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Home: Introductory letter to the Students

Introductory letter to the Students

1 February 2000

Greetings to the Students of Brooklyn College:

I'm the new president of Brooklyn College, and for many students I really am new. For most of our faculty and staff, however, I'm not new at all.

I began my career at Brooklyn College more than twenty-five years ago as an associate professor of history, teaching European history and Core Studies 4. For a while I was head of the Scholars Program. As chairperson of the History Department, I guided the department in the development of Core 4 and its source reader, The Shaping of the Modern World from the Enlightenment to the Present.

I served as provost of the College for nine years and then, for the last two years, led the University as interim chancellor. That experience gave me a fuller, more informed view of the University and its constituent campuses -- and an opportunity to see Brooklyn College from different and sometimes multiple angles. As I return to the College as president, I look forward to applying what I have learned.

Over the past few weeks, I've spoken to some of you by telephone. You told me why you chose Brooklyn College, how it affected your lives, and what you saw as its strengths and weaknesses. Overall, the message was positive and consistent with what I hear from other members of the College community, and it coincides with my own perceptions of what we will want to do now at Brooklyn College.

Because I spent many years in the classrooms at Brooklyn, I know what it's like to be a teacher here and I think I understand what it's like to be a student. I believe that you, our students, are the most important part of the Brooklyn College community. I believe that the faculty must demand of you the best work you are able to do and that we must provide you with a solid education that will make it possible for you to reach your goals. I believe that you deserve ample support -- scholarly, moral, and financial -- that enables you to carry your many responsibilities and to complete your studies expeditiously. And I will work toward these ends.

In return, Brooklyn College expects your very best efforts. When you need help, I urge you to seek it on campus and to persist until you find it. Let us know what we can do to make your years at Brooklyn College a rewarding experience and a time of growth that you will remember with pleasure.

I have invited the faculty and staff, and I invite you, to work with me to make Brooklyn College the best college in the City University. We want to meet your needs and your expectations and if we do, I ask you to spread the word, helping Brooklyn College to attract talented students who are eager for a challenging academic experience -- the best in New York City.

I want Brooklyn College To be the Best. In order to make it possible for you To be the Best.

I look forward to hearing from you, to meeting you on campus, and to making a difference as you advance in your career at Brooklyn College.

Sincerely,
 

CMK
President