The College of Staten Island launched a new initiative yesterday to
turn the institution into a major player in the Island's issues.
The project aims to use the expertise and resources in the college
to study issues such as transportation, the environment, business
and health. The key component would be making a comprehensive
selection of issues easily accessible in a single location,
especially on the Internet, according to the backers.
"It integrates the College of Staten Island into the public life of
the borough," said Dr. Marlene Springer, CSI president.
For example, statistics showing the number of deaths from influenza
and pneumonia on the Island are available, but not in a way that
puts them in the context of what's happening in the rest of the
nation, said Margaret Lunney, professor of nursing.
A comparison with the significantly lower national average shows
that there are many unnecessary deaths on the Island, she said.
Making such facts easily accessible could influence what's done
about it, she said.
The initiative is called the "Staten Island Project," or CSISIP once
the name of the college is placed into it. It began through a
combination of the college's plans to reach out to the community and
the founding of its Archives and Special Collections division in
1999.
The Archives and Special Collections began with a large donation of
documents from state Sen. John Marchi, who was present for
yesterday's ceremony in the Archives facility in the campus library.
A similar project of exchanging ideas between faculty and
legislators in Wisconsin at the turn of the century led to reforms
in Wisconsin and new ideas that sparked the Progressive Era, said
Richard Flanagan, professor of political science.
Mirella Affron, the vice president of Academic Affairs, was
appointed the director of the Staten Island Project.
A Web site is expected to be launched in the summer.
One of the new programs under the Staten Island Initiative is the
Leadership Institute. A class of 25 mid-career leaders from
non-profit organizations will take a comprehensive look at the
Island through activities such as meeting political leaders,
visiting major businesses and learning about environmental issues.
The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, which has been forging a
mutually beneficial relationship with the Island's higher education
institutions, will actively send members to that program, said
Lawrence De Maria, executive director of the Chamber.
"By a year's time, they're going to know all the movers and shakers
in the Staten Island community," he said.
