk. The very recent headline-garnering financial system crisis in Cyprus offered a cautionary tale of the dangers associated with a lack of diversification.

The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) staff report from its 2011 Article IV Consultation with...

Lehman College's Multimedia Center/Lehman Studios was thrilled to host The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) on Wednesday, March 20th, for their renowned "Made in NY" panel discussions. The panelists all had deep expertise as professionals in television production.  Moderated by Todd Asher, MOME's First Deputy Commissioner (at the far left), the panel included (from left to right) Glynis Burke, electrician and gaffer, Mark Britt, jib and camera operator, Kenneth Prins, audio...

Each semester, my mid-term exam contains a single survey question. The survey question has asked about student use of the BlackBoard, student confidence, student awareness of some relevant economic development, among other content. A major purpose of the question is to gain insight into student effort.

No potential credit is listed for the survey question. No penalties are indicated for a lack of response. The question is not even mentioned when the exams are handed out. As a consequence,...

Since late 2008, the Federal Reserve has engaged in a range of extraordinary monetary policy measures aimed at bolstering the economy. Among the tools deployed is what has been termed “quantitative easing” or “QE.” Briefly, QE entails the Fed’s purchasing longer-term securities, as Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke recently told the Congress, “to support economic growth by putting downward pressure on longer-term interest rates.” At present, the Federal Reserve is purchasing $40 billion in...

The title of this post explains it all.  Five months have passed and everything is as I expected: confusion, frustration, bewilderment, wonderment, learning...lesson planning, lesson planning, lesson planning. I suppose you could say it's all in a day's work as a teacher. However, even in this state of unpredictability, I am having a grand time teaching my first grade class. In my absence from the blog, I have been observed three times, video taped twice and have attended umpteen meetings...

In what has become an annual ritual to mark the start of the spring season in the Bronx, the New York Botanical Garden has opened its 11^th annual orchid show. This year, the orchid show runs from March 2 through April 22.

Typically, the Orchid Show features thousands of orchids. The orchids vary in sizes, shapes, and colors. Among the orchids in the show are small reed orchids, giant pansy orchids, and exotic slipper orchids.

The 2013 show was designed by Francisca Coelho. Ms. Coelho graduated...

On Friday, March 1st, EdCast will have mayoral candidate Bill Thompson as its guest.  Previously, Comptroller John Liu, also an announced candidate, appeared on EdCast.

EdCast is a show written and produced by educators for everyone interested in education. EdCast is shown monthly on CUNY-TV and BronxNet and is produced and recorded at Lehman Studios.

A recent article from DNAinfo.com (click on the image for the full article).

Each semester, I assign a research paper worth 20% of the course grade. The paper should contain 15-20 double-spaced pages, along with endnotes documenting sources of information. Its writing should conform to the Modern Language Association (MLA) style.

This semester’s paper asked students to select a target company, research that company, identify a position or type of position within the organization of interest to the student, and to lay out a case why the company should hire the student.  

Thi...

My job title is "College Assistant." Let us explore the semantics of this title. An assistant is someone who helps out with minor tasks, with the larger task often assigned to someone else. While the definition works if you are explaining the requirements of a college assistant to someone, it is insufficient when considering what something means to each individual. My understanding of my position is akin to that of a young child and a superhero: I feel like I am saving the world! OK, perhaps...