Students Package 10,000 Meals for the Hungry

Students packaged 10,000 rice and beans meals to be distributed to families in need on September 4, 2020.

Dominican College students packaged 10,000 non-perishable rice and beans meals for the hungry on September 4, 2020, by partnering with The Outreach Program on a service project called 鈥淔eed Your Soul.鈥�

Kathryn Strobel, Director of Community Engagement & Leadership Development, pointed out that the College鈥檚 first Day of Service took place during Hunger Action Month.听 鈥淢any Americans don鈥檛 have access to sufficient, nourishing food.听 I believe this activity is popular among our students because it feels good to put time into helping others, and to see the tangible result of 10,000 meals 鈥� knowing that will have a positive impact on thousands of people. This activity is proof that, when we work together, small actions can make a big difference.鈥�

Safety was a top priority during the service project. The food packaging was done in shifts with a maximum of 25 students in the gym at one time.听 Students were required to wear masks and gloves.听 In addition, surfaces were frequently disinfected.

The meals will be distributed to families in need by The Outreach Program and People to People.听 Some of the meals will also be kept in the College鈥檚 food pantry for food insecure students.听 The Outreach Program is a nonprofit organization focused on providing safe water, food, medical care, and education to children and those in need at home and abroad.

September 4, 2020

Students Welcomed Back to Campus

A student has their temperature taken.

All students had their temperature taken before moving into their residence halls. They are required to take their temperature and fill out an online screening form daily.

Dominican College welcomed students back to campus at the end of August following the COVID-19 outbreak and a move to remote learning in spring. The move came after a comprehensive, 32-page College Reopening Plan called 鈥淒ominican College 鈥� Moving Forward鈥� was submitted to New York State, outlining plans to reopen the College safely. The plan was the culmination of months of work by the Reopening Coordinating Committee, led by Chair Sr. Kathleen Sullivan, Chancellor for External Affairs, in conjunction with the President鈥檚 Cabinet.

The committee was guided by the following principles:

  • Dominican College will fulfill our mission and meet our standard of excellence.
  • The health and safety of our college community are both paramount. Protecting our students, faculty, and staff is the starting point for each decision.
  • We will be flexible and innovative in the face of evolving circumstances.
  • We will heed our responsibility to ensure the College鈥檚 financial strength and stability.

The plan sets forth requirements for students, faculty and staff to wear face masks and to complete an online screening questionnaire, including a temperature check, each day they plan to be on campus. 听Additional protective measures include the presence of hand sanitizer at all entrances/exits and in high traffic areas, and frequent cleaning and disinfection of campus buildings.

Classrooms, the dining hall and offices throughout campus have been reconfigured and/or modified to allow for social distancing. In addition to face-to-face classes, students are able to take courses remotely with the hyflex and hybrid models of teaching. Furthermore, capacity in residence halls was reduced to ensure the health and safety of the College community.

Included in the plan is a Dominican Cares Pledge for students to commit to taking precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.听 The pledge begins by stating, 鈥淒ominican College is a community of caring.听 Now more than ever, it is imperative that we all share in the responsibility for keeping our community safe.听 The conditions of the COVID-19 global pandemic require every one of us to commit to responsible actions and to being an accountable member of both the Charger and Dominican College community. 鈥�

Complete details of the reopening plan are available.

September 4, 2020

MBA Student Receives 2020 Student Veteran Leadership Award

Alumnus and MBA student Andrew Anderson received a 2020 Student Veteran Leadership Award from GI Jobs Magazine.

Alumnus and MBA student Andrew Anderson 鈥�18 received a 2020 Student Veteran Leadership Award from GI Jobs Magazine and was honored in the August edition of the magazine.听 Anderson served five years in the Army and two years ago started his own business OVROUT, which sells streetwear fashion.

Anderson said his company donates some of its profits to veteran organizations. He also hopes to set up an entrepreneur fund in the future. 鈥淲e would take profits from the business and create this entrepreneur fund for people who are transitioning out of life in the military and want to start a business,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e would basically be the go-to source for advice and funding.鈥�

GI Jobs Magazine bestows the Student Veteran Leadership Award to veterans who overcame challenges to excel as students, volunteers, and leaders.

August 20, 2020

College Introduces New Marketing Major

Dominican College will be offering a new marketing major beginning in fall 2020.听 The new undergraduate major will fall under the Business Administration Division, and will lead to a Bachelor of Science in Marketing.

“Like all our business majors, our new marketing major promotes our motto of 鈥楧oing Business Right鈥� – by which we mean that at Dominican College business students are taught how to be successful while also making the world a better place, 鈥溙� said Ivan Rudolph-Shabinsky, Director of the Business Administration Division. 鈥淲hen it comes to marketing, we believe an ethical approach is especially critical today when new technologies collect so much personal data on consumers. Avoiding unethical practices, however, is just the start. Effective marketing can also be a powerful tool to promote causes ranging from sustainability to justice. We teach our students to be creative and to use marketing as a positive force in business and in our society.”

Some of the marketing courses offered include Digital Media, Social Media Marketing, Global Marketing, Sales, Sports Media and Promotion, Innovation and Product Development, and The Fashion Business. 听Three Hospitality courses also focus on restaurants, resorts and hotels, and spas and fitness centers.

For more information about the marketing major, contact the Admissions Department at admissions@duny.edu.

 

 

July 30, 2020

Climate Class Inspires Student to Launch an Eco-friendly Business

Student Shailei Kraft started selling eco-friendly T-shirts like the one she is wearing in this photo as an assignment for her Climate Science and Action class.

Student Shailei Kraft said choosing to take a class called Climate Science and Action as an elective this past spring was one of the best decisions she ever made.听 It opened her eyes to global warming and made her want to spread awareness. 听When Shailei was assigned a class project to encourage others to pay attention to their carbon footprint, she launched an online business called ecoly-cute.

鈥淚 started creating these eco-friendly products in hopes that people would buy them because they are eco-ly cute, but also because they will act as posters hung up all around the world,鈥� said Shailei. 鈥淭he only way to stop climate change is having everyone on the same page.鈥�

The women鈥檚 T-shirts, which are made of 65% recycled polyester and 35% cotton, have sayings such as 鈥淪ave our听 Earth鈥� and 鈥淭here is no Planet B.鈥澨� In addition, Shailei tries not to generate any waste in making the shirts, reusing her scraps of fabric.听 The T-shirts are modeled by Shailei on her website

The Climate Science and Action class that inspired Shailei was taught by Professor Kathleen Hinge.听 Student Maddie Walker also worked on the class project.

July 14, 2020

College Names Jenna Fox as Nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year Award

A smiling photo of Jenna Fox.

Women’s lacrosse player Jenna Fox has been named as Dominican College’s nominee for the NCAA Women of the Year Award.

July 13, 2020

Dominican College Nursing Students Help Care for COVID-19 Patients

Recent nursing graduate Claudia Charles wearing protective equipment and standing in front of a bulletin board with handwritten thank you notes.

Recent nursing graduate Claudia Charles at Montefiore Nyack Hospital, showing handwritten thank you notes from residents to healthcare workers.

Recent nursing graduate Claudia Charles is among the Dominican College nursing students who have helped to care for patients with COVID-19.听 Claudia has worked for several years as a Patient Care Associate at Montefiore Nyack Hospital in Nyack, NY.听 She credits her professors with preparing her to handle any situation.

鈥淚 find myself not panicking.听 I am there and I鈥檓 doing what I was taught to do,鈥� said Claudia.听 鈥淎nd I was like, 鈥榃ow, my education paid off.鈥欌�澨� 听Because family members were unable to visit the hospital at the height of the outbreak, Claudia would hold the patients鈥� hands and listen to them.听 鈥淚 express to them that I can鈥檛 replace your family member, but I can be a comfort if you need to talk to me about anything,鈥� she said.

Claudia was impressed with the teamwork she saw as hospital workers were redeployed from other areas to help care for COVID-19 patients.听 She was also touched by the outpouring of support from the community 鈥� local residents hosting dinner for the healthcare workers, writing thank you notes, and cheering for the healthcare workers.

,

June 26, 2020

Dominican College Nursing Students Help Care for COVID-19 Patients

Recent nursing graduate Claudia Charles wearing protective equipment and standing in front of a bulletin board with handwritten thank you notes.

Recent nursing graduate Claudia Charles at Montefiore Nyack Hospital, showing handwritten thank you notes from residents to healthcare workers.

Recent nursing graduate Claudia Charles is among the Dominican College nursing students who have helped to care for patients with COVID-19.听 Claudia has worked for several years as a Patient Care Associate at Montefiore Nyack Hospital in Nyack, NY.听 She credits her professors with preparing her to handle any situation.

鈥淚 find myself not panicking.听 I am there and I鈥檓 doing what I was taught to do,鈥� said Claudia.听 鈥淎nd I was like, 鈥榃ow, my education paid off.鈥欌�澨� 听Because family members were unable to visit the hospital at the height of the outbreak, Claudia would hold the patients鈥� hands and listen to them.听 鈥淚 express to them that I can鈥檛 replace your family member, but I can be a comfort if you need to talk to me about anything,鈥� she said.

Claudia was impressed with the teamwork she saw as hospital workers were redeployed from other areas to help care for COVID-19 patients.听 She was also touched by the outpouring of support from the community 鈥� local residents hosting dinner for the healthcare workers, writing thank you notes, and cheering for the healthcare workers.

,

June 26, 2020

Criminal Justice Professor Awarded Faculty of the Year Award from Honors Council

Tara Parrello, Ph.D., standing behind a podium in the Granito Center.

Tara Parrello, Ph.D., was recently named the 2020 Honors Professional of the Year in the faculty category by the Northeast Regional Honors Council.

The Northeast Regional Honors Council has honored Tara Parrello, Ph.D., as the 2020 Honors Professional of the Year in the faculty category. Parrello is Coordinator of the Criminal Justice Program at Dominican College and an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Sociology.

Since Parrello was secretly nominated for the award by two colleagues,听 the announcement surprised her.听 鈥淚 was absolutely floored, humbled, and completely blown away,鈥� she said.听 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 even know this honor existed, so to receive an award never expecting it was so exciting.鈥�

The winner of the award must demonstrate a dedication to honors education, be passionate about the honors program, and be an advocate for students. Parrello is a member of the Dominican College Honors Committee and has mentored students in the Honors Program.

June 16, 2020

County Leaders Discuss Renewed Interest In Suburbs During Annual Forum

Rockland County Executive Ed Day at home participating in the County Executive Forum via Zoom.

Rockland County Executive Ed Day participated in the annual County Executive Forum via Zoom. He was joined by Westchester County Executive George Latimer and Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus.

星空传媒 200 business leaders and local residents participated in the Annual County Executive Forum on Tuesday, June 9, 2020 to hear the latest information from the County Executives from Westchester, Rockland, and Orange Counties.听 The event, which was sponsored by the Palisades Institute, took place via Zoom.

The county leaders spoke about reopening businesses following the COVID-19 outbreak and the financial challenges听 faced by local governments. However, all three leaders said that there is a silver lining to the tumultuous times — a renewed interest in moving to the suburbs.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said, “People want to be where there is less dense, intense population.听 They want to be in places with a little more elbow room and they believe that will help them stay real healthy.”

Rockland County Executive Ed Day said with crisis comes opportunity, “We are hearing anecdotally that housing sales are a very hot market right now.”听 Orange County Steven Neuhaus听 agreed and said that there is also a boom in the real estate market in his county.

In addition, the County Executives predicted telecommuting will become more widespread in the future since many people have been working from home during stay-at-home restrictions, while continuing to be productive

The County Executive Forum is a long tradition of the Palisades Institute and has been held annually since 2005. The aim of the Palisades Institute of Dominican College is to assist leaders to advance their organizations by providing them with professional development and information to integrate the concepts of Leadership, Quality, and Ethics to achieve long-term success. In serving the business, not-for-profit and government community, the Palisades Institute of Dominican College also aims to serve Dominican College students by fostering their participation in these educational opportunities.

June 10, 2020

College President Addresses Racism in America

College President Sr. Mary Eileen O’Brien, O.P., Ph.D., sent the following letter to students, faculty, and staff on June 5, 2020:

In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his hope-filled 鈥淚 Have a Dream鈥� speech.听 In it he longed for the time when his children would 鈥渘ot be judged by the color of their skin but the content of their character鈥�.听 How appropriate to recall these words today as we mourn the unconscionable act of violence that took the life of George Floyd.

Racism in America has had a long and painful history.听 It began over 400 years ago with the arrival of African slaves in 1619.听 In the past few months we have witnessed a rise in brutality – the killing not only of George Floyd in Minnesota, but Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, and so many others.听 We cannot remain indifferent to the ongoing abuse of people of color in our country.

During the past 68 years, Dominican has been blessed to be a diverse College community, especially among our student body.听 We are united in the belief that all people possess dignity and are worthy of respect.听 Our mission statement calls us to be creators of an environment 鈥渃haracterized by respect for the individual and concern for the community鈥�.听 We are encouraged to educate in a manner that fosters 鈥渞eflective understanding and compassionate involvement鈥�. Hence, we cannot remain silent when members of our human community are abused.听 Rather, we must stand together in condemning that racism which harms the dignity of human life.听 We support the right to protest while opposing those actions that abuse people and destroy property.

Dominican鈥檚 core values of community and service are particularly motivating at this time.听 We embrace our diversity and renew our commitment to serve in ways that are ethical and just.听 We cannot gather 鈥渇ace to face鈥� at this time of the Covid19 separation but we can join in prayerful remembrance, honoring those who have been killed and those who remain marginalized.

May our efforts contribute to a more respectful and inclusive society.

June 5, 2020

Softball Coach Authors Suzi Softball Book for Young People

Head Softball Coach Joseph Burbridge has written a book called Suzi Softball to encourage young people to be more accepting of others.

Dominican College Head Softball Coach Joseph Burbridge has written a book, Suzi Softball, that he hopes will encourage young people to be more accepting of others.听 The book follows the adventure of a young softball determined to make everyone feel included.听 Suzi ultimately persuades neighbors 鈥� like Franny Football, Bobby Basketball, Vicky Volleyball and others 鈥� that they can be friends with people who are different.

鈥淚 really think it鈥檚 a simple way of saying, 鈥楧on鈥檛 leave anyone out and everyone just get along,鈥欌�� said Burbridge.

Burbridge has more than 20 years of experience in the field of education.听 Prior to coaching at Dominican College, he taught and coached students in elementary school and high school.听 Burbridge will be donating $1 from the sale of each Suzi Softball book to the dirt 2 turf campaign, which will fund the construction of a new turf field on campus. For more information about Suzi Softball and to purchase the book, visit

May 27, 2020