A day after the 2018-19 academic year was kicked off with the Freshman Convocation, the people responsible for educating and assisting those brand-new Broncos had a gathering of their own. The Faculty/Staff Convocation convened in the Gould Memorial Library auditorium on the morning of August 31, where the College’s best and brightest were offered visions of the months ahead courtesy of President Thomas A. Isekenegbe, Dean Nancy Ritze, BCC Senate Chairperson Franklin Moore and Vice President Irene Delgado.

A welcome from the President was followed by an introduction to the new and newly promoted members of the BCC Community by the Vice Presidents.

Greetings from Professor Franklin included references to the morning’s theme “Reflecting on Our Community of Excellence,” a continuation of the theme of the College’s current strategic plan, Building a Community of Excellence. “When we start a new term, we must look back and reflect upon the past,” he urged. “See what worked, see what did not. Reflect… and make changes.”

In a State of the College address, President Isekenegbe observed that “Since my arrival in 2015, there have been significant improvements in our campus climate and service to the community. There is still room for improvement,” he added, citing in particular the challenge of student retention.

The president was one of many speakers to bid a fond farewell to Provost and Senior Vice President Claudia Schrader. A fixture at recent Faculty and Staff Convocations, she will shortly assume the office of President of Kingsborough Community College.

The President was followed by Dean Ritze, who provided a detailed progress report of the College’s self-study, a crucial element of BCC’s accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which will come next year. “In order to maintain accreditation with Middle States, institutions are required to engage the campus community in the self-study process that culminates in a self-study report,” said the Dean, who announced that the current draft of the report is now online so the campus community can weigh in with comments and suggestions and join in an upcoming “town hall.”

The Convocation ended with a Q & A session led by the President, Dean Ritze, Vice President Irene Delgado and Professor Jordi German. The commitment of BCC’s faculty and staff to the institution and students they serve was reflected in the depth and passion of their questions.

Afterwards, lunch was on the President.