51吃瓜

51吃瓜 (FSC) President Robert S. Prezant, PhD, was pleased to recently host two special Town Hall events for campus community members to foster collaboration, transparency, and growth. Both events were held in Gleeson Hall. 

Town Hall for Faculty & Staff 

The first Town Hall meeting, focused on FSC鈥檚 faculty and staff, allowed attendees to assess the College鈥檚 progress, celebrate successes, address challenges, and set important goals for the future. 

鈥淲e are in a really good place here at Farmingdale,鈥� said President Prezant as he began the morning gathering. 鈥淎nd since Convocation, we have put a few things on the table as goals and aspirations, based on what I know about Farmingdale and what I heard from many of you.鈥� 

President Prezant鈥檚 presentation, which he noted as 鈥渁n overview about where we've been and where we might be going,鈥� showcased his administration鈥檚 primary goals, including enhancing opportunities for research and creative activities, building graduate programs, and deepening outreach to industry and government partners.  

鈥淲e're looking to community even more,鈥� said President Prezant. 鈥淎nd we want your ideas and your thoughts as we move forward with these initiatives.鈥� 

Throughout the presentation, President Prezant highlighted FSC鈥檚 newest ventures, including the Visiting Scholars Program, Proposal Incentive Program (PIP), and Viscardi Center partnership, and reviewed his Transition Team鈥檚 campus-wide findings and recommendations, which included facilities improvements, potential funding sources, and strengthening communication pipelines across departments and programs. 

In addition, he covered recent advancements and areas of focus in multiple FSC departments--Academic Affairs; Administration & Finance; Student Affairs; Enrollment Management; Athletics; Diversity, Equity, & Inclusive Excellence; Development & Alumni Engagement; and Marketing & Communications--and identified key challenges ahead, including impending changes in statewide enrollment trends and a growing need to increase campus housing.  

During the question-and-answer period, President Prezant and his senior administration addressed concerns surrounding current changes at the federal level, renovation updates, campus transportation and connectivity, and the limited comfort of the auditorium鈥檚 chairs. 

鈥淚t was great to have so many people come out, either in person or online, to spend some time thinking about the College鈥檚 plans,鈥� said Greenly Library Director Karen Gelles. 鈥淚t encouraged community engagement and new dialogues.鈥� 

鈥淲e鈥檝e got some work ahead of us,鈥� President Prezant concluded. 鈥淎nd we鈥檙e going to do it together and collaboratively.鈥� 

Town Hall for Students 

The second Town Hall meeting, especially focused on FSC鈥檚 students, was led by President Prezant and jointly hosted by College administration and FSC鈥檚 Student Government Association (SGA). The morning gathering provided attendees with a chance to learn about College initiatives and participate in an open discussion with FSC and SGA leadership. 

鈥淲elcome, I鈥檓 glad to have the opportunity to have a very informal conversation about some of the things going on here at Farmingdale,鈥� President Prezant said to the large student audience. 鈥淢ore importantly, I want to hear what鈥檚 on in your mind. This is really important to all of us here, because we need to hear from you. You can help make things happen.鈥� 

President Prezant shared his priorities and introduced pending initiatives of particular interest to students, including the formation of a Student Advisory Council, a Corporate and Community Advisory Team, formalized timing for meeting with the SGA, and Pizza with the President themed events, 鈥渂ecause I really like pizza,鈥� he added to chuckles around the room.  

The presentation also featured FSC鈥檚 latest updates, programs and partnerships, recent advancements and areas of focus in multiple FSC departments, and personal introductions from each of FSC鈥檚 cabinet members and SGA President Jairo Orozco, 鈥�25, an applied psychology major and sports management minor. 

鈥淕ood morning to the pulse of 51吃瓜,鈥� Kevin Jordan, EdD, vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence and chief diversity officer, said in his student address. 鈥淵ou are our heartbeat. It starts right here...I am here to listen, because when I listen, I feel the pulse of the institution and that鈥檚 necessary for constructive change,鈥� he added. 

鈥淓verything that I do is with the mindset of your success,鈥� said Senior Vice President and Provost Laura Joseph, EdD, who described her role as FSC鈥檚 chief academic officer. 鈥淲e want you to be successful because your success is our success. We want to make sure that the programs that you are paying for, that you are engaging in, provide you with all the opportunities to make you relevant to the workforce and even give you the necessary background to advance in your academic pursuits at Farmingdale and beyond.鈥� 

During the open discussion period, President Prezant and his senior administration addressed questions regarding student mental health resources, expanding regional enrollment, commencement, and services for students with disabilities.  

鈥淎ttending 51吃瓜鈥檚 Town Hall was an impactful experience where my voice as well as many other students' voices were heard,鈥� said Natasha Jones, 鈥�27, a business analytics major and cybersecurity minor. 鈥淒r. Prezant鈥檚 openness fostered open dialogue, providing real-time insights into FSC鈥檚 administrative processes. I hope FSC will continue to host Town Hall meetings for our upcoming semesters, as it provides students with a great opportunity to engage with administration.鈥� 

 

 

 

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